July 3, 2008: The heads of the United Steelworkers and the United Kingdom-based Unite the Union July 2 signed an agreement clearing the way for the creation of Workers Uniting, the world's first global union. Prior to the signing, USW President Leo Gerard said Workers Uniting will be a "fully functional and registered labor organization" in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, with the ability to fully represent all of the members...

July 3, 2008: On Wednesday, over 600 drivers and warehouse Teamsters in San Diego went out on strike against Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE) to support Coke strikers in Oceanside, Calif. The Oceanside Teamsters, new members of Local 683, walked off the job on Monday for a first contract that matches the pay, benefits, and standards of other Coke Teamsters in Southern California. Coke opened the new distribution facility in Oceanside last year, and tried to...

July 2, 2008: A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that a Teamster official who stole a union election must repay his salary and benefits. Chuck Crawley, then the incumbent president of Houston Local 988, faced a stiff challenge by reform members in 2002. He won the election after he added hundreds of fraudulent ballots. A jury found him guilty of stealing the election as well as embezzling union funds, and ordered him to...

July 2, 2008: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit June 27 rejected an appeal of the conviction and sentencing of Charles "Chuck" Crawley, the former president of the Houston-based International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 988 (United States. v. Crawley, 5th Cir., No. 07-20461, 6/27/08). In May 2007, Crawley was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to a 78-month prison sentence and ordered to pay penalties of...

Proposed National Master Carhaul AgreementNational Economics Settlement Supplements Central-Southern Supplement Eastern Supplement Western Supplement

July 2, 2008: Anheuser-Busch Cos. executives may fret about InBev's proposed takeover, but a deal would mean a big payout for senior managers. August A. Busch IV stands to pocket $31 million in severance benefits if Anheuser-Busch agrees to InBev's $65-a-share and he loses his job. Click here to read more at stltoday.com.

July 1, 2008: Tomorrow union officials will meet in Detroit to discuss the details of the national carhaul contract. Carhaulers have been calling and emailing Teamsters for a Democratic Union with their opinions and concerns on the new contract. Here’s what one brother had to say: “In my view, if Article 48 is amended in such a way that we lose our rights to load equalization between terminals, that, all by itself is a deal...

June 30, 2008: The combination of rising fuel costs and the recent strike at American Axle & Manufacturing Holding Inc. have pushed a Kalamazoo-based trucking company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Alvan Motor Freight Inc., which employs 525 people in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, has ceased operations and arranged for another company to deliver its remaining freight, according to a press release from the company. Click here to read more at mlive.com.

June 30, 2008: A federal judge June 26 enjoined the pending merger between the United Transportation Union and the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, finding that UTU members were not aware when they approved the merger of conflicts between the constitutions of the two unions (Michael v. United Transp. Union, N.D. Ohio, No. 1:07-cv-3818, preliminary injunction issued 6/26/08). Granting a request by four UTU rank-and-file members for a preliminary injunction to prevent the merger from...

June 27, 2008: In a victory for rank-and-file democracy, Judge John Adams has issued a preliminary injunction stopping the merger of the United Transportation Union and the Sheet Metal Workers. The preliminary injunction puts the merger on hold until the disputed merger can be resolved. Click here to read more in Traffic World. Click here to read the judge’s injunction.