The members of Local 171 in Roanoke Virginia give a shout-out to their officers and stewards for stepping up during this crisis. When any employer neglects its frontline workers, we demand action from them. And sometimes, we have to take action ourselves. We salute union leaders who do it!

Bilal Chaka, one of the founding members of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, passed away last week at the age of 82. Chaka—as he was known—was a die-hard unionist, a steward at Yellow Freight in Long Beach, California, Local 692, and one of the pioneers of the Teamster reform movement. He helped form the Southern California TDU Chapter in 1976.

Frank Halstead—a TDU Co-Chair and steward in Local 572 at Ralphs distribution center in Compton, California—describes how Teamster warehouse workers are dealing with COVID-19 in the grocery warehouse industry.

In a report to all locals representing YRCW members, IBT Freight Director Ernie Soehl told officers that YRC, Holland, New Penn and Reddaway have sought a “grace period” to delay making health and welfare payments to various funds Teamster members are covered under.

Teamster Local 120 says that the YRCW Freight call center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which employs 160 Teamsters could be a COVID-19 hot spot, and YRCW management is doing “business as usual.”

The IBT Package Division has signed a new side agreement with UPS on a “COVID-19 Vacation Bank” that allows drivers who want to spend more time at work during a pandemic to voluntarily work their vacations.

The IBT has approved a letter of agreement to allow UPS to possibly utilize part-timers to deliver overflow volume in their personal cars, if volume grows significantly.

UPS Teamsters in Lawnside, NJ have won PPE and improved conditions for hub workers by sticking together to stand up to management. 

Fed up with unsanitary and unsafe working conditions, UPS Teamsters in Nashville Local 480 took action. In less than a week, the company changed its practices and began improving conditions.