Will Our Union Fight to Save Carhaul Jobs?
The nonunion attack against carhaul Teamsters continues unabated. Teamsters in Selkirk, N.Y., Hazelwood, Mo., and Baltimore are the latest casualties.
Over 200 Baltimore Jobs Lost
At the end of December Baltimore Local 557 lost over 200 carhaul jobs to carrier New Concept Solutions. Leaseway, now owned by Penske, had operated out of the terminal since 1938. GM refused Leaseway’s request for a rate increase and Penske terminated the contract. Drivers at New Concept Solutions are represented by the machinists’ union. This arrangement has popped up elsewhere. The presence of what is basically a company union poses just as big a threat to the unionized carhaul industry as does nonunion competition.
It appears that Hoffa’s power and prestige mean little within the AFL-CIO if the IBT is unable to stop another union from raiding one of its core jurisdictions.
More Lost Jobs in N.Y. and Mo.
Nearly as many Teamsters worked out of Selkirk, N.Y., at one time. They also received an unwanted Christmas present when Allied closed its terminal at the end of December.
In Missouri, Teamster jobs were lost to nonunion competition even before Ford’s recent announcement that the Hazelwood plant would be closed.
Allied is also using the current climate to push for concessions. Brokers out of Boston Local 25, for example, are under the gun. Allied has told them that they will have to eat whatever concessions are needed to keep the Volkswagen traffic — or lose their jobs.
Norfolk, Va., one of the few terminals in the East to resist concessions, has now been strapped with the flex workweek.
Mechanics Oppose the Flex
In the Midwest, Allied is maneuvering to get the flex workweek for mechanics. Some locals appear to be helping Allied’s efforts by repeating the lie that other locals have already accepted the flex. Fortunately, stewards are actively in touch with each other and can overcome this trick.
Conditions in driveaway [see related article] are just as difficult.
Aggressive Steps Needed
Some local unions are grumbling about the International’s lack of action, wondering when real steps (rather than PR) will be taken to address this growing problem. At a recent Detroit Local 299 meeting, members suggested that carhaul locals put together their own network.
What will come of this, or of the International’s position, is not clear.
What is clear is that hundreds more Teamster jobs are down the dumper, with more to come if aggressive steps are not taken.
Over 200 Baltimore Jobs Lost
At the end of December Baltimore Local 557 lost over 200 carhaul jobs to carrier New Concept Solutions. Leaseway, now owned by Penske, had operated out of the terminal since 1938. GM refused Leaseway’s request for a rate increase and Penske terminated the contract. Drivers at New Concept Solutions are represented by the machinists’ union. This arrangement has popped up elsewhere. The presence of what is basically a company union poses just as big a threat to the unionized carhaul industry as does nonunion competition.
It appears that Hoffa’s power and prestige mean little within the AFL-CIO if the IBT is unable to stop another union from raiding one of its core jurisdictions.
More Lost Jobs in N.Y. and Mo.
Nearly as many Teamsters worked out of Selkirk, N.Y., at one time. They also received an unwanted Christmas present when Allied closed its terminal at the end of December.
In Missouri, Teamster jobs were lost to nonunion competition even before Ford’s recent announcement that the Hazelwood plant would be closed.
Allied is also using the current climate to push for concessions. Brokers out of Boston Local 25, for example, are under the gun. Allied has told them that they will have to eat whatever concessions are needed to keep the Volkswagen traffic — or lose their jobs.
Norfolk, Va., one of the few terminals in the East to resist concessions, has now been strapped with the flex workweek.
Mechanics Oppose the Flex
In the Midwest, Allied is maneuvering to get the flex workweek for mechanics. Some locals appear to be helping Allied’s efforts by repeating the lie that other locals have already accepted the flex. Fortunately, stewards are actively in touch with each other and can overcome this trick.
Conditions in driveaway [see related article] are just as difficult.
Aggressive Steps Needed
Some local unions are grumbling about the International’s lack of action, wondering when real steps (rather than PR) will be taken to address this growing problem. At a recent Detroit Local 299 meeting, members suggested that carhaul locals put together their own network.
What will come of this, or of the International’s position, is not clear.
What is clear is that hundreds more Teamster jobs are down the dumper, with more to come if aggressive steps are not taken.
Allied Requests Wage, Benefit Concessions
In a March 26 letter to its employees, Allied Systems revealed that back on Jan. 8 they requested the elimination of the June 1, 2002, contractual wage increase and health and welfare increase. Incredibly, Teamster leaders never bothered to inform the 6,000 Teamsters employed by Allied about the details of this concession request made three months ago.
The International has rejected the deal; there is no way it could be accepted. Other carriers would immediately demand equal treatment, and any mid-contract concession must be voted on by members in a national referendum. Granting the freeze on health and welfare contributions would force carhaulers out of their benefit plans and into second-tier plans.
What is Allied Really After?
Allied claims that these concessions are needed to help the financially ailing company, and to deal with the growth of nonunion carriers, which are concerns on the minds of Allied’s employees.
Management is playing on the fear of employees; no one wants to lose their job. The program is endless: CDs mailed to every Teamster, conference calls, letters, and even one-on-one meetings to go around our union and probe our weak spots. Management is manipulating fear more effectively than they are moving automobiles.
Are they simply trying to soften us up for next year’s contract? Or setting up the union to take the blame for the company’s problems?
One thing is certain: concessions will not save jobs or make them secure. Job security comes with a strong contract and a union that has a plan to defend our jobs and to aggressively organize the whole carhaul industry.
The International has rejected the deal; there is no way it could be accepted. Other carriers would immediately demand equal treatment, and any mid-contract concession must be voted on by members in a national referendum. Granting the freeze on health and welfare contributions would force carhaulers out of their benefit plans and into second-tier plans.
What is Allied Really After?
Allied claims that these concessions are needed to help the financially ailing company, and to deal with the growth of nonunion carriers, which are concerns on the minds of Allied’s employees.
Management is playing on the fear of employees; no one wants to lose their job. The program is endless: CDs mailed to every Teamster, conference calls, letters, and even one-on-one meetings to go around our union and probe our weak spots. Management is manipulating fear more effectively than they are moving automobiles.
Are they simply trying to soften us up for next year’s contract? Or setting up the union to take the blame for the company’s problems?
One thing is certain: concessions will not save jobs or make them secure. Job security comes with a strong contract and a union that has a plan to defend our jobs and to aggressively organize the whole carhaul industry.
Allied Gives Away More Carhaul Jobs
Allied is in the process of giving away the yard jobs at seven GM plants, reportedly about 200 Teamster jobs. Flint, Detroit, Ft.Wayne, Janesville, Wisc; Moraine, Ohio; Bowling Green, KY; and Doraville, Ga are going to lose Teamster yard jobs as the work goes to Vascor from Allied’s TSI subsidiary. Allied is apparently not even bidding on the work.
Vascor is a growing logistics player in the auto industry and already operates some off-site yard operations in carhaul. In a letter from Allied’s labor relations department to IBT carhaul director Doc Conder, Allied says Vascor intends to open nonunion, but that they are “not adverse to Teamster representation.”
Teamsters from a number of the GM locations report that they have not heard one word from the International union, and some local union officers report that they can’t find anything out from the International either.
Has the union met with Allied about these jobs? Has Allied opened their books so the union can see the economics of the situation? Has Vascor been approached about accepting the experienced TSI/Allied workers, and the union contract? What is the plan to organize Vascor, and to protect the jobs and pensions of the affected Teamsters? Is there any plan at all?
Our union has given plenty of goodies to Allied management, including a wage freeze. It’s time to call in the favors and protect the jobs of a lot of Teamsters.
Carhaul Companies, Union Both Need to Change
Billy Scott, now driving for Allied and a long-time union rep for Detroit Local 299, made the following observations in a letter to carhaul friends:
The union carhaul carriers can't see the forest for the trees. They are unwilling to take on the nonunion sector. More importantly, they are unwilling to take on the manufacturers. They continually want to beat up on the union for letting this happen to them, while they continue to give these nonunion operations footholds into their business.
Allied is the prime example: Allied is content to let the nonunion entities chip off, piece by piece, segments of their operations. They would rather a nonunion carrier get their work than one of their union competitors.
The Teamsters Union leadership has written this 10,000 member division off. They give it a lot of lip service, but provide little or no resources to actually go after these non-Teamster companies. They say that the Local Unions should do it. I know of no Local Union with the resources to take on a full blown organizing drive, not even for a small company, let alone an operation like Fleet Car, United Road Service, Swift, BMW or Waggoneer.
This attitude on the part of the union leadership has to change, and rank and file carhaulers have to make it happen, and participate in that organizing.
Active Takes 300 Teamster Jobs: Local 654 Sues
Over 300 Teamster carhaulers in Springfield,Ohio lost their jobs May 1 when their work hauling Navistar trucks was transferred from Active Transportation to Auto Truck Transport. Both Active and ATT are owned by JHT Holdings. ATT – whose workers are represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) – pays $620 per month in pension and health & welfare benefits. Active pays $1,760.
The job losses are particularly hard to swallow because in May 2003 the Teamsters agreed to a two-year wage freeze in carhaul to offset rising health care costs.
JHT’s CEO, Dennis Troha, has also used the same scam in other parts of the country to whipsaw Teamster carhaulers into accepting lower benefits or losing work. JHT’s subsidiaries haul more than 70% of the truck tractors made in the U.S. and Canada. Teamster Local 654 has sued in federal court to stop the Springfield work transfer, arguing that it was done solely to avoid paying pension and health & welfare benefits. The International union has not mounted a campaign to save Teamster driveaway jobs.
Vascor is a growing logistics player in the auto industry and already operates some off-site yard operations in carhaul. In a letter from Allied’s labor relations department to IBT carhaul director Doc Conder, Allied says Vascor intends to open nonunion, but that they are “not adverse to Teamster representation.”
Teamsters from a number of the GM locations report that they have not heard one word from the International union, and some local union officers report that they can’t find anything out from the International either.
Has the union met with Allied about these jobs? Has Allied opened their books so the union can see the economics of the situation? Has Vascor been approached about accepting the experienced TSI/Allied workers, and the union contract? What is the plan to organize Vascor, and to protect the jobs and pensions of the affected Teamsters? Is there any plan at all?
Our union has given plenty of goodies to Allied management, including a wage freeze. It’s time to call in the favors and protect the jobs of a lot of Teamsters.
Carhaul Companies, Union Both Need to Change
Billy Scott, now driving for Allied and a long-time union rep for Detroit Local 299, made the following observations in a letter to carhaul friends:
The union carhaul carriers can't see the forest for the trees. They are unwilling to take on the nonunion sector. More importantly, they are unwilling to take on the manufacturers. They continually want to beat up on the union for letting this happen to them, while they continue to give these nonunion operations footholds into their business.
Allied is the prime example: Allied is content to let the nonunion entities chip off, piece by piece, segments of their operations. They would rather a nonunion carrier get their work than one of their union competitors.
The Teamsters Union leadership has written this 10,000 member division off. They give it a lot of lip service, but provide little or no resources to actually go after these non-Teamster companies. They say that the Local Unions should do it. I know of no Local Union with the resources to take on a full blown organizing drive, not even for a small company, let alone an operation like Fleet Car, United Road Service, Swift, BMW or Waggoneer.
This attitude on the part of the union leadership has to change, and rank and file carhaulers have to make it happen, and participate in that organizing.
Active Takes 300 Teamster Jobs: Local 654 Sues
Over 300 Teamster carhaulers in Springfield,Ohio lost their jobs May 1 when their work hauling Navistar trucks was transferred from Active Transportation to Auto Truck Transport. Both Active and ATT are owned by JHT Holdings. ATT – whose workers are represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) – pays $620 per month in pension and health & welfare benefits. Active pays $1,760.
The job losses are particularly hard to swallow because in May 2003 the Teamsters agreed to a two-year wage freeze in carhaul to offset rising health care costs.
JHT’s CEO, Dennis Troha, has also used the same scam in other parts of the country to whipsaw Teamster carhaulers into accepting lower benefits or losing work. JHT’s subsidiaries haul more than 70% of the truck tractors made in the U.S. and Canada. Teamster Local 654 has sued in federal court to stop the Springfield work transfer, arguing that it was done solely to avoid paying pension and health & welfare benefits. The International union has not mounted a campaign to save Teamster driveaway jobs.
Allied Demands Carhaul Concessions
Allied Automotive Group has once again demanded concessions from Teamster carhaulers in the form of relief from the June 1 2005 wage increase and relief from “restrictive, non-competitive work rules.” IBT Carhaul Director Doc Conder turned Allied down on February 18.
Allied’s CEO Hugh Sawyer dropped a hint (or a threat) into his February 1 letter, now distributed widely to Allied Teamsters, by mentioning the possibility of bankruptcy. If Sawyer attempts to use bankruptcy court as a weapon to attack our contract, we need to be prepared for an all-out fight. Not just Allied Teamsters, but all Teamsters.
Sawyer claims in his “Dear Jimmy” letter that a silent majority of Allied Teamsters support his drive for concessions. Sawyer, a master of salesmanship and paternalism, often claims to speak for his Teamster employees.
Allied — along with the whole industry — was given a two-year wage freeze in the current contract, and the June 1 raise will be the first one three years. In his February 18 response, Conder states that other union carriers are making money and declines Sawyer’s request for a commission to discuss concessions in wages and working conditions.
Allied continues to be its own worst enemy. For example, in February Allied has lost some Ontario Chrysler work to a non-union operator, Oakwood Transport, for no apparent reason. Allied can’t seem to handle all the Chrysler traffic, and yet has drivers on lay-off in Windsor, Ontario.
Allied’s CEO Hugh Sawyer dropped a hint (or a threat) into his February 1 letter, now distributed widely to Allied Teamsters, by mentioning the possibility of bankruptcy. If Sawyer attempts to use bankruptcy court as a weapon to attack our contract, we need to be prepared for an all-out fight. Not just Allied Teamsters, but all Teamsters.
Sawyer claims in his “Dear Jimmy” letter that a silent majority of Allied Teamsters support his drive for concessions. Sawyer, a master of salesmanship and paternalism, often claims to speak for his Teamster employees.
Allied — along with the whole industry — was given a two-year wage freeze in the current contract, and the June 1 raise will be the first one three years. In his February 18 response, Conder states that other union carriers are making money and declines Sawyer’s request for a commission to discuss concessions in wages and working conditions.
Allied continues to be its own worst enemy. For example, in February Allied has lost some Ontario Chrysler work to a non-union operator, Oakwood Transport, for no apparent reason. Allied can’t seem to handle all the Chrysler traffic, and yet has drivers on lay-off in Windsor, Ontario.
Go Teamsters: ATT Workers to Vote on Union
Auto Truck Transport (ATT) drivers across the country will soon get a chance to vote to become Teamsters. In mid- September the NLRB issued the election decision for 1,300 drivers in a nation-wide unit.
ATT is controlled by Dennis Troha, the CEO of Active Transport, which is covered by our national carhaul contract. ATT was created a decade ago as a union-busting device, and Troha has been able to evade the language against double-breasting in the contract.
Management has used ATT to underbid Active and throw Teamsters out of work in more than half a dozen cities. Active and ATT together transport the majority of heavy trucks made in the U.S. and Canada, as well as those made in Mexico and moved by ATT out of Laredo.
ATT workers will have the chance to end this division and improve their benefits and conditions. The Teamsters are competing against the International Association of Machinists (IAM). Unfortunately, the IAM has allowed itself to be used by management in their campaign to bust the Teamster contract.
Carhaulers can help by volunteering on the Teamster campaign or by talking to ATT drivers to support the drive.
Union Hires Pollster to Sell Carhaul Concessions
The Hoffa administration hired a polling firm in May to ask many of the 4,000 Teamsters employed by Allied Automotive Group if they would accept mid-term contract concessions.
The poll asked Teamsters if they would forego the June 1 wage increase of 40 cents per hour or accept other concessions. U.S. and Canadian Teamster carhaulers have not had a raise in three years. Allied management (or is it mismanagement?) has once again demanded concessions, claiming that the carrier may go under unless they get them.
We expect Allied and all carriers will comply and pay the 40 cents, which is only a two-percent raise (after three years) and a one-percent increase in overall labor costs.
The poll was so company-oriented that several Teamsters told us they were shocked that it came from the union. Rob Hackett, an Allied driver out of Moraine, Ohio, Local 957, said, “After I hung up I started thinking about it. They seemed pretty company-oriented. They sort of put us on the spot over the pay raise. I wondered if it was really legit and done by the union.”
The poll also asked Teamsters to rate these individuals on a scale from one to five: James Hoffa, retiring Carhaul Director Doc Conder, and their BA. The International election is coming up in 2006.
Since our dues paid for the poll, shouldn’t the results be made available to the members?
Instead of using our dues to soften up members, our union leaders should have a plan to save unionized carhaul, including taking on the manufacturers, who are squeezing the unionized carriers too hard.
The poll asked Teamsters if they would forego the June 1 wage increase of 40 cents per hour or accept other concessions. U.S. and Canadian Teamster carhaulers have not had a raise in three years. Allied management (or is it mismanagement?) has once again demanded concessions, claiming that the carrier may go under unless they get them.
We expect Allied and all carriers will comply and pay the 40 cents, which is only a two-percent raise (after three years) and a one-percent increase in overall labor costs.
The poll was so company-oriented that several Teamsters told us they were shocked that it came from the union. Rob Hackett, an Allied driver out of Moraine, Ohio, Local 957, said, “After I hung up I started thinking about it. They seemed pretty company-oriented. They sort of put us on the spot over the pay raise. I wondered if it was really legit and done by the union.”
The poll also asked Teamsters to rate these individuals on a scale from one to five: James Hoffa, retiring Carhaul Director Doc Conder, and their BA. The International election is coming up in 2006.
Since our dues paid for the poll, shouldn’t the results be made available to the members?
Instead of using our dues to soften up members, our union leaders should have a plan to save unionized carhaul, including taking on the manufacturers, who are squeezing the unionized carriers too hard.
Allied Threatens to Bust Contract in Court
February 8, 2006: Allied management sent thousands of carhaul Teamsters a letter dated January 31 stating that, unless they are given more concessions from Teamsters, then they may “seek appropriate relief from the bankruptcy court…to set aside an existing collective bargaining agreement and authorize reductions in pay and benefits.” It looks like they are testing the waters to see if they can get concessions from the International Union. We cannot have our national master contract busted in court. If the largest carhaul employer could break the contract using bankruptcy court, then other employers under the master agreement would demand parity, and the downward spiral would only worsen. We cannot allow the new corporate tactic of using bankruptcy court to destroy decades of union struggle to win good contracts and decent family benefits to spread into our union and the trucking industry. Allied’s letter does not mention that Teamsters have already gave in to a two year wage freeze, have been hit with pension accrual cuts, and slapped with the destruction of retiree health care benefits. Carhaulers know the industry problems are real. But the answer is not open-ended concessions with no union plan to protect jobs and job security.