July 23, 2007: Our Teamsters Union needs to respond to the anti-union attack by UPS Freight management.
After UPS Freight issued a letter attacking our union and denouncing a “campaign of deception” by some Teamster locals, IBT chief negotiator Ken Hall angrily told the media that, “Evidently when they purchased Overnite, UPS also purchased Overnite’s union-busting legacy.”
Hall warned on July 10 that “Unless UPS retracts the letter,” the union would “respond in kind.”
But now Hall is back at the bargaining table without a retraction or an apology—and without “responding in kind.”
Instead, Hall marked the resumption of bargaining by issuing another cookie-cutter press release. “We look forward to bringing the next phase of bargaining to Indianapolis,” Hall said. “We know that UPS Freight workers across the country are following these talks with great interest.”
That’s true. Given that, doesn’t it make sense for our union to show some backbone?
Hall says that UPS Freight broke “our agreement not to negotiate in the press” and that the Teamsters would do the same.
Hoffa and Hall should start by making it clear to the media and to UPS Freight employees that our union will insist on NMFA standards and Teamster pensions and benefits as part of any contract in Indianapolis.
Our union never should have agreed to a press embargo in the first place. But now that it’s over, it’s time for Hoffa and Hall to send a strong message that the Teamsters will not settle short at UPS Freight.
Click the links below to read more:
UPS Freight Says Some Teamsters Are Using Deception (Bloomberg News)
UPS Freight Talks Move On To Economics (IBT Press Release)