July 22, 2009: Yellow Roadway CEO Bill Zollars put his foot so far down his throat that he gagged on his shoe, and had to apologize for a press release bragging that he would subcontract out more Teamster work.

Just as ballots are arriving at Teamster homes, giving members the choice of giving up their pension and more wages or losing their job, Zollars issued a press release on Monday bragging about his “strategic partnership” with STI, a nonunion carrier, to make home deliveries of YRC freight. As members heard the news and started to file grievances, and James Hoffa told Zollars that his move would not fly, he retracted it, and signed a letter of apology.

In that same letter, Zollars promises “equal sacrifice” for management, but he has not retracted or changed his July 14 memo to all supervisors in which he promises to reinstitute “merit increases” and “performance-based incentive plans” in 2010.

Despite the fact that most cartage drivers dislike making home deliveries, this blatant violation of Article 32, while thousands of Teamsters are laid off, was sure to fuel more opposition to the concession package.

This move was a blunder, but it also again revealed Zollars’ strategy to cut costs by continuing to farm out union work. Those moves will continue if members are not vigilant.

Click here to see Zollars’ backtrack letter.

Click here to read the article “Where to Buy a Used Car in Texas.”

Click here to read the article from the Journal of Commerce.

What do you think? Click here to send your comments to the TDU Freight Committee.