April 2, 2010: Pension legislation that could help Teamsters, or hurt us, has been proposed in both the House and Senate. The time is now for our union to get into high gear on this issue, including mobilizing our members and retirees. Take Action to Protect Teamster Pensions Click here to find out what you can do today. On March 22, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa) announced the introduction of Senate Bill 3157, and he did...

April 2, 2010: Pension legislation that could help Teamsters, or hurt us, has been proposed in both the House and Senate. Our job is to get a pension bill that not only helps our pension funds, but protects 100 percent of the pension credits earned by Teamsters and other workers. All the bills are complicated and likely to be amended in the House and Senate. Teamsters should contact their Representatives and Senators with two very...

April 2, 2010: Hoffa moves to protect an International Vice President caught in a nepotism scandal. Friends and relatives of Local 107 officials work on Philadelphia movie sets, while experienced Teamsters sit home out of work. The Independent Review Board (IRB) has released a devastating 125-page report detailing a “nepotism and favoritism” scandal in the home local of International Vice President Bill Hamilton. The IRB recommended that Philadelphia Local 107 be put in trusteeship. Instead...

The election for IBT General President and General Executive Board starts this year. A federal Election Supervisor has been named. Election rules will be final by May 1, 2010. Election Timeline Click here to read the IBT Election Timeline The Election Supervisor has been named for the 2011 election for International Union officers. And proposed Election Rules, which will go into effect on May 1, are now available for comment before they are finalized. Richard...

May 2010: Rules issued for the 2010-2011 Delegate and IBT Officer Election. Members sign petitions.June 1, 2010: Election Supervisor will announce number of petition signatures required for Accreditation of International Officer Candidates. June 30, 2010: Deadline for submission of proposed Local Union Plan for locals seeking to hold a Fall election of delegates (this will affect a small minority of Local Unions). July 1 – December 15, 2010: Petitions to Accredit International Officer candidates may...

April 2, 2010: IBT Vice President Ken Hall says that the UPS Freight National Panel is doing an “outstanding job.” So why did our union only win five grievances at the March panel? Teamsters at UPS Freight didn’t have much to cheer about when they reviewed the results of their national grievance panel. Out of 27 grievances heard, the union won only five cases—and none dealing with subcontracting. The UPS Freight National Panel met March...

April 2, 2010: Article 44 contains the following language that drivers can use to protect jobs from subcontracting: “However, if sufficient freight is generated in the future to provide loads returning to the home domicile, the run shall be performed by members of the bargaining unit.” If the company is violating Article 44 in your area, your first step is to gather the evidence. Here’s what to document: Trailer numbers and loads that are being...

April 2, 2010: Amid all the debate on health care, many Teamsters are asking a nitty-gritty question—how will this affect my Teamster health coverage? The answer is not much. Two things that go into effect this year which will benefit some Teamsters are: All plans must provide for coverage of dependent children up till age 26. No plan can impose a lifetime cap on benefits. The first one benefits Teamsters who are supporting young-adult children...

April 2, 2010: The Teamsters Union, like all major unions, raises voluntary political donations from members (the DRIVE program), and uses the resources to inform voters and influence legislative and regulatory measures affecting Teamster members. Unions can never match corporate money, but do spend a fair amount. The best bang for our buck is when our union mobilizes members to join in campaigns to protect our pensions and pass laws to protect workers’ rights. Do...

Cut the Race Car and the Perks The Teamsters are considering a pay cut at ABF. What needs to happen before we get screwed over is this: ABF needs to get rid of the race car and let the CEO and the other super over-paid suits skip their bonuses and commission for a year. Then start getting rid of useless stuff like the company magazine I get every month or even cut it back to...