June 28, 2012: What does the Allied Automotive Group bankruptcy mean for carhaulers?  That important question remains unanswered at this point. Teamster carhaulers, as well as the Ford Motor Company, need Allied to survive, because the remaining union carriers simply do not have the capacity to pick up Allied's work.  Since Ford has made Allied their preferred carrier, they likely will survive. Will Allied pick up more Ford work? That's their goal, but reportedly Ford...

July 23, 2012: Teamsters at Rhode Island Hospital are joining TDU and uniting for stronger union representation. Union meetings in Providence Local 251 don't usually create much of a buzz. Like many locals, Local 251 membership meetings tend to be routine. But a recent Local 251 membership meeting was anything but routine. While the regulars took their seats, more than 100 Teamsters from Rhode Island Hospital rallied across the street and marched into the membership...

July 6, 2012: New York City bus drivers and escorts went on strike in 1979 and won crucial job security protections. Now, those protections are on the line. New York City is trying to eliminate rules that protect school bus drivers from pay and benefit cuts, or losing their jobs, when another bus company bids on their work. School bus drivers across the city went on strike to win these critical Employee Protection Provisions in...

June 28, 2012: Working conditions at UPS are at an all-time low. Will the new contract address the problems—or will they get swept under the rug? The International Union announced it will open early contract negotiations with UPS on Sept. 27. The IBT  has outlined a compressed timeline for talks with just three weeks of negotiations scheduled on operations issues. Negotiations will be suspended during peak and resume in January with bargaining over wages, benefits...

June 28, 2012: The International Union should make UPS fill every vacant 22.3 job as a condition of any early contract settlement.   Our contract requires UPS to maintain 20,000 full-time 22.3 jobs and to provide the International Union with a list detailing where each and every one of those jobs is.   But this language has become a joke.   The company has eliminated thousands of 22.3 jobs. They've converted good combo jobs into...

July 6, 2012: Part-timers and other inside workers are organizing to win a contract that delivers for all Teamsters—full-time and part-time. They've launched a petition drive to demand better pay and more full-time jobs. "In Milwaukee, we're collecting signatures at shift change from part-timers and drivers too," said Daniel Ginsberg-Jaeckle, a Local 344 Teamster. "We want management and our bargaining committee to see that full-timers and part-timers are uniting behind each other's bargaining demands." Any contract offer from...

June 28, 2012: Corporations have targeted workers' pensions for elimination. Teamsters, teachers, fire fighters, Verizon workers and more are in this fight together. Now add rail workers to that list, including 65,000 Teamsters. Incredibly, their pensions are under attack even though their plan is well-funded, and it costs zero tax dollars. And they are not covered by social security. It's under attack in Congress, with Paul Ryan (R-Wisc) as the point man. Since it would...

June 28, 2012: The Central States Pension Fund's 2011 Financial and Analytical Reports show that the fund was down to $17.7 billion at the end of 2011. Fund assets dipped from $19.9 billion at the start of 2011, to $17.7 at the end of the year. The fund made zero on investments during the year; in fact there was a loss of .28%, attributed to poor stock market performance. The reports—which were received by Teamsters...

June 28, 2012: Supervisors have different strategies to try to put stewards off, trip you up or get around the contract. There's no one-size-fits-all strategy for dealing with difficult supervisors. But being prepared can help you feel more confident, be more effective and avoid getting caught off guard. Before approaching the supervisor, write down the relevant facts and keep your goal in mind. What is the problem? What is the remedy you want? What is...

Teamsters from across the country are making their plans to be at the TDU Convention, Oct. 26 - 28 at the Chicago Holiday Inn O'Hare. Save the date and make your plans to be there. Click here to register online today and get the early bird discount. UPSers Need to be There "UPS Teamsters who want a stronger contract in 2013 need to be at the TDU Convention. The Convention brings UPSers together from across...