October 24, 2012: UPS released its third-quarter financials yesterday, and has upgraded its projected profits for 2012.  Once again, UPS Teamsters drove the company’s revenue. International package volume dropped by 3.7% or 400,000 packages a day. U.S. package revenue increased $94 million over last year, driven by a 3.7% gain in daily volume. UPS said its overall profit for the third quarter would have been about $1.66 billion, down just a fraction from $1.67 billion...

October 22, 2012: The union’s bargaining committee will resume bargaining with UPS Freight management November 12-16, in Washington D.C. After bargaining last week, the International union issued a press released which quoted union bargaining chair Ken Hall as saying that “a lot of progress” was made at the table. At a meeting with officers of all affected locals on September 21, Hall stated that UPS Freight has not been profitable, so he would keep union...

October 22, 2012: National negotiations with UPS resume this week in St. Petersburg, Florida. Bargaining is still in its early stages. Reports indicate that the process is moving very slowly. In bargaining last week, UPS management turned over its bargaining proposals, including a laundry list of concessions. The company also did presentations on SurePost and other operational issues, playing up that the need to compete with FedEx should lead to concessions by the union.  The...

October 19, 2012: The 6,000 members of Los Angeles Local 630 have spoken loud and clear in rejecting Hoffa's appointed Trustee of the local, Randy Korgan, as well as candidates supported by the corrupt former local officers. Will Hoffa let the membership vote stand, or will he pull a "do-over" even though his appointee, Korgan, ran the election. This undemocratic tactic has been used by Hoffa before.Korgan, a close associate of International Vice President Randy...

October 4, 2012: On Monday, October 1, 600 warehouse workers and union supporters shut down Wal-Mart's largest US distribution center, in Elmwood, Illinois, in a dramatic show of solidarity. Workers and community allies were engaged in a nonviolent protest of wage theft, substandard working conditions and retaliation against striking workers. Police in riot gear met them at the gates where they arrested 17 of the protesters, including a county commissioner and several ministers. Inspired by...

September 28, 2012: The IBT has put initial demands on the table for the UPS Freight Contract. TDU is making the union proposals available here for members to review and discuss. This is your contract. An IBT press release stated that Parcel Division Director Ken Hall would make ending subcontracting of Teamster work a priority. The initial proposal from the union has a number of positive proposals, but leaves out some important issues. They will...

September 28, 2012: Yesterday the International Union gave UPS management the union's initial contract proposals. This is your contract and TDU is making our Union's proposals available to members to download and review. Click here to download and review the proposals. Contract talks will resume in mid-October. Negotiations this fall will focus on language and working conditions. Economic issues, including wages, pensions and health and welfare will be addressed beginning in January, according to the...

September 21, 2012: Officers from UPS Freight locals met in Chicago today to review the union's bargaining demands for the negotiations, which formally open on September 27. Small Package Division director Ken Hall gave a report and went over the demands, at a meeting that lasted an hour. It followed a similar meeting on the UPS contract. Hall stated that UPS Freight has not been profitable, so he would keep union demands modest. In fact,...

September 21, 2012: The International Union briefed local union officers in Chicago today on the union's proposals for UPS contract negotiations. Bargaining on the national contract opens on Sept. 27. Chief negotiator Ken Hall gave a presentation on key contract issues while local officers reviewed briefing books with a partial list of the union's contract proposals. Union bargaining proposals will reportedly include: Pension Increases: More money for pensions, including increases in the benefits paid by...

September 20, 2012: Speculation continues over the future of some 80,000 union workers employed by the grocery giant Super Valu, as the corporation continues to seek a buyer or takeover bid. Most of the union jobs are as clerks and meatcutters in the United Food and Commercial Workers, but thousands of Teamsters work as drivers and warehouse workers as well.  Super Valu, based in Minneapolis, continues to lose market share to unionized competitors such as...