IBT Organizing Lags Again in 2004
October 30, 2005: Teamster organizing figures have decreased for the second straight year, according to the latest figures available from the National Labor Relations Board. A new report on Teamster organizing reveals the Hoffa administration is lagging far behind the organizing levels achieved in the 1990s.
Hoffa recently pulled the Teamsters out of the AFL-CIO, supposedly to free up resources for organizing. But only one percent of Teamster dues were going to the AFL-CIO. Half that amount is now going to the Change to Win Coalition for a net savings of just $4 million per year.
In contrast, Hoffa’s broken campaign promises to "Cut and Cap" officers’ pay and to introduce other financial reforms have cost our union more than $15 million that could have been put toward organizing.
Click here: Organizing Report Shows Need for New Strategies to Build Power
Click here: Study Reveals Cost of Hoffa's Broken "Cut and Cap" Promises
Click here: NLRB Statistics on Teamster Organizing
Coli, Under FBI Investigation, To Be On Hoffa Slate
Coli is best known for his prominent role in the scandal that led Hoffa’s anti-corruption czar Ed Stier to resign last year, along with the entire staff of Project RISE, Hoffa’s anti-corruption program. Coli was accused of using his influence in the General President’s office to shut down Stier’s investigations into organized crime influence and corruption in Chicago. Hoffa pulled the plug on Stier’s investigations—and Stier resigned in protest—before these allegations against Coli could be proven. But here is what is definitely known about Hoffa’s newest running mate.
Coli is the head of the powerful Chicago Joint Council and of Local 727. He inherited the leadership of Local 727 in 1992 after his father retired and his brother was removed from the Teamsters by the Independent Review Board (IRB). Coli’s father was a member of the Chicago mafia, according to the Stier Report of 2004, but he himself has never been identified as a mob associate.
Coli’s local is being investigated by the FBI, and a Grand Jury has issued subpoenas regarding alleged kickbacks and fraud involving the members’ dental plan. A report by Stier details a scheme where money from the plan travels to an “insurer” owned by a Florida dentist, then to an account in Illinois, before a lesser amount is deposited in the dental service providers’ authorized account.
What It Means
Why would James Hoffa name this man to his slate, hoping to make him a top leader of the Teamsters Union? This is a man who inherited his power, is under FBI investigation, helped kill-off the Teamster anti-corruption program, and whose first love is the members’ money.
He is doing it because Coli is a Teamster power broker: he has personal influence in high places inside our union.
This is the same reason Hoffa put another Chicago power broker, Billy Hogan, on his slate ten years ago, until investigations of his operations got too hot. Eventually Hogan was removed from the union for trying to implement a sweetheart contract with a company that his family had an interest in.
This is the opposite of the way power should flow in our union. It should flow upward, from the members, stewards and local organizers. Leadership should be earned, not inherited or extorted. Leaders should be selected for their integrity and their ability to win strong contracts.
In 2006 Teamster members will have a choice between those two kinds of leadership.
Officers’ Salaries: A Wide Range
• The median salary for a local union principal officer is $86,000. Half of all local principal officers make less than that.
• About one-third of local union principal officers make more than $100,000 in total salaries.
• Just 51 local union principal officers, or about 11 percent of those covered by the report, make total salaries of more than $150,000. Most Teamsters would agree that is excessive. Thirty-five of these 51 officials are on the Hoffa administration payroll.
• Twenty-two local union principal officers, or about 4 percent, get salaries of more than $200,000—and 18 of them are on the Hoffa administration payroll.
Each year, the Teamster Rank & File Education and Legal Defense Foundation (TRF) compiles and analyzes hundreds of Teamster financial documents filed with the Department of Labor. Convoy Dispatch publishes the results in the “$100,000 Club.”
At one time, the “$100,000 Club” was basically a list of Teamster fat cats. Over the years, inflation has pushed a growing number of officials who just slightly make six-figures into the club. In all, 368 officials make more than $100,000. Seventy-three of these officials make $150,000 or more. And 131 make $125,000 or more.
How much is too much? Should multiple salaries be banned? We give you the facts and lets you decide.
This study is non-partisan, and includes all Teamster officials, whether elected or appointed, reform or old guard.
Pension Legislation on Senate Rollercoaster
The HELP bill would provide a range of financial relief to defined benefit pension funds, like the funds that cover many Teamsters.
A negative provision called the Red Zone amendment was not included in the HELP version—thanks to some hard work by Teamster local officers and rank and filers who traveled to Washington to meet with Senate staff about the provision. Had it not been defeated, it would have allowed troubled plans to cut back pension benefits that have already been accrued.
Different corporate and union interests have voiced opposition to the pension bill based on particulars of their industries. Continental and American Airlines opposed parts that would benefit their bankrupt competitors. General Motors and the United Auto Workers attacked a provision that would tie pension contribution requirements to a corporation’s credit rating, noting that the auto industry has cyclical ups and downs.
A coalition that includes UPS management, the IBT and some Teamster pension plans offered amendments to provide more breathing room for under-funded multi-employer plans that were hurt by the stock market in 2000-2001.
Meanwhile, the International Union has been on its own roller coaster regarding the legislation. Last spring, when the house passed a similar bill, HR 2830, the IBT was pressing locals to circulate petitions in support of the legislation. Later they said they would take a wait and see attitude, and in late September the IBT issued a bulletin stating they now oppose both the House and Senate versions as drafted.
International Union Election Timetable
October 12 , 2005: When Teamster reformers gather at the TDU Convention on Nov. 4-6, one item we will take up is launching a campaign to change the direction and leadership of the Teamsters Union in 2006. Candidates and campaign activists will present plans and discuss issues.
First up on the campaign will be the petition drive to officially accredit a reform slate in November and December. This will take the support of Teamster members across North America to ensure that a reform voice gets platform space in the Teamster magazine and gets access to the Teamster membership list. Also, a major fund drive will be launched to raise the war chest needed to win this campaign.
In January, nominations for delegates to the International Teamster Convention will take place in almost every local. Any Teamster can obtain a copy of your local’s election plan (with dates of nominations and ballot mailing, who will run the election, etc) by sending a written request to your local, right now.
Reformers are gearing up to send a strong delegation to that Convention next June 25-29, to work to win changes in our union constitution, fight to protect our pensions, and nominate a new leadership team to replace the Hoffa-Keegel slate. That election takes place a year from now, in November 2006.
If you want to learn more about the campaign for change, that will put our union on the winning track, contact TDU today.
Study Reveals Cost of Hoffa’s Broken “Cut and Cap” Promises
Our $100,000 Club study reveals that Hoffa’s broken “Cut and Cap” pledge has cost our union more than $15 million since he took office in 1999. That’s $15 million that could have been spent to organize new members and increase our bargaining power—nearly four times what
Hoffa saved by pulling the Teamsters out of the AFL-CIO, a move that was supposedly made to free up resources for organizing.
Hoffa made his promises to “Cut and Cap” and “Eliminate Expensive International Union Perks” in an official Hoffa Slate platform. These broken promises include:
Hoffa promised to cap the General President and Secretary-Treasurer’s salaries at $150,000 a year. Hoffa’s salary in 2004 was $251,529; Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel’s was $228,277. This broken promise drained $179,806 from the treasury in 2004.
Hoffa promised to cap the aggregate salaries of everyone on the IBT payroll at $150,000. Our $100,000 Club data reveals that 44 officials on the Hoffa payroll are in violation of this cap. The cost of this broken promise for 2004 alone was more than $1.66 million.
Hoffa promised to “Eliminate expensive International Union perks,” including the IBT’s practice of paying the employee portion of social security taxes. This amounts to a 7.65 percent tax on Teamster members and hidden extra compensation for International officials. For the 119 International officials listed here, this is costing Teamsters $628,000 every year.
Hoffa also broke his promise to prohibit payment of housing expenses for officials in Washington, D.C. He pays himself and Keegel about $66,000 a year to live in a fancy Washington hotel. Hoffa and Keegel signed checks of $2,000 a month for a phony housing allowance to Carlow Scalf until the IRB caught wind of it and forced Scalf to pay the money back.
TDU members intend to give Hoffa a second chance to implement his abandoned reforms by submitting them to a binding vote at the 2006 IBT Convention in Las Vegas.
Click here: Organizing Report Shows Need for New Strategies to Build Power
Click here: IBT Organizing Lags Again in 2004
Click here: NLRB Statistics on Teamster Organizing
Fighting Work Performance Harassment and Discipline
Teamster employers have many ways to wring greater production out of workers. United Parcel Service and grocery warehousing both have high levels of productivity demands. Many of these suggestions for dealing with production harassment will apply to any workplace.
1. Beef up contract enforcement overall.
Production harassment can flourish when management is given free rein. Members may feel they have to give in to pressure because the union is weak. An ongoing campaign of contract enforcement can show management (and coworkers) that the union is willing to fight.
2. Target contract violations by management that indirectly boost production.
Supervisors working is one example. Another, from UPS, is violation of the over-70-pound package provisions. Overtime protections, if in the contract, are another area. Health and safety standards can be especially effective, as speed-up often rests on a foundation of safety hazards.
3. Go on the offensive.
Stewards and locals that are willing to just say no to performance standards can take some heat off members.
Elements of an offensive plan could include the following:
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Set up a rank and file production standards committee. Get members working together. Do safety and health inspections on a routine basis. webmaster [at] tdu.org (Contact TDU) for suggestions. File OSHA complaints to deal with hazards. Use information requests to get ammunition and to tie up management (see more on this below). 4. Enforce Weingarten RightsAnyone brought into the office should insist on having a steward with them. The steward is there to try to prevent management from putting you on the spot about work performance. Your right to do this is protected under federal labor law, and is called your Weingarten right. Management can refuse this request only if they assure you that the discussion has no connection with potential disciplinary action. Enforcing this right can prevent a worker from being bullied into making incriminating statements or agreeing to boost their production. 5. Educate coworkers about dealing with production demands.The local or rank and file committee can organize special meetings or classes on this topic. New workers should be brought up to speed quickly. Emphasize that working quicker while being observed rather than meticulously following safe and proper procedures will only come back to haunt them later. UPS drivers need to understand how to act during full-day ride-alongs by supervisors (OJSs). Ask right at the start whether your performance during a ride or other evaluation will be used as a standard for future performance. If the manager says no, ask them to put that in writing. Either way, let the manager know that you’re going to accept no help. No cherry-picking of easy drops, no help spotting parking places, no held doors, and no help sorting, carrying, or delivering. 6. Make note-taking a routine: order and use TDU Log Books.Taking notes consistently can save jobs, and is an important part of an offensive against production harassment. When confronted with possible warning letters for not meeting standards, the individual or steward must be able to show why the ride-along day(s) went unusually well (better parking, lighter packages) or why case counts were lower on a certain day (equipment problems, product not available). Were there roadblocks on the relevant days that the picker didnt get down time for? TDU’s Log Books are made for exactly this purpose. Order them and get coworkers using them. 7. Use information requests to go on the offensive.Grocery warehouse production standards are based on time studies and flow charts that have been combined to establish standard times for every type of picking situation. Its the stewards right and responsibility to demand the information that went into these calculations. You can and should ask for: Copies of all flow charts showing the current standard times for each Key Volume Indicator (KVI), and any updates to these. All Master Standard Data worksheets used in these calculations. Copies of any unavoidable-delay studies, summary sheets, and calculation worksheets so you can see how the unavoidable delay allowance was calculated. Copes of any written policies or statements regarding rules for downtime (or indirect time), and who authorizes it. A detailed description of all underlying methods and conditions used in calculating the standards. Explanations for any of these materials you dont understand. Important: If a member is written up for falling below production standards, demand evidence from management right away. Computer data is often dumped after one week. 8. Ask the right questions in disciplinary grievance hearings.If work performance pressures lead to the worker being disciplined, the steward or member should be getting the answers to these key questions: Was the method or standard clearly communicated to the employee? When? Did management make it clear that violation of the standard could lead to disciplinary action? Did the disciplinary action start with the lowest level of discipline reasonably related to the offense? Was there another way to help the employee modify their behavior? What is the employees length of service? What is their previous performance record or disciplinary record? Are appropriate allowances being made for seniority, physical condition, or age? Is the method or standard reasonably related to carrying out the employers business? Is the employee being singled out for any reason, such as union-related activity? Have other employees with the same numbers been treated similarly? 9. Fight for contract protectionthen implement the guarantees.Set long-range goals for winning contract language that protects workers from production harassment. Set up a production standards committee and contact TDU about a workshop or other help with production standards or contract campaigns. And come to the TDU convention in November and meet with other activists who are dealing with these same issues! |
Southern California Grocery Agreement Settlement
October 5, 2005: The negotiations covering approximately 8,000 members in the Southern California grocery industry have concluded. The five-year agreement contains wage increases of 50 cents, 45 cents, 50 cents, 45 cents and 50 cent; pension contribution increases of 10 cents, 0, 10 cents, 0 and 10 cents: and maintenance of benefits over the life of the agreement.
Even though members overwhelmingly ratified the offer, many were disappointed by the paltry pension increases and by the leadership’s inability to negotiate improvements in other areas.
Huge issues face workers in the grocery industry: Unreasonable production standards, harsh attendance policies, disregard for seniority and parity.
“I work for the largest company and we have the worst contract. While the industry standard is 7 to 1 for part-time ratios we have a 2 to 1 ratio. We make 33 cents less an hour than the average for the industry. We don’t have Sunday Premium, averaged vacation pay or the overtime optional provision”, says Frank Halstead, member of Local 572 employed by Ralphs Grocery (Kroger).
With the big employers still recovering from the UFCW strike/lockout, the opportunity existed to resolve some of these issues. Instead of patting themselves on the back and saying “It’s the best contract in the Southern California grocery industry ever; the biggest and the largest that’s ever been bargained” as Paul Kenny, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 630 and Co-Chairman of the negotiating committee put it, our leaders should have used the leverage we had to make the improvements members have requested for years. The Chairman, J.C. 42 President Jim Santangelo said “we’re very happy with this deal, because the employers were generous.” But this “generosity” is going to result in less buying power, lower pensions and fighting the same old issues for five years.
Coalition Launches Rival Federation
The other Change to Win unions include the SEIU (service employees), UNITE HERE (hotel and garment workers), UFCW (food and commercial workers), the Carpenters, Laborers, and the United Farmworkers.
The Laborers and Farm Workers remained in the AFL-CIO and will participate in both organizations.
This gives the Laborers the right to continue to participate in union structures in the Building Trades. What the Teamster pullout will mean for Teamsters in construction is uncertain. Our construction locals rely on these structures to coordinate and settle disputes with other unions in the building trades
The IBT will save about $9 million a year in per capita dues payments to the AFL-CIO. Half of this will now be spent on dues payments to the new Change to Win federation. The Hoffa administration says the other $4.5 million will be spent on new organizing in our union’s core jurisdictions.
Do you have comments on the Change to Win Coalition? Send you thoughts to:
Teamster Viewpoint
Convoy Dispatch
PO Box 10128
Detroit, MI 48210
Click here: Changing to Win at Overnite?
Click here: AFL-CIO Split? No One Asked Rank and File Teamsters!
Click here: Teamster Viewpoint: Leaving AFL-CIO Threatens Union Solidarity
Who Is Running the Teamsters Union?
Tarpinian is a labor consultant in New York. He attached himself to Hoffa back in 1996 when he campaigned for him, along with another consultant, Richard Leebove of Detroit. He’s wiggled upward ever since.
His long time close associates have eased into key positions of power. Leo Deaner, a Tarpinian associate for many years, is Hoffa’s new Executive Assistant.
Another Tarpinian partner for decades is Dan Kane, an International rep with three sons on the payroll. Another is Jeff Farmer, who came from the SEIU to take over the Teamster Organizing Department. Farmer is the brother-in-law of Sue Mauren, director of the Central Region Public Employees Division. Ron Carver of IBT Strategic Campaigns is another decades-long member of the Tarpinian club.
This crew, who were buddies before they ever met a Teamster, have made quite a home for themselves at the top of the Teamster power structure. They move others out of the way when it suits them.
Mary Hardiman, Director of the Teamster Education Department, with the IBT for 28 years, was summarily fired in August as part of a Tarpinian restructure plan.
Tarpinian gets big bucks to do dog-and-pony shows at the IBT Convention and Unity Conferences, and he’ll get a lot more PR and “education” money now. In return, he holds banquets in New York to give awards to Hoffa and Tom Keegel, who sign the checks to his consulting company. What goes around comes around. What’s going around is your money.
Tarpinian wrote the plan and the script for the Teamsters to leave the AFL-CIO and join Change to Win, which also pays Tarpinian big bucks.
Most importantly, he is guiding the direction of the Teamsters Union. Remember when Jim Hoffa charged that Ron Carey had outsiders (“SEIU”, “mineworkers,” etc.) in positions of power?
Now we have a New York consultant running our union, who only bothers to speak to Teamsters when he has his hand out for money.
Submitted by a Teamster official who prefers to remain anonymous.