Organizing in Waste
September 24, 2014: Private sanitation is a growth industry—and as demand for a green economy expands, recycling is a growth industry too. The Teamsters represent 30,000 members in the waste industry. But most private sanitation workers are nonunion. The two top companies in the industry, Waste Management and Republic, are among the largest Teamster employers and control the majority of the waste and recycle industry. Organizing drives in waste—and strategic campaigns to win strong sanitation contracts—can grow our union’s...
Port Organizing
September 24, 2014: One area where our union has made a long-term strategic commitment is the Port Worker organizing campaign. In a global economy, workers have leverage at key points in the logistics and distribution chain-trucking, warehousing and ports—but only if we’re organized. Port workers are at a critical chokepoint in that logistics chain. As part of the Port Organizing campaign, the union has built alliances with environmental groups and community organizations. Because almost all port drivers are wrongly classified as independent contractors,...
Locals Start Freight Organizing. Where's the International?
September 24, 2014: One hundred thirteen Con-way workers at the Laredo Texas terminal voted to join Teamster Local 657 on Sept 11. It’s a first-time win for our union. The same month, Southern California Joint Council 42 filed for organizing elections at three Con-way terminals, in Los Angeles, Santa Fe Springs, and San Fernando. And, Philadelphia Local 107 filed for organizing elections at FedEx Freight. Is this the start of movement to organize in freight and trucking? We...
Time to Challenge YRC Purchased Transportation
September 24, 2014: YRC drivers are fed-up with pictures like this. It’s time to go beyond complaining and challenge subcontracting. There is language in the YRC MOU that offers protections, if it is utilized and enforced. It’s time to do just that. Here is some of the language that exists in the MOU: “The maximum amount of over-the-road purchased transportation shall be limited to 6% (starting with Calendar Year 2014) of YRC Freight’s total miles...” “The use of PTS under this section 7(e)...
Members Will Determine Future of Local 710
The membership of Local 710, based in the Chicago area but also covering parts of Illinois, Indiana and the UPS hub in Davenport, Iowa, find themselves with more questions than answers following the imposition of a trusteeship on their local. Stewards and concerned members have begun to meet and discuss plans for moving forward with a membership led direction for Local 710. The trusteeship removed Pat Flynn and other officers based on charges stemming from a credit card scheme and financial mismanagement. John Coli, a Hoffa...
Teamsters Raise the Stakes with Solidarity—and Win
September 24, 2014: Teamsters at the Twin River Casino took a gamble that solidarity could beat corporate greed at Twin River Casino. Now they’ve beaten the house. The money never stops flowing at Twin River Casino, the largest gambling and entertainment venue in Rhode Island. But the winnings always stopped when it came to Local 251 members who work as parking valets at the Casino. Until now. With their old local union leadership cozy with management, the odds were stacked against them. Teamster parking valets took...
Round One: Victory at BNSF Rail Workers Fight for Jobs, Safety
September 24, 2014: Rank and file rail workers—including Teamsters in the BLET—have won an important round in the fight to maintain two-person crews in America’s rail cabs. In mid-September, conductors on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) soundly rejected a contract that would have allowed one-person crews. "Rail workers told the BNSF railway, their union leaders and fellow rail workers that they will not support single-person crews,” said Ron Kaminkow, an engineer for Amtrak and member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLET) affiliated with...
Marching for a Healthy Planet and Good jobs
TDU members and other Teamsters joined hundreds of thousands in a massive march against Climate Change in New York City. A labor contingent of union members led the march under the slogan, “A Healthy Planet and good jobs.” The media reported a turnout of 310,000. March organizers say it was actually over 400,000. Either way, it was quite a crowd. For too long, it’s been jobs vs. the environment. But on Sunday, we were all...
Making the Case for the Right to Vote
September 18, 2014: Petitions signed by more than 12,000 Teamsters are on the way to Judge Loretta Preska calling on her to rule against the Hoffa administration’s bid to end fair elections for International Union officers. TDU legal counsel, Barbara Harvey, has submitted a letter to the court defending the Right to Vote and asking the Judge to hold a hearing on the issues. Judge Preska oversees the consent order, a court-approved agreement that guarantees...
Laredo Con-way Workers Join Local 657
September 13, 2014: Yesterday the Laredo Texas Con-way terminal workers voted to join Teamsters Local 657, in a first-ever organizing win at the giant LTL carrier. Los Angeles Joint Council 42 just filed with the NLRB for organizing votes at three Con-way terminals in Los Angeles, Santa Fe Springs and San Fernando. Is this the start of movement to organize in freight and trucking? We hope so! It’s certainly a good first step, and should...