Local 804 Members United
May 1, 2008: Local 804 has a proud history as one of the most powerful locals in our union. Local 804 members were pioneers in the fight for strong Teamster pensions—winning 25 & Out pensions before the rest of the country. The Local 804 supplement is one of the strongest at UPS. “Brown can’t move a package in New York City without a Local 804 Teamster. That gives us power, and our local used to...
Mechanics Vote Teamster
May 1, 2008: Nearly 8,600 working and furloughed mechanics and related employees at United Airlines are now Teamsters, after voting to join our union in March. Teamsters for a Democratic Union welcomes our new brothers and sisters to our union. United mechanics have had it rough since 9/11. Since then, United declared bankruptcy, terminated their pension plan, and subcontracted many of their jobs. Now the turbulence may get worse. On Dec. 31, 2009, the contract...
Hoffa Takes a $78,000 Raise
May 1, 2008: James P. Hoffa took a $78,000 increase in his income for 2007, by far his biggest raise since he took office nine years ago. His salary, expenses, and “allowance” and “other disbursements” for 2007 total $413,234. General Secretary Treasurer Tom Keegel bagged a big increase also. Although Hoffa’s and Keegel’s salaries are set by the Teamster Constitution, and go up each year on a generous cost of living formula, they are apparently...
Teamster Takes on Racism at Kraft Foods
May 1, 2008: When an employee at Kraft Foods repeatedly directed the epithet “coon” at Willie Knox, the Local 445 Teamster knew he had to stand up for his rights. A poster at the company urges employees to call an “Integrity Hotline” to report issues of harassment or discrimination. Knox called the number. He had no way of knowing that call would lead to his termination. But six weeks after he blew the whistle on...
Driving for Justice in New York
May 21, 2008: School bus drivers in New York City are showing that persistence pays off—literally. Ask Juan Carlos Rodriguez, a Local 854 Teamster and member of Teamsters for a Democratic Union. The National Labor Relations Board is demanding that Consolidated Bus Transit reinstate Rodriguez and pay him nearly $150,000 in back pay and benefits after illegally firing him. When his rights were violated, TDU helped Rodriguez and other Local 854 Teamsters to take legal...
Teamsters Join with Brooklyn Community to Protect Good Jobs
May 1, 2008: Last year it looked like Teamster members on the Brooklyn waterfront would lose their jobs. The mayor of New York had big plans to replace the Brooklyn port terminal with a luxury development. Now members of Teamsters Local 805 have won their fight to save good union jobs on the waterfront. Local 805 represents warehouse workers at the Brooklyn cargo port, which handles shipments of lumber, steel, and cocoa bound for New...
Let’s Put Teamster Power to Work
May 12, 2008: Those of us who work in transportation don’t have to be the victim of the downward spiral of wages and working conditions that is hitting so many of our union brothers and sisters. Many businesses are adopting “just-in-time” delivery. The idea is to cut down on inventory and get the goods to where they’re going right when they’re needed—be it raw materials or a finished product going to the store. Employers are...
Chicago Trade Show Teamsters Transferred
May 1, 2008: John Coli, the president of the Chicago Joint Council, has finally gotten his wish: Chicago Trade Show and Movie Teamsters will transfer to his own Local 727. It’s a lucrative prize. The trade show Teamsters have always been in Local 714, which is run by the Hogan family, who also own equipment and companies operating within the trade show industry. Coli made the announcement of the switch at an April 29 meeting...
BNA Daily Labor Report: AFL-CIO, Guatemalan Unions Say Trade Deal Violated
April 24, 2008: In the first complaint of its kind, the AFL-CIO and six Guatemalan labor unions April 23 alleged violations of the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement's (CAFTA-DR) labor chapter. The complaint, filed with the Department of Labor's Office of Trade & Labor Affairs, charged that Guatemala failed to effectively enforce its own labor laws in five separate cases and failed to respect international workers' rights. "The Department of Labor will thoroughly review...
AP: UPS Profits Up, But Lowers Yearly Outlook
April 23, 2008: UPS Inc., the world's largest shipping carrier, said Wednesday its profit rose 7.5 percent in the first quarter, though it was affected by the weakening U.S. economy. The company lowered its earnings guidance for the year. Click here to read more at yahoo.com.