Carhaul Shake Up Continues
March 25, 2011: As we go to press in late March, the shake-up in the unionized carhaul industry continues. Union carriers Jack Cooper and Cassens have been awarded a lot of Allied’s traffic. Jack Cooper is picking up the GM work, and Cassens the Chrysler work. Both are scrambling to get enough trucks in place to haul the traffic, and using drive-away for some local work. Allied, previously the largest North American vehicle carrier, initiated...
Management Retaliation Backfires at Bus Company
March 25, 2011: Teamster school bus drivers are organizing for change in New York Local 854—including at Outstanding Transport where for years the company has gotten away with paying drivers no overtime pay and paying bus aides less than the minimum wage. When Kim Sessions (3rd from left) was fired for standing up for bus workers' rights, TDU members took action and won her job back.Members at Outstanding met with TDU and launched a plan...
Freight Teamsters: Don’t Just Get Mad. Get Even.
March 25, 2011: Freight Teamsters are angry. Some have given up hope. Others want to know “what can we do?” And that is the right question to ask. Sandy Pope meets with YRC Teamsters in ChicagoThe latest insult heaped on freight Teamsters is the big pension cut for YRC workers from the Central States Fund, and likely from other pension funds as well. This comes after twelve years of neglect, mismanagement, and PR from Hoffa....
Take the TDU Recruitment Challenge
TDU recruitment makes everything we do possible. Imagine what we could do with even more members. Can you help make it happen? Recruit five new members* to TDU by Oct. 1 and we’ll waive your registration fee to the TDU Convention. “Without TDU we wouldn’t have won many of the rights and reforms that are important to building a stronger union. And the backbone of TDU is recruitment and a growing membership. “I’ve taken up...
2011 TDU Convention: Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 in Cleveland
Teamsters from across the country are making their plans to be at TDU’s 35th annual convention, Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 at the Cleveland Airport Sheraton. Save the date and make your plans to be there. Elect Sandy Pope The ballots to elect the next Teamster General President will go out just weeks after the TDU Convention. Join us for critical strategy sessions for the final push to Dump Hoffa and elect Sandy Pope. ...
Letters from Our Members
Central States Needs an Upgrade With a lot of misinformation coming from all sides, the Central States Pension Fund is getting slammed with so many calls that members are on hold for 30 to 45 minutes, and sometimes never get through to anybody who can help them with their questions about the recent pension changes. This is 2011, not 1981. But the fund still operates on an antiquated phone system. You can’t leave a voicemail....
Carhaul Shake Up Continues
March 23, 2011: The shake-up in the unionized carhaul industry continues, with no clear end in sight. Union carriers Jack Cooper and Cassens have been awarded a lot of Allied’s traffic. Jack Cooper is picking up the GM work, and Cassens the Chrysler work. Both are scrambling to get enough trucks in place to haul the traffic, and using drive-away for some local work. Allied, the largest North American vehicle carrier up till this time,...
Central States Slashes Pensions for YRCW Teamsters
March 23, 2011: The Central States Pension Fund made it official today—they slashed the pensions of YRCW Teamsters by putting them on the “default schedule.” The news is going to hit YRC Teamsters hard. YRC Teamsters still working or who retired after September 24, 2010, will be put on the Central States “default schedule” of benefits. This means no more 25- or 30-and-out, no more $100 per year accrual for pre-2004 years. The only pension...
Take the TDU Recruitment Challenge
Imagine what TDU could do with even more members. Can you help make it happen? Recruit five new members to TDU by Oct. 1 and we’ll waive your registration fee to the TDU Convention. (Recruit five members at the normal rate, or 10 part-timers.) Click here to download a form you can start using today to sign up new members. Return the filled-out form and dues payments to: TDU, P.O. Box 10128, Detroit, Mich. 48210....
UPS Freight National Grievance Panel
March 22, 2011: Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale March 9-11, the Teamsters National UPS Freight Grievance Panel addressed 31 grievances. Three pertained to Article 44 subcontracting and were denied. All other Article 44 grievances remained on “committee hold,” including twelve new ones added at this meeting. Two addressing sleeper bid issues were deadlocked. Over all, the grievant and union won six grievances, the company won ten, seven were deadlocked, and five were referred back. Deadlocked grievances...