UPS Bargaining: Brownout and Threats
February 21, 2014: The information brownout has reached a new low. UPS Teamsters in Ohio, who have rejected their rider twice, will get a third ballot mailed to them on February 27, without any input or even information about changes to UPS’s offer. Meanwhile, Hoffa and Hall are using threats and rumors to try to get Teamsters in Western Pennsylvania and Philadelphia to accept their supplements, which members have decisively rejected twice. Hall’s office is...
St Louis Teamsters Learn Truck Safety Rights
February 21, 2014: Over sixty Teamsters attended a February 15 meeting near St. Louis to hear Paul Taylor, lead attorney for the Truckers Justice Center, speak on truck safety issues. The crowd included UPS feeder and package drivers as well as UPS Freight road drivers, freight Teamsters, and carhaulers. Taylor discussed various issues involving trucking safety and the protections available to truck drivers. Taylor recently won two major decisions against UPS on behalf of feeder...
Teamster Bus Drivers Rally in Vermont
February 20, 2014: Teamster bus drivers held a contract speakout yesterday and press conference in Burlington, Vt. They have voted 53-4 to reject a contract offer from the Chittenden County Transportation Authority. “We will not let the public down by driving under unsafe conditions,” said driver Rob Slingerland, speaking at the news conference. “Driver fatigue is a leading factor in accidents in the transit industry.” Management wants to be able to force drivers to work...
YRC and IBT Issue Memos on Attendance Policy
February 19, 2014: YRC, New Penn, and Holland Teamsters all have a “clean slate” going forward from February 9, 2014 when it comes to documented absences. But management is ready to move on the “new” national uniform attendance policy so every member must be prepared. Tyson Johnson also issued a memo on February 7, 2014 addressing a range of issues regarding the “Extension of the Agreement for Restructuring of YRC”. He outlines responses to frequently...
TDU Convention: Mike Grady, "I'll Be There."
Join Teamsters from across the country who are organizing to protect our jobs, defend our contracts and take back our union. 2014 TDU Convention Nov. 7-9 Cleveland Airport Sheraton "I'll be in Cleveland for my first TDU Convention. I'm excited to be able to soak it all in. I plan to learn a lot while I'm there." Mike Grady, Local 135, Columbus Transport, Indianapolis Click here to register or call 313-842-2600. The 2016 International IBT Elections are...
Harry Wilson Bags $5.5 Million in Re-Fi Deal
February 11, 2014: Recent YRCW SEC filings reveal a payment of $5.5 million to MAEVA Group. See Item 16 in the link for the SEC filings. MAEVA is Harry Wilson’s company. Wilson, you may recall, is the Hoffa appointed trustee to the YRC Board. His firm aided YRC in getting the new refinance terms from the banks. So while working Teamsters at YRC, Holland and New Penn entered 2014 giving up even more concessions in...
IRB Charges IBT V.P. Sean O'Brien for Threatening Members
UPDATED Feb. 10, 2014: Teamster Local 251 members stood up to the intimidation tactics, for their ballots counted and voted for change. The United Action Slate swept the election on October 31. On November 1, Sean O'Brien began serving a 14-day suspension from all union positions to settle the charges against him. The reform movement continues to organize to rebuild union power in Providence. ORIGINAL STORY: International Vice President Sean O'Brien has been charged by the Independent Review Board...
Local 710 Contract Out for Vote
February 7, 2014: The proposed contract covering 6,000 UPS Teamsters in Teamsters Local 710 has been mailed out for a vote. Local 710 represents UPS Teamsters in downstate Illinois, Northern Indiana, and Davenport Iowa, along with feeder drivers in Chicago. The economics track the national agreement on wages and the concession on a four-year progression. The agreement also moves Local 710 UPS Teamsters into the Central States Health & Welfare Fund (They don’t even bother rebranding...
Save the Date: 2015 TDU Convention
The 2015 TDU Convention will be held the weekend of October 23 - 25 at the Cleveland Airport Sheraton. Education is Power “I am coming to my first Convention to learn from other Teamsters how to better use my voice to empower other members in defending our rights.” Jackie Polhemus, UPS, Local 177, New Jersey Building the Pension Movement “Our movement to defend our pensions is blossoming. We’ve had meetings from Nashville to Minneapolis, Akron...
Join with Teamsters at the Labor Notes Conference
Join Teamster Sisters and Brothers at this inspiring gathering of grassroots union activists, dynamic union leaders, and all-around troublemakers.The conference is held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, near Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Click here for details and to register. Meet Teamster reform leaders and activists working for change in our union. A Teamster meeting will be held on Saturday. More than 100 meetings and workshops include secrets of a successful organizer, beating apathy, running for union...