Corporate Attack on Pensions Hits Public Workers
January 3, 2011: In early December, a bill was introduced in Congress that will escalate the attack on public employee pensions. This little-noticed bill is a shot fired at the pensions of millions of American families. In early December a bill was introduced in Congress that will escalate the attack on public employee pensions. The Teamsters Union represents 200,000 public workers and we need to respond. Sneak Attack The bill, sponsored by Representative Devin Nunes...
Western Freight Retiree Health Care Clobbered
December 20, 2010: Freight Teamsters have gotten little but bad news from their employers and from the Hoffa administration. Now freight retirees in the West—and those soon to retire—are facing health cost increases of over 400 percent! The Western Teamsters Welfare Trust (WTWT) is raising the cost of retiree health care for many retirees from approximately $125 to a whopping $725 per month per individual ($1,450 to include spouse coverage). Even those eligible to join...
Sandy Pope Speaks Out On The Issues
December 20, 2010: Sandy Pope announced her campaign for General President on Oct. 10. Since then, she’s been taking her message to Teamsters across the country, listening to members concerns and addressing the issues. Here are excerpts from what Sandy Pope has had to say at recent campaign meetings about where she stands on issues that matter to working Teamsters. Close the Concessions Stand “Hoffa gave concessions to UPS when the company was making record...
YRC Trying to Tear Up the Contract
December 20, 2010: YRC thinks our union will take pretty much anything management wants. But members are pushing back. Since YRCW got the concessions approved in the vote, they decided that YRC Teamsters and the Teamsters Union will take pretty much anything management wants. But Teamster members are pushing back. “Most Teamsters were willing to vote yes to try to save the company and the job but we didn’t vote to work for free,” reports...
YRC Teamsters Still in the Dark about Pension Credits
December 20, 2010: YRC Teamsters were asked to vote for massive concessions for nearly five years, and were offered one benefit: resumption of pension credits, at a smaller contribution rate. The question now is: what pension credits will they get? No Answers Members are entitled to know the answers, but so far, they’re not getting any. The Central States Pension Fund trustees met on Dec. 7-9, but didn’t bother to take up the issue. As...
Sell Out Teamster Pensions to Get UPS Freight Dues?
January 18, 2011: We Would Never Do That, Swore Hoffa and Hall. "Ken Paff argues the [Central States] pension plan is worth saving. He’s afraid, though, that the Teamsters may be willing to give it up to get UPS Freight employees, who are not unionized, into the Teamsters fold. "However, the Teamsters say they have no intention of pursuing that strategy. "‘It would be ludicrous for us to even consider trading away something in a...
Building TDU in 2011
January 3, 2011: What should TDU be doing in 2011? We asked Frank Halstead, a co-chair of TDU’s International Steering Committee, the leadership body that was elected at the TDU Convention in November. Teamster Voice: Why do we need TDU in 2011? Hoffa and his administration have failed Teamsters in every possible way. They’re failing at the bargaining table. And then they’re failing to enforce the weak deals they negotiate. They’re failing to involve the...
Teamsters First Slate Wins in Local 100
December 20, 2010: Cincinnati members have voted for a new team to lead their local. Butch Lewis, a Holland city driver and former candidate for International Vice President on the Tom Leedham slate, led his Teamsters First Slate to victory in Cincinnati Local 100. Lewis has been a steward, business agent and past officer in Local 100. “The membership voted for change,” said Lewis. “Our local represents everything from UPS to freight, manufacturing to bus...
A Message from the TDU Trustees
December 20, 2010: Teamsters raised more than $50,000 for the TDU movement and the Sandy Pope Campaign at our annual TDU Convention. We’ll need that money—and more—to dump Hoffa in 2011 and build the stronger union Teamster members need. We have this opportunity to elect new leadership because of a battle fought and won by TDU members across the country. It’s because of TDU that we also have the right to vote on contracts (and...
UPSers Demand Results from Grievance Panel
December 20, 2010: Many UPS Teamsters are fed up with a grievance procedure that is stacked in favor of management. UPS Teamsters in Kansas City are not just grumbling–they’re doing something about it. Kansas City Teamsters in the Missouri Kansas Nebraska Conference are fed up with a grievance procedure that is stacked in favor of management. And they’re not taking it lying down. Members have formed the MOKAN Watch, a group of Teamsters dedicated to...