A Substandard Deal at UPS Freight
September 28, 2010: “We were committed to providing the best contract we could for these workers and we have achieved that.” - Ken Hall, May-June 2008 Teamster magazine. “Our contract is a big disappointment. Ken Hall told us this was the best we could get. It’s not much given what we expected from the Teamsters.” - G.W. Owensby, UPS Freight, Local 41, Kansas City At the 2006 Teamster Convention, Hoffa announced he had a deal...
UPSers Show Solidarity in Syracuse
September 28, 2010: Teamsters at the UPS hub in Syracuse knew they needed a show of unity to counter all the grief they get daily from UPS management. So they held a rank-and-file day of action to educate members on how to enforce our contract. “Our action brought package drivers and part-timers out front so UPS could see we’re in this together,” reported 22.3 Teamster Bill Shaughnessy. “We’re tired of supervisors working and the package...
Will Holiday Turkeys Get the Axe Again?
September 28, 2010: Local 2727 members are getting back their holiday turkeys, thanks to a grievance their local just won. Is this the only turkey our union can deliver at UPS?UPS Teamsters in Local 2727 will get a turkey this Christmas season, and they will get their annual safety and length-of-service awards, thanks to a grievance their local just won. But will the rest of us get our benefits back? That question can only be...
UPS & Downs: UPS To Review Cell Phone Policies
September 28, 2010: UPS said it is preparing to follow its ban on driver texting with a broader policy on use of cell and smart phones while its employees are behind the wheel. The company made the announcement while Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and other top Department of Transportation officials were hosting a daylong distracted driving summit in Washington, D.C.
UPS & Downs: Subcontracting Out Feeder Work
September 28, 2010: Diverting feeder work to nonunion carriers (via Logistics or Supply Chain Solutions) costs jobs and hurts our union: if not stopped it could eventually destroy the feeder department and weaken our union. Here’s one example reported by Local 688 members in St. Louis. UPS had a large account with a company called Scholastic Books. Recently this feeder work was transferred to Werner, a nonunion truckload carrier. Werner—instead of feeders—now brings the freight...
Movers Win Big in Strike
September 28, 2010: They used to make $8 to $10 an hour with no benefits. Now after a five-week strike, they’re celebrating big raises and union benefits. Strikers followed scab trucks with mobile pickets and showed up at job sites with a giant inflatable rat. Building managers were not amused.Workers at ATM Enterprises had no union and were making $8 to $10 an hour with no benefits. Now they’re Teamsters and celebrating big raises and...
How We Saved Our Right to Vote
September 28, 2010: In August, BLET members voted 6,305 to 2,452 to save their Right to Vote. The vote was so lopsided because dozens of BLET members got organized and took a stand. Here’s how they made it happen. Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have overwhelmingly voted down an initiative that would take away their Right to Vote before they ever got a chance to use it. Now their first...
UPS Freight National Grievance Panel: Subcontracting Out Our Work Remains Issue
September 28, 2010: The next meeting of the UPS Freight national grievance panel will be in San Diego on Oct. 13-15. Article 44 subcontracting grievances remain a big issue. Nineteen cases were either carried over or remain on “committee hold.” These grievances are getting old and are from terminals across the U.S.—Columbus, Seattle, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Dallas, Boise, and many points in between. There are two new Article 44 cases on the docket from Orlando...
Central States Pension Fund Update
September 28, 2010: The Central States Pension Fund had $18 billion in assets as of June 30, 2010, according to their quarterly Financial and Analytical Report, which Teamsters for a Democratic Union obtained in late August. This is down from $19.5 billion at the beginning of the year. The loss is due to two factors: the poor stock market performance in the second quarter, and the temporary withdrawal of YRCW, the fund’s largest participating employer....
Will Hoffa Fight for His Job Harder than He Fought for Your Pension?
October 15, 2010: Hoffa is up for re-election next year. And he’s got to know he’s got a tough battle ahead. Rusty Monahon, Holland, Local 100, CincinnatiDuring his last campaign, Hoffa filled my mailbox with fancy mailers. He organized rallies, traveled all over the country visiting Teamster worksites, and hired telemarketers to call us at home. It was an all-out push, and he spent over $3 million to get re-elected. When was the last time...