March 20, 2012: The UPS Freight National Grievance Committee met March 7-9 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, but the International Union only managed to win one (1) grievance at those hearings. The committee deadlocked 12 cases. Under Article 7, Section 5c, the union must submit a deadlocked grievance to arbitration within ten days. However, working Teamsters are still waiting for a resolution of the lone grievance that has been taken to arbitration thus far. Another hearing...

March 19, 2012: YRC, with the approval of the International Union, is now moving to implement its change of operations on a fast-track. The decision of the change of operations committee is available here. The decision states in paragraph #1 that the committee agreed that the proposed change is "unique in scope" and "must be implemented expeditiously" because of economic conditions. Paragraph #1 cites Article 8, section 6(G) of the contract, which states that the...

UPS Freight Decisions

UPDATED March 19, 2012 The New UPS Pension Plan$2,500 25-at-57$3,000 30-and-out The accrual rises to just $170 by the end of the contract in 2013. Pays the lowest pension benefits of any fund covering UPS Teamsters. Covers 44,000 UPS Teamsters in the Carolinas and Central and Southern Regions—the single largest group of UPS Teamsters covered by any plan. Click here to download the UPS Pension Comparison Chart. Western Conference (covers 11 Western States)Approximately $4,000 per...

March 15, 2012: Strong pensions mean retirement security for working Teamsters—and Teamster Power for our union as a whole. Throughout Teamster history, members have fought to build and protect strong Teamster pensions and defend them from employers—and sometimes our own union officials. Today, union pensions are once again under attack. To defend our benefits in the future, we need to know our history. Click here to view the Teamster Pension Timeline.

April 12, 2012: Get grievance advice and essential resources from TDU today. Grievances: Using the Grievance Procedure to Defend Our Rights and Build Power on the Job. Available in English and Spanish, a handbook on the mechanics of the grievance procedure and organizing tips for involving members. $8. How to Win Past Practice Grievances by attorney Robert Schwartz. This book unlocks the mystery of using past practices in the grievance system and at the Labor...

1. A grievance can only be based on a violation of the contract? False. A contract violation is a key ground for a grievance—but not the only one. A grievance can be also be filed over a violation of company policy or the law—safety and discrimination laws are common examples. You also have the right to file a grievance if management engages in unequal treatment or violates a past practice. 2. Stewards and members are...

March 14, 2012: TDU celebrates the contributions of Teamster women to our union and to labor struggles for social and economic equality. Building strong unions has paid off for women workers—literally. Women in unions earn higher wages, have better health care coverage, more rights to paid sick leave and vacation, pension plans, and more rights and power on the job. Women union members make $2 an hour more than nonunion women workers. The difference for...

March 9, 2012: Hoffa has appointed Rome Aloise as the Director of the Teamsters Dairy and Food Processing Divisions. Aloise replaces Fred Gegare who retired from his Teamster positions after running for General President in 2011 against Hoffa. Aloise will now collect four Teamster salaries as an International Union Vice President for the Western Region, Joint Council 7 President, Secretary Treasurer of Local 853 in San Leandro, Calif., and now Teamsters Dairy and Food Processing...

March 9, 2012: Join Teamsters and 1,500 union activists at the Labor Notes Conference in Chicago, May 4-6, for three days of labor education and strategizing on how to win the war on workers. The conference features workshops on everything from Bargaining Tactics to Labor Fighting Back in the Public Sector to Protecting Our Pensions. TDU members will be speaking in workshops on Assertive Grievance Handling, Running for Union Office, Secrets of Successful Organizing and...