May 21, 2014: The Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is calling for reforms that would help secure union members pensions. TDU backs this proposal and Teamsters should, too. The Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is calling for a major increase in insurance premiums paid by employers to provide more security to pension funds that cover Teamsters and other union members.  Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) supports this proposal...

Thirty-six grievances have been carried over to be heard at the national grievance panel in Boston in June. A number of them address the serious problem of subcontracting. There is one new case from the Eastern Region addressing premium pay for Sunday work, along with a few new cases from the Central and West and South. The link for the docket is here.

May 15, 2014: We lost a good friend yesterday, when Doug Mims passed away in Atlanta at the age of 75.  Doug had been sick for quite some time. Doug was a tireless activist and a leader of the TDU movement and of the Teamsters Union. Doug started his union activity when he was a road driver in South Carolina. Later he transferred to Atlanta Local 728, where he joined TDU in 1984 and helped...

May 12, 2014: New video shows how Local 804 members teamed up with community allies, customers, elected officials, and other public supporters to stand up to UPS.

May 9, 2014: “All UPS Teamsters get a 70c raise.” Many Teamsters were told this, but now find out they got a 50c raise. Apparently, this contract is proof of an old adage, “figures don’t lie, but liars do figure”. And figure they do. The company is well-aware that many of the 120,000+ part-time Teamsters are actually getting a 50c raise, and they bargained accordingly. This is because the progression rate for many part-timers only...

May 7, 2014: Hoffa and Hall have finally revealed how they secretly changed the Teamster Constitution to impose the UPS contract over No Votes by the members. Under the IBT Constitution, Teamster members have the Right to Vote on our contract supplements and riders. National contracts can’t go into effect until all supplements and riders are approved. But last month, Hoffa and Hall imposed the UPS contract even though members had overwhelmingly rejected the supplements...

May 2, 2014: Surrounded by corporate lobbyists who support pension cuts, the President of the IAM denounced efforts to change pension law and reduce pensions. While the IAM speaks out, Hoffa is MIA. Corporate lobbyists and some pension plans, including the Central States Pension Fund, are pushing to change federal law to allow “deeply troubled” plans, to drastically slash benefits. But they’re catching heat from union leaders and the AARP.  “Troubled plans deserve at least...

May 2, 2014: Seattle’s Mayor has announced the City will phase in a new minimum wage of $15 an hour, the highest in the nation. As the battle over the minimum wage heats up, will the Teamsters Union mobilize and help lead the fight? Seattle announced today that it will phase in a new minimum wage of $15 an hour. Businesses with more than 500 workers must meet that level within three years. That includes...

May 2, 2014: How will the transition to new TeamCare coverage work for UPS Teamsters? TDU brings you the latest info and a sneak peak at upcoming mailings from TeamCare. Starting June 1, over 140,000 UPS Teamsters will see a change in their healthcare coverage; most of them will be moving into TeamCare. UPS Teamsters across the country mobilized to Vote No and fight healthcare cuts under TeamCare. The Vote No movement won some important...

Mike Walden, a retired YRC Teamster from Akron Local 24, reports that the Northeast Ohio Committee to Protect Pensions has held three organizing meetings in the follow up to their well attended March meeting on pension issues. Committee members have organized a phone tree and email list to get the word out to other active and retired members. The committee has made plans to lease a bus for a trip to Washington, D.C. for the...