Pete Camarata, Who Fought Fellow Teamsters for Reforms, Dies at 67
Douglas Martin The New York Times February 17, 2014 View the original piece In 1976, Frank Fitzsimmons, president of the Teamsters, struck a defiant note in a speech at the union’s convention in Las Vegas. “To those who say it is time to reform this organization, and it’s time officers stopped selling out the members,” he said, “I say to them, ‘Go to hell.’ ” The next day, Pete Camarata, a rank-and-file Teamster dedicated to reform,...
EEOC Can Contest UPS Return-to-Work Rule As Illegal Qualification Standard Under ADA
Patrick Dorrian Bloomberg BNA February 14, 2014 View the original piece A federal judge in Chicago Feb. 11 ruled that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can pursue its claim challenging United Parcel Service Inc.'s policy of discharging employees who can't return to work after 12 months of leave, finding that the rule may be an unlawful qualification standard under the Americans with Disabilities Act (EEOC v. UPS, Inc., 2014 BL 35887, N.D. Ill., No. 1:09-cv-05291,...
Labor Rights Expert on Proposed NLRB Union Election
Ori Korin Jobs With Justice February 07, 2014 View the original piece Today, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reintroduced a proposed rule to ensure a more streamlined and fairer union election process for workers. In response, Jobs With Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta issued the following statement: “We applaud the Board’s decision to reintroduce this commonsense rule. This modest reform would streamline the drawn-out union election system, reducing a number of obstacles faced by...
UPS and Pilots Union Move Contract Talks to Mediation
John Kell and Laura Stevens The Wall St. Journal February 07, 2014 View the original piece United Parcel Service Inc. and a union representing about 2,600 pilots who fly for the shipping company said they have moved their contract talks into mediation. In a joint statement by UPS and the Independent Pilots Association, the two parties said they have requested mediation by the National Mediation Board for their continuing negotiations. The two groups said they...
YRC Completes $300 Million Refinancing
Rip Watson Transport Topics February 03, 2014 View the original piece YRC Worldwide Inc. said it has moved forward in the refinancing of its debt by completing a multi-step transaction worth about $300 million. A total of $250 million of common and preferred stock was issued to retire convertible notes that were outstanding. In addition, the company late in Jan. 31 said $50 million in convertible notes were exchanged or converted into stock. In addition,...
HOS Study Proves Benefits of New Restart Restrictions, FMCSA Says
Eric Miller Transport Topics January 30, 2014 View the original piece A new study found that the restart provision in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration‘s current hours-of-service rule is more effective at combating fatigue than the prior hours rule, the agency said. The “real world, third-party” study, mandated by the MAP-21 transportation law, provided scientific evidence that the restart provision helps “truckers stay well-rested, alert and focused on the road,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx...
Staples Plucks Postal Jobs
Alexandra Bradbury Labor Notes January 27, 2014 View the original piece Staples’ latest ad slogan is “What the L?” That sounds like what postal workers said when they found out the retail chain planned to steal their work. The Long Island, New York, local of the American Postal Workers Union didn’t waste any time after the news broke in November. Members voted to boycott Staples and ask their friends and neighbors to do the same.-...
Teamsters Approve Revised Contract with YRC Worldwide
Mark Davis Kansas City Star January 27, 2014 View the original piece Teamsters workers on Sunday approved a revised contract offer from Overland Park-based YRC Worldwide Inc. with 66 percent of the vote, an outcome both sides called critical to the struggling freight hauler’s future. The weekend vote at union balloting sites ran 12,267 in favor to 6,314 against. Passage followed a monthlong mail-in vote on an earlier offer that 61 percent had rejected. “This...
New YRC offer makes nondriver workers eligible for wage hikes; softens vacation sacrifices
DC Velocity January 22, 2014 View the original piece Union workers at YRC Worldwide Inc. will vote this weekend on a revised contract proposal that could be the last hope in keeping the less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier out of bankruptcy. Workers will vote this weekend in secret ballots at union meetings nationwide. Ballots will be counted as soon as the meetings are over. The Teamsters union represents about 26,000 YRC workers. Click here to read more...
FMCSA Cracking Down on Carriers Who Repeatedly Break Rules
Today's Trucking January 20, 2014 View the original piece The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will publish a rule next week containing tough new penalties against carriers that ignore safety rules. Under the Patterns of Safety Violations Rule, the agency will be able to shut down a truck or bus company with a history of violating federal safety regulations on purpose. The rule is one of the new enforcement tools that the agency has...