July 1, 2008: Tomorrow union officials will meet in Detroit to discuss the details of the national carhaul contract.

Carhaulers have been calling and emailing Teamsters for a Democratic Union with their opinions and concerns on the new contract.

Here’s what one brother had to say:

“In my view, if Article 48 is amended in such a way that we lose our rights to load equalization between terminals, that, all by itself is a deal breaker. Not to mention losing the ABC dispatch, which can already potentially keep a driver out for a week or more.

”Now is the time for carhaulers to stick together. It seems that both the companies and the IBT leaders want us to think that we as carhaulers are in a weak position due to the state of the economy. But the fact is that these cars can not haul themselves and there are not nearly enough nonunion carhaulers to support the companies and manufacturers if we launch a nationwide strike. They can't afford to lose any more than they already have. So we are stronger than they want us to believe.

“Operations can continue without changing Article 48. While it may be true that the companies could improve their bottom line by amending Article 48 it would certainly cost many Teamsters their jobs.

“As usual, the companies and manufactures are looking for the easy quick fix that always hurts the men and women that labor so hard for these greedy so and so's, who are quick to chip away at the rights we have labored so hard and so long for. Their story is always the same.

“I love being a Teamster and I have told people with pride of my affiliation. But it has to mean something. And that is we stick together to protect our jobs and our contract.”

Rodney Ewalt, Local 745, PTS—now Jack Cooper, Dallas, Texas

That’s one member’s opinion. What do you think? Click here to send your comments to the TDU Carhaul Committee.

TDU will be working overtime to get you the details about all the changes in Article 48 and the rest of the contract. Click here to get email updates on the carhaul contract.