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.

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.

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....

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...