Draw the Line at Contract Time

June 28, 2012: Corporate profits are up. Wages are falling. It's time to draw the line against corporate greed.

The pundits love to blame unions for wrecking the economy. The economy is a wreck alright—but for workers, not the corporations.

Corporate profit margins are actually at an all-time high. Companies are making more per dollar of sales than any time in history.

But wages as a percentage of the economy are at an all-time low. These numbers got worse with this recession, but they've been trending the wrong way for decades.

Income for the bottom 90 percent has been flat since 1973. Over the same period, the income of the top 1 percent has tripled.

In a bad economy, unions have been under attack and on the defensive. Upcoming national contract negotiations are an opportunity to start to turn the tide.

UPS is the biggest union employer in North America and with $4 billion in profits last year it's also one of the richest. Brown has quadrupled its CEO's compensation while freezing starting pay and cutting full-time jobs.

The country needs more good jobs, not less. The UPS contract can be a rallying point for our union and the public. Let's raise the flag.

The freight contract is another place to draw the line. ABF hauled in $1.9 billion in revenue last year and gave its CEO a 35 percent raise. But the corporation wants working Teamsters to take a pay cut.

Freight Teamsters at ABF are uniting with YRC Teamsters to say NO to concessions in the freight contract, a cornerstone of our union's power. The UPS Freight contract, which covers 12,000 members, will be another key test.

Corporate America has pushed too far. It's time to push back. Click here to contact TDU to find out how you can join the movement to get our fair share.

Source: Business Insider: June 22, 2012

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