January 3, 2014: It has been one of the biggest failures of leadership in Hoffa’s 15 years in office. YRCW Teamsters were mailed a ballot for a five-year contract extension, without the union leadership even bargaining for them. Whatever the outcome fo the vote is, we know this for sure: the Hoffa-Hall leadership has abandoned freight Teamsters. For 15 years they have done nothing to defend our union or to organize in freight, or in...

January 3, 2014: UPS Freight Teamsters have been attacked by their own union leadership in the worst way: the denial of the right to a fair vote. The question is, what will you—and other Teamsters nationwide—do about it? The Hoffa-Hall leadership has announced that they will not allow a mail ballot vote on the UPS Freight contract. For decades, this is how all contract votes have been done for UPS package, for freight, for carhaul,...

January 3, 2014: Meet Harry Wilson. Hoffa appointed this Wall Street tycoon to the YRC Board of Directors. Now Wilson is making millions on the YRC concessions deal. Hoffa appointee Harry Wilson has received, or stands to receive, as much as $15 million for dealing with distressed companies that bargain with the Teamsters since he was first tagged by James Hoffa to work on YRCW’s 2011 restructuring. This includes a $5.5 million bonus if YRC...

January 3, 2014: ORION takes more decision-making out of the hands of drivers and gives management another tool to harass UPS Teamsters. UPS is implementing new technology, the Orion Solution. It’s telematics on steroids. ORION takes EDD and makes it dynamic. Your package car is still loaded according to the PAS system. But ORION rearranges your EDD to tell you where to  deliver and do pick-ups stop-by-stop based on the shortest mileage for the day....

January 3, 2014: UPS is claiming the right to discipline Teamsters based on company “Social Media Guidelines” that govern everything from online chat rooms and forums to blogs, and Facebook. UPS says “Activities that violate the standards outlined in these guidelines can lead to disciplinary action, including job termination.” But will management’s attempts to control what you post on Facebook lead to a face-plant for Big Brown? The NLRB has thrown out employer social media...

January 3, 2014: UPS Teamsters speak out on the contract fight and how we can keep organizing for a stronger union and against corporate greed. We’ve Got To Stand Up for Ourselves “When our own Teamster leaders agreed to give healthcare cuts to UPS, I realized if we wanted someone to stand up for us, we needed to do it ourselves. “I went to the Vote No page on Facebook. I met TDU members. I...

January 3, 2014: Major changes to federal pension laws will be considered by Congress in 2014. Teamster members, along with the AARP and the Pension Rights Center, are organizing to defend your right to your pension. The National Coordinating Committee for Multi-Employer Plans (NCCMP), which includes the Central States Pension Fund along with many Teamster employers and some unions, is lobbying for a law which would allow already-earned pensions to be cut. Thomas Nyhan, the...

January 27, 2014: A growing reform group is running for office in New York Local 237, the Teamsters’ largest local union. Local 237 represents more than 24,000 New York City public employees, including school safety officers, public housing workers, city hospital staff, and more. The local was once a powerful political force in New York City and its contracts help set the tone for public sector wages and benefits in the City and beyond. But...

You’re online and so is your boss. What are the Do’s and Don’ts for staying out of trouble? Teamsters are using Facebook to share information, sound off, and get organized. Facebook pages like Vote No on UPS Contract, No More Concessions!, Rebuild the IBT and others have helped Teamsters unite the rank-and-file. Social media can be a good tool for building union solidarity and for having a laugh. But you've got to be smart about...

How to protect members and enforce the contract when management is trying to derail the grievance procedure. The grievance procedure is supposed to protect members from unfair discipline and hold the company accountable to the contract. Management plays a variety of games to derail the grievance procedure and undermine our rights. Teamster Voice interviewed experienced Teamster stewards about common companytactics—and how stewards and members can beat management at the grievance game. The Fishing Expedition Management...