General President-elect Sean O’Brien laid out his vision for an expanded Package Division and announced who will lead different areas of union’s work at UPS on his last Zoom Transition Update with members before Teamsters United takes office on March 22.

The Package Division is our union’s largest, representing over 300,000 Teamsters, and it has suffered from understaffing and a lack of coordination. O’Brien announced plans for addressing both problems.

Strengthening Grievance Panels

Matt Higdon, the President of Georgia Local 728, was named our union’s first-ever National Grievance Coordinator to share information regionally, oversee, and coordinate the many regional grievance panels. 

“For too long, a lot of these grievance panels have not been running properly,” O’Brien said.

Going forward, Higdon is tasked with making sure that problems are addressed and grieved consistently and strategically to enforce the contract and protect working Teamsters. 

Package Division Structure 

O’Brien named Directors and Assistant Directors for each region. 

East: New York Local 804 President Vinnie Perrone is the Eastern Region Package Director. Local 25 Business Agent Joe Foti is the Assistant Director.

Central: Dennis Roberts of Cleveland Local 407 is the Central Region Package Director. James DeWeese of Louisville Local 89 is the Assistant Director. 

West: Mark Davison of Portland Local 162 is the Western Region Package Director. Victor Mineros of Los Angeles Local 396 is the Assistant Director. 

South: Thor Johnson of Tampa Local 79 will be the Southern Region Package Director. Don West of Alabama Local 612 is the Assistant Director. 

There will be an International Representative named for each region. 

Additional Appointments

O’Brien also announced some UPS committee assignments. James Wright of Virginia Local 822 will lead the Article 40 Committee (Air). 

Columbus Local 413’s Carl Snodgrass will lead the Article 43 Committee (Premium Services) which is critical to sleeper team and feeder drivers. 

Joe Foti of Local 25 will chair the 9.5 Committee. Tim McDonald of Local 480 will chair the Technology Committee.  Rob Reddix of Local 639 will chair the Health & Safety Committee.

O’Brien also announced that Local 25’s James Donovan will be the director of the IBT’s Legislative Affairs Department.