June 6, 2005: Teamsters from 15 different locals in the South and Southeast converged in Atlanta on July 9 to discuss plans for the 2006 IBT election and delegate races, and to learn how to be more effective Teamsters.

Nearly all of the 50 members on hand are preparing to run for IBT convention delegate in early 2006. The meeting was an opportunity to share ideas and strategies for the elections.“We need to take steps now to show Hoffa the way out of office in 2006,” Nashville Local 327 member Matt Studd said. “And then we need to shut the door behind him for good.”

Dan Scott, secretary-treasurer of Seattle Local 174, was a featured speaker at the meeting. Workshops addressed how to run for union office and how to overcome apathy and get members involved in the union.

“This was a terrific event,” Local 391 retiree Frank Bryant said. “We brought a couple of carloads of people from North Carolina. We learned a lot and had a chance to meet many other excellent members and officers from other areas.”

“At the conference, we brought together Teamsters from across the South who share the same goals,” said Willie Hardy, a retired Local 667 member and TDU staff organizer. “We want to dump Hoffa in 2006 and build a stronger Teamsters union. We’re building the rank and file network we need to make that happen.”

June 6, 2005: In May, concerned Teamster officers announced that we were forming the New Leadership Committee, to put together the program and leadership team that can defeat Hoffa in next year’s IBT election.

Since then, messages have poured in from Teamster members who want to be part of the effort to beat Hoffa in 2006 and rebuild Teamster Power.

We want to hear from you with your concerns about our union’s future and your ideas about how we can work together to dump Hoffa in 2006.

Get in touch with the New Leadership Committee by dropping us a line at P.O. Box 3392, Bayonne NJ 07002 or email us
at: newleadership2006 [at] gmail.com.

Here’s a sample from this month’s New Leadership Committee mailbag. . .

“It is getting closer and closer to start something, and if you are going to be honest about the bottom line, it will be MONEY. I was a big part of the Ron Carey effort and even worked for him and still feel that he got screwed by the government.

“Money is always the little man’s problem, as we do not have a job making two and three salaries as a lot of the others do.

“It will take at least a million in my opinion to pull off an upset. Thanks.”
Concerned Southern Region Teamster

“I wish to be involved in getting rid of Hoffa!!! I am a shop steward in Local 170. Thank you.”
Wanting Change in Worcester Local 170

“Please let me know what I can do to help. We are in the process of forming a Delegate slate in my local for the purpose of opposing Hoffa at next year’s Teamster Convention.”
Local 804 Teamster

“Mr. Hoffa has never had the members’ best interests in mind, only his own. He likes to create smoke screens and talk tough but we all know that money talks and bullsh__ walks. Hoffa is going to run this union into the ground if he is not stopped. I am a UPS employee and we members hate Mr. Hoffa with a burning passion. UPSers whom I talk to want Hoffa out! Best ever contract, my a__! Not best for the members! But UPS management sure is happy.

“I agree 100 percent that a grassroots army of good hard working Teamsters that care about what it means to be a Teamster can and will take down Hoffa.”
Metro Philly Area Feeder Driver

The way I see it, the Hoffa administration is a threat to my livelihood and to my pension. Putting my money toward electing strong Teamster leadership is an investment in my future.

That’s why I’ve donated $100 to the New Leadership Committee. I’m asking you to do the same.

Our goal is to have 500 Teamsters make that $100 donation. That would give us $50,000 in seed money to jumpstart our campaign to dump Hoffa.

How much is a stronger Teamsters union worth to you? $100 is nothing compared to what we will lose if we don’t act now. Donate to the New Leadership Committee today.

Allen Bunch
Local 549, Yellow-Roadway
Blountville, Tenn.

June 6, 2005:It's no secret that United Parcel Service wants to pull all their employees out of Teamster pension funds. Like any corporation, they'd rather have unilateral control over their employees' pensions and convert them to 401(k) plans.

UPS took a step forward on that plan in May with the acquisition of Overnite. Now they have 10,000 less-than-truckload freight workers who are not in any Teamster plan, and they plan to grow that number as fast as they can.

Already outside our pension funds are at least half of UPS Teamster part timers. We can’t let this balance reach a tipping point: we need to bring Overnite workers into our funds now, and the rest of the part timers in 2008.

That’s why we have to organize UPS-Overnite, into our union and into our Teamster pension funds. Doing that would:

• Bring 10,000 new Teamster participants into our pension funds;
• Greatly improve pensions for Overnite workers and their families;
• Provide strong protection against a UPS pull-out from the funds; and
• Strengthen our funds by improving the ratio of active Teamsters to retirees.

UPS management is not to going to volunteer to pay better pensions to UPS-Overnite workers. Certainly they’re not going to be eager to strengthen our Teamster funds when management’s plan is to bust out of those funds.

UPS management has a three-point plan to undermine Teamster retirement security. Part one is a legislative attack. Part two is a campaign to soften up Teamsters with false promises of wonderful pensions from the company. Part three is taking advantage of the IBT failed leadership on pension issues.

The IBT needs a plan, too. A campaign to organize Overnite and bring those members into the Teamster benefit funds is a good place to start.

If UPS Ran Your Pension, You Would Lose $1,000 a Month!

$2,394 per month after 30 years of full time service: That is what UPS management would pay you for a pension, according to calculations performed by TDU. The calculation was based on UPS Senior Vice President John McDevitt’s testimony last year to Congress.


That’s about $1,000 per month less than Teamster plans provide.
What this means: If the same amount that UPS contributed into the Teamster pension plans since 1974 had gone into a 401(k) plan instead, and earned 7.5% a year, you would have an inferior pension today.


We calculated this figure by using the amount UPS paid into the pension fund each year since 1974 for a full timer who worked every day.


We used McDevitt’s own figure of 7.5% annual rate of return and UPS’ conversion formula from a lump sum to a monthly pension.
The calculations can be provided by TDU to interested members.