BLET Members Going for Right to Vote
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (a division of the Teamsters Rail Conference) will soon have the opportunity to vote for an important change to their bylaws. On April 19, a ballot was sent to every member to ask if the election of National Officers should be changed to be “one member, one vote.” Currently, national officers are elected by delegates at the BLET Convention, the same way Teamster International officers used to be elected before TDU won the Right to Vote.
One of the architects of this referendum is W. L. Morris, an officer in the small Division 316 with about 60 members who work for the Norfolk Southern in Georgia. Convoy Dispatch spoke with Morris to find out more about this watershed election.
Convoy Dispatch: How did you get the idea for this initiative?
W.L. Morris: At the 1996 and 2001 BLE Conventions, the idea was presented, but shot down by the Resolutions Committee. So this time, we decided we would go right to the members. Our bylaws give us the power of initiative, which means that any member can put an idea out there and if divisions representing 25 percent of the members approve, then the membership gets to vote on the idea. It took us one and a half years to research and figure out the best time to present it. We put it out in October and used the telephone and internet as the main communication. We think this initiative is going to break up the Good Ol’ Boy system—the one where you can’t get into the club unless you are allowed in.
CD: How many people were involved at first?
WLM: Two. Myself and our delegate, Hugh Sawyer. Hugh prepared the wording. We had the support of our division and as word got out, people around the country asked what they could do to help.
CD: How do you think direct elections would change the BLET?
WLM: The change would make officers directly accountable to the membership. Now, National Officers only have to get support from a handful of different General Chairs to get elected. They are elected by delegates, but the delegates rely on advice of General Chairs for who to vote for.
Under our initiative, delegates would come back from convention to their home divisions and let members know about the nominees, give the membership information, and then members would make up their own minds.
CD: What problems would it solve?
WLM: It would get the membership back involved through the opportunity to vote, and it would give elected officials more power in negotiating and speaking for the membership. Right now, the carriers know that the National Officers, in many cases, don’t really have the support of the rank and file, so it would give us much more strength. We need that strength to fight against single-employee operations, pension and wage cuts, and other attacks on our jobs. Railroad companies are enjoying record profits, but they aren’t feeling enough pressure from the unions to pass that on to us.
CD: Would it create any problems?
WLM: Well, according to the opposition, it would cause the sky to fall in. It is going to be a growing process, especially in informing members about initiative details, but other than that, no.
CD: What were some of the obstacles you have run into?
WLM: Some General Chairmen and the National Division came out with an opposition stance. When we got the right to put out ballots we requested that they be sent out immediately, but the National Division wanted to wait until the last minute. They told us they wanted the opposition to be able to send a letter with the ballots. They said we would have the same right, but when we sent in our letter, they edited out parts they didn’t like.
The financial resources the National Division can put into opposition far outweigh those Division 316 can summon. Therefore, the initiative has to rely on the time and effort of supporters.
CD: What kind of response have you gotten from the rank and file?
WLM: Once members heard that we had achieved the goal of getting a referendum, numerous members responded with congratulations and said that they were looking forward to being able to vote. Even some that were in opposition of the initiative sent congratulations.
CD: What kind of responses have you gotten from the General Chairs?
WLM: Most of them feel that it’s not for them to decide—that it’s up to the members what to do. Others have been flag-waving in opposition. Many are afraid this right to vote for National Officers will trickle down to the General Committees. One Vice-General Chairman said he was afraid he would be held accountable to the membership.
CD: Has the National Division made any comment?
WLM: No, not publicly. You would think they would support it because of the statements they make in newsletters and press releases about membership involvement. It is okay for the membership to pay for golf trips, pensions, car allowances, five-star hotels and the bloated salaries of officials, but when it comes to paying for a referendum on the right to vote for officers, many of those receiving these benefits say the initiative would cost too much money.
CD: What is needed to get the initiative passed now?
WLM: The membership needs to rally behind it, and I believe they will. But many members have not even been informed about it yet, so we need to expand our grassroots network to get the word out.
CD: How did you find the resources to push this initiative?
WLM: Division 316 is frugal. Instead of spending money on lost time, meal allowances, etc., we saved money and spent it on this initiative. We feel dues money should be spent totally in the interest of the membership.
CD: Do you have advice for other rank and file members who want to use the initiative process?
WLM: Our biggest resource is the support of the people. Get a good support base; it’s more important than money. Cross all T’s and dot all I’s.
We made mistakes in not requesting that the ballots for the initiative be counted by neutral entities, and not pushing for phone instead of mail ballots. Also, stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish and do not let the opposition distract you.
Click here: BMWED Also Working for the Right to Vote
Click here: Rail Teamsters to Decide on "Right to Vote"
Fighting for Change at Teamster Conventions Past and Present
On June 25 some 1,700 delegates and several hundred alternates will assemble at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas for the 27th Convention of the Teamsters Union.
The majority of these delegates will be there to rubber stamp whatever Hoffa proposes. Many see the convention as a chance to party on members’ dues money. But hundreds of delegates will fight for changes to rebuild our union’s power and strengthen members’ rights—and history is on their side.
At every Teamster Convention, the majority of the delegates have been hostile to reform. At past conventions, delegates have voted against the right to vote for International officers, the right to elect delegates, majority rule on contracts, the right to vote on local union mergers, sovereignty for Teamsters Canada and many other reforms.
TDU members and other reform delegates have been booed, threatened, attacked, even beaten for proposing these changes. But today, Teamster members enjoy each and every one of these rights. Even Hoffa has to call himself “reform-minded” on his website!
How did that happen? And what does it mean for reform proposals that will be introduced this year like pension trustee accountability and the right to vote on dues increases?
How the Tide Turned
The tide began to turn toward reform in 1991. TDU came to the Orlando convention that year proud of big victories recently won. For the first time in decades, the delegates to the Convention had actually been elected. They would nominate candidates for Teamster president and International officers that the membership would elect, also for the first time in Teamster history.
The old guard was there, and had a clear majority of the delegates. Their leaders included Tom Keegel, Chuck Mack, Jim Santangelo, Ken Wood, John Coli, Fred Gegare, Jack Cipriani, John Murphy, Dan Kane and others who are now on the Hoffa Slate.
Right off the bat, they voted to strip members of the right to elect delegates. They wanted local officers to automatically be delegates. They denounced reformers as a “tiny minority.”
Reform delegates spoke out for the right of members to elect delegates. They won the debate but not the vote. The only reason Teamsters maintained the right to elect delegates was that the consent order guaranteed it. Teamsters should never have to rely on a court order to protect our Teamster democracy.
Born Again Reformers
But on other issues, top officials became “born again” reformers. They had conducted polls that showed TDU-backed reforms were supported by the majority of the rank and file. After years of rabid opposition, the Hoffa crowd suddenly supported
- The Right to Vote for Teamster president and top officers
- Majority rule on contracts
- Limits on salaries and multiple salaries for International officers and appointees
- Selling the two executive jets that officers used as expensive toys
TDU and reform delegates had fought for every one of these goals at the previous 1986 convention, and seen them ridiculed by the old guard majority. Chuck Mack denounced majority rule on contracts on the floor of that Convention. At the one prior to that, he nominated mobster and FBI-informant Jackie Presser to be Teamster president. But now he was seeing the light, along with the rest of the old guard leaders.
It got even better. Later in the convention, the TDU-prepared motion to give members covered by national contracts the right to vote on supplements and riders was introduced by Johnny Morris, a long-time TDU opponent. More officials broke ranks and this important reform passed over the opposition of Mack, Cipriani, Santangelo, Kane and the rest of what is now the Hoffa team. Another reform victory!
Other progressive reform issues were voted down, but they were passed later at the 1996 or 2001 conventions. The right to elect delegates was finally adopted into the IBT Constitution in 2001. The right of Canadian Teamsters to govern their own affairs, and stay united under the Teamster umbrella, was finally won in 2001.
Again the TDU and reform forces were a distinct minority, but the ones with the ideas for the future, the ones driving the real program.
The Engine of Progress
If you look over these big, important changes to the Teamster constitution adopted at the recent conventions, none of them have originated with the Hoffa leadership. They have originated with Teamsters with the foresight, guts and solidarity to come forward with plans to involve members and build the union.
The miracle in this progress is that reform forces have been a minority at each and every one of these conventions. Tom Leedham was nominated with eight percent of the delegate vote; Ron Carey was nominated with 15 percent. But their strength with the rank and file was many times greater, as was proven when members’ ballots were counted.
At the 2006 Convention there will be progressive proposals put forward, to bring accountability to the big Teamster benefit funds; to end top-down rule by the General President; to establish organizing programs that involve locals and members; to end financial waste and spend our dues money to build Teamster Power, not fund multiple salaries for the General President’s political friends.
Will these reforms be adopted? You can count on it. They may pass this year, or they may have to wait until next time. But history shows that the Hoffa crowd can only hold back positive changes for so long.
Eventually, they have to cave in to the will of Teamster members—the majority of whom support changes that strengthen the Teamsters Union by putting power in the hands of the members.
Calling All Teamsters!
Would you like to attend the 2006 Teamster Convention in Las Vegas, June 26-30?
Contact your local union or TDU for information about how to attend as a guest. tdu [at] tdu.org
UPS Members Question Early Bargaining
April 22, 2006. Many Teamsters express concern when asked for their reaction to the International Union’s recent statements about early contract talks with UPS.
Broken promises, the benefit cuts, the lack of contract enforcement—these and other concerns are front and center for members.
And if UPS has agreed to the talks, as they most certainly have if the IBT
has floated the idea publicly,what is in it for them? Whatever
else they have up their sleeve, an early contract in 2006 or early 2007 would avoid any potential rancor during UPS’s 100th anniversary in 2007, and would be a major gift to UPS. Member concern may be justified but Teamsters know it won’t bring about change.
We need to be making demands on Hoffa and building pressure for major contract improvements—whether the contract comes around in 2008 or earlier.
Toward that end TDU has asked some veteran UPS Teamsters to speak out on the early contact idea and its ramifications.
Convoy invites you to weigh in on the discussion. Contact tdu [at] tdu.org or call (313) 842-2600 to share your thoughts on early bargaining.
Members Fight for Affordable Health Care with Contract Campaign and Solidarity
Waste industry giants have declared a nationwide war on Teamster health benefits.
Waste Management, the world’s largest waste corporation, is trying to shift the cost of healthcare onto employees and force Teamsters into inferior company medical plans. Other waste companies are following suit.
Members of Seattle Local 174 are showing how Teamsters can fight back with solidarity and strategic contract campaigns. As Convoy goes to press, 600 sanitation Teamsters have reached tentative agreements with two companies that will lower their out-of-pocket healthcare expenses by 90 percent.
“The rising cost of healthcare has been killing us,” said Troy Armes, a Teamster at Waste Management. “Under the tentative agreement, we’ll go from paying $274 a month to just $30 a month for family coverage.”
The tentative agreements include new language that protects workers from excessive forced overtime and provides double-time pay for excessive overtime.
They provide enough money that members’ health care costs will be capped at $30 a month for the life of the agreement and also provide for significant wage and pension increases. Local 174 Teamsters currently make $24.45 an hour, before the contract raises.
“Sanitation Teamsters work hard under difficult conditions. They deserve good, affordable healthcare and the right to quality time with their families at the end of the workday,” said Secretary-Treasurer Dan Scott. “Those were our key issues and we mounted a campaign to win on them.”
Contract campaign
Members leveraged these improvements by mounting a strategic contract campaign that began six months before the contract expired and by building solidarity, both within the Teamster ranks and with the public.
Members from both Allied and Waste held joint meetings to build unity around their priority demands.
They reached out to fellow Teamsters who were fighting healthcare concessions at Waste Management. Striking sanitation Teamsters from Washington D.C. and New York City spoke at a rally in Seattle.
Local 174 members promised to respect the picket lines if they were extended from the East Coast. Members at Waste Management wore “Extend the Respect” stickers to work and held parking lot meetings to send management a message.
Local 174 also built community support. The local launched a website, www.talkingtrashonline, and aired TV commercials highlighting members’ right to affordable healthcare and time with their families.
As the contract expiration approached, political and religious leaders rallied with Local 174 Teamsters to support their demands.
Solidarity at the Strike Deadline
With a strike looming, management at Allied Waste offered members an agreement that would keep them in a top-of-the-line Teamster plan. Waste Management continued to drag its heels.
Local 174 held strike preparation meetings and made it clear to Waste Management that members would walk if the company didn’t match Allied’s offer.
The parties met one final time on Easter Sunday—the day before the strike deadline. Waste Management not only matched Allied Waste’s offer, they added more money to it.
Local 174 members had made a pact that the contracts at the two companies had to be equal. Members’ tough stand at Allied had helped the workers at Waste Management win a better deal. Now it was time for Allied Waste to up their offer to avert a strike.
Solidarity ruled the day. Minutes before a mass meeting, Allied added the extra money to their offer.
Members will vote on the tentative agreements in the coming weeks. But first, all members will have a week to review a complete copy of the proposed contracts.
Local 82 Teamsters Win Democratic Changes
Local 82 Teamsters in Boston overwhelmingly voted to approve a series of bylaws amendments to give members a stronger voice in the local. More than 140 members turned out to the local union meeting on March 26 and voted by huge margins in favor of the reforms—an impressive turnout given that the local only has 650 members.
The bylaws changes establish sweeping new rights for Local 82 members, including:
· The right to elect shop stewards.
· The right to elect rank-and-file representatives to contract negotiating committees.
· The right to an informed vote on contracts, including the chance to review all proposed contract changes in writing before any vote.
·The right to fair local union elections that are conducted by mail ballot and supervised by an impartial outside agency.
· The right to a membership vote to approve proposed officers’ salaries.
·The right to veto who the local executive board names as trustee to the union’s benefit funds.
“We want to put more decisions in the hands of the members,” said Joe Wright, a commercial mover who helped introduce the bylaws reforms. “When people feel like they’re just being dictated to, they stop coming to union meetings. We want members to feel like their voice counts so they get involved and our union gets stronger.”
The overwhelming Yes vote was a slap in the face to Hoffa Trade Show Director and Local 82 Secretary-Treasurer John Perry, who strongly opposed the changes.
It was a bad week for Perry and a good week for the rank and file. Earlier in the week, Perry’s slate failed to carry the vote in the local’s convention delegate election, managing only a split with the Teamsters for Change Slate. Perry won the delegate slot. But the alternate delegate position was won by shop steward and TDU member Kevin McNiff.
In the 2001 International election, Perry delivered 95 percent of the Local 82 vote to Hoffa. But the tide has clearly turned. Close to 100 members of the local have joined TDU in the last year and they are working together to elect Tom Leedham and to reform their local.
The bylaws changes will now be submitted to General President Hoffa for approval.
Excessive Overtime Hurts Teamsters and Families
January 28, 2005: More people are working more hours than ever before in the U.S. The drive to press more production out of fewer workers is putting a squeeze on workers and their families.
Teamsters are no exception. Ask the family of a freight road driver, a UPS package car driver, or a grocery warehouse selector—nearly every Teamster jurisdiction has its own excessive overtime horror story.
Teamsters have consistently rated excessive work as one of their top concerns. In a recent survey by TDU, UPS members said that overtime was their top concern after the issues of pension and health benefits.
Family life is one casualty of excessive overtime. A Teamster may not see his or her children for more than minutes on a work night—or not at all—and then be too tired to take advantage of weekend time.
Another casualty: overworked, tired workers are more likely to have accidents. They are also more susceptible to repetitive strain injuries and back injuries. Among drivers, fatigue is a major contributor to vehicle accidents.
As the Local 206 example (below) shows, it is possible to win and enforce contract language that protects against excessive overtime.
The IBT should make this issue a strategic priority since it affects so many Teamsters, our families, and our communities.
Teamster Discontent Stirs Elections
TDU analyzed the results of a large number of local union elections, with over 100,000 total members. In many of these elections, old guard officials (often the incumbents) lost. Many other officers barely survived strong challenges from rank and file slates who ran on a platform of a new direction.
From Nashville, Tenn., to RenoNev., and from WashingtonD.C. to Cincinnati, members voted for change in many local unions.
In some cases, officials loyal to the Hoffa administration won, but by narrow margins. In New York Local 237, International Vice President Carl Haynes faced his strongest ever challenge, but survived with 53% of the vote. Reform slates took 47% in Minnesota Local 638 and 49% in Memphis Local 667.
Turning Frustration in Positive Direction
“Members are very upset about the decline of Teamster power. In TDU, we’re working to turn that frustration in a positive direction and build Teamster power,” said TDU International Steering Committee member Larry Macdonald. In November, Macdonald was elected secretary-treasurer of Georgia Local 728.
TDU members are gearing up now for 2005 fall elections, and for elections for Convention delegate that will happen in all local unions in the fall of 2005 or March-April 2006. Rank and file reform candidates consistently do well in delegate elections.
David Thornsberry of 15,000-member Louisville Local 89 recently told the TDU Convention, that, “Members are angry about the pension cuts and poor representation and they’re looking to our local election to do something about it.”
Rank and file power is on the increase. The time is now to plan to make it effective.
UPS Teamsters Say Conditions Are Worse Today Than at Start of Contract
Two years into the current UPS contract, TDU conducted a survey of UPS Teamsters to determine what they think about their jobs, the union and issues they face in the workplace. Nearly 1,000 UPSers from across the U.S. filled in the survey. When it came down to issues, two in particular far outdistanced the others.
Pension and Health Benefits
Sixty-two percent said that pension benefits were the single most important issue facing UPS workers. Far fewer than half of respondents said they were planning to retire during the life of the current contract, indicating that pensions are front and center even for many members who are not on the verge of retirement. Seventy-two percent rated health care coverage as either first or second most important.
When asked to rate the Hoffa administration on living up to their promises on benefits, an overwhelming 95% said that Hoffa had failed to follow through. Sixty nine percent said that their plans for retirement had changed as a result.
Members also have strong and clear feelings about management non-compliance with the contract.
Sixty-one percent said that management rarely lives up to the agreement. Only 1% said that management always complies.
Most Common Violations
The area of the contract least often obeyed is the prohibition against supervisors doing our work; 59% said this provision was violated most often. Members said relief from overtime was the second most common contract violation. Subcontracting came in a close third with 13% citing it as the most common violation. Forty-seven percent said that subcontracting was happening constantly or frequently.
When it comes to the grievance procedure 50% said that it has deteriorated. Forty-five percent said that grievance panels rarely reach decisions on the merits of the cases and 87% said that horse-trading of grievances was common.
Working Safe (and Surviving Until Retirement)
Are UPS jobs becoming less safe? Eighty-one percent said that they had been injured in some way on the job. Sixty-three percent said they had to handle over-70-pound packages without help on at least a daily basis. Sixty-nine percent said that accident and injury rates have risen under the new Smart Label/Preload Assist programs.
Though UPS management does a poor job living up to the contract, there is one thing at which they are quite good: 85% said that management had in place so-called safety bingo programs, under which workers are rewarded for underreporting accidents and injuries.
Back to the Future: Preload Assist
One element of the future for UPS workers is the Preload Assist/Smart Label system. Half of the respondents say they now have these programs at their workplace, and they are quite clear about the effects. Ninety-one percent said that stop counts increased under it. Seventy-five percent said that preload positions have been reduced. Still, only 17% of respondents said preload assist was meeting UPS management expectations.
Teamsters Will Have Choice in 2006
“Teamsters will have a choice in the 2006 election thanks to the thousands of members who ran for delegate and supported delegate campaigns,” Leedham said.
Delegates who have pledged to nominate the Tom Leedham Slate come from every region and jurisdiction, including the recently merged unions.
“A growing number of Teamster leaders know that our union needs a change of direction if we’re going to meet the challenges we face. We will continue to reach out to Teamster officers and members who feel shut out by the Hoffa administration,” Leedham said.
The Hoffa Campaign coordinated a nationwide effort to deny members a choice—and openly bragged on their website about their efforts to keep the Leedham Slate off the ballot.
“Hoffa tried hard to block any election. He poured money into local delegate elections to keep any opposition off the ballot, but he failed,” said J. Dennis, a delegate from Kentucky Local 89, who will support the Tom Leedham Slate at the convention.
“The decision about our union’s direction and leadership will be where it belongs—in the members’ hands,” said Local 805 President Sandy Pope, a candidate for Vice President At-Large.
| I Supported Hoffa But His Leadership Has Failed “I supported Hoffa at the last convention. The idea was to strengthen the union by all of us coming together. But uniting behind Hoffa didn’t put more power behind the locals or the members. Instead, it’s become all about Hoffa and the top officials in his administration—not about the union or the members. |
Hoffa Rep Gives Members’ Money to Wal-Mart
April 22, 2006: Hoffa International Rep Rick Middleton, who also heads Los Angeles Local 572, has a little explaining to do. Middleton has invested $20,000 of members’ dues money in the notorious union-buster Wal-Mart.
“Wal-Mart is hurting the Teamsters and all of organized labor. When our local officials invest thousands of dollars into Wal-Mart, it sends a mixed message to the membership."
Frank Halstead
Ralphs, Local 572
Los AngelesMany members of Local 572 who work in the grocery warehousing and distribution industry have been hurt by Wal-Mart’s predatory practices and low wages. Why is Middleton putting their money into Wal-Mart?
Ironically, three years ago Middleton was named co-chair of a Teamster anti-Wal-Mart committee.
TDU uncovered this information on Local 572’s new LM-2 financial report, which includes a list of all investments over $5,000. Local 572 has put about $200,000 of members’ money roughly equally into the stocks of ten corporations, including J P Morgan, IBM, Hewlett Packard, and…Wal-Mart!
Hoffa and his campaign supporters like Middleton recently spread the ridiculous lie that Tom Leedham is funded by Wal-Mart. The Hoffa Campaign circulated smear materials, but did not even file an election protest let alone a complaint with the Department of Labor.
Why didn’t the Hoffa Campaign turn over its evidence? Because it doesn’t exist. The Hoffa smear about Leedham and Wal-Mart is just dirty politics—a big lie with no basis in fact.
The fact that a Hoffa International Rep is signing over members’ money to Wal-Mart is indisputable. Middletown’s own financial report with his signature on it proves it. You can review it yourself by doing a search on the DOL website for Local 572’s LM-2 (or contact TDU).
If someone tries to tell you that Middleton was just buying a share so he could get the stockholders’ report or participate in stockholders actions, let them know that one share would do the trick. Wal-Mart shares are trading at $46, not $20,000!
How about it, Hoffa. Could you ask your staff to pull Teamster members’ money out of Wal-Mart?
The data for this article come from forms filed with the Department of Labor. You can view them on the DOL website or call TDU for a copy.