April 2, 2014: Members of Los Angeles Local 396 are talking, networking and starting to raise money to put the rank and file power back in the drivers seat. Even former supporters of secretary treasurer Ron Herrera are climbing aboard the movement for change.

Most of the 10,000 members of Local 396 work at UPS. Herrera showed his colors in the UPS contract; instead of working with members for a better contract, he sold every PR line coming down from Hoffa and Hall.

In the first vote Local 396 UPSers voted 4-1 No, sending a clear message and winning enhanced health benefit levels, which the new health plan in the west has to match. In the second vote, Herrera sold it by telling members if they vote Yes, they would get their retro checks in time for Christmas. He knew that was a lie because many contract supplements were nowhere near settlement, and still aren’t today, four months later.

UPS Teamsters are networking and reaching out, and including sanitation drivers as well, who make up a big part of Local 396.

Herrera continues to try to sell the company line. At the February union meeting, he endorsed UPS’s need for a 4-10 work week (Saturday through Tuesday) to compete with new programs from the postal service. After feeder drivers reacted with a hell no to that, Herrera did a 180 and now opposes it!

That’s not a leader. That’s a politician.

If members want leaders who are accountable to the rank and file, now is the time to get involved to make it happen. The local election will be held this fall.