Is management handing out excessive discipline for misloads or missorts? Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and other Teamsters. UPS has the right to expect employees, in this case preloaders and loaders, to work accurately. This is just common sense. But management frequently goes overboard from common sense to nonsense. Beating Unfair Discipline When challenging discipline for misloads or missorts, stewards should consider several factors including: Was the preloader or loader...

May 20, 2015: The campaign to elect the next General President of the Teamsters Union is on. The first big test of the Teamsters United campaign is a summer petition drive to collect the required signatures to become officially accredited candidates.   To get accreditation, 2.5 percent of the 1.3 million Teamsters across North America must sign the petition.   Teamsters United has set a goal of 50,000 petition signatures by the end of August. Members are volunteering to get the job done.   Accredited candidates get a computer...

May 20, 2015: Over 300 carhaulers joined a conference call on May 14 to form a national network of stewards, officers, and active members to defend their contract and change the national leadership of the union. Now the organizing work will begin. Paul Kubal, Jack Cooper driver at Wayne Michigan in Local 299, said “We need to get organized if we’re going make sure negotiations deliver what we need. We need a carhaul contract committee with stewards and active members. We need a rep in every barn.”   The national network...

Interview with Kirk Sikora Local 327 Steward Cassens How did you become a Teamster Carhauler? In the early 90’s, I was working as a heavy wrecker operator that had contracts doing recovery work for carhaul companies like M&G Convoy. I was helping a carhauler swap tractors and we shared how much we made. When he told me what he was paid, I said “a month?” “No,” he says, “a week.”   I applied at Leaseway and showed up with pizza and donuts more than once. I wanted the job...

May 20, 2015: What to Do When UPS Management Puts a Target on Your Back. Harassment isn’t an accident at UPS. It’s a strategy, called management-by-stress.   Under management-by-stress, the company uses harassment to try to intimidate us into working faster. Sometimes, they’re trying to provoke you into losing your temper. In extreme cases, they’ll try to harass workers into quitting.   TDU asked experienced package car stewards for suggestions on how Teamsters can protect themselves from harassment at UPS. Here were their Top 10 tips.  ...

May 20, 2015:  Hoffa has won re-election three times.  Here’s why Hoffa will be beat in 2016. Hoffa has won re-election three times, including  the 2011 election with 60 percent of the vote.  But the key indicators point to a different  outcome this time. Here’s why Hoffa will be  beat in 2016. From Division to Unity   In the last IBT election, two opposition candidates  ran against Hoffa, splitting the vote.   This time, opposition...

May 20, 2015: Nearly 400,000 Teamsters and retirees are threatened with pension cuts. How Hoffa helped put the hit on their retirement. Nearly 400,000 Teamsters and retirees in the Central States Pension Plan are threatened with the worst pension cuts in Teamster history. So are thousands more in some local plans in New York, New Jersey and Western Pennsylvania. Long before Congress passed pension cut legislation in December, the Hoffa administration helped pave the way for this disaster.   Passing the Buck   The Hoffa administration tries...

May 20, 2015: Using your union’s legal right to acquire information from the employer can help you defend your rights and win grievances and arbitrations. This right is established by the National Labor Relations Act.   Unfortunately, many members don’t know about this right, and many union representatives don't use it unless members specifically ask them to.   This article outlines some of the basics of the right to information and how to use it. You will need more detailed information to...

Sign the Petition to demand an independent audit of the Central States Fund. Teamsters deserve an independent audit and review of alternative plans before the Central States cuts are imposed. Support upcoming Congressional legislation that offers alternatives for strengthening pension funds that go beyond slashing the pensions we earned. Build the Movement to Vote No & Reject the Pension Cuts. Help mobilize Teamsters and retirees to Vote No to reject the cuts in the Central States balloting this fall....