July 3, 2019
Local 174 heavy haul truck drivers avoid work stoppage with new contract
A group of 33 heavy haul truck drivers had a great night last night, as they voted to ratify a strong new 3.5-year contract. This Agreement pulls them back from the brink of a strike, which appeared imminent as the extremely contentious negotiations dragged on. The previous Agreement expired December 31, 2018, and the group has been working without a contract since then.
The work group had already taken a unanimous strike vote, and assembled picket signs for a strike – signs that will thankfully no longer be needed now that a contract is in place. The new Agreement not only excludes the concessionary seniority language management had previously insisted upon, but also includes major language victories, and a larger economic package than the group has seen in many years.
This Agreement includes meaningful wage increases, pension improvements, maintenance of benefits on healthcare, additional sick leave, and a signing bonus. The biggest victory in the new contract is new training language, which paves the way for workers to be trained into more advanced and better compensated driving positions. This new contract language will not only help Nelson Trucking retain talented drivers, but will give Local 174 members opportunities for advancement that were not previously available to them.
“This contract is a victory from cover to cover, and it has been a long time coming,” said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “This company came to the table with an entirely different plan, but through the incredible solidarity of this work group – and especially through the determination of rank-and-file Bargaining Committee member Matt Dick – we were able to leverage our way to an offer our members were proud to ratify, and which sets the stage for even bigger improvements in the future.”
Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,100 working men and women in the Seattle area. “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.