UPS Teamsters Need a Pension Increase
March 15, 2013: Does a ten-year freeze in pension benefits sound too long to you? That is what half of all UPS full-time Teamsters could face, unless there are improvements put in Article 34 of the UPS National Contract. The IBT-UPS Pension Plan covers Teamsters in 24 states (the southern region, the Carolinas, and most of the central region), but this plan has the lowest benefits of all Teamster pension plans! Fortunately, that situation can...
Could Central States Cuts Affect UPS Retirees?
March 15, 2013: Some 50,000 UPS Teamsters stand to draw a pension from the Central States Fund, even though UPS was allowed to pull out of that fund in 2008 and set up their own IBT-UPS Pension Plan, run by the company. The way it works is that UPS pays the pension until the retiree reaches 65. Then Central States pays its share of the pension (which would be most of it), and UPS makes...
A Plan to Protect Pensions
March 15, 2013: Instead of parroting the employers who want to cut our pensions, our Teamsters Union should be proposing positive legislation to protect workers' hard-earned benefits. How about these ideas: Build a coalition of unions, retiree groups, AARP to push for positive legislation to protect and shore up pensions. Propose enhanced protection from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). It is presently funded by tiny contributions from various pension plans: increase them to provide...
Central States: 35 Companies Join "New" Fund
March 15, 2013: The third quarter financial report on the Central States Pension Plan indicates that the fund had $18 billion in assets as of the end of September 2012. This means the fund held its own for the first nine months of 2012, but surely fell behind in the fourth quarter, when the stock market made no gains. The fund has 30 percent of its total assets pegged to the S&P 500 index of...
Making the Most of Local Union Meetings
March 15, 2013: Many members think that union meetings are just a place you go to hear long reports or to listen to beefs that you don't understand by members who work at other companies. And sadly, many union meetings are not much more than that. Local unions can and should make meetings informative and a forum for ideas and questions. Expert speakers and workshops can be alternated with union business and contract issues. But...
Getting Educated & Organized with TDU
March 15, 2013: More than 150 Teamsters gathered in New York City on March 9th for a day of educational workshops and stewards trainings. The conference, organized by the N.Y. Chapter of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, brought together UPS workers, construction workers, school bus workers, dairy workers, and food warehouse Teamsters for workshops on grievance handling, legal rights, and just cause. Commercial movers met in a special workshop on picketing rights and tactics to...
5 Things Teamsters Can Do When the Contract Comes Down
5 Things Teamsters Can Do When the Contract Comes Down 1. Read Between the Lines Last time, UPS walked away with concessions from the union and contract loopholes they've used to crush Teamsters. Make sure you study the fine print on harassment, technology, full-time jobs, subcontracting and other issues. Freight Teamsters are on the watch against any concessions to their healthcare and wages. 2. Inform the Members Carry a copy of the proposed contract with...
ABF Already Got a $1.40 per hour Concession
March 14, 2013: ABF Teamsters across much of the country have already given a $1.40 concession, well in advance of the contract. So when management comes to you asking for a wage giveback, you can tell them "I already gave up $1.40 per hour. And I didn't even get a vote on it!" It was a secret deal, signed by Gordon Sweeton for the IBT and Trucking Management Inc (TMI) rep Robert Jones. (Doesn't ABF...
April 19: YRC’s Change of Operations Hearing
UPDATED March 28, 2013: A hearing on YRC's proposed mega change of operations will be held April 19 in Dallas. The International union announced two weeks ago that they were holding off a hearing to review the proposal due to substantive and procedure issues with the change. Now, the IBT has allowed the proposed change to be heard. The proposed change document is available here. The International union today informed local unions via a faxed...
Driver Wins Record Whistle-Blower Award Against UPS
March 8, 2013: The U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Review Board has upheld a $100,000 OSHA award to a TDU leader and feeder driver who refused to drive unsafe equipment. John Youngermann, a TDU steering committee member and UPS feeder driver out of Earth City, Missouri has scored a major win against UPS in support of Teamster rights to refuse to drive unsafe equipment. The original case dates back to April 2009 when UPS...