June 3, 2010: BLET National President Paul T. Sorrow submitted a letter to National Secretary-Treasurer William C. Walpert today, advising that he is resigning the Presidency effective July 1, 2010, in order to retire. President Sorrow’s letter also stated the following: "I have always known that my time would come, and trusted that I would have the wisdom to recognize this before anyone else. The pace of the past couple of months has taken a...

June 2, 2010: Goldman Sachs has resigned from its fiduciary position of managing several billion dollars of investments for the Central States Pension Fund. The fund now plans to use just one money manager, Northern Trust Global Advisors, and also plans to shift more investments to passive management, or index accounts. This information is contained in the fund’s quarterly Financial and Analytical Report (which is available only on TDU.org) and the Report of the Special...

June 2, 2010: Teamsters vice president Fred Gegare will challenge James P. Hoffa next year for the top job at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Gegare, a vice president at large since 1998, is running for Teamsters general president without a slate of fellow officers or as a candidate supported by a group within the union. Click here to read more at The Journal of Commerce.

June 1, 2010: The Teamsters union’s Central States pension fund faces insolvency within 10 to 15 years unless Congress acts to stabilize the fund, its executive director said this week. Responsibility for benefits paid to employees of failed companies should be transferred to the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., Thomas C. Nyhan told a Senate committee. Click here to read more at The Journal of Commerce.

June 1, 2010: Retirees in multiemployer pension plans whose former companies failed shouldn't be penalized by pension reform, a pension expert said at a Senate hearing yesterday. "Orphaned" retirees from companies that went out of business shouldn't have their pension benefits cut if they are "partitioned" from the original plan, said Norman Stein, a University of Alabama professor who testified for the Pension Rights Center. Click here to read more at The Journal of Commerce....

June 1, 2010: Teamsters Union members at less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier ABF Freight System have rejected a proposed agreement calling for a 15-percent wage cut over the next three years, leaving ABF at a significant cost disadvantage to rival YRC Worldwide Inc. and forcing union leaders and management who had negotiated the deal to scramble for alternatives to keep ABF's cost structure competitive with the industry. The agreement went down to defeat by a 56-44 percent...

June 1, 2010: Teamsters can beat givebacks, even in a tough economy. Just ask the members at ABF. ABF Teamsters united and soundly rejected a 15% pay cut that was promoted by both the corporation and the Hoffa administration. Too often, when employers demand givebacks, the Hoffa administration comes to members with a sales pitch and excuses, instead of a plan to win. When another major Teamster employer, Coca-Cola, demanded contract concessions, it looked like...

June 1, 2010: ABF Teamsters have rejected the proposed 15percent wage cut, by a vote of 3,764 to 2,936. Most large locals decisively voted No, including Chicago Locals 710 and 705, Atlanta Local 728, Carlisle Pennsylvania Local 776, Little Rock Local 878, Kansas City Local 41, Los Angeles Local 63, and even Dallas Local 745, the home base of Freight Director Tyson Johnson. Dayton Local 957 members voted Yes by a narrow margin. ABF Teamsters...

June 1, 2010: Freight levels are improving and overall work hours are on the rise. Article 5.6 gives us a tool to enforce our contract and help our brothers and sisters on layoff return to work. Freight levels are starting to improve, and overall work hours are increasing in many terminals. Now is the right time for stewards and members to keep close track of overtime hours and help our brothers and sisters on layoff...

June 1, 2010: UPS sups not following proper methods caught on tape. New York Local 804 is giving on-car supervisors a taste of their own medicine. Local 804 union reps tailed supervisors and videotaped them on OJS days. If UPS is really interested in “Failure to follow proper methods,” then they need to take a look at Local 804’s footage. UPS management denies that they alter drivers’ loads on OJS days. Local 804 video shows...