January 8, 2015: Working Teamsters were hammered with concessions in 2014. Teamster leaders who showed how to fight for good contracts are building a coalition for change.   Teamster leaders who stood up for Teamster contracts and pensions in 2014 are helping to build a coalition for change in 2016.   Local 804 President Tim Sylvester united UPS Teamsters in New York City to win pension increases, grievance procedure reform, and 150 new full-time jobs.    “Other Teamsters were taking givebacks. But Tim showed us we can fight...

January 8, 2015: The Vote No movement showed that a majority of Teamsters in key industries oppose Hoffa-Hall's concessions. But are we ready to get to work to elect new Teamster leadership?   Working Teamsters organized an unprecedented Vote No movement against contract concessions and benefit cuts last year.   Teamsters can have new leadership and a new direction in our union. But it won’t be easy or automatic.   Hoffa has a built-in campaign organization. He has a huge payroll with over 100...

February 6, 2015: Teamster members will vote for International Union officers in 2016.  But the election process starts now.       Find out the election timeline and how TDU helps Teamster members  organize to win.   Click here to get involved if you want to see change in 2016.   Election Rules and the Election Supervisor  Early 2015   The International Union election is run by an  independent Election Officer under fair rules— a...

January 8, 2015: While other Teamsters were taking concessions, UPS Teamsters in New York Local 804 won a $400 pension increase, 150 new full-time jobs and grievance procedure reform. Local 804 President Tim Sylvester explained how they did it in a speech to the Labor Notes conference of union leaders and activists.   “When the International Union makes givebacks to UPS, they are sending a message to every employer—that the concessions stand is open in the Teamsters Union. We decided to send a...

January 8, 2015: The lame duck Congress attached pension cut legislation to the end-of-year spending bill that will pave the way for the worst pension cuts in Teamster history. Leave it to UPS to find a way to make billions off this disaster.   UPS lobbyists fought for and won a special interest loophole that shifts $2 billion in the company’s pension responsibilities onto the backs of Teamster retirees in the Central States.   These retirees will now face even bigger pension cuts as...

January 8, 2015: UPS Teamsters have the numbers and the network to make the difference in the International Union election. There are 250,000 UPS Teamsters. It takes 200,000 votes to elect new leadership in the International Union. Of course, not all UPS Teamsters are going to vote. But if even 40 percent of them vote, that’s half of the 200,000 votes needed to win. In the last International Union election, Hoffa carried the UPS vote in many locals. Many UPS Teamsters opposed Hoffa but the opposition vote was divided....

January 8, 2015: Stewards in your building have had a lot of success in winning grievances and getting more members involved. How do you do it?   A lot of our organizing is done from our parking lot meetings held every other Thursday and Friday.   What do you do at the parking lot meetings?   The topics depend on what the most important issues are at work that week. One week it could be management cracking down on attendance, another it...

January 8, 2015: The budget bill passed in December includes changes to pension law that will allow the Central States to make cuts to so called “orphans” like me. And there are many thousands of freight, carhaul, construction, warehouse, and other Teamsters just like me.   They label us “orphans” because some corporation closed up, despite our hard work.   Most current and retired freight Teamsters have worked for one or more companies since deregulation hit in 1980. I started out as a dump truck driver...

January 9, 2015: Teamsters in New York City are fighting to save 300 horse carriage drivers in New York City.     Mayor Bill de Blasio has introduced legislation to ban New York City’s iconic Central Park horse carriages.   Three hundred Teamster horse carriage driver jobs, members of Local 553, are at stake.   The animal advocacy group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets claims the iconic industry is inhumane. Opponents of the ban say that putting Teamsters in...

“We’re going to need to collect thousands of Teamster signatures to get our candidates accredited to run against Hoffa and Hall in 2016. That’s a job I plan to tackle in this coming year and am committed to get other Teamsters ready to take back our union to do the same.”   Daryl Nutgrass, Holland, Local 89, Louisville, Kent.     “I’m joining up with TDU and getting involved now because we need new ideas and new leadership in...