November 26, 2012: On November 29 officers from freight locals will meet in Kansas City to review the contract proposals that the International union will present to ABF.   ABF Teamsters have every reason to be concerned. Earlier this fall, the IBT mailed contract surveys to ABF employees.  The survey results have not been revealed to members or local unions, but the survey itself was worrisome. Some of the questions were fine, but others looked...

November 20, 2012: Two of the biggest Teamster Pension Plans have adopted a new pension model. What does it mean for members' pensions? Both the Central States Fund and the New England Pension Plan have a new pension model that may affect tens of thousands of Teamsters. Why are employers pushing for the new "Hybrid Plan" model? What will it mean for Teamsters' pensions? Companies are getting increasingly aggressive about getting out of defined-benefit union...

November 20, 2012: Under the "Hybrid" model, the Pension Fund sets up two departments: the traditional pension model and the new one with no employer liability. To switch to the department with no future withdrawal liability, a company has to pay off all its current withdrawal liability, either in a lump sum or on a payment plan. For example, over 10,000 UPS Teamsters in New England were switched into the new plan in September. UPS...

December 14, 2012: Bylaws are the constitution of your local union. They define your rights and responsibilities as a local member, they say how elections will be run, and they set the powers for your officers. Your local union bylaws can be amended, to make improvements. But you have to know how to go about it. In many locals, members can only introduce new bylaws amendments in January.The process of amending local bylaws can vary...

November 20, 2012: Local 251 Teamsters in Rhode Island are organizing to win strongerrepresentation and better contracts. Members from different companies have launched a campaign to change their local bylaws, with three proposed changes: The Right to Elect Shop Stewards The Right to Elect Contract Negotiating Committees The Right to Vote on Officer Salaries and Pay Increases Half of Local 251's membership works at Rhode Island Hospital where contract negotiations have been a closed-door affair....

Defending Our Rights “I was amazed at the support and solidarity from my fellow Teamsters at my first TDU Convention. “Back in New York, we’re working with our brothers at Elmhurst Dairy to fight illegal layoffs and defend their union rights. We’re building a network to educate more members, distribute Teamster Voice, and spread the TDU message in the local.” Stephen Mohan, Tuscan Beyer Farms, Local 584, New York Building Teamster Unity “What I saw...

November 14, 2012: Skimming union money. Sham contracts. Non-union contractors. Misusing credit cards. The whole ugly story is in the 139-page IRB report available here. It's also all been under the noses of the Hoffa administration. But they are not interested in rooting out corruption. We need to change our union culture. The Independent Review Board (IRB) report details a series of long-running schemes to divert union funds to Brad Slawson Sr, Brad Slawson Jr,...

November 13, 2012: A 139-page report by the Independent Review Board (IRB) details a pattern of corruption in Minneapolis Local 120, along with self-dealing by Brad Slawson Sr and Brad Slawson Jr to line the pockets of themselves and their friends. The IRB recommended a trusteeship of the local, and Teamster President James Hoffa has put the local into trusteeship. The letter announcing the trusteeship is available here. The IRB alleges that the Slawsons, who...

November 12, 2012: When Veteran's Day fell on Sunday this year, freight Teamsters in New England thought it would mean Monday is the observed holiday, just as for the federal government and other institutions which recognize the day. Then came a strange memo from the New England Supplemental Negotiating Committee signed by the employers' chairman and union chairman John A. Murphy, Boston Local 25 business agent.  November 11 (Sunday) was the holiday for non-vets, and...

November 7, 2012: Voters have spoken and re-elected Barack Obama as President of the United States. No matter which candidate you voted for, the most important days for political action may just be ahead of us. Unions, including the Teamsters Union, were key to the election outcome. They donated money and powered get out the vote efforts that carried key states: Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, among others. With the election behind us, our union...