February 1, 2008: In late January Teamster carhaul officials met to screen contract proposals and formulate demands for the national contract that expires May 30. Hopefully the good proposals submitted by members and locals will be put on the table, but the fact remains that a large chunk of Teamsters carhaulers are stuck under the 2007 Allied concession deal that lasts another two years. This creates a tough bargaining climate for our union. The 17.5...

January 31, 2008: Numerous Teamsters have contacted TDU to complain about the fact that their social security number was printed on the mailing label of the Teamster magazine this month. The International Union no doubt has been flooded with complaints over this blunder. The IBT’s response is that this was a one-time mistake, and they have taken steps to insure that it will not happen again. We hope and trust that is accurate.

Building a Union That Fights for All Teamsters“TDU members are leading the way to build a union that fights for all our members. It’s time for a union leadership that looks like our union’s membership. TDU’s Black Caucus is a place for African American Teamsters to talk about how we can get that done.”Willie Hardy, TDU Trustee, Local 667, Memphis, Tenn. Click here to send a question or a comment to TDU’s Black Caucus. Want...

January 30, 2008: UPS reported a quarterly loss on Wednesday due to its $6.1 billion one-time payment to the Central States Pension fund. Brown reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $2.58 billion, or $2.46 a share, compared with a net profit of $1.13 billion, or $1.04 a share, a year earlier. But the picture is rosier than it sounds—for UPS stockholders at least. Excluding the payment to Central States, UPS earned $1.13 per share—an increase...

January 30, 2008: In good news for DHLers, industry publications report that DHL “vows to stay in the United States” despite calls by some Wall Street analysts to sell its U.S. operations. In a statement, DHL made it clear that the United States is “strategically important” to its global business strategy and the company is not going to back off of its $3 billion investment in the United States—including more than $1.2 billion in infrastructure...

January 30, 2008: As expected, ABF management has signed a "me-too" to be bound by the National Master Freight Agreement (NMFA). The ABF me-to means we will retain a united freight contract. This outcome was never really in doubt. The International Union said all along that it would hold ABF to the NMFA—just like it did when other companies including Yellow tried to break away. The International Union cynically tried to take advantage of member’s...

January 30, 2008: About two weeks after launching a major nationwide organizing campaign to represent truck drivers and dockworkers at UPS Freight, International Brotherhood of Teamsters has gained the support of bargaining units covering about 3,200 workers, or about 25 percent of the company's 12,600 eligible employees, union officials told BNA Jan. 29. A majority of workers at 24 of the company's 91 freight terminals have signed authorization cards designating the Teamsters as their collective...

January 30, 2008: The "Vote No" campaign on the freight contract plus the new organizing at UPS Freight could be a one-two punch to protect Teamster standards in freight. The proposed freight concessions and the substandard UPS Freight contract in Indianapolis are blows aimed at the heart of Teamster Power: the National Master Freight Agreement. But there is hope yet for union standards in our industry—thanks to a nationwide Vote No campaign and the growing...

January 30, 2008: A new study from Labor Notes magazine shows the power transportation workers have in the new economy. Truck drivers at HUDD Distribution walked off the job December 17 at the company’s facilities in South Gate and Mira Loma, California. The Cargo ChainThe drivers, primarily Latino immigrants known as troqueros, shuttle goods between the massive port of Los Angeles/Long Beach and the company’s inland warehouses. Drivers were protesting a company move to unilaterally...

January 29, 2008: In a brief order issued Jan. 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a request that the court enforce its orders overturning parts of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's rule limiting the maximum hours that truck drivers may drive and work (Owner-Operator Ind. Drivers Ass'n v. FMCSA, D.C. Cir., No. 06-1035, order 1/23/08). In a one-sentence per curiam order, the court denied requests that it...