April 15, 2010: Sensors and spyware are either on your package car or coming soon. How do you protect yourself?

UPS announced it will spend $1 billion this year on technology investments with the goal of increasing efficiency, cutting costs and raising profits.

By the end of the year, UPS says that 22,000 trucks will be equipped with telematics—the new technology the company uses to increase surveillance on drivers and push for higher production.

Telematics enables management to track drivers at all times through a system that combines data from the DIAD, GPS and more than 200 sensors mounted on the package car. It amounts to a daily OJS without a manager ever getting in your truck.

The best way to protect yourself is to follow the methods.

Center managers use telematics to print up detailed stop-by-stop reports and question drivers about their production.

Whether you’ve got telematics on your truck or not, you can protect yourself when you’re called into the office by following a few simple steps:

• Take a shop steward. Don’t answer any questions if you don’t have a shop steward present.

• Keep your answers simple. If you don’t remember, say so.

• Unless you remember a specific problem, don’t guess or assume to explain delays. Do not say, for example: “I must have been sorting packages.” A better answer is: “I don’t know” or “That’s how long it took me to complete my work.”

• Keep a daily log book. Make note of exceptional circumstances. Keep in mind that if nothing exceptional happened, there’s no reason you would remember any particular stop.

If management gives you a letter, reply with a simple and clear rebuttal letter. If your write-up is for production, get it on the record that you are meeting the contractual standard of a “fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay” and that every load is different.

And make sure you file a grievance. If you don’t management can use it against you later. The company can even use verbal warnings against you later—if they make a record of it in your file.

Get more information on telematics and how to protect yourself. And read one of management’s telematics reports at www.TDU.org/telematics

Educated Members Make Our Union Stronger

TDU Convention, Nov. 5-7, Chicago

“As a steward, I need to keep on top of the issues and know what to do in different situations to represent the members. The education I get from TDU is a big help.

“I’ll be at the TDU Convention in Chicago this November. And we’ll try to bring a couple of new folks too. Educated members make our union stronger.”

Landy Butler, UPS Steward, Local 804, New York

April 5, 2010: Board of Ed administrators told Ann Arbor school bus drivers to take pay cuts or face privatization.

Ann Arbor bus drivers reached out to the community and voted No to stop privatization and steep cuts.Here’s what happened when members called their bluff.

In Ann Arbor, Mich., Teamster bus drivers and monitors in Local 214 have been working under an extended contract since July 1, 2008.

Talks are in mediation and have been progressing at a slow pace. But this March, the situation heated up. Board of Ed administrators told the union that if they did not take cuts of $800,000, they would privatize the service to get those savings.

First Student and Durham School Services were at the ready to take over the transportation operation.

The board proposed a 10 percent pay cut, and increased healthcare payments.

Members took action and reached out to the community. “The custodians were also being threatened with privatization, and when they started picketing Board of Education meetings, we got a flyer together and joined them” said Chai Montgomery, Teamsters 214 unit steward.

“When we got the word out to the community about how dangerously these companies operate, parents, teachers and coworkers came out to support us by speaking at Board of Education meetings,” said Montgomery. “We didn’t wait for local officials to act, because we’d still be waiting if we had—we did it independently.”

Members voted down the concession proposal 98 to 31.

The No vote sent a strong message back to school administrators. At the bi-weekly Board of Education meeting the following day, the superintendent did not include privatization as part of his proposed budget recommendation to the board. “We called their bluff, and we kept 10 percent of our wages,” said Montgomery.

The solid opposition to the proposed cuts and threat of privatization shows Teamster members are ready to defend their contract and expect much more from bargaining.

“They were using strong-arm tactics,” said Richard Miller, a bus driver who spoke out at several Board of Education meetings and helped organize his coworkers. “But we stuck up for ourselves and we aren’t going to let up now.”

Local 214 drivers and monitors are going back to the bargaining table hoping to preserve their wages and benefits and stop the disproportionate concession demands.

April 9, 2010: One year ago the officers of Colorado Local 17 announced that they were all taking a 10 percent pay cut, in solidarity with the freight Teamsters who had just taken that cut. The Local 17 leaders supported those concessions, so they said they should share in the sacrifice.

But a funny thing happened on the road to sacrifice. The officers took a detour to a big raise instead.

According to the 2009 LM-2 financial report recently filed with the Department of Labor, principal officer Mike Simeone hiked his local salary from $107,642 to $122,946. Other officers and business reps got a similar increase. (The BAs made around $110,000 in 2009.) That’s no 10 percent cut, that’s a 14 percent raise!

This is what they posted a year ago: “We want all Local 17 members to know we share the benefits and sacrifices together with you.” TDU.org reprinted that comment last April, as an example of positive leadership.

What happened? We called Local 17 for an explanation, but they didn’t return the call.

April 2, 2010: In 2006, members in the Pacific Federation of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) in the Teamsters held their first-ever one-member, one-vote election for officers.

Now members are losing the Right to Vote.

In March, Pac Fed officials announced that they are merging with the Unified System Division.

A new election for officers was scheduled for later this year in the Pac Fed. That election is cancelled and members will not get to vote on their new officers.

Instead, delegates will choose the new officers of the division at the Unified’s convention in October.

Members of the Unified can win the Right to Vote if two-thirds of their delegates and at least half of their officers vote to approve the one-member, one-vote elections.

April 2, 2010: The head of Puerto Rico Local 901 has been banned from the union. Members are demanding a real clean-up and a new election.

Teamster members in Puerto Rico demonstrated outside their union last month demanding new elections in Local 901.

Members rallied at the union hall and tried to present a petition to the Executive Board. Local 901 officials locked the doors and armed security guards blocked members from entering their own union hall.

A Coup?

A local television story called the move a “coup d’etat in the union.” If that sounds extreme, consider the extreme circumstances in Local 901.

Germán Vázquez was removed from his position as secretary-treasurer after an International Union panel found him guilty of taking more than $72,000 in unauthorized salary increases. But the Local 901 officials who did nothing to stop Vázquez’s unauthorized pay hikes kept their positions and installed Alexis Rodriguez as the new secretary-treasurer.

Vázquez held a separate competing press conference where he claimed that the Local 901 Executive Board had approved his salary hikes.

Labor Department Suing

The Department of Labor is already suing Local 901 for election violations, charging that the local ran the 2008 vote to illegally favor the incumbents. And the National Labor Relations Board has charged local officials with retaliating against members for supporting the reform candidates for union office.

“When they removed Germán, they didn’t remove the corruption from our union,” Jose Budet told the media. “The corruption is inside our union with [the officials]. They represent themselves, their pockets; and the employers of this country. They don’t represent the Teamsters. The Teamsters are here in the street demanding elections.”

“A new election should be held to return our union to the members,” said TDU member Mara Quiara. “The future of Local 901 is at stake.”

2010 TDU Convention

“I’ll Be There.”

“Last year nine members came from Puerto Rico to the convention. It’s great to come together with so many members excited to change our union.

“The workshops at the convention are the best in our union. We came back to Puerto Rico and shared what we learned. We’re bringing even more members this year to Chicago.”

Migdalia Magriz, Crowley Local 901, Puerto Rico

April 2, 2010: Pension legislation that could help Teamsters, or hurt us, has been proposed in both the House and Senate.

The time is now for our union to get into high gear on this issue, including mobilizing our members and retirees.

On March 22, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa) announced the introduction of Senate Bill 3157, and he did so at the big YRC terminal near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. YRC and the Teamsters Union are central players in this issue.

Senator Casey’s bill is similar to the bill, H.R. 3936, in the U.S. House sponsored by Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Patrick Tiberi (R-Ohio). It would allow seriously troubled multi-employer pension plans to be partitioned: responsibility for pension credits derived from bankrupt or closed companies would be transferred to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which would have to be adequately funded.

This plan could strengthen pension plans covering some 10 million Americans, and set up a more equitable system. And while it would cost federal money, Senator Casey was right when he said that it’s “a bargain compared to what could happen if we let some of these multi-employer plans get in greater jeopardy than they are right now.”

Securing the hard-earned pensions of millions of American workers and retirees is in the national interest.

Full Protection for Retirees a Must

But there is a problem: Casey’s bill and others may not provide full protection of benefits for Teamsters with so-called “orphan” credits. It protects full “nonforfeitable” benefits at normal retirement age (65), but there may be some ambiguity in the bill about full protection of 30-and-out or other early retirement benefits. Many Teamster retirees rely on early retirement benefits.

The time is now to correct any defects in any bill (and there will be amendments and other bills), so that we can fully support it and help get it passed, to strengthen our pension plans.

We cannot let our members and retirees be divided, with some of our members treated as second-class retirees.

Our job is to get a pension bill that not only helps our pension funds, but protects 100 percent of the pension credits earned by Teamsters and other workers.

Teamster Action Plan Needed

The Hoffa administration has delivered the worst pension cuts in Teamster history. Now they have a chance to take positive action to protect our pensions.

There are plenty of corporations—and politicians—who are willing to see workers’ pensions collapse. Most corporations provide no pension at all. They say everyone should retire with an IRA or 401(k) savings plan.

The anti-pension forces will oppose the Casey bill in the Senate and similar bills in the House.

We can beat the corporate lobbyists, but only if politicians see that working Americans care about pension reform—and care enough to take action. Our union needs to get into high gear on this issue.

Ask yourself how many Teamsters and retirees you know that are concerned about this issue. Now ask yourself how many of them have been asked by our union to do something about it.

We’ve worked all our lives to earn our pensions. It’s time to take a stand.

That means more than press releases from Hoffa. Talking isn’t enough this time.

Our union needs to mobilize Teamster power behind an action plan to win real pension reform.

Teamster members and retirees need to be ready to answer the call.

What do you think? Click here to send your comments to Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

Do your part. Click here to take action today to protect Teamster pensions.

April 2, 2010: Pension legislation that could help Teamsters, or hurt us, has been proposed in both the House and Senate.

Our job is to get a pension bill that not only helps our pension funds, but protects 100 percent of the pension credits earned by Teamsters and other workers.

All the bills are complicated and likely to be amended in the House and Senate.

Teamsters should contact their Representatives and Senators with two very important messages:

• We support legislation that will protect and preserve workers’ pensions and multi-employer plans.
• We oppose any provision which would diminish pensions based on which company an individual earned credits from. We want full protection put in any pension legislation, including full protection for “orphans” and full protection of early retirement benefits.

April 2, 2010: Hoffa moves to protect an International Vice President caught in a nepotism scandal.

Friends and relatives of Local 107 officials work on Philadelphia movie sets, while experienced Teamsters sit home out of work.

The Independent Review Board (IRB) has released a devastating 125-page report detailing a “nepotism and favoritism” scandal in the home local of International Vice President Bill Hamilton.

The IRB recommended that Philadelphia Local 107 be put in trusteeship. Instead Hoffa has moved to protect Hamilton, a Hoffa ally and campaign donor.

A lengthy investigation by the IRB found that movie jobs in Philadelphia Local 107 were doled out to friends and relatives of Hamilton and other union officials.

Instead of movie jobs going to the most senior Teamsters available they went to brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, cousins, nephews, uncles, sons-in-law and other relatives of Local 107 officials.

Local 107 members even did unpaid work at Hamilton’s home in exchange for movie jobs.

Nepotism

Hamilton’s sister Donna, with no driving or movie industry experience or a CDL, obtained good movie jobs while experienced Teamsters lost out. Hundreds of Local 107 drivers are laid off and out of work.

After the IRB investigated this blatant nepotism, the union produced a bogus “request” from a movie employer, which was dated more than a month after Donna Hamilton started the job.

Hamilton even got members to work for free for him in exchange for movie jobs. Hamilton assigned movie industry Teamsters to move his furniture, rebuild his kitchen and do plumbing work.

One of them, John Morrone, testified that “I felt as though I had to help the president of the local…if you didn’t help, you didn’t work.” Another Teamster, George Palladino, who did extensive free plumbing work for Hamilton, testified that “I felt obligated…to keep my job.” The movie Teamsters even used the employer’s truck to move Hamilton’s belongings to his lakeside home.

The local union’s dispatcher, John Dooley, testified that he worked for two weeks on Hamilton’s kitchen while being paid by Local 107. Dooley further testified that he told Hamilton that he made enough money to hire people to work for him. Hamilton made $213,975 in union salaries in 2008.

Cover Up

The local has a history of covering up this problem and subverting attempts to operate a legitimate union referral list. The local created written referral rules in May 2001. But the IRB investigation found that these rules “were never put into effect” and were in fact “window dressing” to cover up the practice of nepotism.

The IRB report recommended that Hoffa put Local 107 into trusteeship. Instead Hoffa has kept Hamilton in both his International and local positions. International Rep Ron Schwab has been sent to oversee the movie and trade show division of Local 107.

The man in charge has changed but not much else. Three new movie and television projects are gearing up in Philadelphia and hiring-by-nepotism remains the order of the day.

The brother of Local 107 Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Dougherty is working on a TV pilot, ironically called “Justice.” So is Mike Nugent, a trustee for the local, as are other relatives and friends of Local 107 officials. They don’t have the industry experience or seniority that out-of-work members do. But they’ve got the connections.

In this economy more than ever, we need our union officials to be looking out for working Teamsters—not looking out for themselves. Unfortunately, that’s not happening in Local 107. But that can change.

Hoffa isn’t going to clean up Local 107. That job is up to the members.

You can read the IRB investigative report here

The election for IBT General President and General Executive Board starts this year.

A federal Election Supervisor has been named. Election rules will be final by May 1, 2010.

The Election Supervisor has been named for the 2011 election for International Union officers. And proposed Election Rules, which will go into effect on May 1, are now available for comment before they are finalized.

Richard Mark will be the Election Supervisor for the 2011 IBT officer and convention delegate elections. Mark served as the Election Supervisor for the 2005-2006 delegate and IBT officer elections.

You can see the Proposed Election Rules at www.TDU.org/proposedrules

TDU is preparing to submit proposed improvements to the Rules; proposed changes are due by April 8. The final Election Rules will be submitted to federal judge Loretta Preska for approval; they are expected to be in effect on May 1, 2010.

The Election Supervisor and his national and regional staff will oversee the entire election process for the election of convention delegates and the election of the Teamster General President, General Secretary Treasurer, International Vice Presidents and Trustees. The Supervisor will decide all election protests.

The IBT Convention is slated for the week of June 27, 2011 in Las Vegas; International officer candidates will be nominated there.

All delegates to the convention will be elected by all local unions. No local union officers will automatically become delegates. Most locals will hold those delegate elections in early 2011. A few locals will hold them in the fall of 2010 (only locals with local union officer elections this fall may consider this option).

The Election Rules contain a calendar for all significant dates in the election cycle—including an accreditation petition process that begins later this year.

In 2006 the Hoffa slate was elected over a slate led by Tom Leedham and Sandy Pope.

May 2010: Rules issued for the 2010-2011 Delegate and IBT Officer Election.

Members sign petitions.June 1, 2010: Election Supervisor will announce number of petition signatures required for Accreditation of International Officer Candidates.

June 30, 2010: Deadline for submission of proposed Local Union Plan for locals seeking to hold a Fall election of delegates (this will affect a small minority of Local Unions).

July 1 – December 15, 2010: Petitions to Accredit International Officer candidates may be submitted to the Election Supervisor.

September 30, 2010: Deadline for submission of proposed Local Union Plan delegate elections for most local unions.

September – October 2010: Publication of “battle pages” (candidate campaign material) in the Teamster magazine for candidates who are Accredited by August 15.

October 15, 2010: Publication by Election Supervisor of tentative list of dates, places of Local Union delegate nominations and elections for Locals holding elections in early 2011 (the great majority).

January 3 – March 10, 2011: Nomination period for Local Union delegates (great majority of locals).

February 21 – May 2, 2011: Elections in those Local Unions for delegates.

January – February 2011: Publication of “battle pages” in the Teamster magazine for all accredited candidates.

Delegates speak at 2006 Convention.June 27 – July 1, 2011: IBT International Convention in Las Vegas.

July – August 2011: Publication of “battle pages” in the Teamster magazine by all nominated candidates for International Office.

September – October 2011: Publication of “battle pages” in the Teamster magazine by all nominated candidates for International Office

October 2011: Publication of “battle pages” in the Teamster magazine by all nominated candidates for International Office

October 2011: Mailing of ballots for election of International Officers.

November 2011: Ballots counted for International Officers.

A more detailed timeline is included in the Proposed Election Rules, accessible on the web at www.TDU.org/proposedrules