November 14, 2008: In its new contract with UPS, Chicago Local 705 won an additional optional day. Teamsters with more than 30 years also won an additional vacation week.
After giving some drivers the extra optional day, management tried to claim it had made an error and that drivers wouldn’t get the additional day until 2009.
Local 705 stood firm and the company backed down. Thousands of UPS Teamsters in Chicago are now enjoying extra time off this year.
UPS CEO Carole Tomé’s Better, Not Bigger strategy is about cutting volume and Teamster jobs. South Carolina Local 509 has fought back and won new driver positions. Shop Stewards John Gacsey and Russell Sires share how the fight played out in their building in Palmetto.
President Shawn Fain led members of the United Autoworkers (UAW) to victory in the Stand Up strike against the Big Three automakers. Now, he’s facing trumped up allegations from a federal monitor who’s trying to tip the balance in the upcoming UAW election for International Union officers. Here’s what you need to know.
