Local #174 Teamster News Archives
August 2011

 

 

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Good News, Bad News on Seattle Employment Report
Source: The Stranger
Posted: August 31, 2011
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics released July metropolitan employment data today, and the good news is that the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area showed some of the strongest year-over-year gains in the nation, adding about 31,000 non-farm jobs since July of 2010. Yay!

The bad news is that month-to-month, the region actually lost a few thousand jobs between June and July of this year... though these are not seasonally adjusted numbers, so perhaps thats not too meaningful.

Interestingly, while the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area is home to about 43 percent of Washington's civilian workforce, it accounted for 80 percent of the new jobs added statewide over the past 12 months. So as slow as the economy may be around here, it's downright bustling compared to most of the rest of the state.

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Teamsters Women’s Conference Concludes with Call to Action
Source: Teamster.org
Teamster Women's conferencePosted: August 29, 2011
The third and final day of the 2011 Teamsters Women’s Conference appropriately focused on standing up for our communities, as Hurricane Irene battered the East Coast this morning. View more photos from the event . 

After a busy morning of workshops, the general session opened this afternoon with a panel of Teamster members who discussed the various ways Teamsters are giving back to their communities, including everything from painting houses for the needy in Florida to leading tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Mo.

The audience of Teamsters also learned about the First Observer program that trains Teamsters to stay vigilant of potential terrorist attacks. Teamsters are uniquely placed around critical infrastructure in the country and have the opportunity to observe, assess, report, and save lives.

While Teamsters are donating time and money to their communities, helping areas affected by natural disasters, and helping fight terrorism, they are continuing the fight that is the central focus of this conference.

Tracey Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 117 in Washington State, spoke to great applause about the need for Teamsters to fight the war on workers, a war that will leave great damage in its wake if it is not won.

“We cannot sit back and hope things will get better. We cannot wait for someone else to take the lead. I feel a huge sense of urgency about the war on workers. If we do nothing, there will be no middle class. Doing nothing is not an option,” Thompson said. “It is up to us to fight to protect working families. It’s what Teamsters do.”

The 2012 Teamsters Women’s Conference will be held in San Francisco.

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Teamsters General President Hoffa Addresses Women’s Conference
Source: Teamster.org
Pres. Hoffa address Teamster Women's ConferencePosted: August 29, 2011
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa addressed the hundreds of Teamster women gathered in New York City Saturday for the second day of the 2011 Teamsters Women’s Conference. As New York braces for the impact of Hurricane Irene, Hoffa called on Teamster women to stand up to another powerful force—anti-worker politicians and their corporate funders who are waging war on workers.

“Teamsters know how to fight, how to organize and how to win. We’re facing a war on workers, but Teamster women are going to take back America for the middle class. I’m calling on each and every one of you to get involved,” Hoffa said.

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY, 11) commended the Teamster women on the important role they play in standing up for workers’ rights.

“I recognize now more than ever the importance and necessity of unions in today’s political discourse. You are the women who move a nation. You are the now and the future of organized labor,” Clarke said. .

While Teamster women work under gender-blind contracts, many women still struggle for equality in non-union workplaces.

“When a working woman is able to do her job and receive appropriate compensation, it’s not just the woman that’s empowered, it’s the family that does well,” said Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller. “It is in the interest of working men that working women are treated with dignity and respect.”

Organizing for Power
Equality in the workplace is achieved through organizing for power.

“We’re building a movement, empowering workers and lifting up the middle class,” said Jeff Farmer, Director of the International Union Organizing Department.

Farmer presented an update on current Teamster organizing campaigns, including the campaign to bring Teamster representation to the nearly 20,000 correctional, probation and parole officers with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC). The FDOC is the third largest prison system in the country.

Penny Reeder, a correctional officer, and Kimberly Schultz, a probation and parole officer, were warmly welcomed to the podium by the Teamster audience.

“I work hard every day and put my life on the line. We need real representation. We’re waiting now on our vote date so we can be Teamsters,” Reeder said.

“I’ve been working for the FDOC for 16 years and have seen everything taken from us without even a fight from our association. When we had the chance to join the Teamsters, I immediately called. We need the Teamsters,” Schultz said.

Cindy Garlinghouse, Vice President of Local 445 in New York, told the crowd about the recently ratified Teamsters’ national agreement at First Student, the nation’s largest school bus services provider. This historic agreement is driving up standards for tens of thousands of school bus workers.

Teamsters are now working to organize school bus workers at Durham School Services, the second largest school bus provider.

Cheryl Orzech, a Durham School Services driver, spoke about being terminated from the company as she actively worked to form a union with the Teamsters at her location.

“I will not go away. I will continue to fight wherever workers’ rights are being violated,” Orzech said.

For her work as a dedicated member organizer and activist, the annual Teamsters Women’s Conference Achievement Award was presented to Lori Polesel, a member of Local 445 and a driver at First Student.

“This one’s for the workers,” Polesel said.

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Teamster Women Fight the War on Workers
Source: Teamster.org
Posted August 27, 2011
Teamster women from throughout North America gathered in New York City Friday to kick off the 2011 Teamsters Women’s Conference. The three-day event features an impressive lineup of speakers, workshops and an action in support of Teamster brothers and sisters in the Big Apple.

Hurricane Irene was no match for the force of Teamster women who took to New York. They came ready to stand up for workers’ rights at their 11th annual conference which is themed, “Teamster Women: Fighting the War on Workers.”

“Winning the war on workers is about fighting back. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in Wisconsin in what can only be called an uprising of workers. Teamster brothers and sisters, we need to come together and work harder than ever before to fight this war on workers,” said Sue Mauren, Director of the Teamsters Women’s Conference, President of Joint Council 32 and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 320 in Minneapolis.

The attendees received a warm welcome to New York, a city with a proud labor history, from Daniel Kane Sr., International Vice President, and George Miranda, International Vice President, President of Joint Council 16 and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 210 in New York.

Christy Bailey, Director of the Teamsters Political and Field Action Department, urged Teamsters to turn out the vote for pro-worker candidates in 2012. This was an appropriate call to action on the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. On August 26, 1920, women won the right to vote.  

“The only way we’re going to stop this war on workers is to take back some of these state legislatures and governors’ seats,” Bailey said. “In 2012, we need to turn out like never before, get Teamsters registered to vote and contribute to DRIVE to support the politicians that support working people.”

Dr. Elaine Bernard, Executive Director of the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School, explained the current economic climate and the buildup of the war on workers.

“Going after public employees is a way of attacking the labor movement. The key groups, like teachers and local government workers, are the most densely organized sectors, which is why they are under attack by anti-union forces,” Bernard said.

Teamsters rallied this afternoon in support of Teamster brothers and sisters fighting the war against workers at Sotheby’s. 

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Teamsters: Sotheby's Is Bad For Art
Source: Teamster.org
Posted August 26, 2011
Hundreds of Teamster members and supporters protested outside Sotheby's Manhattan showroom to educate the company’s clients about the lockout of its art handlers today. Protesters held banners and signs that read, “Sotheby’s: Bad for Art” and “Sotheby’s: Stop the War on Art Workers,” while distributing leaflets.

After the most profitable year in the history of the company, auction house Sotheby’s locked out its longtime, dedicated employees on Aug. 1 while in the middle of contract negotiations. Those employees handle artwork and antiques valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. The company replaced its longtime, dedicated union employees with unskilled replacement workers.

“Sotheby's hired Jackson Lewis, one of America's most notoriously union-hostile law firm, to sabotage our contract talks. Jackson Lewis specializes in helping New York employers destroy permanent, professional jobs by bringing in a temporary workforce with high turnover,” said Jason Ide, President of Teamsters Local 814, which represents the 43 locked-out workers. “New York can’t afford to lose more good jobs, and art patrons need to know that outsourced art handlers at Sotheby’s aren’t destroying their treasures.”

“Sotheby’s has joined the growing ranks of companies that abuse their workers despite making hundreds of millions in profit. The Teamsters will always stand up for working people, and we are here to tell Sotheby’s that when they act like a corporate bully, we will fight back,” said Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa.

“New Yorkers need to know that these Sotheby’s workers—these experienced and dedicated art handlers who are responsible for protecting priceless works of art—are being treated unfairly,” said George Miranda, Teamsters International Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 16 in New York. “Replacing experienced art handlers with outsourced workers is a bad way to handle New York’s fine art.”

When Sotheby's experienced the most profitable quarter in its 267-year history, it rewarded its top management royally. Sotheby's CEO Bill Ruprecht’s salary almost doubled in 2010 to $6 million. In several bargaining sessions since the Aug. 1 lockout, there has been little movement from the company to settle the contract.

“We are responsible for shipping, receiving, unpacking, assembling, and installing exhibitions of artwork and antiques valued in the millions of dollars,” said Julian Tysch, a locked-out Sotheby's art handler. “With profits over $100 million in the last quarter alone, I don’t understand why Sotheby’s would make such a bad decision to outsource this sensitive work and kick us to the curb for no reason.”

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Washington state ranks No. 1 in creating new businesses
Source: The Stand
Posted August 26, 2011
With the addition of more than 8,300 business establishments in 2010, Washington state now ranks No. 1 in the nation in business creation, according to a new state-by-state analysis based on Bureau of Labor Statistics employment and wage information. Rounding out the top five were Massachusetts, Texas, New York and Illinois. As the Los Angeles Times lamented on Wednesday, California ranks last, having lost 4,600 businesses in 2010.

Conducted by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI), a nationally recognized consulting firm based in Idaho, the study ranks each state based on its net creation of business “establishments,” defined as a single physical location of some type of economic activity (a single company may have multiple establishments). The study has been cited by business lobbyists in other states in an effort to promote business-friendly state legislation and policies.

As noted here in The Stand, contrary to the negative internal rhetoric about Washington’s business climate, national studies and rankings consistently rate Washington as one of the very best states to do business. For example, the Virginia-based Small Business & Entrepreneurial Council ranks Washington as having the 5th most business-friendly tax system and the Kauffman Foundation ranks Washington 2nd in the nation for having the business climate needed to “harness the power of entrepreneurship.”
Read the source story here.

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UPS Freight Clerks At Five Terminals Join Teamsters
Source: Teamster.org
Posted: August 24, 2011
Majorities of clerical workers at five UPS Freight terminals across the country have signed authorization cards to join the Teamsters, International Vice President and Package Division Director Ken Hall announced today.

The majorities in these terminals were certified by an independent arbitrator less than two months after Hall’s announcement at the 28th International Convention that the Teamsters were victorious in winning a card-check agreement at UPS Freight covering nearly 1,000 operations clerks.

“The UPS Freight clerks are eager for a strong contract that only Teamster representation can provide, and I’m pleased to welcome our newest Teamsters,” Hall said.

Majorities of clerks at Stoneham, Mass., signed cards to join Teamsters Local 25; Farmingdale, N.Y. clerks have joined Local 707; Rialto and Fontana, Calif., clerks have become members of Local 63 and Indianapolis clerks have joined Local 135. Also, clerks are being signed up at more than 80 other terminals.

The clerks are both full-time and part-time workers whose jobs it is to see to it that freight dispatch, billings and operations run smoothly at UPS Freight terminals. They work side by side with Teamster drivers and dockworkers, and saw firsthand the strength that comes with joining the Teamsters Union as former Overnite workers.

The Teamsters Union organized more than 12,000 drivers and dockworkers at UPS Freight, also under a card-check agreement.

“There are some very excited clerks in Indianapolis who have been interested in joining the union since 2006, when the UPS Freight organizing drive began here,” said Brian Buhle, International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 135.

The clerical workers in Long Island who signed cards and are now represented by the Teamsters are eager for more workers to sign cards, so we can get down to the business of negotiating a contract for them,” said. Kevin McCaffrey, President of Teamsters Local 707 in New York.

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Teamsters File Objections To CAL-UAL Fleet Service Elections
Source: Teamster.org
Posted: August 24, 2011
The Teamsters have filed objections to the recent Continental-United fleet service elections with the National Mediation Board, Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa announced today.

The objections come on the heels of a vote count between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) over representation of the fleet service work group at the newly merged United and Continental Airlines.

“These objections raise serious and substantive issues about the fairness of the election.” Hoffa said. “Real questions have been raised about the integrity of the voting process by the events that took place. Fleet service workers at the new United deserve a fair, clean voting process.”

The Teamsters allege abusive and illegal conduct by the IAM, including the allegation that the IAM improperly used deceptive practices to hide a hyperlink in its communications that enabled the association to track who voted and when. In addition, the Teamsters assert that the IAM ran an election based on goon squad tactics, harassment and intimidation.

“These allegations took place within the context of a very close election. If the IAM had received 11 fewer votes, the NMB would have required the election to be re-run,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division.

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Medical coverage a contract sticking point for
Fred Meyer warehouse workers
Source: KING 5
Posted: August 23, 2011


For 12 years Tommy Eidson has worked at the Fred Meyer Distribution Center.

"I paid my dues with this company," he said.

On Sunday he was spending his day off getting the word out.

"The company is taking a stand to tell us we cannot have Teamster medical," he said. "We're actually far below industry standard. We just want what everybody else has."

He says he wants affordable healthcare, it's what his family deserves.

"What kind of father or husband would I be for that matter if I didn't fight for what my family needed," he said.

Of his three children, 10-year-old Hunter needs the most care - he's autistic.

"I shouldn't have to pick between paying my water bill to have my child be seen," said Eidson.

But Eidson and nearly 300 other Fred Meyer distribution workers say that's exactly what's happening. It's the biggest sticking point in contract negotiations underway right now.

"Me personally I've kind of avoided some of the costs by not going to the doctor when I should," said Nancy Santos, a 21-year veteran of the company.

But Fred Meyer says "Our associates receive high quality, affordable health coverage through a company sponsored plan. Cost for full family coverage is $124 a month. The national average is $304 a month."
Read the complete source story here.

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First Student Drivers Overwhelmingly Choose Teamsters
Source: Teamster.org
Posted: August 23, 2011
Charter bus drivers with First Student, Inc. in Tacoma, Wash. voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 313 in Tacoma on Friday. The workers are seeking affordable and decent health insurance, fair pay and an end to favoritism on the job. There are 63 workers in the bargaining unit.

“I support forming a union with the Teamsters because we all need a living wage,” said Virginia Mentsell, a driver at First Student. “A Teamster contract will help us secure that and much more.” 

For driver Tom Caudle, joining the Teamsters was about gaining dignity and respect on the job site. 

“Prior to becoming Teamsters, we were being taken advantage of. Now that we are Teamsters, we will get the respect we deserve through a strong Teamster contract,” Caudle said. 

The organizing committee of workers worked hard together throughout the campaign, rallying support behind their successful effort to gain Teamster representation. 

“I’m very proud of these workers for sticking together and proving that there really is power in numbers,” said John Emrick, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 313. “I welcome them to the Teamster family and look forward to working with them in the future.”

The victory is the latest in an effort to organize private school bus and transit workers across the country. Drive Up Standards is a national campaign to improve safety, service and work standards in the private school bus and transit industry. Since the campaign began in 2006, more than 30,900 drivers, monitors, aides, attendants and mechanics have become Teamsters.

For more information on the Drive Up Standards campaign, go to: http://www.schoolbusworkersunited.org/

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Teamsters Strongly Support NLRB Proposed Election Changes
Source: Teamster.org
Posted: August 23, 2011
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today told the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that the Union and its affiliates strongly support changes to the rules governing representation elections.

The NLRB is currently amending those rules to update and streamline the election process. The Board conducts more representation elections involving Teamsters’ affiliates than for any other International Union.

As part of the rulemaking process, Hoffa submitted formal comments to the NLRB today on behalf of the IBT and its 500 Joint Councils and Local Unions.

“Our affiliates’ experience with the current election procedures is that they are unfair, confusing, outdated and susceptible to abuse by unscrupulous employers seeking to prevent their workers from exercising their right to organize by obstructing and delaying the process,” Hoffa wrote. “The proposed changes will streamline the election process, reduce uncertainty and promote fairness.”

Hoffa commended the NLRB for proposing the changes, noting that employers consistently and aggressively delay elections to discourage workers from forming unions.

“The proposed changes will be a first step toward accomplishing what workers deserve: a fair and efficient process for them to decide whether to form a union,” Hoffa wrote. “In this regard, it is the workers’ fundamental right to organize that is enshrined in the statute, not the employers’ right to obstruct workers’ rights.”

The NLRB proposes changing election procedures so Regional Directors will have the discretion to deny review of post-election rulings. They would also defer eligibility issues until after the election if they involve less than a fifth of the workers in the bargaining unit. And, among other things, the changes would take the uncertainty of scheduling a date for a representation election.

“These are modest, commonsense changes that preserve due process and strengthen the secret ballot process,” concluded Hoffa. “They update elections methods so they are compatible with today’s technology. And they eliminate the uncertainty that costs so much in time, money and productivity.”

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Teamsters to bring ME labor mural copy to MD
Source: Teamster Nation
Posted August 22, 2011
Remember when Maine's wingnut Gov. Paul LePage decided to remove a labor mural from the state Department of Labor because it "sent the wrong message?"

Working men and women all over the country viewed LePage's action as highly insulting.

[...] Well, now we learn Teamsters from Local 340 in So. Portland will haul a copy of the mural to a Maryland exhibition of labor murals, which will start on Aug. 30.

Reports Maine Public Broadcasting:

"It was a sad day when our governor, Paul LePage, removed these murals because they weren't syncing with his 'pro-business' vision," says Local 340 President Ken Eaton, in a statement. "When the opportunity arose for us to transport the murals to the art exhibition space in Maryland, we immediately signed on."

The $60,000 work, by artist Judy Taylor, was commissioned by the Department of Labor and hung in 2008. It is currently being stored in an undisclosed location.

Eaton says on Monday, the union will take the copy of the Maine mural to Maryland, where it will be shown in an exhibit featuring other works by Taylor.

Read the complete source story here.

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Over 200 rally for good jobs at Rep. Reichert's Mercer Island office
Source: Seattle Examiner
Posted August 20, 2011
Reichert Protest, photo from the Seattle ExaminerA crowd of over 200 packed the sidewalk in front of Representative Dave Reichert’s (R, WA8) office in Mercer Island on Thursday. The demonstration, organized by Working Washington with Fuse Washington, Moveon.org and SEIU and other Progressive groups, called attention to Rep. Reichert’s lack of action in working to create new jobs for Washington and for the country. Demonstrators were calling for Reichert to stop listening only to the wealthy and corporations and help create jobs for working class people.

During the rally constituents of the 8th District attempted to talk with Reichert or members of his staff but were denied entry. 

“I just went up to Representative Reichert's office…calmly asking to speak to someone in the office about our concerns. We were told that was not a possibility. I am a resident of Mercer Island, I am a constituent of Representative Reichert,” said Martha Sharp speaking to the crowd, “and yet...they would not even open the door to hear what our concerns were.”
Read the complete source story here

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Frontier Restructuring Unaffected By Teamster Lawsuit
Source: Teamster.org
Posted August 20, 2011
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the certified union representative of the pilots of Republic Airlines and Frontier Airlines, today disputed a claim by Republic and Frontier Airlines’ advisor Michael Cox that a lawsuit filed by the union earlier this month has placed the financing the company is seeking in jeopardy.

Earlier in August, the union filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver against Frontier Airlines Inc., its parent company, Republic Airways Holdings Inc. and a shell company set up by the rejected former union of Frontier.

The lawsuit alleged that Frontier, Republic Airways Holdings and the former union of Frontier pilots, the Frontier Airline Pilots Association (FAPA), which recently lost a union representation election to the IBT, entered into unlawful concessionary agreements intended to interfere with the Republic subsidiaries' pilots' choice of IBT to be their collective bargaining representative, and to perpetuate FAPA's continued representation of Frontier pilots. The lawsuit seeks to invalidate the agreements.

Teamsters’ economist James Kimball, in a sworn affidavit, disputed the claim by the airlines’ consultant that their restructuring plan was now in jeopardy. In fact, the company’s own filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) contradicted that claim.

“This opinion is inconsistent with the company’s Aug. 2, 1011 SEC Form 8K report and its Aug. 9, 2011 SEC 10Q quarterly report, the company’s most recent SEC filings,” Kimball said. “Straight-forward mathematics shows that the company’s Frontier-restructuring initiative can proceed without the LOA 67 concessions, assuming the accuracy of the Cox Declaration’s representations that other concessionary agreements by Frontier vendor or employee groups require that the company achieve 80 percent of its $120 million goal of annual savings, i.e. $96 million.

“There are no specific facts or documentation of any kind offered or referenced to support any of these representations or opinions in the Cox Declaration The company's Aug. 9, 2011 10Q nowhere mentions that there would be a material adverse impact upon the company's ability to raise additional liquidity or that the Frontier restructuring plan would be placed in jeopardy if IBT succeeded in this litigation. The company does estimate in the 10Q the anticipated material adverse impact upon the company if the IBT is successful in the litigation. It states only that if IBT is successful in the lawsuit, Frontier would lose approximately $9 million to $10 million in cost savings per year over each of the next five years,” Kimball stated.

This reflects less than 10 percent of the value of its restructuring plan and less than a $2 per barrel annual change in the price of oil to the company.

“It’s outrageous that the company would make false claims about the financial path of the company to gain a perceived procedural advantage in a lawsuit, said David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division

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Fred Meyer Solidarity Action Aug. 20th & 21st
Source: The Stand
Posted August 18, 2011
UPDATE — Solidarity Actions on Saturday and Sunday! — On SATURDAY, Aug. 20 at 9 a.m., Fred Meyer Worker Solidarity Actions will be held at the Teamsters Building in Tukwila, 14675 Interurban Ave. S., AND at the Teamsters Building in Tacoma, 220 S. 27th St., AND at Teamsters Local 38 in Everett, 2601 Everett Ave.  On SUNDAY, Aug. 21 at 9 a.m., a Fred Meyer Worker Solidarity Action will be at the Teamsters Building in Tacoma, 220 S. 27th St. For more info, contact Brenda Wiest at 206-441-4860 ext. 1256
Read the complete source story here.

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Teamsters stand with Verizon workers
Source: Teamster Nation
Posted August 18, 2011
Teamsters all over the country are answering General President Hoffa's call to walk the picket lines in solidarity with striking CWA workers at Verizon. (But remember to tell CWA if you start your own picket line.) Teamsters from Local 728 in Atlanta, along with Jobs with Justice and CWA, are making a strong showing outside of a Verizon store in Atlanta. (We'll post the video when we can figure out how to de-bug it.)

Boston Teamsters support Verizon workersTeamsters from Local 25 in Boston are standing strong with Verizon workers, as you can see from the photo at right.

UPS workers are refusing to cross Verizon workers' picket lines. Here's Axis of Logic reporting on the great support CWA members are getting:
Operating Engineers, crane operators, and other construction and building-service workers in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are refusing to cross picket lines. Teamsters at UPS have refused to deliver to Verizon offices, denying the company wireless and fiber-optic equipment. Even some non-union workers are refusing to cross. Dozens of unions, from nurses to janitors to teachers, have bolstered picket lines in support.
Busy UPS drivers are double-parking their trucks next to the vans operated by scabs and managers, boosting efforts by CWA and IBEW members to delay and deny scabs’ access to the work.

To walk a picket line, you can find the nearest one here. You can also adopt your own Verizon store to picket here.

CWA also suggests ways you can help out through Facebook, Twitter and an online petition. Click here to find out more.

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Bargaining Stalls As Fred Meyer Fails To Address health Care Concerns
Source: Teamster.org
Posted August 18, 2011
(Tukwila, WA) – Contract talks between Teamster grocery warehouse workers and Fred Meyer broke off yesterday when the company refused to address its employees' concerns over the rising cost of health care. An extension agreement between Teamsters Local 117 and Fred Meyer expired at midnight on August 15. The Union has proposed that the parties engage the assistance of a federal mediator, but no further talks are currently scheduled.

Grocery warehouse workers and their allies will be raising awareness statewide about the growing disparity in the amount that employees at the Fred Meyer distribution center in Puyallup pay toward their medical coverage as compared with other workers in the industry.

"The general public needs to know that Fred Meyer is putting an undue burden of medical costs on the backs of its workers and their families," said Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson. "When corporations like Kroger, the owner of Fred Meyer, make hundreds of millions of dollars in profit off the backs of their workers, those corporations have an obligation to ensure that those workers have the best family medical coverage available," she said.

During the term of the expired labor agreement, employees' premium share, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums more than doubled.

Safeway, SuperValu, and Unified Grocers settled their contracts in early August, leaving Fred Meyer as the only Teamster grocery warehouse in the area that has not reached an agreement with the Union. Since bargaining got underway on June 8, the Union and Fred Meyer have met six times. On August 6 and 7, Fred Meyer employees voted in overwhelming numbers to authorize a strike. The contract at Fred Meyer's distribution center in Puyallup covers 362 employees. The facility serves approximately 140 stores in Washington, Alaska and Idaho, and more stores in the Western Region.

Workers in the grocery warehouse industry perform physically demanding work under a tight production standard. They work in ambient, refrigerated and freezer warehouse environments, manually lifting and moving heavy cases and operating forklifts and pallet jacks to receive, load and stock grocery products.

Fred Meyer is a subsidiary of Kroger, Inc., a company based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kroger reported over $75 billion in revenue in 2010. In the first quarter of 2011, Kroger's profits were $432.3 million, an increase of 16%. Teamsters Local 117 represents approximately 16,000 members, with over 1,000 members employed in the grocery warehouse industry.

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Teamsters, Sierra Club: FMCSA Fails To Protect Environment From Mexican Trucks
Source: Teamster.org
Posted August 15, 2011
In comments submitted to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Sierra Club raised serious concerns with the failure of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to adequately assess the environmental impacts associated with the proposed U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking pilot program.

On July 12, the FMCSA released its Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) of the cross-border trucking program. The narrow view of the scope was limited to the environmental impact associated with border inspections, ignoring the wider and more serious impact Mexican trucks will have on the environment.

“With this assessment, the FMSCA is recklessly ignoring the true environmental impact Mexican trucks will have if permitted to travel without restrictions throughout our country,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “We contend that the FMSCA has violated the National Environmental Policy Act by not addressing the full, cumulative effects on our environment prior to starting the cross-border pilot program.”

In the comments, the Teamsters Union and the Sierra Club cite the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for agencies to provide environmental information to public officials and citizens on the environmental impact of any new program or initiative prior to moving forward. Since the FMCSA announced its intent to proceed with the cross-border pilot program on July 8, it clearly violated the requirements as outlined in NEPA.

The Teamsters and the Sierra Club also questioned why the FMCSA did not require Mexican carriers to certify that Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) was used in all their vehicles that will operate within our borders, and in turn require Mexico to have ULSD widely available on its highways. The scarcity of ULSD in Mexico is also another major issue that needs to be resolved before U.S. trucks that utilize the low-emission fuel exclusively can travel throughout the country.
Read the source story here.

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Teamsters, Omni Air Pilots Announce Tentative Agreement With Company
Posted: August 13, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
Today, negotiators of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division and the Executive Council of Omni Air, Teamsters Local 1224, announced the conclusion of a tentative agreement with Omni management.

The agreement, which is the first contract for the pilots, was reached after years of negotiations and includes substantial pay and benefit increases for the pilots and scope provisions to protect jobs and quality of life.

Omni operates a fleet that includes Boeing 757, 767 and 777 aircraft, providing ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) services in addition to cargo and troop airlift for the U.S. military under a contract with AMC (Air Mobility Command).

“We’re pleased to have concluded this first tentative agreement for the Omni pilots,” said Airline Division International Representative Captain Scott Hegland. “In addition to some very solid scope protection language, the crewmembers will see an aggregate 34 percent pay increase and work rules that will improve their quality of life.”
Read complete source story here.

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Teamsters, BMW Agree To Contract Extension
Posted August 11, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
An agreement has been reached between Teamsters Local 495 leadership and BMW to extend the current contract for six months at BMW’s parts distribution facility. BMW management also committed to work with the Teamsters during this period to reach a mutually acceptable solution that addresses long-term employment for the current BMW workforce in Ontario, Calif.

Teamsters Local 495 represents 68 workers at the Ontario parts distribution facility. BMW had planned to fire all its Ontario workers at the end of August, and immediately re-open the facility with an outsourced, low-paid managerial, clerical and warehouse work force.

“This agreement shows what Teamsters can do when we stand together and fight back,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “Teamsters across the country, and unions that represent BMW and supply-chain workers across the globe, took part in numerous solidarity actions this summer in support of these workers. I am hopeful that the contract extension signals a new path for BMW and the Teamsters.”

“Many of these employees have worked at BMW for decades,” said Bob Lennox, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 495. “They were facing foreclosures on their homes and loss of their health insurance at a time of record unemployment in Southern California. BMW had hired union-hostile law firm Jackson Lewis to outsource these jobs, but I am confident that BMW will honor its promises to find a solution to keep their longtime, dedicated workforce and ensure that these jobs remain good, middle-class jobs.”

The German automobile giant Bavarian Motor Works AG is America’s most popular automaker for luxury-class autos. BMW had the highest earnings ever in its 95-year history last quarter. It had global sales of almost $81 billion in 2010, or about $848,000 per employee, ranking it number 82 on Fortune’s Global 500 list. BMW also received over $3.6 billion in secret low-interest loans during the 2008-2009 U.S. taxpayer bailout.

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TNBC Members Get Spirit Of Detroit Award
Posted: August 11, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
TNBCMembers of the Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) were recognized for turning dreams into reality Thursday, when they were presented with the Spirit of Detroit Award by Detroit City Council Member Brenda Jones.

The award is given to persons or groups who show commitment and service to the citizens of Detroit. The 36th Annual TNBC Conference is currently going on in Detroit, a city with strong civil rights and labor history.

"The spirit is in your heart. It's not about that statue, it's about what's inside," Jones said. "You are displaying that spirit by being here today, by turning dreams into reality."

Jones is a card-carrying union member who has fought on behalf of working people her entire life. In a passionate address, Jones encouraged TNBC members to stay united, educate young people and continue fighting for middle-class families.

"I fight for working people every day of my life. I fight for labor because I am labor," Jones said. "We all need to fight because we are all in this together."

The second day of the conference also marked Women's Day, which recognizes women for their work and contributions to the labor movement. TNBC members will attend a lunch dedicated to the late Clara Day and Eula May Cleveland. Both women helped build the Teamsters Union.

"None of us would be where we are today without contributions from the great women in our lives," said Antonio Christian, Executive Director of the TNBC and Chairman of the Teamsters Human Rights Commission. "Today, we recognize that work and thank women for their contributions to the labor movement."

The conference will continue through Saturday. While in Detroit, TNBC members will have the opportunity to explore more of the city's labor and civil rights history.

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Teamsters National Black Caucus Members
Draw On History At 36th Annual Conference
Posted August 10, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
TNBC SignsMore than 400 members of the Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) rolled into the Motor City for the 36th Annual TNBC Conference today. Members and leadership drew on the city's unique history to focus on turning dreams into reality.

Part of that history belongs to Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa, who calls Detroit his hometown. Hoffa opened the conference by emphasizing the importance of unions in America today, especially for black and minority workers.

"It's no surprise that these are hard times for everyone. But we all know that our black brothers and sisters face great difficulty. They are the first to be fired and the last to be hired," Hoffa said. "That's why this union is so important. A Teamster contract ensures all workers have the dignity, the respect and the job security they deserve."

Detroit's rich and vibrant history was further memorialized when Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) addressed the conference.

A personal friend of both Martin Luther King Jr. and former Teamsters General President James R. Hoffa, Conyers has been an influential figure in both local and national politics. He personally witnessed the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and reminded TNBC members that the corporate-backed war on workers is not much different.

"You must understand that the struggle goes on. It just has taken a different form," Conyers said. "We stand in the shadows of great accomplishments in the civil rights movement, in the labor movement, and in the struggle for justice everywhere."

Conyers called on TNBC members to continue pursuing King's dream, as did TNBC President and International Vice President Albert R. Mixon.

"There is an attack on workers, but we can't let that get us down. We need to be proud to be Teamsters," Mixon said. "We need to be proud to be black Teamsters because a collective bargaining agreement is the greatest equalizer in this country today."

The conference will continue through Saturday. While in Detroit, TNBC members will have the opportunity to explore more of the city's labor and civil rights history.

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Southern California Stewards Learn Arbitration Skills
Posted August 10, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters Local 572 Secretary Treasurer and International Vice President, Rick Middleton, held a two-day Steward’s Seminar at the local hall on July 23-24, 2011.

Approximately 100 stewards participated in the “mock arbitration hearing” that was developed by the IBT Training and Development Department. Stewards were given the chance to witness first hand the process and rules used in arbitration. Martin Costello, legal counsel for the Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer’s office, acted as the “arbitrator” for the training.

“Once stewards go through the mock hearing they have a deeper appreciation of the technicalities and specifics of contract enforcement,” said Dennis Watson, President of Local 572.

Comments from the participants reveal a high level of praise for the seminar. “This program highlighted the importance of gathering facts, developing a theory of each case, being clear about your reasoning, and the merit of the grievance itself,” said Dan Crawford from the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Christina Nickerson agreed. “It showed me the reality of arbitration and the importance of trying to handle situations in house before having to go through arbitration,” she said.

After participating in the program one steward wrote, “I’m proud to be a member of Local 572!”

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Teamsters Protest BMW's Greed At East Coast 'Bimmerfest'
Posted August 8, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
Teamster members and supporters protested BMW’s plans to fire nearly 100 workers at its Ontario, Calif. distribution center at “Bimmerfest,” the annual BMW-enthusiast event on Saturday.

Teamsters distributed thousands of leaflets, wore t-shirts and held banners that read, “BMW: The Ultimate Misery.” An airplane overhead flew a banner that read, www.BMWUltimateMisery.com .

Bimmerfest is an event for and by BMW enthusiasts, where thousands of proud owners of vintage and late model BMWs display their cars. Many of them were dismayed to hear about BMW’s decision. They expressed concerns about lengthy delays that could result from bringing in low-wage outsourced workers to do the job of long-time members of the BMW family.

“It’s shameful how they are treating their employees, many of whom have worked at the facility for 10, 20, 30 years. BMW would never treat their workers in Germany this way,” said Bob Lennox, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 495 in Covina, Calif.

Local 495 represents 68 workers at the Ontario parts distribution facility. After firing workers, BMW wants to immediately re-open the facility with an inexperienced, low-paid managerial, clerical and warehouse work force.

BMW hired the union-hostile law firm, Jackson Lewis, to help it make a mockery of U.S. plant closing laws and swap good, family-supporting jobs for dead-end jobs. These longtime BMW employees will be thrown onto the already full unemployment lines, leaving them and their families without health care.

Each weekend, Teamster members and their families have also been protesting BMW’s greed outside BMW dealerships across the United States. The protesters are distributing leaflets to inform BMW customers about the company’s treatment of its American workers and communities.

Photos of this weekend’s protest can be seen here.

The German automobile giant Bavarian Motor Works AG is America’s most popular automaker for luxury-class autos. BMW had the highest earnings ever in its 95-year history last quarter. It had global sales of almost $81 billion in 2010, or about $848,000 per employee, ranking it number 82 on Fortune’s Global 500 Companies. BMW also received over $3.6 billion in secret low-interest loans during the 2008-2009 U.S. taxpayer bailout.

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Houston Teamsters Push For FAA Reauthorization
Posted: August 6, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters Local Union 988 president Robert Mele participated in a press conference about the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) shutdown yesterday at Houston’s international airport that featured Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX). Mele was joined by Teamster members in the Houston area, including employees of CAL-UAL.

“I urged lawmakers to go back to Washington and vote to fund the FAA bill,” Mele said. “We need elected officials who believe in the rights of union members and work for the greater good of working families. Representative Lee has the Teamsters support because she works hard to support the labor movement. I wish there were more politicians like her in Washington.”

The partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration had left 74,000 federal employees and construction workers in limbo, according to the Associated Press.

Airport construction project across the country had been placed on hold due to the shutdown. Specific to the Houston airport, a $1 million radio upgrade and a $43 million construction project for a traffic control facility which were on hold should now get back on track.

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Teamster Carhaul Members Ratify National Agreement
Posted: August 5, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
Teamster carhaulers have ratified a new National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement (NMATA), which addresses members’ top priorities of health and pension benefits. Three regional supplemental agreements were also ratified.

Ballots were counted today in Cheverly, Maryland before an independent observer. The agreement was ratified by a 72 to 28 percent margin. The agreement is retroactive to June 1, and runs 51 months, until Aug. 31, 2015. The union successfully negotiated a slightly longer-than-usual agreement so that the contract expiration will secure certain benefit provisions and get the next negotiating committee past the slower summer months of auto production. The agreement covers about 4,500 active workers in the United States.

“This contract reverses some of the difficult sacrifices our members have made and we are hopeful the industry continues to turn around,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa, chairman of the Teamsters National Automobile Transporters Industry Negotiating Committee (TNATINC). “In addition to protecting members’ health care and retirement, the agreement provides for annual wage increases and a cost-of-living adjustment.”

The agreement calls for annual wage increases totaling $1.35 per hour over the term of the agreement in addition to mileage-rate increases. The agreement also includes a cost-of-living adjustment of up to 10 cents per hour each year if inflation exceeds 3 percent. This is the first national carhaul contract since the mid-1990s where the union won wage increases in each year of the contract.

“Our carhaul members clearly recognized that this agreement maintains their health and pension benefits, which were two top priorities,” said Fred Zuckerman, Director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division and co-chairman of TNATINC. “Going into negotiations, we were determined to protect our members’ existing health care and retirement benefits and this agreement reflects that.”

The agreement was unanimously endorsed by leaders of carhaul local unions and the TNATINC.

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Teamsters Picket Outside Sotheby’s Auction House
Posted: August 5, 2011
Source: CBS New York
Members of Teamsters Local 814 picketed outside the company’s Manhattan headquarters on Monday after Sotheby’s notified its 43 art handlers on Friday they couldn’t return to work and hired temporary workers to replace them.

The contract expired at the end of June. Sotheby’s said in a statement it has been negotiating in good faith since May.

The union says the company wants to offer buyouts and replace some of the unionized art handlers with nonunion labor.

The two sides are set to meet next week.

Sotheby’s upcoming big auctions include a contemporary art sale on Sept. 22. In 2010, its sales increased by 74 percent.
Read the complete source story here

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Kucinich draws cheers at state labor-Council convention
Posted: August 5, 2011
Source: The Seattle Times
Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich's flirtation with running for office in Washington has been met with open hostility on the part of state Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz.

But don't tell that to one of the party's key constituencies: unions.

Kucinich returned to the state again this week at the invitation of the Washington State Labor Council, which gave him two prime speaking slots at its annual convention in SeaTac.

Although Kucinich says he hasn't decided on his political future, the enthusiastic reception he received at the union gathering Thursday suggests that, despite party leaders' wishes, he has developed a core of supporters who would back a run here.

Kucinich arrived to a hero's welcome Thursday. He was ushered into the convention hall by dozens of union activists wearing yellow T-shirts that read: "Dennis!"

"I've followed Dennis for years. He's a voice of moral authority in the politics we have at this time," said Peter Goodman, an organizer for the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers, who was wearing a Kucinich shirt.

State Sen. Maralyn Chase, D-Shoreline, said she "absolutely" hopes Kucinich will run for Congress here. "I don't care where he lives. It's where he stands that's important."

Addressing hundreds of union delegates inside the SeaTac Doubletree Hotel ballroom, Kucinich delivered a fiery speech that had the crowd repeatedly rising to its feet and joining him in chants of "We are union!"
Read the complete source story here

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Pennsylvania Correctional Officers Get 11.5 Percent Increase In Wages
Posted: August 5, 2011
Source: Teamster.org

Correctional Officers and members of Local 429 in Reading will receive a retroactive 2.5 percent pay increase to January 2011, among other increases, thanks to an award issued by an arbitrator. The correctional officers are employees of Schuykill County Prison in Pennsylvania.

Issued on July 25, the award resolves outstanding contract issues between Local 429 and Schuykill County Prison. Aside from the retroactive pay increase, correctional officers will also receive three percent increases each January through 2014.

In addition to the across-the-board salary improvements for county prison employees, the new contract provides for monetary longevity bonuses of $500 after three years of service. It also provides for a one percent increase after the fourth year of service and a two percent increase to base pay after ten years on the job.

Correctional officers will also receive 2.5 times their hourly rate for holiday overtime pay. The four-year agreement includes additional personal days, more time for funeral leave, and a strict procedure on approving vacation requests.

“The union’s team was well prepared to make the case for significant gains even during very difficult economic times,” said Bill Shappell, President of Teamsters Local 429. “The chief economist from our International office in Washington, D.C. played an important role in persuading the arbitrator about the need for a package that included fair wage increases. I am very please that the Teamsters have made a positive contribution in the lives of our correctional officers.”

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Hoffa Lauds Senate for Ending FAA Shutdown, Putting People Back to Work
Posted: August 4, 2011
Source: PR NewsWire
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today praised the Senate and administration officials for acting responsibly and ending the impasse over Federal Aviation Administration spending.

According to news reports, the Senate has agreed to a compromise with House Republicans. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood agreed to waive cuts to Essential Air Service, a sticking point in the standoff. A vote is expected tomorrow.

"I applaud the Senate and Secretary LaHood for their willingness to put the public interest first," Hoffa said. "But this hostage-taking has to stop. House Republicans can't continue to threaten the well-being of our country for petty partisan advantage. Our elected officials should not be forcing Americans out of work to settle political scores."

The dispute between the House and Senate over air service for small communities masked the real reason lawmakers couldn't agree on funding the FAA. Republicans want to repeal a commonsense change in the union election rule implemented by the National Mediation Board last year. The rule no longer counts absent voters as "no" votes. As a result, union elections are now just like every other election in a democracy. But because Republican leaders oppose workers' rights, safety and modernization projects are halted and people are losing their jobs.

"I'm also pleased that the Senate is standing firm on the basic democratic principle that the majority rules in a union election for airline workers," Hoffa said. "If House members were elected by the same system they want to impose on airline workers, none of them would be in office today."

An estimated 74,000 construction and agency workers were idled because of the partial FAA shutdown.

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Hoffa on the Ed Show

Hoffa on The Ed Show: Corporations should sign a Pledge of Allegiance
Posted August 4, 2011
Source: Teamster Nation
My boss, Jim Hoffa, has a great idea: Make corporations sign a pledge of allegiance to American workers. Make them promise not to close any more factories.

Hoffa went on The Ed Show last night and said it's time to embarass these corporate titans into reinvesting in America. He thinks if a CEO is named to a White House panel to create jobs, he should at least promise not to send any more jobs overseas. Hoffa said,

If you want to be part of the solution, let's start keeping jobs in America, let's start bringing jobs back.

President Obama recently named Jeff Immelt, the CEO of GE, to his new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Less than  half of GE’s workers are in the U.S. and less than half of its revenues come from its operations in the U.S. Oh, and GE, which runs a huge shadow bank called GE Capital, got a gigantic taxpayer bailout as a result of the financial crisis.

The company has closed 29 plants in the U.S. It used to employ 16,000 workers at its aviation plant in Lynn, Mass. It sent some of those jobs overseas, to places like Thailand and Canada. Now there are only 3,500 GE jobs in Lynn, and GE is sharing sophisticated jet technology with China. So maybe Jeff Immelt can start solving the jobs problem by being the first person to sign the Corporate Pledge of Allegiance.
Read the source story here.

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Teamsters Local 79 Challenges Florida Pension Law
Posted August 4, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters Local 79 has filed a lawsuit against the State of Florida over changes to the Florida Retirement System (FRS) requiring employees to contribute 3 percent of their salaries into the state pension fund. The change went into effect July 1.

The Teamsters legal action contends that the contribution requirement is unconstitutional. Requiring a 3 percent contribution from employees impairs the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the Citrus County School Board (CCSB) and Tampa-based Teamsters Local 79.

Teamsters Local 79 and Adolph Baumann, a Local 79 member who works for CCSB, are plaintiffs in the case.

“Our collective bargaining agreement does not allow the state to impose this hardship on our members. This is wrong, it’s immoral and Teamsters are going to stand up and fight for our members,” said Ken Wood, Teamsters International Vice President and President of Local 79.

“I feel like we were betrayed. People who work in the school system don’t make much money to begin with, but we should get the benefits we were promised,” said Baumann, a 21-year custodian with CCSB in Inverness. “The new governor and legislature are breaking our contract by taking this money out of our salaries.”

The plaintiffs are asking the court to permanently stop CCSB from taking 3 percent from Teamster members’ paychecks. According to the CBA between CCSB and Teamsters Local 79, the Florida Retirement System (FRS) will not cost CCSB employees a thing. The new pension laws go against this—requiring a contribution that costs employees 3 percent of their pay, and according to the Florida Constitution, laws cannot be passed that impair contracts, like the CBA between CCSB and Teamsters Local 79.

Teamsters Local 385 members in Orlando recently joined a lawsuit filed by a coalition of public sector unions against the State over the 3 percent contribution. Like the Teamsters Local 79 lawsuit, this lawsuit also states that the 3 percent contribution is unconstitutional. However, this lawsuit instead deals with employees’ basic rights when they participate in FRS, as opposed to how the new pension laws affect a particular CBA.

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Teamsters Sue To Block Illegal Frontier Pilot Concession Deal
Posted August 4, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the certified union representative of the pilots of Republic Airlines and Frontier Airlines, today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver against Frontier Airlines Inc., its parent company, Republic Airways Holdings Inc. and a shell company set up by the rejected former union of Frontier.

The lawsuit alleges that Frontier, Republic Airways Holdings and the former union of Frontier pilots, the Frontier Airline Pilots Association, which recently lost a union representation election to the IBT, conspired to interfere in the representation election held in June by the National Mediation Board (NMB) among the pilots of the airlines controlled by Republic Airways. The IBT alleges that Frontier and Republic colluded with FAPA during the balloting period to interfere in the election in exchange for FAPA agreeing to concessions for Frontier pilots.

“The last-minute concession deal cut by Frontier, Republic Airways and FAPA gave concessions in exchange for Frontier agreeing to help FAPA perpetuate itself at Frontier no matter what the outcome of the votes of the pilots,” said IBT Airline Division Director Capt. David Bourne. “On the eve of the ballot count, FAPA gave pay cuts and other concessions to management in a desperate effort to avoid a vote of the pilots and short circuit the NMB election—that is just the sort of illegal behavior that Congress passed the Railway Labor Act to prevent.”

The lawsuit asks that the court nullify the FAPA concession agreement. It also asks that the court issue an injunction ordering Frontier and Republic to deal only with the IBT, who the NMB declared to have won overwhelmingly an election among the pilots of Republic, Frontier, Lynx Aviation and Midwest Airlines in June.

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Mexican trucks to haul freight on U.S. roads
Posted August 3, 2011
Source: USA Today
The ambitious but controversial North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico from the 1990s is back, this time as the backdrop to a contentious new cross-border deal allowing Mexican freight trucks onto U.S. highways.

The agreement, announced last month by the Department of Transportation, is being assailed by critics as a possibly illegal undertaking that will take jobs from U.S. truckers and money from U.S. taxpayers. It is opposed by the USA's largest transportation union, the Teamsters, by a national association of independent truckers and by some federal lawmakers from both parties.

"We think it's unsafe, unfair and wrong for America," says Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "It's a danger to highway safety. … It will cost thousands of trucking and warehouse jobs."

He says the agreement is "probably illegal" because it goes beyond the scope of an earlier cross-border trucking pilot program that Congress killed in 2009.

Critics such as Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., argue that Mexico's trucking industry is far less regulated and monitored than the USA's and that the deal opens the way for Mexican narco-traffickers to gain a foothold on U.S. roads. They're not convinced by assurances that Mexican trucks and drivers will be carefully inspected and monitored by U.S. authorities.
Read the complete source story here

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Teamsters Escalate BMW Protests Across America
Posted August 3, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
Hundreds of Teamster members and their families protested BMW’s greed outside 50 BMW dealerships in 11 states—California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New York and Virginia—this past weekend. The protesters distributed leaflets and held banners that read “BMW: The Ultimate Misery.” They informed BMW customers about BMW’s plan to lay off nearly 100 Ontario, Calif. employees on August 31, 2011 and immediately re-open the parts distribution center with a cheaper, inexperienced work force.

BMW: the Ultimate MiseryLocal 495, located in Covina, Calif., represents 68 workers at the Ontario parts distribution facility.

“BMW got bailed out with nearly $4 billion in low-interest federal loans and in exchange, they are mocking America’s plant closing laws and destroying working families,” said Randy Cammack, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42. “They’ve also hired Jackson Lewis, the top union-hostile law firm in the U.S., to help them outsource these good, middle-class jobs.”

“BMW would never be allowed to get away with this in Germany,” said Teamsters Local 495 Secretary-Treasurer Bob Lennox. “Many of these employees have worked there for 10, 20, 30 years. They think they can take an American taxpayer bailout and then treat their American workers in a way they would never dare to treat their German employees.”

U.S. Congressional leaders have criticized BMW for this move against its American workers. The Los Angeles Times recently blasted BMW’s decision, accusing it of “eviscerating the middle class.”

On July 21, thousands of BMW employees in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the United Kingdom held an international solidarity day to protest BMW’s plans. The workers—members of the United Auto Workers (UAW), the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the Teamsters, and U.K.’s Unite the Union—wore stickers printed with the message, “Solidarity Saves Jobs at BMW - www.BMWUltimateMisery.com .” They also distributed leaflets in the break rooms at the plants and distribution centers.

The German automobile giant BMW, America’s most popular automaker for luxury-class autos, saw the highest earnings ever in its 95-year history last quarter. BMW had global sales of almost $81 billion in 2010, or about $848,000 per employee, ranking it number 82 on Fortune’s Global 500 Companies. BMW also received more than $3.6 billion in secret, low-interest loans during the 2008-2009 U.S. taxpayer bailout.

See photos of the handbilling actions here .

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Southern California Teamsters taking on BMW
Posted August 2, 2011
Source: The Press-Enterprise
Southern California Teamsters and others across the country are making good on a promise to try and make BMW look bad.

In June, Teamsters leaders in Ontario were stunned to learn that BMW was going to cease managing the parts distribution center they had operated in that city for decades. The German carmaker said they would turn the warehouse over to an outside contractor, meaning that the workers would be gone by late August.

Presumably, they'd be replaced by an independent warehouse operator who pays workers much less and offers weaker benefits.

The union vowed a corporate campaign against BMW, which is a union term that basically means trying to embarrass the employer as much as possible in as many locations as possible.

Pickets have already been spotted at the BMW dealership on Ontario's auto row.

But the Teamsters have also added an approach not usually noticed during labor disputes. Tuesday protesters showed up at offices of BMW's attorney, Jackson Lewis, a national law firm that specializes in representing employers embroiled in union disputes.

The picketers showed up at Jackson Lewis offices in Los Angeles , San Francisco , Seattle, Chicago and New York City. Some of the Teamsters' signs were in German, presumably so BMW executives back in Germany could read them.

As for the protests at dealerships, the Teamsters say they'll be out there every weekend, getting their message across at the time of the week when people are out looking at vehicles.
Read the complete source story here

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August 28th
BTU Sponsors Blood Drive and Back-to-School BBQ
Posted: August 2, 2011
Black Teamsters United is hosting a terrific public event on Saturday, August 28th to save lives by donating blood to a regional Blood Bank, and help local kids in need by donating needed back-to-school supplies.

donate school supplies for needy kidsSchool supplies needed:

Backpacks
Markers
Notebooks
Pens & Pencils
Glue Sticks
Scissors		 Binders
Paper
Highlighters
Crayons
Calculators
Rulers		 Staplers
Scotch Tape
Pocket Folders
Erasers
Index Cards
More!

Blood need: yours.

So, pack up the family and head to Safeway in Rainier Beach (9262 Rainer Ave. S. in Seattle). Enjoy the food and refreshments, and do some good for the community. The event is scheduled to run from 9:30 am to 3:30 p.m..

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Teamsters Call On Dollar Thrifty Board To Redeem Poison Pill
Posted: August 2, 2011
Source: Teamster.org
(Washington, DC) - In a July 11, 2011 letter to the Dollar Thrift Group (NYSE: DTG) Board of Directors, International Brotherhood of Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel called on the company to redeem its poison pill and follow a sound strategy to maximize shareholder value and advance the interests of the company and its stakeholders.

Dollar Thrifty investors lost out last year when a bidding war by rival companies Hertz and Avis was thwarted by an incoherent board strategy. A recommended offer by Hertz was rejected by shareholders after the board refused to seriously consider a higher price from Avis. Hertz walked away, and Avis began to work with Dollar Thrifty on antitrust review without any formal offer on the table.

Then, less than a year later, Hertz returned with a higher offer. This offer was immediately rebuked by the board, which implemented a poison pill provision less than a week after the offer. At the same time, the board announced it would cooperate with Hertz in its anti-trust review. These conflicting actions confused not only investors but Avis, which abandoned its takeover efforts in favor of acquiring its European operation. The share price, which had risen on hopes of a higher offer from Avis and a potential bidding war, fell to the level of the Hertz offer and has remained there ever since.

“How can Dollar Thrifty investors or employees have confidence in this board when they can’t seem to figure out which way is up?” Keegel said. “The Teamsters urge the board to immediately redeem the poison pill and begin negotiations with Hertz for a friendly offer. Teamsters understand that you will not get the deal you want without negotiating for it.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico including 11,000 workers in the rental car industry.

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Miller Beer Is Tasteless, Says Brewfest Audience At CA State Fair
Posted August 2, 2011
Source: Teamster.org

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – More than 125 members from Teamsters Local Unions 150 and 439 converged on the California State Fair today to provide information to the public about the greedy business practices of DBI Beverage, the distributor of MillerCoors products in Northern California. As the California State Fair kicked off another year of the Commercial Craft Brew Competition at Brewfest, DBI Beverage workers and other members of the Sacramento community distributed information asking fairgoers to “Tell Miller Destroying California Jobs is Tasteless.”

“DBI Beverage workers and their families felt they had no choice but to educate the public about MillerCoors’ distributor, DBI Beverage, and its poor record on its treatment of workers”, said Rome Aloise, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7 and International Vice President. “DBI, the exclusive distributor of MillerCoors products in the Bay Area, refuses to bargain a fair contract with its employees.”

DBI Beverage, earns more than $350 million in annual revenue, but still wants to force its longtime loyal drivers and warehouse workers to accept grossly substandard wages and an expensive family health care plan.

DBI workers in Sacramento and Stockton voted for Teamster representation in democratically-conducted elections by the National Labor Relations Board more than a year ago. They still do not have a contract.

“It is shameful that DBI pays such low wages that some workers are on public assistance”, said Jim Tobin, President of Teamsters Local Union 150 in Sacramento. “We are here to tell DBI that after working a full 40 hours or more each week, workers deserve respect and a fair wage.”

“MillerCoors and DBI are responsible to this community,” said Sam Rosas, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 439 in Stockton. “We buy their products, and in return their longtime workers deserve a decent job with decent benefits. The economy in California is already in terrible shape, so this profitable company should be ashamed of itself for destroying these jobs.”

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.

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