September 14, 2012: I really enjoyed the Women's Conference, my first one. The speaker that stands out mostly for me was the San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, it was very uplifting. I recall when she was sworn in as the first women fire chief in 2004. I had a hard time picking out my favorite workshops because they were all important. My first work shop was, "It's OK to be OK" which was about...

UPDATED September 18, 2012: Chicago teachers are returning to the classroom after staging a united strike to protect teachers' jobs and improve education for Chicago's children. The union's 800-member council of delegates debated the tentative agreement and voted today to suspend the strike. The 29,000 members will vote on the contract at a later date. A news update is available here. UPDATED September 17, 2012: Delegates of the Chicago Teachers Union voted to continue their...

September 7, 2012: Over 10,000 UPS Teamsters in New England are set to vote on a massive change in the structure of their pension plan. The proposal is to move all UPS Teamsters in the six New England states to a new plan which will still be within the New England Teamsters Pension Fund, but under very different terms. Under this proposal, UPS will be given a $2.40 per hour reduction in its contributions to...

September 7, 2012: Through Teamsters Local 804, Mary Ellen King and I were able to attend the 2012 Teamster Women's Conference in San Francisco, Calif. It was a great experience. You could feel the amount of energy these women generated during the gatherings. Several of the opening statements touched upon our current political challenges. They reinforced how important it is to get out and speak to our members and educate them about the abundant anti-labor...

September 5, 2012: The 2012 first quarter financial report from the Central States Pension Fund has finally issued, and is available only on this website. The report indicates that the fund had $18.7 billion on March 31, 2012, a healthy increase over three months earlier. The bad news is that the stock market froth of the first quarter has not been repeated, and the fund's assets are now lower, probably about $1 billion lower. The...

August 31, 2012: Happy Labor Day, from your brothers and sisters in Teamsters for a Democratic Union. It's a day off to enjoy family and friends, and maybe attend a Labor Day Parade or other event to show solidarity and remember that the labor movement has brought us many benefits we take for granted too often. TDU is training, educating, uniting and developing leaders who are a strong force for change and building an expanding,...

August 24, 2012: For some time now, various locals have taken votes to give employers a break on hauling auction cars and cars from rental companies: Teamsters are paid 25% of revenue. Some have said yes, others no, and others haven't voted yet. Jack Cooper drivers in Flint Local 332 are set to vote soon. The problem is, 25%-of-revenue rate means there is no set scale and you need to trust the company on what...

August 24, 2012: The International Union has been required by the NLRB to post notices that the IBT will cease harassing union organizers for joining a union. The notice includes that the IBT will not tell them they will no longer be Teamsters if they join a union, or that they will be laid off or that they cannot wear a union pin. A majority of IBT organizers voted to form a union and are...

August 22, 2012: Chicago Teamster honcho John Coli has used his muscle to install pal Becky Strzechowski at the helm of a 12,500-member local. It's the latest power grab by Coli who has set his sights on succeeding Hoffa. Teamster power broker John Coli has done it again. He's ousted the president of Chicago Local 700 and installed pal Becky Strzechowski to take the helm of the 12,500-member public sector local. Coli also dissolved an...

August 22, 2012: Negotiations for the next UPS Freight contract are set to commence in late September. When the contract was signed in 2008, we were told it was only a first contract, and the big issues would be dealt with next time. Now is the time! Negotiations are set to begin this fall. Most locals have held meetings to gather member proposals. That's a start, but the key is to build rank and file...