August 11, 2008: In the ‘90s, TDU built a nationwide movement to get pension improvements.

Without TDU’s organizing efforts, those improvements would not have been possible. I’m proud to say I was a part of that movement.

Having a network of members in our area is vital. I got to know a lot of feeder drivers in every barn. I would get copies of flyers and Convoys to them, and in turn, they would pass them out.

I didn’t stop with UPS. I also knew a lot of freight drivers and expanded my reach through them, and also some of the white paper barns, too.

You definitely need a good network in any campaign. TDU did a great job of building them nationally and a lot of members did a good job getting the message out.

I find it very hard to believe that after the fight a lot of us members waged to win better contracts and pensions throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, the company and union are taking away what we earned, just like that.

Members should know just what TDU has won for them over the years. I hope that TDU will win back the IBT for the members—and for that to happen we will need a very strong network.

We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.

Tommy Burke
Local 391, UPS Retired
Fayetteville, N.C.