New England UPS Workers Vote on Big Pension Change
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...
Teamster Viewpoint: 2012 Women's Conference
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...
Central States Pension Updated Financial Report
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...
Happy Labor Day Weekend
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,...
Carhaul Contract: Hauling Cars for 25% Revenue
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...
NLRB to IBT: No Harassing Organizers Who Join Union
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...
Chicago Power Play
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...
UPS Freight Teamsters Discuss Contract
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...
UPS Freight: Second Class Teamsters?
August 30, 2012: In 2008, when we got our first contract, the International Union told us that it was a "foot in the door" and real gains would come next time. Now it's next time. UPS Freight Teamsters can win parity and plug the holes in our contract, if we unify and say NO to any substandard contract. Dan Campbell, a retired experienced Teamster officer who was on the 1997 National Negotiating Committee for UPS,...
Freight Teamsters: Don't Be Fooled
August 22, 2012 Frank Rogers, YRCLocal 41, Kansas City When Hoffa, Johnson and Sweeton proposed the first round of concessions at YRC, some of us did some research. Our wages have not kept up with the cost of living, even before the concessions. And there never was any real "shared sacrifice." Good Teamsters fought in the streets and some sacrificed their lives for the standards that we as Teamsters enjoy today. We at YRC are...