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Local 174 News:
MLKCLC LABOR DAY PARTY YOU ARE INVITED TO THE ANNUAL LABOR DAY CELEBRATION AT WOODLAND PARK IN SEATTLE ON THE HOLIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 THIS YEAR (August 31, 2009) Labor Day is coming up a week from today, September 7. It is a day when the United States celebrates the contributions of working men and women to this country. It is also a day of family fun, including picnics. All Local 174 members are invited to the Martin Luther King County Labor Council Annual Labor Day Picnic at Woodland Park.
The hours of the Party will be 11:00 am to 4:00 p.m. The staging area will be Lower Woodland Park, Shelters 1, 2 & 3, at the Park location, North 50th & Woodland Park Avenue, Seattle. As is the case at all these yearly MLKCLC get-togethers, the event will feature live music, hot dogs, soda, ice cream, clowns, games and prizes for kids, raffle prizes, and more. Many political friends will be on site talking with the Labor folks about issues and, yes, their elective plans for themselves. It is all free to those who attend, but the MLKCLC asks everyone to “Please bring a can of food for the Puget Sound Labor Agency. For raffle information, call them at (206) 448-9277.” Local 174 keeps in close touch with the MLKCLC and its activities. What is this group exactly? FACTS ABOUT THE MLKCLC The core responsibilities of the M. L. King County Labor Council are to assist workers and their unions in the struggle for social and economic justice; support efforts to organize and bargain fair contracts; lobby, endorse and involve working people in the political process; advocate and support laws that protect working people; support community services outreach work; and unite with community allies who are also struggling for justice. Local 174’s Political Action Director and its Lobbyist keep in contact with the MLKCLC throughout the year on behalf of all Local 174 members. MAJOR ISSUE THIS LABOR DAY Health Care Reform NOW! More than one-third of people who have insurance worry about losing it. Even Union workers, who have led the way in securing health benefits for working people, are in danger of losing secure health coverage because of out-of-control costs. Meanwhile, insurance and drug companies are making stunning profits. Health insurance CEOs averaged $8.7 million in 2006 compensation and pharmaceutical company CEOs pulled down an average of $4.4 million. Reality check — here are the facts:
The AFL-CIO Union Movement is fighting for a unique American plan for secure, high-quality health care for all that:
WHAT IS LABOR DAY ALL ABOUT? Following are some facts and figures about Labor Day from the number one source on the subject, the U.S. Government’s Department of Labor.
Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the Labor Movement. The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television. The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Local 174 News:
 The “Team” in “Teamsters Union came from teams of drivers and steeds like the one at the left from yesteryear, and have evolved into powerful trucks like 174’s Truck at the right, which are all over our highways today. This artwork is by Local 174’s staff artist, Business Agent Dave Jacobsen. It appears in the regular issues of the Local 174 Teamster Record newspaper atop the History Column. (August 3, 2009) The IBT was founded in 1903 and celebrated its Centennial Birthday six years ago. Local 174 joined the IBT in 1909. This year, 2009, marks 174’s Centennial Birthday. Today, Teamsters Local 174 is known by its many friends and foes alike as a proud, militant, progressive, patriotic, democratic organization. All know it is dedicated to serving the best interests not only of its membership — but also of the entire Labor Community and the General Public. We have been reminiscing about 174’s long history this year in the Teamster Record. Please have a look at the special report based on our January-March 2009 issue, entitled “Local 174 a Powerful Presence in the American Union Family.” It’s printed in full on this Website’s History Page. You can access it by using this link. Local 174 News:DON’T MISS LOCAL 174’S BIRTHDAY PARTY SEPTEMBER 12 COME ALONE OR BRING THE FAMILY AND HELP CELEBRATE OUR FIRST CENTURY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS (August 21, 2009) Don’t forget Local 174’s big 100th Anniversary Party Saturday, September 12, 2009. Please come to this important event in our Local’s history. We turned 100-years-old on February 19, 2009 — a Century after we affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Party particulars are noted below.
(August 17, 2009) Few things have saddened me more than the outright lies being told to scare American citizens about something this country so desperately needs: health-care reform. For the first time in almost 50 years, Congress is close to enacting major health-care reform to fix a broken system. The high cost of health care is burdening American workers, crippling U.S. companies, hurting the economy and adding to the deficit. Many want you to believe this issue is about red states vs. blue states. It's not. You probably have friends or family members who have no health insurance or are underinsured. Health-care reform, the kind being sought by friends of working families like Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) and Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia), is about providing for Americans who need health coverage. Some of our country's more timid politicians, though, don't see the issue as one where our country should try to lift approximately 47 million citizens from an uninsured nightmare, one accident or illness away from crippling hospital bills. These politicians simply see reforming a broken system as a victory for a Democrat. Recently, Republican Sen. Jim DeMint (South Carolina) said, "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." I don't need to tell you how shameful that statement is. When politicians put more value on political gain than the lives and health of their constituents, it's clear that more than the health-care system is broken. Also broken is our trust in politicians that are elected to look out for constituents. Much attention has been paid to those disrupting town hall meetings, but they are a minority. Most people recognize a need for real reform. There are still plenty of people working toward making positive change, including Sen. Rockefeller, whose record on this issue is clear. He stands with working families. Anyone familiar with his record on the State Children's Health Insurance Program knows how tirelessly he has worked to get health insurance to those who need it. When you hear the complaints of those shouters at town hall meetings, they are usually based on lies being told by front groups that are profiting from the current, broken system. Americans who are interested in learning the truth about this debate have plenty of places to find intelligent voices on this issue. Right now, Congress is working on legislation that would let you keep the insurance you have and provide affordable coverage if you don't. It would let you continue to be insured if you change jobs, lose your job or start a small business. It would forbid insurance companies from denying coverage if you have a pre-existing condition. If everyone had health insurance, it would lower the cost to those who currently have it because, right now, we are all paying for the uninsured. For example, health insurance for a family costs an employee and/or employer an average of $12,000 per year. If we enact health-care reform, it is estimated that the cost will drop by 25 percent, because everyone will be insured and those who currently have it will no longer have to subsidize those that go without. This means that employees and their employers who help pay for insurance would have an average of $3,000 per year to pump back into the economy. It will have the same effect as some of the stimulus money. This is good for working Americans, for our economy and for our country. If the defenders of the status quo succeed this year, the drive to reform health care will falter. We may never have a shot at health-care reform again in our lifetimes.
(August 16, 2009) Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa stressed the importance of promoting diversity to help strengthen the labor movement during a speech on August 13 at the 34th annual meeting of the Teamsters National Black Caucus in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting began August 12 and ended today. Hoffa’s remarks recounted the proud history of the Teamsters Union, which was an early leader in the fight for civil rights. The Teamsters were the first labor union to secure a colorblind and gender-blind labor contract, recognizing that civil rights and workers’ rights go hand in hand. The union was also a staunch supporter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in their struggle for equal rights for all Americans. “Our union has always been one of the most progressive labor organizations in the country,” Hoffa said. “We embrace the diversity of our union on every level, recognizing the strength it gives us as an organization.” Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel expressed his appreciation for the contributions that African Americans have made to the labor movement during the meeting on August 14. Touching on major milestones in Teamster history including the union’s first gender and color-blind contract, the Teamster’s support of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the endorsement of President Barack Obama, Keegel said the Teamsters wouldn’t be where it is today without our African American members and leaders. “We proved that we can change America. If we put our minds to it, there is nothing we can’t do when we have solidarity,” Keegel said. “I’m proud to be a Teamster. We fight for justice. We fight for dignity. We fight for a decent wage and a decent pension for all people."
IBT News Release:
(August 10, 2009) Teamster members who work at the freight companies of YRC Worldwide Inc. (YRCW) — Yellow, Roadway and Holland — have approved a Job Security Plan that provides economic relief for YRCW as it works to get through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The modifications were ratified by a 58.5 percent to 41.5 percent margin, with 64 percent of members casting ballots. Ballots were mailed to union members on July 17 and counted August 7.
“Once again Teamster members at YRCW have shown great courage by making extraordinary sacrifices to help this company survive,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President.
“Now YRCW, banks and other stakeholders have to step up and do their part to ensure the company’s long-term survival,” Hoffa said. “Do the banks want the fate of 35,000 YRCW workers, hundreds of thousands of retirees, and hundreds of thousands of other workers to be their responsibility if they do not significantly rework YRCW’s loan facilities?” “As the economy is just now showing signs of improvement our primary goal is to make sure YRCW’s other stakeholders, primarily the bank lending group led by JP Morgan, SunTrust, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Wells Fargo (Wachovia), Bank of America, Bank of Tokyo, Mitsubishi and US Bank, provide YRCW with the necessary liquidity to withstand this recession and ensure YRCW’s long term financial stability,” said Tyson Johnson, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division. “I commend our YRCW Freight Teamsters for doing everything that has been asked — over $2 billion in wage and pension relief since January. We’ve done our part to preserve members’ jobs and their benefits, now the other stakeholders have to step up to the plate,” Johnson added.
IBT News Release:
(August 3, 2009) The Aviation Subcommittee, chaired by Congressman Jerry F. Costello, on July 30 announced recommendations included in a new aviation safety bill — the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009. This announcement followed several private meetings with the chairman, staff and subcommittee members that were attended by Local 1224 President Joe Muckle. “We had a voice in this process,” Muckle said. “The Aviation Subcommittee diligently listened to the concerns of safety experts and pilot union leaders and we saw our concerns echoed in today’s bill.” Muckle met with Costello, staff and subcommittee members to discuss current and potential aviation safety programs, training requirements, pilot fatigue and the bankruptcy code under the Railway Labor Act on several occasions during July. His involvement on behalf of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was to provide input on behalf of all Teamster air carriers to be considered for potential legislation. House recommendations included in the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009 encompass a number of safety and training initiatives including the creation of an Air Carrier Safety and Pilot Training Task Force, heightened FAA regulations, increased pilot training based on aircraft type and a new set of research-based pilot fatigue guidelines. Each issue included in the recommended legislation was discussed in detail with pilot union leaders. A major component of the bill is the increased pilot certification requirement of the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate to fly a transport category aircraft. In private forums every represented pilot union agreed, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division, Coalition of Airline Pilots Association (CAPA), US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) and Allied Pilots Association (APA), that ATP Certification should be required for every pilot who flies in part 121 air carrier operation. This would be an increase from the current commercial rating which requires only 250 flight hours. The ATP requires 1500 flight hours with additional flight and aviation knowledge requisites. During discussion of this issue in meetings, Muckle conveyed to the committee that the period between these ratings should be thought of as an apprenticeship, ensuring pilots gain knowledge and awareness that can only be attained through flight experience. Other portions of the bill which can be attributed to input from the Airline Division and other CAPA pilot unions include recommendations to:
The opportunity for the IBT Airline Division to represent the best interests of all Teamster air carriers at a national level demonstrates that our Union is about more than labor — as a united group the Union provides guidance for the betterment of the aviation industry.” said David Bourne, Teamsters Airline Division Director. “We chose Local 1224 President Joe Muckle to represent the Teamsters Airline Division because of his past success on Capitol Hill.” Congress began to prioritize airline safety issues in the wake of the Continental Express, also know as the Colgan Air, crash near Buffalo last February. In July Muckle, U.S. Airways Captain Chesley Sullenberger and U.S. Airways First Officer Jeff Skiles participated in private meetings with Costello and members of the aviation subcommittee voicing concerns that airline safety is at risk because of the industry decline in value placed on the airline pilot profession. Concerns expressed in these meetings also had an impact on the urgency for new legislation and improvements to future safety efforts. The Teamsters Airline Division and Local 1224 undertook the initiative to work with the subcommittee to protect the safety of the flying public, as well as the rights of our membership.
IBT News Release:
(July 28, 2009) International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on Monday, July 27, announced that the Union will campaign vigorously for health care reform using a new Website, an ad campaign, call-in days, e-activism and events planned throughout Congress’s August recess. The campaign will kick off with a new Website … Teamsters For Health Care Reform Now, to mobilize members in the fight for health care reform. The Website launch will be supported by a Web-based ad campaign on targeted state blogs and on-line publications. Tens of thousands of Teamsters activists will be asked to call Congress today, Tuesday, July 28, to support quality, affordable health care for everyone now — part of a national call-in day sponsored by Health Care for America Now. “Health care reform is too important for the Labor Movement to sit on the sidelines,” Hoffa said. “The high cost of health care is burdening American workers, crippling U.S. companies, hurting the economy and adding to the deficit.” “I am personally urging Teamsters Local Unions to get out there and support President Obama’s efforts to fix our broken health care system. This is an unprecedented effort on our part,” he added. The Website features a toolkit for taking action, news, legislative updates and facts about the health care crisis facing America. “Our e-activist effort is only the most recent in our ongoing mobilization of our members as we pursue our priorities: protecting and expanding American jobs and improving the quality of life for American working families,” Hoffa said. Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. [View e-activist flier here.]
Every year, about 150 drivers enter the Washington State Truck Driving Championships. About 350 enter the Nationals.
In the 2009 State Roadeo many of the Local 174 participants, and the Local 690 participants, too, stood out among the crowd of drivers. The most amazing results of all were those of the Boeing Company drivers. Local 174 Boeing contestants alone took home four 1st places. But this event every year is also a family picnic and a social get-together. Again this year, we took lots of pictures of 174 Roadeo contestants, their families, their friends, and others who were at or near Local 174’s tented food and drink staging area. Have a look at the pictures in our Photo Gallery. And in case you didn’t hear who the Teamster winners were this year, here is a listing of them. Two Boeing drivers particularly stood out this year. The Grand Champion of the 2009 Washington State Truck Driving Championships, with the highest total score of all at 386, was Jeffery Maas, who took 1st in Flatbed. It was the fourth time since 1991 that the Grand Champion was a Boeing driver. The 2009 Rookie who scored the most points, 336, was Richard Rowe, who took 1st in Straight. Two other Boeing drivers took 1sts, also. Chuck Snowdon was 1st in Sleeper, 385; and Dan Poole was 1st in Tanker, 384. Teamster drivers who took home 2nd place trophies were from Local 174 John Hnatishin, Boeing, 4-Axle, 273; and from Local 690, Brian Williamson, Safeway, 5-Axle Van, 303. Teamsters taking 3rd place trophies were Local 174’s John Enyeart, Safeway, 5-Axle Van, 300; 174’s Gary Nickell, Boeing, Flatbed, 335; and 174’s Dane Radke, Safeway, Sleeper, 319. Other Teamster competitors, and their Locals, Companies, Events and Scores were: Dana Moore, 174, Boeing, 3-Axle, 289; four 174 members at YRC who competed in 3-Axle, Keith Johnson, 222, Bill West, 192, Ricardo Martinez, 184, and Jasper Majors, 137; and Local 174 drivers in 4-Axle Steve Whipple, Safeway, 243; and Tim Olson, Boeing, 218. Non-award winners competing in 5-Axle Van included Local 174 drivers Gary Herrygers, Boeing, 288; Jean Mooney, Safeway, 244; Robert Rautenberg, Safeway, 243; Shane Sanders, Safeway, 242; Jerome Duncan, Safeway, 226; Chris Skidmore, Boeing, 197; Steve Polinsky, UPS Freight, 189; Matthys Basson, Safeway, 184; and Jose Martinez, YRC, 164 — and from Local 690 Dennis Heur, Safeway, 241. Non-award winners in Sleeper were Local 174’s Donavin Brockel, Boeing, 250; and Gurvinder Gill, Safeway, 160. Non-award winners in Tanker were Local 174’s Edwin Jeffries, Safeway, 256; and Matt Bertash, UPS Freight, 168. And there was one non-award winner in Twins, Local 174’s Gary Bolen, YRC, 206. There might have been Teamster winners in the only category not aforementioned — Step Van — but no one entered. Congratulations to all who competed in 2009. And good luck to the 1st place award winners who will be heading for the Nationals — from Local 174 Robert Ness, Jeffery Maas, Chuck Snowdon, Richard Rowe and Dan Poole; and from Local 690 Michael Dickinson.
Washington State Labor Council News:
This month, the WSLC released its 2009 Legislative Report and Voting Record summarizing the outcomes of working families legislation this year and outlining its new strategy for political endorsements and advocacy. "This provocative report illustrates the deep division between the Labor Community and Democratic leadership in our State," said WSLC President Rick Bender. "When progressive candidates tell Union members they support our issues, but then turn their backs on us under pressure from the Business Community, then we must change our course. When it comes to earning Labor's endorsement and political support, it is no longer business as usual." For the first time in its history, not one State Senator earned a 100% WSLC Voting Record, and in the House only 6 of the 147 members earned a perfect score for their votes on WSLC legislative priorities. (See the voting records online.) Click here to read the online version of the 2009 WSLC Legislative Report. Printed copies are being mailed to all WSLC-affiliated Unions, state legislators and print subscribers to WSLC publications. Members of WSLC-affiliated Unions can request a printed copy be mailed to them free of charge. LOCAL 174 IS A WSLC AFFILIATE
Teamsters E-Dispatch:
(July 17, 2009) On July 13th, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa met with President Barack Obama and other Labor leaders at the White House to discuss issues important to Teamsters, including the Employee Free Choice Act, health care, pensions and the economy. “We are working closely with President Obama on issues that are important to Teamsters and all workers,” Hoffa said. “Each of the issues we discussed today is a key to turning around the economy and giving workers hope.” The Employee Free Choice Act will allow workers to gain a voice on the job and improve their standard of living. Hoffa has led the fight against a proposal to tax workers’ health care benefits to help fund health care costs. He supports a robust, quality public plan option that will lower costs and ensure that Americans without coverage can receive it. Hoffa and the other Labor leaders also urged the President to take every step possible to create good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced. Since the beginning of the recession, 6.5 million jobs have been lost. “I agree with President Obama that Unions are a key to the solution to fixing our economic mess,” Hoffa said. “He was elected because Americans believe we need an economy that works for everyone. The Teamsters Union looks forward to working with the President to help make that happen.”
IBT News:
(July 13, 2009) The following commentary by Jim Hoffa was released a few days ago by the IBT and is posted on its official website. It has appeared in many newspapers throughout the U.S. IBT News: POPE SPEAKS ABOUT WORKERS CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADER ISSUES AN ENCYCLICAL WAKE-UP CALL FOR BUSINESS COMMUNITY
“Through the combination of social and economic change, trade union organizations experience greater difficulty in carrying out their task of representing the interests of workers, partly because Governments, for reasons of economic utility, often limit the freedom or the negotiating capacity of labour unions. Hence, traditional networks of solidarity have more and more obstacles to overcome. The repeated calls issued within the Church’s social doctrine … for the promotion of workers’ associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honoured today even more than in the past,” the Pope wrote. In the document, entitled “Charity in Truth,” the Pope also denounced the drive to outsource work to the cheapest bidder, saying that endangers the rights of workers. “American business leaders, no matter their religious beliefs, should take the time to read this document,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “Treating all workers fairly should not be such a lofty goal, but because greed has been allowed to run rampant for so long, it will take time and effort for the business community to learn from their mistakes. “This encyclical states, ‘The economy needs ethics in order to function correctly — not any ethics, but an ethic which is people centered.’ This is just one of the many values the Teamsters Union shares with the Catholic Church, including the Vatican’s longstanding doctrine on caring for the poor,” Hoffa said. “The current economic crisis has laid bare the greed that got us to this point, and the pope’s encyclical gives us a needed wake-up call on how to better the future of working people,” said John Coli, International Vice President and President of Chicago’s Joint Council 25, and also a board member with the Catholic Labor Network (CLN). The Teamsters Union has a long history in joining forces with clergy and religious movements in the name of workers’ rights and justice in the workplace. The CLN, in fact, has two Teamsters on its board: Coli is a board member and Tim Beaty, Teamsters Director of Global Strategies, is the CLN’s vice president.
IBT News:
“The Teamsters Union is a proud supporter of Helmets to Hardhats,” said General President Jim Hoffa at the ceremony. “Our brave men and women who defend our country deserve as much help as we can give them when they return from their tour of duty.” An outstanding example of utilizing this opportunity is Teamsters Local 786 of Chicago, Illinois, which has embraced the Helmets to Hardhats Program, assisting more than 400 Veterans find jobs, many of them with salaries way above their expectations. President Hoffa recognized Local 786’s commitment to assisting Veterans under the leadership of Local 786 President Mike Yauger. President Hoffa appointed Yauger as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters H2H National Coordinator. National Coordinator Yauger is a decorated Veteran himself and understands what these returning heroes are going through as they enter the civilian workforce. Helmets to Hardhats aims to reward the young men and women who comprise our Armed Forces and have honorably served our country with pride and distinction by assisting them in obtaining career opportunities. The taxpayers of our nation have invested billions of dollars in training our Armed Forces. The goal of Helmets to Hardhats is to transition their Military skills and life experiences into meaningful career opportunities. Employers are finding the benefits of hiring a Veteran. Military personnel are highly skilled, dedicated, disciplined team players, drug-free and in very good physical condition. National Coordinator Yauger has put a model Program together based off the success of Chicago’s Helmets to Hardhats Program and is providing the information to Teamsters Joint Councils and Local Unions to launch their own Programs to assist in the transition from Military Service to civilian workforce. H2H DISCUSSION COMING AT JC-28 IN NEAR FUTURE
IBT News:
(July 1, 2009) The Teamsters sent a strong message about U.S. Foodservice at the annual Southwest Foodservice Expo on June 29, highlighting the company’s hypocrisy of claiming ethics and integrity while lobbying against stronger food safety regulations. During the Expo, a 4.5-foot-by-5-foot banner, reading “U.S. Foodservice Serves Misery” and tied to two large balloon bouquets, floated to the ceiling of the Dallas Convention Center, sending the message loud and clear. Robert Aiken, chief executive of U.S. Foodservice, is a director of the International Foodservice Distributors Association, which has publicly opposed the Safe Food Act. It has objected to measures like mandatory recall authority and an expansion of U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspections. It has described expanded regulatory authority as “the greatest danger.” The Teamsters also raised awareness about the plight of thousands of workers across the country who work at U.S. Foodservice. Over the past 10 years, U.S. Foodservice has been cited 128 times by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for health and safety violations in the workplace, and more recently, by Region 28 of the National Labor Relations Board for almost 200 violations of U.S. labor laws. The Teamsters Union represents 4,000 workers at 26 U.S. Foodservice distribution centers. When U.S. Foodservice helps to weaken food safety laws in the United States, consumers will choose to eat at home and the entire industry will suffer. This leads to further demands by U.S. Foodservice and other companies for weaker pay and benefit provisions in Teamster contracts. U.S. Foodservice, based in Rosemont, Ill., is owned by private equity firms Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Clayton Dubilier & Rice Inc. (CD&R), and is one of the largest food distributors in the United States. U.S. Foodservice supplies food to millions around the country, including the U.S. Defense Department and the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department. |
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A longtime pilot and Teamster, Joe Muckle currently serves as president of Teamsters Local 1224. This is President Muckle’s third term on Local 1224’s Executive Board. From 2003-2005 he served as Trustee, and from 2006-2008 he was Secretary-Treasurer. He has also served as a fiduciary for the Pilot Investment Plan, and has been involved in contract negotiations at the National Mediation Board.
In 2004 President Muckle earned his MBA, with a specialty in finance. His business expertise has been indispensable at Local 1224. He has developed in-depth business plans and conducted wage comparisons. As Secretary-Treasurer he greatly reduced Local 1224’s overhead expenses, maintained a large contingency fund, and improved Local 1224’s record keeping and DOL compliance.
Recently President Muckle was appointed to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division’s Board of Advisors, which is tasked with growing and improving the division’s operations.
Prior to becoming an Airborne Express pilot and Teamster in 1995, he was a highly decorated Air Force pilot who served in Desert Storm and several other operational missions. He finished his military career in the New Jersey Air National Guard as an instructor pilot in the KC-135E.
