November 13, 2009: Membership outrage over proposed mid-contract concessions at DHL led to it being shelved by the national meeting of local officials.

International Rep Brad Slawson tried to sell it, but Teamsters weren’t buying, and local officers said so at today’s Chicago meeting where it was presented to officers.

As reported here ten days ago, DHL Teamsters launched a campaign to oppose the changes to the contract, which were a DHL move to eliminate good fulltime union jobs and reposition the company with reduced labor costs. Under the national contract, DHL cannot use part-time drivers until they have recalled all Teamsters on lay off.

Under the proposed deal, half of the full-time DHL Teamsters currently working would have been offered $75,000 to sever ties with the company while other seniority Teamsters would be offered $25,000. Then 75% of the remaining currently working active seniority list would be guaranteed 40 hours per week at full pay rate.

The company would then be able to expand the use of part-timers, who start at $12 per hour on the dock and $14 for driving.

Congratulations to DHL Teamsters for their stand, and to local officers who represented their members by saying no to the Hoffa administration’s plan.

DHL, the largest express carrier in Europe and much of the world, eliminated its domestic US operations and operates in the US only as an International carrier.