Teamsters Push California Port Legislation
February 17, 2005: As part of the IBT effort to organize harbor truckers in California, the union plans to sponsor legislation that would exempt independent drivers from federal antitrust laws. Such an exemption would give these workers the right to collectively negotiate freight rates and withhold services. The goal remains to remove this workforce from the confines of being considered “independent contractors” and to make the drivers eligible for unionization. Many experts believe the U.S....
Yellow-Roadway, ABF Profits Up, USF Down After Closing Red Star
February 17, 2005: In the first full year as a combined company, Yellow-Roadway reported after-tax profits of $184.3 million. ABF posted profits of $127.8 million and an operating ratio of 91.9 percent. USF announced $23.8 million in 2004 profit.
Study Reports Mexican Trucks Remain Safety Risk
February 17, 2005: The Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a report concluding that the Mexican government and the country’s trucking firms have not met the safety requirements and preconditions outlined in the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The report says Mexican trucking companies should not be granted long-haul operating authority within the U.S. The DOT cites problems with access to safety inspections, and raises serious concerns about gathering data on...
IBT Investigates Radiation Scans
February 17, 2005: According to Teamsters representatives, the union is in the early stages of examining the use of security screening devices that use radiation to scan the contents of trucks and trailers at ports and border crossings. The use of gamma rays, which emit low doses of radiation, may pose a health risk to drivers. Recently a Teamsters spokesman reported the union had requested information from the equipment manufacturers and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission....
Official Testifies That IBT Approved Mid-Contract Concession in New England
February 17, 2005: Boston Local 25 President Ritchie Reardon told Joint Council 10 that the IBT Parcel Division approved a mid-contract giveback to UPS that violates language in the New England supplement. Reardon’s statement was part of his testimony in a hearing on internal union charges over the concession. The testimony marks the first time that anyone has put on the record that the IBT approved the contract concession. Reardon said the approval was not...
Legal Action Stops Trusteeship Extension In Atlanta Local 528
February 17, 2007: When Hoffa’s handpicked candidate in Georgia Local 528 lost an election in December, he tried to get around the will of the membership by extending the local’s trusteeship. Fast legal action has stopped this trick and struck a blow for membership rights. Federal law states that unions must have compelling reasons to keep locals in trusteeship past a period of 18 months. Local 528 members first threatened legal action when the IBT...
Friends Don't Let Friends Cross Picket Lines
February 17, 2007: Teamster drivers are often called upon to honor picket lines. The law regarding where and when workers can picket— or legally respect another picket line—can get complicated. When union members are on strike, Teamster drivers need clear communication from our union—and we need it fast. The national UPS, freight and carhaul agreements all include strong language protecting Teamster drivers’ right to respect primary picket lines. The National Labor Relations Act also protects...
New Technology Threatens Rail Jobs, Public Safety
February 17, 2005: Like many others, the railroad industry has undergone dramatic restructuring over the past few decades. For train and engine crews, perhaps the biggest threat of the new century is the recent advent of remote control operation of trains in the rail yard and more recently, employers’ calls for single-person operation of over-the-road trains. Remote control operation was implemented on a broad scale on most of the nation’s major railroads in 2002. The...
Seattle Teamsters Back Railway Workers Fighting One-Person Train Crew Operations
February 17, 2005: In Seattle, rank and file engineers and trainmen are joining together with their Teamster brothers and sisters in the fight against the railroad carriers. The National Carriers Conference Committee, the negotiating body for most of the nation’s railroads, issued their “wish list” for the new national agreement last November. Among the most alarming demands was a plan to combine the duties of engineer and conductor into one “transportation employee” position (see article...