August 29, 2008: Last October, Local 355 President Denis Taylor told Baltimore UPSers he was “taking care” of their pension problems. Four months later, Taylor announced he was cutting pension accruals to zero. Here’s what Taylor had to say when he was selling the UPS contract back in October: “Under this agreement, we have gotten the company to make record pension, health and welfare contributions. We are taking care of the problems sooner rather than...

August 29, 2008: Some 240 Teamsters went on strike on August 26 against Waste Management in the Milwaukee area. They’ve made their presence felt at Harley Week—the 105th anniversary of Harley Davidson. A prime management demand is to leave the Central States Pension Fund and move workers into a company plan instead. Waste Management has some 13 divisions in other states where Teamsters are in Central States, so the battle could have much wider implications....

August 29, 2008: Workers who want a union often face threats and harassment. Some even lose their jobs. This Labor Day, you can help level the playing field. Today, when workers try to organize, employers are taking the gloves off and responding with anti-union lies, mandatory meetings, and sometimes firings. And when they break the law, they only get a slap on the wrist. As Teamsters, we know how important it is to have a...

August 27, 2008: Carhaulers are busy teaching the company and union negotiators the meaning of "No." It means No Givebacks in the carhaul contract. Tell them No means No. Download a No Givebacks bulletin you can read, post, and distribute. Spread the word. Order No Givebacks stickers from TDU.

August 27, 2008: The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Aug. 20 announced it has brokered a deal between investor Ripplewood Holdings LLC and creditors of Interstate Bakeries Corp. that will protect union jobs and save the bankrupt company from liquidation. The proposed settlement among the banks, Ripplewood, and IBT would enable Interstate Bakeries to emerge as a standalone company after four years in bankruptcy, the union said. Although details of the negotiated agreement are not yet...

August 27, 2008: With tens of thousands of Harley-Davidson riders closing in on Milwaukee for days of eating, drinking and partying, union drivers for Waste Management Inc., the region’s major trash hauler, walked off the job Tuesday. The strike by Teamsters Local 200 raised the possibility that the collection of trash left in bins, carts and Dumpsters would be delayed throughout areas of southeastern Wisconsin. Click here to read more at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel....

August 26, 2008: Some corporate executives are paying for their lavish benefits with money from their employees' pension funds. According to a new article from the Pension Rights Center, this “pension laundering” could hurt the retirement of millions of Americans. Teamsters who are in multi-employer pension plans don’t have to worry about this pension scam. But members who are in their employer’s pension fund should pay notice. And all taxpayers could end up footing the...

August 25, 2008: Carhaulers rejected the contract because of the massive givebacks. For one group of Teamsters, the biggest giveback was the proposed loss of their entire supplemental agreement. The Michigan Office Supplement has covered union dispatchers and office workers for decades. In the proposed deal that was rejected, the supplement was completely eliminated. This steals the affected Teamsters’ right to vote on their own supplement covering their area of work. We demand the Michigan...

August 22, 2008: Last Saturday, over 100 Local 396 sanitation Teamsters came from across Southern California to have a picnic and build solidarity. Teamsters drove from Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, and northern Los Angeles to the picnic in Long Beach. Local 396 members are getting organized to build a stronger local and hold their leaders accountable. Sanitation Teamsters were joined by supporters from UPS in Local 396 at the picnic. Many...

August 22, 2008: Just a day after the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said Interstate Bakeries Corp.’s bankruptcy reorganization was nearly toast, the union announced a deal to save it. The union, which represents about 9,500 of the baking giant’s roughly 25,000 employees, said it worked overnight Tuesday to strike a deal with hedge fund Ripplewood Holdings and creditors to craft a plan the Teamsters say will “save IBC from liquidation and protect Teamster jobs,” according...