ABF Concession Vote May Come Soon
April 2, 2010: As of the end of March, the International Union was meeting with ABF regarding a concessions proposal to present to ABF Teamsters. A meeting for freight local officers is set for April 19, perhaps to see a concession proposal before it goes to a vote of the members. Freight Director Tyson Johnson has held some 25 conversations with ABF in the past year about their situation, and contends that concessions are needed...
YRC Management Claims They Can Impose Concessions Without A Vote
April 2, 2010: On March 16 YRC filed its annual 10-K report with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In that report, management made the startling claim that they can impose further concessions on Locals 705 and 710 without taking any vote. Regarding Local 705 members, management states they continue to discuss with this unit the ratification of the full wage cut. Who are they discussing it with? Hoffa? That would be news to...
Victory on YRC Excess Overtime
April 2, 2010: Sometimes shining a light on injustice wins a quick victory. Just three days after TDU.org exposed a deal between YRC and the IBT to weaken the freight contract clause requiring the call-back of laid-off Teamsters, the deal was canceled. In a management memo dated March 18 and headed “25% O/T methodology – not good news” Holland VP for Labor Relations Steve Blubaugh informed managers that they must return to the “old” (proper)...
Reddaway: Still No Concession Contract
April 2, 2010: YRC’s Reddaway regional subsidiary still has not been able to impose concessions on the Oregon and Washington locals, which have a regional contract. The International freight division has taken bargaining away from the locals; it’s not clear what is happening on it. On March 9, members decisively rejected the last offer. The locals have filed a grievance over the refusal of Reddaway to pay its pension obligations, which continue under a contract...
Waving the White Flag at UPS
April 2, 2010: The Hoffa administration says it’s “Not the right time” to enforce the UPS contract. Hoffa administration officials offered plenty of excuses, but no action plans for contract enforcement, during a national conference call for UPS shop stewards. Ken Hall, Hoffa’s point man at UPS, told stewards the IBT was doing a good job standing up to UPS at the national grievance panels. He blamed contract enforcement problems on members for failing to...
Close the FedEx Loophole
April 2, 2010: The Teamsters Union and UPS are backing legislation that would make it easier for FedEx workers to join our union. For years FedEx has used its lobbying muscle to be classified as an airline. This puts FedEx under the Railway Labor Act, which makes it much harder for workers to organize. Every other freight and parcel carrier—including UPS—is covered by the National Labor Relations Act. The Teamsters and UPS are jointly backing...
Five Changes to Strengthen UPS Contract
April 5, 2010: IBT Vice President and Package Division Director Ken Hall says local officers and members are to blame for weak contract enforcement because they bring cases “with no facts.” Here are five changes the International Union could adopt today to increase contract enforcement. 1. Stop Golfing with UPS management. Treat contract enforcement as work, not a vacation. Stop holding grievance panels at resorts. Ban golf outings between UPS brass and union representatives at...
Protecting Yourself from UPS Technology
April 15, 2010: Sensors and spyware are either on your package car or coming soon. How do you protect yourself? UPS announced it will spend $1 billion this year on technology investments with the goal of increasing efficiency, cutting costs and raising profits. By the end of the year, UPS says that 22,000 trucks will be equipped with telematics—the new technology the company uses to increase surveillance on drivers and push for higher production. Telematics...
Bus Drivers Vote No, Stop Privatization
April 5, 2010: Board of Ed administrators told Ann Arbor school bus drivers to take pay cuts or face privatization. Ann Arbor bus drivers reached out to the community and voted No to stop privatization and steep cuts.Here’s what happened when members called their bluff. In Ann Arbor, Mich., Teamster bus drivers and monitors in Local 214 have been working under an extended contract since July 1, 2008. Talks are in mediation and have been...
Colorado Local 17 Officials Take Big Raises
April 9, 2010: One year ago the officers of Colorado Local 17 announced that they were all taking a 10 percent pay cut, in solidarity with the freight Teamsters who had just taken that cut. The Local 17 leaders supported those concessions, so they said they should share in the sacrifice. But a funny thing happened on the road to sacrifice. The officers took a detour to a big raise instead. According to the 2009...