December 7, 2009: In an unprecedented power grab, Hoffa has claimed the authority to abolish the Chicago-area freight contracts, and imposed the National Master Freight Agreement on 2,000 Teamsters, most of whom work for YRC. The five affected locals—179, 301, 673, 705, and 710—were apparently not even consulted, nor were the members given a vote on abolishing their contracts. The attack came on Nov. 24 via a three paragraph memo. How can this memo overturn...

December 7, 2009: VP Kemp said they’re happening. Tyson Johnson denied it. Who do we believe? he company and Hoffa’s team have never shown much interest in how working Teamsters make ABF tick. They want to take it out of us in lean times but they never give us bonuses or improvements when their profit margins are fat. Why the big comparison with YRC? We were always told by management that ABF wasn’t interested in...

December 26, 2009: UPS Freight drivers and dockworkers had high hopes when they signed on with the Teamsters. Now, a couple years later, they’re looking at what needs to be improved. UPS Freight Teamsters got a national contract, and some grievances have been won. But in key areas like subcontracting and written work rules, grievances have been filed but little progress has been made. The company is having its way, something that UPS is good...

December 7, 2009: A new pension bill is working its way through Congress which could provide some needed relief to Teamster pension funds, but there are possibilities of changes that could cut some Teamster pensions. The time for Teamsters to get informed is now, because this bill could soon be on a fast-track to become law. It is HR 3936 in the House, sponsored by Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Pat Tiberi (R-OH). Hearings on similar...

Watchdog. Information source. Voice of working Teamsters. TDU is all of those things. But first and foremost we’re a group of Teamster members working together to enforce our contracts and hold our leaders accountable. Put the YOU in the TDU. Join today. Information You Won’t Get Anywhere Else Too many Teamster officials want to keep the members in the dark. I’m able to stay on top of issues in my local and in the grocery...

Thanks to everyone who submitted names for TDU's newspaper. The contest is now closed. Local 89 member Wayne Sharp submitted the winning entry.

December 4, 2009. Just two months after the national president of the BLET was arrested for taking a $20,000 bribe, some officials have proposed taking away members’ right to vote for their top officers. On Dec. 1, Div. 98 President Roy Helm wrote to all local divisions, asking them to approve an initiative that would take away the right to vote for the top officers of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) in...

December 4, 2009: UPS Freight drivers and dockworkers had high hopes when they signed on with the Teamsters. Now, a couple years later, they’re looking at what needs to be improved. UPS Freight Teamsters got a national contract, and some grievances have been won. But in key areas like subcontracting and written work rules, grievances have been filed but little progress has been made. The company is having its way, something that the UPS corporation...

December 4, 2009: Management at United Airlines is violating the contract and the law by harassing Teamster mechanics who take time off when they’re sick. Is our union doing all it can do protect these new members? Last May, over 8,000 mechanics at United Airlines voted to leave another union and become Teamsters. “I supported bringing in the Teamsters because they talked about [how] tough they were with grievances,” said Angel Zamarripa, a mechanic in...

December 3, 2009: UPS Teamsters in New York have elected a reform team to lead Local 804—one of the most powerful Teamster locals in the country. In record turnout, the 804 Members United Slate swept their local union election with 68 percent of the vote. Local 804 represents 7,000 Teamsters in metro New York—most of them employed at UPS. “This is a tremendous victory for Teamsters who believe we can stand up to big companies...