TDU in Action—Pension and Benefits“TDU will support any fight launched by the International Union to defend our benefits. And we will continue to inform members so we can put pressure on the employers and on Hoffa, when necessary, to save and strengthen our benefits.”K.W. Phillips, RoadwayLocal 667, Memphis, Tenn. Contact our rank-and-file network for pension justice. Pension Workshops: Our Rights, the Benefit Cuts and How We Can Beat ThemTDU brings together concerned Teamsters and pension...

March 15, 2007: Since 2003, our Teamster benefits have been under attack from pension cuts to anti-worker legislation. But the coming year presents us with our best chances yet to take the offensive, reverse the cuts, and improve our benefits for the future—starting with the UPS and Freight contract negotiations. TDU Pension Rights WorkshopTo succeed, we need to understand the challenges we face and put together a plan that can win the pension protections and...

Interview with Dawn Stanger,Local 597, UPS, VT Why did you get involved in solidarity work? I realized how important it was during the UPS strike. Every time people came to the picket line with donuts and hung out and talked, I realized that there are hundreds and probably thousands of union members who have common concerns and interests who don’t know each other and never talk to each other about union issues. Eventually I got...

UPS Tries to Change Law on Rest Breaks [The Los Angeles Times reported in December that regulatory changes on required meal breaks, proposed by California Governor Schwarzenegger, had been pulled, at least temporarily. Rob Moorhead says UPS lobbied for these changes in response to a lawsuit filed by some of their California drivers over meal and rest break violations.] Gotta love that Brown-Corporate-Mindset; if UPS breaks the law, just change the law! That’s what those special interest...

February 17, 2005: On January 14, TDU urged Judge Loretta Preska to review a deal that gave James Hoffa’s executive assistant only a slap on the wrist for embezzling $69,500 from our union over a nearly three-year period. Carlow Scalf, one of the most powerful officials in the union, got the deal with the Teamster Independent Review Board (IRB). The IRB agreed that Scalf would take a 60-day suspension and repay the $69,500 as the...

February 17, 2005: For months, Local 556 members and leaders in Pasco, Wash., have fought a tremendous battle against union-busting at Tyson Foods. But on Feb. 11, Tyson was able to bust the Teamsters at their Pasco plant. The union defeat came just one day after Wal-Mart announced they would close their only unionized store in North America rather than deal fairly with the union in Jonquiere, Quebec. Wal-Mart and Tyson are two of the...

Teamster drivers have a chance right now to influence the future of Hours of Service regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was forced back to the drawing board last July after Public Citizen won a federal Appeals Court decision vacating the regulations. In a victory for drivers’ safety and health, the court ruled the FMCSA had “failed to consider the impact of the rules on the health of the drivers.” Congress subsequently passed...

TDU in Action—Pension and Benefits“TDU will support any fight launched by the International Union to defend our benefits. And we will continue to inform members so we can put pressure on the employers and on Hoffa, when necessary, to save and strengthen our benefits.”K.W. Phillips, RoadwayLocal 667, Memphis, Tenn. Contact our rank-and-file network for pension justice. Pension Workshops: Our Rights, the Benefit Cuts and How We Can Beat ThemTDU brings together concerned Teamsters and pension...

February 17, 2005: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has set a $94 fee for the hazardous material endorsement background check that the U.S. will require under new security rules. The cost includes a $38 fee for collecting and transmitting fingerprints, $34 for a TSA threat assessment, and $22 for an FBI background check. It may take 30-60 days to process the application. It will be a one-time charge and drivers will not be required to...

February 17, 2005: Yellow’s management is routing some freight around Dallas and reportedly considering downsizing that terminal’s operations in the wake of violence and disruptions there. Police have been stationed at the terminal. Yellow drivers and dockhands have expressed a lot of concern, as rumors fly about what management may do.