March 2, 2009: With few carhaulers working, you would think that Jack Cooper would lay off management to bring the number in line with what is needed. In some areas they have, but at a few terminals they practically have one supervisor for every driver working. Before they blame Teamsters and demand more concessions, how about controlling the overhead costs?

March 2, 2009: It’s bad enough that the majority of Teamster carhaulers are not working; now Local 604 reports that an International auditor working for IBT Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel has told the local union they should increase the dues of working carhaulers. St. Louis Local 604 has posted on their website (www.teamsters604.org) a letter from local Secretary-Treasurer John Thyer in response, stating that the local will decline to raise dues. Thyer’s letter reports that after...

March 2, 2009: When the International gave Allied the 17.5 percent wage concession, the deal provided that Allied’s Axis subsidiary would become union. Two years later, that hasn’t happened. Nonunion shuttle drivers work the Dearborn Michigan yard. Nonunion drivers pull the traffic. Where’s the union leadership?

March 2, 2009: Teamsters at Oak Harbor are returning to work after standing strong on the picket lines, but the fight for a good contract continues. Teamsters striking against Oak Harbor Freight Lines in the Pacific Northwest made an unconditional offer to return to work on Feb. 12, and at the end of February they began to close picket lines to reclaim their jobs. But the union and company remain far apart on bargaining. About...

March 2, 2009: UPS is denying thousands of Teamsters full-time job opportunities—in violation of our union contract. Now, working Teamsters are getting together to do something about it. Article 22.3 of our contract requires the company to maintain 20,000 combo jobs nationally. The company is thousands of jobs short of the 20,000 quota—and is eliminating more full-time combo jobs every day. Related Items Click here to download the petition. Click here to download an informational...

March 2, 2009: UPS continues to haul in substantial profits despite the worst economy in 70 years. Brown made $829 million from October to December 2008, according to fourth quarter financial numbers released by the company. Revenue went up 3.6 percent in 2008 to $51.5 billion. For the full year, UPS made an operating profit of $5.4 billion and after-tax profits of $3 billion. The U.S. package operation alone made an operating profit of $932...

March 2, 2009: A new keyless ignition and entry system is being installed on package cars in Georgia. After using Local 728 members as guinea pigs, UPS plans to go national with the system. The technology works like this. One short push on the remote unit enables ignition. A second push on a separate dash-mounted unit actually starts the engine. Drivers toggle a switch up to start the engine and down to turn it off....

March 2, 2009: In 1997, UPS Teamsters went on strike to tell the company, “Part-Time America Won’t Work.” And we won! Our contract requires UPS to combine 40,000 part-time jobs into full-time jobs—and to maintain 20,000 full-time combo jobs no matter what. But the company is thousands of jobs short of the 20,000 quota—and management is eliminating more combo jobs every day. Thousands of Teamsters are being denied full-time jobs that are required by the...

The Central States Health and Welfare Fund has increased the cost for Teamsters who retire under age 60, and decreased it for those who retire after age 60. Once again, Central States is aiming to increase the average age of retirement. Monthly premiums for 2009 for those who retire at age 57 are $360, or $720 for a couple. For those who retire at 62 or more, the retiree monthly payment is $100 ($200 per...

March 2, 2009: Teamster movers in New York Local 814 work for some of the deepest pockets in the city: Fortune 500 companies, Wall Street banks and the U.N. But you’d never know it by their recent contracts. Read more about how “Local 814 Members Stopped a Decade of Givebacks and Won a Strong Contract." Local 814 members have launched their own rank-and-file website. Check out www.voiceof814.com. Givebacks have gutted members’ pay and benefits and...