Don't Believe the Healthcare Hype
UPDATED August 30, 2013: Top Teamster officials want UPSers to give up, go home and cry in their beer. They say there's nothing members can do to stop healthcare cuts. Teamster officials are starting to send out notices to UPSers that say, "Effective January 1, 2014, you will no longer be covered by the Company insurance benefits but will be covered by the Central States Health and Welfare Fund TeamCare." They say there's no point...
Western UPS Teamsters Say NO to Concessions
August 29, 2013: Western UPS Teamsters, who rejected UPS's first offer two months ago, are uniting to put forward reasonable demands for the Western Supplement and Southwest Rider. Click here to get a leaflet on those proposals. Copy and distribute widely. Teamster officials now claim that in September they will reveal to members what healthcare benefits will be included in the next offer, and then will bargain with UPS over other vital issues. We need...
ABF Local-By-Local Contract Vote Results
UPDATED September 11, 2013: The largest supplement to the ABF agreement – the Central Region local cartage agreement – was rejected again, as was the Western Region office supplement. Updated Local-by-Local contract votes are posted here. The other five supplements which were previously rejected were accepted in the second round of voting. The IBT Constitution (Article XII, Section 2) provides that after two such rejections, "The master national negotiating committee shall return to the bargaining...
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
August 28, 2013: Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The hidden history of the march may surprise you—and it shows why we need to keep marching today. Hidden History: The March on Washington was not organized by Martin Luther King. The march is best remembered for Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech which continues to inspire millions of Americans. But Dr. King was...
IBT Calls UPS Locals to meeting on Health Benefits
August 27, 2013: The International Union is holding a meeting for all locals with members in or moving into the Central States TeamCare plan in Chicago with representatives from TeamCare on Sept. 4. The IBT announcement promises, “updated information about the plan” and “educational materials to take back to your Local Union.” The only “updated information” that affected UPS Teamsters want to hear is that TeamCare will be matching members’ current benefits. UPS is providing those...
UPS Healthcare & Obamacare
August 27, 2013: In response to questions to Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), we consulted an expert attorney who advises healthcare plans regarding compliance with Obamacare. Here are his responses to members’ questions. Q. January 1, 2014, is a trigger date for implementation of Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act). Does UPS need to have any new health plans in place prior to that date or face financial consequences? A. No. It really does not...
How UPS Teamsters Can Win
August 21, 2013: Hoffa and Hall say it is impossible for UPS Teamsters to win a thing. They won't bargain to protect healthcare, and they won't bargain for real changes in the Central Supplement. We say UPS workers can win. Here's how... First, if your supplemental negotiators are working to win gains, then back them, including the rank and filers on your negotiating committee. Get involved. That's Teamster solidarity. But that is not the case...
UPS Central Region Proposal: There's Nothing There
August 19, 2013: On August 16, the IBT's Central Region Negotiating Committee quietly reached a deal with management to make just two minor "tweaks" to the rejected first offer. Apparently Hoffa-Hall will keep this stinky deal under wraps until their PR machine puts perfume on it. Reportedly one change is a minor tweak in the notorious Article 17 (i), which allows Teamsters to be immediately fired for all "other serious offenses." This clause does not...
Teamster Organizers Petition for Solidarity
August 16, 2013: The organizers who work for the International Union have launched an online petition drive directed at the Hoffa administration. The petition was launched on MoveOn.org and calls on the Hoffa administration and organizing director Jeff Farmer to bargain fairly with the union of IBT organizers and to maintain their present benefits and terms of employment. Some organizers have been fired and have suits pending against the Hoffa administration. Fired organizer Tim Lewis...
Hoffa's Hidden Record Re-Visited
August 16, 2013: In online discussion forums, many Teamsters are asking where Hoffa came from and how he became Teamster President. In response to members' questions, TDU is re-issuing two documents on the history of James Hoffa prior to his election as Teamster President. These two thoroughly-researched documents were produced in 1996 for the Ron Carey Campaign. They document Hoffa's work and background over a long period of time. The facts in these reports have...