April 18, 2014: Contract enforcement action by a TDU member has paid off—winning a $100,000 grievance victory for new York City school bus drivers.

Consolidated Bus Transit (CBT) tried to pull a fast one and cheat more than 160 drivers and bus aides out of their vacation pay for President’s Day week.

New York City schools are closed for President’s Day week but Teamsters at CBT have always been paid for that week for 20 years as part of a contractual guarantee.

TDU member Juan Carlos Rodriguez circulated a group grievance that members signed, they pushed the union to fight for their pay—and they won! The company is paying members about $100,000 in lost wages.

“This is a big victory for us."

“It shows everyone that we can organize to hold the company to the contract and push the union to do the right thing.”

Juan Carlos Rodriguez, CBT Local 553, New York City

March 17, 2014: On March 15, 150 Teamsters attended a day-long education conference sponsored by TDU in New York City to educate themselves and build Teamster solidarity.

“It’s inspiring to get together with like-minded Teamsters from all over the Northeast,” said Local 773 member Al Watrous, who made the drive in from Allentown, PA. “Knowledge is power. We need more members to get involved and take the time to learn. I’m looking forward to meeting many other Teamsters at upcoming events.”

The conference, organized by the NY TDU Chapter, brought in members from more than a dozen local unions in NYC, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Workshops included Dealing with UPS management, Running for Local Union Office, Be the Arbitrator: What it Takes to Win Your Grievance, and more.

The Chapter is now organizing a Bowl-a-Thon event and fundraiser for May 3.

January 27, 2014: A growing reform group is running for office in New York Local 237, the Teamsters’ largest local union.

Local 237 represents more than 24,000 New York City public employees, including school safety officers, public housing workers, city hospital staff, and more.

The local was once a powerful political force in New York City and its contracts help set the tone for public sector wages and benefits in the City and beyond.

But rank-and-file members aren’t feeling much of that power lately. “The Local 237 leadership is out of touch,” says Local 237 member Debra Crenshaw, who works at the NYC Housing Authority.

“The Business Agents meet with management without even talking to the member first. When members see that they feel like the union is in bed with management.”

All Members for Change is the growing reform group that’s building a movement of members to run in this fall’s local union election.

“Lack of any real union representation on the job is the common issue we hear across the City,” says Jakwan Rivers, the leader of All Members for Change and a 17-year Local 237 member and former Business Agent and steward. “We want to put the members first and restore confidence that Local 237 Teamsters can win.”

Rivers headed a slate to challenge incumbents in the last election, and lost by 281 votes. “Our first change would be to improve representation and grievance handling. Members will get a call from a union rep within 48 hours of filing, and members will be involved every step of the way.”

Across the union, members say union reps either leave members to fend for themselves against management, or only show up on the job to cut bad deals with the boss.

Housing Authority departments are understaffed and management is forcing members to work 15 to 18 days straight—a clear violation of the contract—with no fight-back from the union.

School safety agents are called into to work details usually reserved for Homeland Security or the NYPD, like the New York City Marathon. But, without “uniform status” the school safety agents get paid less and fewer benefits for this same work.

“Members are frustrated with the union,” says Rivers. “But they’re also hungry for change and we’re getting a great response so far. Our challenge is to organize that hunger into a force that can turn Local 237 around.”

“We want to empower New York City public workers again,” says School Safety Agent Richard Muniz. “Our contracts are being trampled on. When members do file grievances, the union and management make a weak settlement behind the members’ backs. We’ll get members involved to enforce our contracts and win back power on the job.”

Improve Representation

“Lack of any real union representation on the job is the common issue we hear across the City.

“Our first change would be to improve representation and grievance handling. Members will get a call from a union rep within 48 hours of filing, and members will be involved every step of the way.”

Jakwan Rivers, NYC Housing Authority

Officials are Out of Touch

“The Local 237 leadership is out of touch.

“The Business Agents meet with management without even talking to the member first.
When members see that they feel like the union is in bed with management.”

Debra Crenshaw, NYC Housing Authority

Restore Confidence

“We want to empower New York City public workers again.

“When members do file grievances, the union and management make a weak settlement behind the members’ backs. We’ll get members involved to enforce our contracts and win back power on the job.”

Richard Muniz, School Safety Agent

October 17, 2013: More than 100 members from industries across New York City and beyond came out for a day of workshops and strategic planning.

The Building Teamster Power Conference on September 15 was the second day-long conference organized by the NY-NJ TDU Chapter this year. It brought together UPS members, bus workers, public sector workers, commercial movers, grocery and freight Teamsters. Workshops focused on getting members involved, the UPS contract, legal rights, and grievance handling.

The conference was used to reach out to members beyond New York City and build TDU regionally. Members attended from New Jersey, Long Island, even from Texas. More than 20 members joined TDU.

If you're interested in organizing a TDU workshop or school in your area, contact us at 313-842-2600 or click here to send us a message.

"The workshop on getting members involved is a good hands-on training and really drills home that to be a good organizer, you have to be a good listener.

"We had a great turnout and the conference did a lot to build our TDU Chapter."

Bill O'Bayley, White Rose Foods, Local 805, New York

May 24, 2013: With nonunion competition on the rise, 800 Teamster movers in New York City won contracts that protect their healthcare, reduce two-tier wage gaps, and put more union movers to work. Here's how.

"Getting started early and involving members every step of the way was key," says Phil Puma, a shop steward and member of the contract negotiating committee.

Local 814 members started organizing a year before their contract expired, beginning by distributing a contract survey to determine key bargaining issues and getting members thinking about the contract. Preserving employer-paid healthcare, raising wages for lower-tier movers, and ensuring more work for members emerged as top issues.

They recruited and trained a Contract Captain team composed of stewards and rank-and-file volunteers to cover every moving company and job, unite members behind key contract demands, and distribute regular bargaining updates. Contract Captains were trained on organizing phone trees, member-to-member outreach, and picketing and handbilling tactics.

As the contract expiration date neared, the union stepped up the pressure.

In the final weeks, the union gave the companies a deadline and "Strike Vote on Sunday" leaflets were posted and passed out at jobs. Blast text alerts were sent out and members rallied at job sites. As a credible strike threat mounted, some companies moved to settle with the union, increasing the pressure on other hardline employers who feared they would lose business during a strike to competitors who had already signed a contract with the union.

"Management started to get real when they saw all the members united, wearing contract buttons, and talking up the strike vote," said Phil Puma.

The agreement fully protects employer-paid healthcare, promotes many lower-paid movers to the top wage rate, and creates a new dispatch system that will ensure work goes to Local 814 members who need it.

"The companies have always wanted to create tiers and permanently lower wages in the industry," says Local 814 Business Agent Walter Taylor. "For the first time, we've reversed this. By raising wages for the lower tier, we opened a door to better pay that the companies wanted to slam shut forever."

March 15, 2013: More than 150 Teamsters gathered in New York City on March 9th for a day of educational workshops and stewards trainings.

The conference, organized by the N.Y. Chapter of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, brought together UPS workers, construction workers, school bus workers, dairy workers, and food warehouse Teamsters for workshops on grievance handling, legal rights, and just cause.

Commercial movers met in a special workshop on picketing rights and tactics to prepare for their contract fight, and UPS inside workers held a training on contract enforcement for part-timers.

More than 15 members from Providence Local 251 made the trip down to attend—they're planning their own education conference for May 4.

Sharpen Your Skills

"I needed to be there to sharpen my skills. The grievance handling workshop was a good refresher and the class on just cause provided great tips on defending members."

Kenny Yuen, Steward, Tops Moving & Storage, Local 805, New York

Learning Our Rights

"I learned a lot about my rights on the job at my first TDU conference. I brought along two co-workers and I’ll be working to get more members involved in TDU."

Evette Colón, Consolidated Bus Transit, Local 854, New York

Union Solidarity

"I was overwhelmed with the atmosphere of the conference—so many Teamsters from different industries, all working for change. I was impressed with the knowledge and skills many of my fellow TDU members have."

Lookman Thomas, Rhode Island Hospital, Local 251, Providence, R.I.

SAVE THE DATE!
2013 TDU CONVENTION
November 1-3, Chicago

The biggest Teamster educational and reform event of the year will once again be hosted by the Chicago Chapter. Save the date so you can join Teamsters from across the country who are organizing to win stronger contracts, enforcing our rights on the job and taking back our union.

NY-NJ TDU Education Conference

**ALERT - TRANSIT SERVICE CHANGES - SEE BELOW**

Saturday, March 9
10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
CUNY School of Law
Long Island City, N.Y.

Meet with other Teamster members, stewards and officers, as well as labor educators and experts, for a day of training and education.

Sponsored by the NY-NJ Chapter of Teamsters for a Democratic Union and CUNY Labor Law Coalition.

Register to get the tools you need to build a stronger union in workshops on:

• Grievance handling
• Legal rights on the job
• How to do handbilling and other union tactics
• A special workshop on UPS
• And more!

CUNY Law School is located at 2 Court Square, Long Island City, N.Y.
Trains: E & G and LIRR

** Due to service changes there will be no 7 or M train service to Court Square.

Click here for UPDATED parking and directions info.

Questions? Want to register? Click here to send a question or to RSVP, or call TDU at 718-287-3283.

Click here to download a leaflet and registration form.

January 29, 2013, UPDATE: New York school bus drivers remain on strike in a fight to protect child safety and living wages. A meeting between Amalgamated Transit Union 1181 and bus company owners on Monday resulted in little progress toward ending the strike of 8,000 bus drivers and matrons that began on Jan. 16.

The meeting at the Mayor’s mansion was brokered by New York Mayor Bloomberg, although he did not attend or send a representative.

The Mayor and City Department of Education maintain that their hands are tied by a 2011 State Court of Appeals decision ruling that said provisions in bus contracts that protect bus workers pay, benefits and seniority in the case of their company losing routes are “anti-competitive”.

Bus workers say you can’t put a price on child safety and that the Employee Protection Provisions ensure that experienced drivers don’t get kicked to the curb by nonunion companies looking to cut costs at the expense of child safety.

Close to 1,000 NYC school bus drivers and matrons are members of Teamsters Local 854. They are prevented from striking because of no-strike clauses in their own contracts. But Local 854 Teamsters, including a committee of TDU members, support the strike, visit picket lines and are fighting alongside ATU members to defend the employment protections.

Some ATU 1181-represented companies are already hiring scabs.

Click here to read a New York Times article on the background of the strike, the NYC school bus workers, and the work drivers and matrons do.

Call Mayor Bloomberg at 1-888-833-7428 and tell him you support the strike and the Employee Protection Provisions.

Click here to sign a petition to Mayor Bloomberg.

Teamster Education Conference
Sponsored by Teamsters for a Democratic Union

**ALERT - TRANSIT SERVICE CHANGES - SEE BELOW**

Saturday, March 9
10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
CUNY Law School
Long Island City, N.Y.

Share strategies with Teamster officers, stewards and members—as well as attorneys and professional labor educators.

Workshops include:

• Legal Rights
• Grievance Handling 101
• Advanced Grievance Handling
• Handbilling and Picketing Tactics
• UPS Contract Enforcement
• And more!

Register now and pay just $20. Includes free breakfast and lunch and all workshop materials.

Call TDU at 718-287-3283 today to qualify for the early registration discount.

Click here to download a leaflet and registration form.

CUNY Law School is located at 2 Court Square, Long Island City, N.Y.
Trains: E & G and LIRR

** Due to service changes there will be no 7 or M train service to Court Square.

Click here for UPDATED parking and directions info.

Questions? Want to register? Click here to send a question or to RSVP or call TDU at 718-287-3283.

School bus companies will meet with the union Monday to discuss the crippling strike that has left thousands of students without rides to class - but the city won’t come to the talks.

Workers for Amalgamated Transit Union 1181 walked off the job last Wednesday because the city cut job protections for senior workers from new contracts.

Mayor Bloomberg called for the bus companies to meet with the union at Gracie Mansion Monday but the city will not participate - and bus company officials are crying foul.

“This meeting is farce to shift the focus away from the real issue - the city’s new contracts,” said a company official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Local 1181 president Michael Cordiello applauded the mayor for arranging the sit-down, but said that unless the city comes to the talks as well, a deal isn’t happening.

“The best way for this strike to end is with Local 1181, Mayor Bloomberg and the City’s bus companies in one room, talking candidly and in good faith,” said Cordiello. “We urge Mayor Bloomberg to join us at the table to work towards ending this strike. Until that happens, the strike goes on.”