January 21, 2010: Chicago YRC Teamsters in Local 705 are voting yet again on concessions; the mail ballots will be counted on January 30.

It’s the third time they’ve voted on the concession package, but this time the proposal does not include the additional 5% wage cut.

The proposed concessions would eliminate YRCW’s pension obligations for 18 months, ending on January 1, 2011, and would keep the present wage rate of 90% of contract scale. Thus the Chicago Teamsters would keep making about $1.16 per hour more than the national rate.

Local 705 Teamsters have argued that if the proposal is to save jobs, then they want work protection language to prevent management from rerouting freight around them. The International refused to take up the issue. The company has indicated they will bring some work back to Chicago and recall some laid off drivers.

Chicago Local 710 dock workers have also rejected the concessions; no word yet on when they will vote again.