Local #174 Teamster News Archives
June 2012

Teamster Drivers Rake in Awards at ATA Washington Championships
Posted: June 29, 2012
By Gary Bolen, Teamsters Local 174 Trustee

This year's Truck Drivers Championship was held at Kent Boeing on Saturday the 23rd of June.

The morning started out dry and overcast. Safeway provided breakfast at 6am for the 130 drivers and all the volunteers that helped set up and run the event. At 7am we all went to the Boeing cafeteria to check in and listen to the course and Pretrip overview. There were six obstacles in the driving skills course that had a possible fifty points each and the Pretrip inspection that had a total of ten simulated defects planted on a piece of equipment with ten points for each defect found. After that, we were given a written test with eighty multiple choice questions from the book "Facts for drivers 2012".

During the Driving skills and Pretrip inspection, the sky went black and a strong wind started to blow, tipping umbrellas over. Then it began to rain and it soaked drivers and volunteers to the bone.

Even with all that, the Teamsters Drivers won an impressive 15 awards as follows:

Place	Event	Name	Company
Grand Champion		Lisa Bry	Boeing
1st Place	5-Axle	Gary Herrygers	Boeing
1st Place	Sleeper	Roy Garcia	Peninsula
1st Place	Straight Truck	Lisa Bry	Boeing
1st Place	Twins	Johnny Malone	Safeway
2nd Place	3-Axle	Michael Mygatt	Boeing
2nd Place	5-Axle	Dan Aff	Peninsula
2nd Place	Flatbed	Jeffrey Mass	Boeing
2nd Place	Sleeper	Chuck Snowdon	Boeing
2nd Place	Twins	Josh Jenkin	Peninsula
3rd Place	5-Axle	Gary Ackerson	SuperValu
3rd Place	Straight Truck	John Hnatishin	Boeing
3rd Place	Tanker	Andrew Mulbry	LTI
Rookie of the Year		Andrew Mulbry	LTI
Harry Fletcher Memorial Award		Gary Bolen	Boeing

Harry Fletcher was a long time friend of the Washington state truck driving championships and volunteered hundreds of hours to its success. He was a man's-man and a drivers-driver. A father figure to many, a friend to all. He never missed a chance to help someone, especially the children of other drivers. He stood for integrity, honesty, and character. He would always take the popular conviction, but would stand up for what was right and just.

Congratulations to all the drivers that competed this year! Thank You to the Washington Trucking Associations and the 2012 Truck Driving Championship Drivers that voted for me to receive the "Harry Fletcher Memorial Award". This is a great honor that I was not expecting to receive. I enjoy competing with all the drivers and look forward to seeing you all next year.

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Lift-Line Teamsters Ratify First Contract
Posted: June 29, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Today, Teamsters Local 118 in Rochester, N.Y. announced the ratification of a first contract with Lift-Line, a subsidiary of Rochester Genesee Regional Transit Authority.

The 16 Local 118 members covered under the agreement work at Lift-Line as schedulers, dispatchers, office assistants and coordinators. The agreement is retro-active to April 1, 2010 and expires on Dec. 31, 2013.

Highlights of the agreement include:

• Wage increase of 8 percent over the term of the agreement
• Comprehensive health and welfare benefit package
• Defined benefit pension plan
• Incentive pay program
• Retiree healthcare
• Binding arbitration
• Seniority rights

“Despite lengthy and at times difficult negotiations, the determined employees remained united throughout the process,” said Paul Markwitz, Teamsters Local 118 business agent. “The negotiating process stalled numerous times and was ultimately bolstered when the employer introduced a new negotiating team. The new employer team was as eager as the union committee to finally get the terms of agreement worked out.”

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There Is Safety In A Union: Study Finds Union Representation In Trucking Linked To Higher Safety Performance
Posted: June 28, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
In case there was any doubt, a recent study by researchers at the University of Maryland confirmed that unionized motor carriers are superior to nonunion carriers when it comes to safety performance on our nation’s roads and highways.

“Union membership has a statistically positive impact on both driver and vehicle safety performance,” the study found.

Led by Dr. Thomas M. Corsi and his colleagues at the UMD Robert H. Smith School of Business, the researchers looked at existing safety performance data for more than 150,000 interstate carriers to determine if there was any link between unionization and the safety performance of trucking companies.

“After reviewing a substantial amount of crash data and other safety performance indicators that were collected by the federal government, the researchers concluded that unionized motor carriers demonstrate better safety performance than their nonunion counterparts,” said LaMont Byrd, Director of the Teamsters Safety and Health Department.

While it’s not surprising that safety standards tend to be higher among union carriers, Dr. Corsi’s report is the first of its kind to look directly at the relationship between unionization and actual performance data.

In addition to reviewing records from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s SafeStat performance ranking system, the study examined health and safety provisions in Teamster master agreements with carriers like UPS and others covered in the National Master Freight Agreement.

The study has important implications for the trucking industry. Even though fatal motor carrier crashes have decreased over the last 12 years, accidents continue to have a serious impact on the business. And while the 1980 Motor Carrier Act led to a huge drop in union membership, the better safety performance of unionized carriers makes the case for why it is in the public interest to reverse deregulation.

Night and Day
Low rates of safety violations and crashes can be directly linked to collective bargaining. As the study noted, contract language typically requires compliance with government safety regulations related to equipment standards, driver safety, and hours-of-service regulations. Defining “workday” and “workweek” limitations in a union contract goes a long way in reducing the risks associated with driver fatigue.

Dr. Corsi’s research team confirmed what union truck drivers have known for a long time.

“It stands to reason,” said John Hasley, a 33-year veteran carhauler who has seen both sides of the industry. “Higher safety procedures secured and enforced by a contract means better safety performance.”

Hasley, who has since retired, worked as a nonunion owner-operator for several years before becoming a Teamster in 1978.

“The difference between professional and cut-rate carriers is night and day. With a union, the drivers are protected. They can say to the boss, ‘No, this equipment is not safe.’ Without the backing of a union, you could be fired for doing that.”

Of the 157,292 firms whose safety records were reviewed by Dr. Corsi and his colleagues, 78 were union carriers. They consistently had better scores than the non-union companies in data measuring unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, vehicle maintenance and cargo securement.

According to the study, the difference can be attributed to formalized safety procedures written into collective bargaining agreements in the industry. For example, the national master agreement for UPS Teamsters prevents the company from requiring drivers to operate unsafe equipment, giving workers the right to refuse to drive a vehicle that is not up to government regulatory standards.

Workers are required to report all accidents and the employer is responsible for investigating reported accidents within a 20-day period. 

“Drivers are on their own without a contract,” Hasley pointed out. “At union firms, you have more supervision and other folks checking equipment and making sure loads are secured properly.”

Better overall working conditions secured in a contract are another likely factor that raises safety performance among union carriers.

As Dr. Corsi’s team noted in their report, “Unionized motor carrier drivers contribute to, and help ensure, a more stable and structured working environment which, in turn, contributes to increasingly safe operations.”

Drivers protected by a union contract tend to enjoy better pay and benefits in addition to more regular hours. By contrast, nonunion drivers are more likely to experience dissatisfaction with their compensation and other workplace conditions, resulting in higher turnover rates for nonunion truckload carriers. And high turnover, the study observes, significantly impacts on-the-road safety as companies need to spend more money on recruitment and training instead of transportation safety.

The Union Difference
Dr. Corsi’s study is an academic validation of the union difference. And longtime drivers like Hasley are personal illustrations of that difference.

After more than three decades in the industry, Hasley says he is “living the dream” in retirement, enjoying his golden years at his lakeside home and spending afternoons on his boat. The safety protections that a union brings on the job contribute in no small way to the benefits of a healthy retirement.

“The fact is the companies always want to take shortcuts because of economics,” Hasley said. “The union is really a buffer against these companies’ desire to cut corners for profit. That means the drivers’ desire to ensure the safe delivery of goods is more of a priority. Workers and the public are better off because of that.”

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Teamsters Support Sen. Brown's Bill To Reform Trade Policy
Posted: June 27, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced the Teamsters Union’s support today for legislation by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, that would restore oversight to trade negotiations and ensure that U.S. trading partners play by the same rules.

“The Teamsters have said all along that we’re not fighting trade – we are fighting trade that destroys good jobs and lowers standards,’ Hoffa said to reporters on a press conference call with Brown to announce the 21st Century Trade and Market Access Act.

“We are for trade that creates jobs and improves working conditions. And we are for this bill that would rewrite the rules for global trade to help protect workers everywhere at this critical time for our country. We have to make sure labor rights are not an afterthought, but the first thought.”

Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate trade and commerce with foreign nations. But for the past several decades, the legislative branch has delegated to the executive branch the authority to select trading partners, negotiate, and sign new trade deals before voting. Brown’s legislation would delegate new authority to the administration to negotiate new trade deals while re-asserting the role of congressional oversight into the substance of negotiations.

“This legislation will help set standards for global trade deals to ensure that they create good jobs and improve working conditions not only at home, but with potential trading partners throughout the world,” Hoffa said. “The legislation lays out the foundation of how a trade agreement should be negotiated, providing fair trade with labor standards that workers everywhere deserve.”

Today’s press conference comes in advance of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which are slated to continue next week in California. The TPP is a proposed trade agreement that would link several countries in North, Central, and South America with countries in the Asia-Pacific. In addition to the United States, the current TPP countries are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam; Canada, Mexico, and Japan have also announced their intent to join the TPP.

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Teamsters Rally to Support Fired Latino Workers At Modesto Company
Posted: June 27, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Today, hundreds of Teamsters, community members and politicians came to rally in support of workers fired by ice cream manufacturer Paleteria La Michoacana, based in Modesto, but with distribution centers in Sacramento, Sunnyvale, Castroville and Gardena. Last month, the company fired long-time drivers, merchandisers, warehousemen and office staff just days before their election for Teamster representation was scheduled to take place. View more photos from this event.

“This action by Ignacio Gutierrez, the owner of Paleteria La Michoacana, was unlawful and we won’t tolerate it,” said Rick Middleton, Teamsters Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 572 in Carson, Calif. “No man is above the law and these workers deserve justice.” 

The workers at Paleteria La Michoacana reached out to the Teamsters union in February after the company announced to their workers that it was making record profits, but would be cutting the workers’ wages. 

“I had experience from a prior job but I wasn’t getting a raise, that’s one of the main reasons I want a union,” said Ileana Herrera, an office worker in Gardena, Calif. “I want something better, I want respect.” 

A five-year employee, Antonio Casillas delivered ice cream products to the Modesto area before he was fired. “When they came to us in February with the company report they said that they had to lower our wages due to a Department of Transportation requirement. This didn’t seem right and we immediately reached out to the union.” 

Dolores Huerta, a founder of the United Farm Workers union, gave her strong support at the rally. “We will bring this employer to justice,” Huerta said. “We are here today to show the workers that Teamsters and people all over the state of California are standing with them.” 

At the rally, hosted by Teamsters Local 386, 572 and 853, participants wore t-shirts emblazoned with artwork that said, “WANTED: Ignacio Gutierrez for Unlawful Acts Against Latino Workers” and carried matching rally signs.

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US soldier refuses China-made boots
Posted: June 27, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Here's an American hero for you: Master Sgt. Steve Adachi exchanged his China-made combat boots with boots made in America.

It wasn't easy.

Adachi, a reservist deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, was issued a standard pair of boots while at his home unit in Hawaii.

According to the Air Force Times,

...they were made in China. He tried to exchange them at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam clothing store, but he was in store for another surprise. 

“I was told that the boots were not compliant with the Berry Amendment and I could not exchange them,” Adachi said. 

The Berry Amendment requires the food, clothing, fabrics and other textiles the Pentagon buys to be grown or made in the U.S. 

Adachi turned red, white and blue. 

“I went back to the reserves supply warehouse and asked the supply manager why I was issued Chinese-made boots,” Adachi said. “He told me that they were less expensive as opposed to the U.S.-made ones. I urged him to reissue me U.S. boots, citing that I did not feel comfortable ‘going to war’ wearing boots made in China.”

In the end, he got a pair of U.S.-made boots, which he exchanged for American boots in his size. But when he arrived in Afghanistan, he was issued a pair of boots made in China.

We're wondering what happened to what the manufacture this blog calls,

...the United States Army’s proud tradition of providing soldiers with high quality American-made uniforms. As outlined in the Berry Amendment of 1941, the “Department of Defense [must] give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured, or home grown products, most notably food, clothing, fabrics, and specialty metals.”

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Striking Teamsters, Anheuser-Busch talk
Posted: June 27, 2012
Source: The Press-Enterprise
Teamsters Local 166 President Mike Pharris on Tuesday indicated there has been movement in an attempt to resolve a strike against Anheuser-Busch Sales in Riverside.

“We have had discussions,” he said, and Local 166 was scheduled to meet with Anheuser-Busch again. He emphasized that the Teamsters are not at an impasse.

On Sunday, Teamsters voted to strike and picket the plant at 1400 Marlborough in Riverside after rejecting what they described as the third and final contract offer by Anheuser-Busch.

Pharris declined to elaborate on what was being discussed.

He indicated that overtime was an issue. He said overtime has been in the contract for all employees — not just for some — since 1978. The key word there is ‘some,’ he said.

On Tuesday, Pharris said Local 166 was checking into reports that medical and dental insurance may have been cancelled because of the strike.

Anheuser-Busch region vice president Henry Dominguez could not be immediately reached for comment.
Read the source story here.

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Coca-Cola, Teamsters Negotiating
Posted: June 27, 2012
Source: Hartford Courant
Representatives from Coca-Cola and the Teamsters Union are actively negotiating in an effort to end a strike that has gone on for more than five weeks.

The union is concerned about new distribution patterns that could allow stores to come to the warehouse instead of having drivers deliver product. The two sides also hold widely diverging interpretations of the same facts — who is paying the $14,898 a year in premiums for health insurance for each of about 350 Teamsters.

In the last contract six years ago, the two sides agreed on how much compensation would be directed to wages, and how much to health care. In one year, workers agreed to have no raise and instead take all the additional compensation to cover health care costs, and in most years, the workers chose to have more of the money in health care than in cash.

Teamsters, who work as drivers, in soda bottling operations and in the warehouse, make about $20 an hour, and their health insurance costs another $7.16 an hour. Those numbers are not in dispute; the issue is whether the workers' agreement with the company to put some compensation toward health insurance counts as cost-sharing toward health insurance.

"There's no doubt about it, it's a Cadillac -- a Rolls-Royce -- of a health plan," Chris Roos, Teamsters spokesman, said earlier in the strike. "But we pay 36 percent of it."
Read the complete source story here.

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Joint Council 13 Gives Turf a New Home
Posted: June 25, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
When Joint Council 13 special event coordinator Roy Gillespie got the phone call from St. Louis Green about recycling artificial turf throughout the community, he was taken aback. 

“At first I thought the proposition to reuse turf in the community was crazy,” Gillespie said. “But then I considered it, and I realized that there were many ways we could put the turf to use.” 

Thanks to the combined efforts of Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis Green, and the Teamsters, communities throughout the St. Louis area will be gifted with bails of used artificial turf to beautify community establishments. 

The turf on the football field of Washington University in St. Louis was installed in 2004 and was approaching the end of its useful life as an NCAA Division III competitive playing field surface. However, the turf was still safe and viable to use throughout communities for many different purposes and projects. 

According to Gillespie, Washington University did not want to put the million pounds of used turf in the landfill and instead contacted St. Louis Green, a nonprofit environmental group, who then contacted Gillespie at the Teamsters to ask if he knew of anyone who could put it to good use. Gillespie got in touch with community groups, athletic associations and neighborhoods in need to gauge interest in receiving the used turf. 

To Gillespie’s surprise, everybody wanted the turf. 

“The communities are extremely excited,” Gillespie said. “My phone has been ringing off the hook. The demand is beginning to exceed to supply.” 

Nearly 30 community organizations and establishments are receiving segments of the turf, including sports complexes, playgrounds, senior citizen areas and various other places. The turf is saving communities hundreds of thousands of dollars in decorating and rehabilitation projects.

 Working with the community is nothing new for the Teamsters. “Joint Council 13 is very community-minded,” Gillespie said. The Teamster locals and members within Joint Council 13 continuously support a wide range of community efforts including support-the-troops projects, disaster relief and faith-based projects. 

About 20 Teamsters volunteered their time and energy recently to transport the materials from Washington University to various locations within surrounding communities. These communities rallied citizens to install the turf at the predetermined locations. With more than 400 bales of turf distributed to areas of need, this project and partnership was able to brighten and bolster communities for many years to come.

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Chicago Teamsters Revitalize Commitment To Organizing
Posted: June 25, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Nearly 45 organizers from the local affiliates of Teamsters Joint Council 25 met June 23-24 in Mokena, Ill., to fortify the union’s campaign to bring Teamster Power to more workers in the Chicago area.

The organizing summit hosted by Teamsters Local 710 arrived at a time when Joint Council 25 is winning rights and securing contracts for workers in a wider range of diverse industries than ever before. In the first six months of 2012, organizers in Illinois and northwest Indiana have brought representation to valet and shuttle bus drivers, produce workers, school bus operators, manufacturers, truck drivers, distribution and warehouse employees and construction workers.

Local 710 alone recently marked its 29th consecutive organizing victory since 2006 in the highway distribution and packinghouse industries earlier this year.

“In our struggling economy, more men and women are realizing the importance of a union contract, but that doesn’t mean we can sit on our hands and watch as workers struggle to keep their jobs and live without representation,” said John T. Coli, President of Joint Council 25. “We have to effectively communicate to workers in and around Chicago: ‘Without a Teamster contract, you are an at-risk employee. In this day and age, that’s a reality none of us can afford.’”

Bob Maldunas of the Teamsters’ International Training and Development Department was on-hand to introduce local organizers to a variety of tools and campaign strategies during the two-day seminar. Local 710 staff organizers Tom Coffey, Matt Flynn, Bill Messina and Organizing Director Mike Rossow also shared new approaches to organizing with participants, which included representatives from Teamsters Local 179, Teamsters Local 727, Teamsters Local 777 and Teamsters Local 786.

On Saturday, organizers shared experiences from recent campaigns on how best to impart the benefits of a Teamster contract to working families during house calls and worksite visits. James T. Glimco, Joint Council 25 Trustee and Local 777 President, has seen more than 250 drivers with Illinois Central School Bus vote yes for Teamster representation in just the last two months. Sharing the commitment of such a large group of new members, Glimco said, can positively reinforce the protections available to future Teamsters in similar industries.

“Time and again, we meet workers who are hesitant to join the union because they’re terrified of retribution and assault from their bosses,” Glimco said. “That fact makes our commitment to organizing so important. When more workers come together and understand they really do have strength in numbers, the clearer our message becomes.

“When you join the union, you’re not just standing up for yourself. You’re joining an army of Teamsters who will stand with you and fight for you.”

Local 777 and Local 179 encouraged participating organizers on Sunday to step out of the meeting hall and assist with ongoing organizing campaigns in suburban Chicago. More than 30 Teamster representatives concluded the weekend training by meeting with school bus drivers and attendants at their homes and discussing the true value of Teamster Power.

“This is our collective pledge, to welcome more workers into the Teamsters and to protect good-paying American jobs,” said Patrick Flynn, Local 710 President. “Seminars like these hit the heart of what we need to do to grow our great union and rebuild the middle class. There is no more pressing time to organize than now.”

“Joint Council 25 commends Local 710 and its organizing team for setting a positive example for unions around the country,” added Coli. “The Chicago Teamsters will not back down and will not slow down when it comes to protecting people at work. It’s full speed ahead. Greedy employers beware.”

In 2012, Local 710, Local 179 and Local 727 have each added new organizers to their full-time staff. To learn more about joining the Teamsters, contact the Joint Council 25 Organizing Department at (847) 292-1225.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents more than 100,000 hardworking men and women throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana.

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Helmets-to-Hardhats puts vets to work on One World Trade Center
Posted: June 25, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
The AFL-CIO produced this neat video about the Helmets-to-Hardhats program in New York. Teamsters, of course, are also working on One World Trade Center. And Teamsters support the Helmets-to-Hardhats program as well. Read more about it here.

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Teamsters File NLRB Charges Against Modesto Ice Cream Company
Posted: June 25, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Former employees have accused a Modesto ice cream manufacturer of firing them for trying to join a union.

They claim that the company, Paleteria La Michoacana, violated federal law in May by laying off the 33 workers a week before a vote was to be held on joining the Teamsters.

Owner Ignacio Gutierrez declined to comment Thursday.

Teamsters Local 853, based in San Leandro, filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board.

"One week before the election, the employer fired every single employee in the proposed bargaining unit," said Susan Garea, an Oakland attorney representing the Teamsters. "It was egregious conduct that happened after we filed the petition for representation."

The fired employees include five drivers and two office workers at Paleteria La Michoacana's headquarters on Lapham Drive, just south of Yosemite Boulevard. Also involved are 11 drivers and five other workers at the distribution center in Gardena, Los Angeles County, and 10 drivers based in four other California cities.

Antonio Casillas, one of the former drivers in Modesto, said he sought union representation because of the company's plan to reduce wages.

"I just want to get back to work," he said.

Garea said she believes the drivers' duties have been taken up by sales and supervisory employees.

Two-Month Probe Possible
The NLRB tries to complete investigations into charges of this type within two months, said George Velastegui, an attorney at its regional office in Oakland. Complex cases can take longer, he said.

The union election, which had been scheduled for May 21, has been suspended while the investigation is conducted.

Paleteria La Michoacana, which makes Mexican-style ice cream, has been a bright spot in the Modesto-area economy in recent years.

As of early 2011, it employed 170 people and planned to add 25, according to a Bee story. An updated number was not available Thursday.

The company reported annual sales growth of 25 percent to 30 percent from 2005 to 2010, reaching about $25 million.

Ignacio Gutierrez, a native of Mexico, started with a snow cone cart in Turlock in 1988. He founded the ice cream company there in 1991, then moved it to Modesto in 2002.

The union plans a rally outside the plant at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Organizers said it will include farmworker advocate Dolores Huerta and Jose Hernandez, the Democratic candidate for the 10th Congressional District, which includes Stanislaus and southern San Joaquin counties.

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Teamsters to help Seattle-area cabdrivers voice their concerns

Posted: June 24, 2012
Source: Seattle Times
Seattle-area taxi drivers have a new ally in their battles with competitors and government regulators: the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Because they aren't on anyone's payroll as employees, drivers won't become members of one of the nation's most powerful unions.

But the Western Washington Taxi Cab Operators Association, formally launched by drivers at a meeting at the Teamsters Building in Tukwila on Saturday, will contract with Teamsters Local 117 to lobby governments on its behalf.

The new alliance will address continuing complaints about competition from "flat-rate" drivers who operate under a different set of rules, new workers' compensation premiums and other business costs.

About half of the 2,000 active cabdrivers in King County signed cards in the last three months expressing interest in creating the new drivers association, said Teamster Local 117 Organizing Director Leonard Smith. Drivers who join the voluntary association will pay dues.
Read the complete source story here.

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Seattle Taxi Cab Operators Vote to Form Association
Posted: June 24, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Several hundred taxi cab operators in Seattle and King County met today to begin the process of forming an association which will work with Teamsters Local Union 117 in Tukwila. Excessive fees and other obstacles to competitively operating in Seattle have compelled the drivers to form the association. There are approximately 2,000 taxi cab operators in the area. 

The new association will be called the Western Washington Taxi Cab Operators Association (http://www.teamstertaxi.org/). 

“We welcome this new association with our local union and we will dedicate our time and expertise to help them achieve fairness in their industry,” said Tracey Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “These drivers are hardworking members of the Seattle and King County community. They should be treated with respect.” 

One of the main issues that the new Association plans to tackle is the excessive fees that taxi cab operators must pay for liability and insurance coverage. Currently, their fee payments exceed other occupations which are far more dangerous, such as construction workers. Additionally, the members of the Association plan to utilize the Teamsters’ political clout so that existing regulations governing taxi, sedan and shuttle services are enforced. 

“I am voting to be part of this Association with the Teamsters because without banding together, we are just one voice by ourselves,” said Abdi Salad, a Yellow cab driver. 

“As part of a group we will be stronger and finally have a voice that will be heard by Seattle officials,” said Jagjit Singh, a twenty-year taxi cab operator with Orange cab. 

Teamsters Local 117 represents more than 16,000 hardworking men and women throughout the state of Washington.

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Allied Waste, Teamsters agree to standstill, local employees to return to work
Posted: June 23, 2012
Source: Evansville Courier & Press
Allied Waste employees in Evansville will return to work Monday, according to Mark McKune, General Manager of Allied Waste Services here.

McKune said both parties agreed during a meeting Tuesday in Washington, D.C., that it was in their best interests to initiate a standstill. That will end the lockout that has kept the employees from working in Evansville since early May.

According to a national joint press release between International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Allied Waste Services, the standstill will last for 30 days unless both parties agree to extend it.

McKune said negotiations will continue to find a resolution to the pension issues that have been the main sticking point of contract negotiations. The Teamsters want to keep the pension plan they currently have while Allied wants them to switch over to a 401(k) plan. While the discussions are going on, Allied Waste has agreed to end the lockout and allow the 79 employees here to go back to work.

Allied locked out local Teamster members on May 9, 2012 after over two months of negotiations resulted in no agreement. The union’s latest contract with Allied here expired April 1 and had been extended twice through April 26. Allied Waste decided that it was not going to allow its employees to continue to work without a contract. After additional meetings failed to reach an agreement, the two sides agreed to go back to work while still trying to hash out a solution.

Complicating this issue is the fact that this dispute between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Allied is a nationwide problem as well.

Teamsters Local 215 manager Chuck Whobrey said there has not been a fixed timetable for when talks will resume other than the 30 day period. He confirmed that the pension issue was probably the largest sticking point of the negotiations but also said that there are other concerns as well.
Read the complete source story here.

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Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Plan Unanimously Approved
Posted: June 23, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters Joint Council 7 applauded a nearly unanimous decision by the Oakland City Council to move forward with a plan to redevelop the Oakland Army Base. The one-billion dollar project will bring thousands of jobs into the East Bay area including more than 3,000 jobs that fall under the jurisdiction of the Teamsters Union.

The former Oakland Army Base, which employed nearly 1,500 Teamsters in the warehouses before it was closed, was approved for conversion and development late Tuesday. The base had previously served as a critical transfer point for goods and equipment for overseas military operations and has remained vacant since its closure in 1999.

The Oakland City Council approved the city’s largest development in decades by a 7-0 vote. This project will restructure the 366-acre base into a shipping, packaging and distribution facility, enhancing and enlarging the adjacent Port of Oakland.

The project will create roughly 6,000 construction, rail and warehousing jobs, over half of which will be under Teamster jurisdiction.   The construction work will be covered by a Project Labor Agreement. The facility itself will create nearly warehousing 3,000 jobs that the Teamsters will work to turn into strong, union jobs. The union also secured a recognition agreement for the new rail yard covering almost 100 new jobs, along with recognition for the billboard posting and maintenance. 

“This is not only a victory for our union, but for the entire community,” said Rome Aloise, President of Joint Council 7 and International Vice President. “We would like to thank everyone fought so hard for this project to become a reality. We look forward to taking the next step in bringing thousands of good jobs to the Oakland area.”

The Teamsters, as key partners in the Revive Oakland coalition, fought for and won concessions for the local Oakland community, including 50 percent local hire and pathways for people with criminal backgrounds to be hired. The Oakland Living Wage will apply to all jobs.

Additionally, the agreement includes a policy limiting the use of temporary agencies in the warehouses to 40 percent of annual work hours and a 120-day limit on temporary employment for individual employees.

“This victory was the result of years of work with the City of Oakland and our partners in labor and the community,” Aloise said. “I am proud that the Teamsters played a fundamental role in the ensuring that this important project was finally approved.”

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Standstill Period Reached Between Teamsters, Republic Services
Posted: June 22, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Republic Services issued the following joint statement today:

“Representatives of Republic Services and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters met in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. On the basis of the discussions at that meeting, they have agreed to a standstill period in connection with ongoing contract negotiations in various cities across the United States in order for the parties to attempt to resolve their differences at the bargaining table as to whether the Company will continue to participate in the Central States Pension Plan.

“This means that all picketing and related activities at various Company locations will be temporarily suspended, and that the lockout of workers at the Company’s facility in Evansville, Ind., will be temporarily suspended.

“The IBT and Republic will resume discussions shortly concerning a potential comprehensive resolution of the pension issues at those locations at which the Company currently contributes to Central States. Bargaining on other subjects will continue on a local basis.

“Both parties have committed to attempt in good faith to reach common ground and to restore a collaborative relationship that benefits Republic employees, the Company, the Union’s members and the communities Republic serves. The standstill will last for 30 days unless extended by agreement of the parties.”

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AirTran Mechanics Ratify Seniority Integration Agreement 
Posted: June 22, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Today, June 21, the IBT-represented Mechanics at AirTran Airways voted 262 to 65 in favor of ratifying a seniority integration agreement that will serve as the basis for integrating the AirTran and Southwest mechanic seniority lists as these carriers move toward total operational integration.  Along with ratifying the seniority integration agreement, the AirTran mechanics also ratified, as part of the single ratification vote, a transition agreement between the IBT and Southwest/AirTran that will give them enhanced wages and benefits along with station protection at BWI and MCO.

After months of contentious negotiations, the Airtran seniority integration committee was able to satisfy the wishes of the membership and reach an agreement with the SWA mechanics that both work groups were able to ratify. While the agreement falls outside the Teamsters philosophy of straight date of hire entry into classification the committee made the decision to proceed to a vote.

The next step in the process will be a joint filing for a single carrier finding by the National Mediation Board. Upon such finding, the AirTran mechanics will transition to the Southwest agreement. Until that time, the Teamsters will continue to provide AirTran mechanics with the superior representation they have come to expect.

 

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Back Davis Wire strikers now in 2nd month
Posted: June 21, 2012
Source: The Stand
One month ago today, 85 members of Teamsters Local 117 at Davis Wire went on strike to protest what they say was the retaliatory firing of co-workers, dangerous working conditions, and a series of unlawful actions by the company. Now, all union and community members are being asked to show their support for these brave individuals and their families by doing three things:

1)  Watch this video with Davis Wire employees describing why they are on strike, the working conditions they face, and how they have been treated by their employer.

2)  Call Davis Wire CEO Jim Hillebrandt at (626) 969-7651 and tell him to stop running his business like a sweatshop and address the serious safety issues at his facility in Kent, Washington. Tell him that you support his employees’ fight for a fair contract and that his company needs to return to the table NOW and start treating his employees with dignity and respect!

3)  Please make a contribution — and ask your union organization to make a contribution — to the Davis Wire Hardship Fund. Local 117 set up this fund to help the strikers’ families, which are struggling to pay their bills and make ends meet as they make the brave stand up for fair treatment. Click here to contribute via PayPal, or mail checks made out to the “Davis Wire Hardship Fund” to Teamsters Local 117 at 14675 Interurban Ave. South, Suite 307, Tukwila, WA, 98168. Thank you!
Read the complete source story here

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Republic Airways Teamsters Fight Back at Airports Nationwide
Posted: June 21, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Watch a video from the June 8 nationwide hand billing at airports, where Republic Teamsters and allies educated the flying public about the company's attacks on its workforce.

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Lansing Teamsters At Red Cross To End Strike, Return To Work
Posted: June 21, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Today, Teamsters Local 580 announced that its members employed by Red Cross in Lansing, Mich. will end an 11-week strike tomorrow, June 21, and return to work without a new contract in place. The members have pledged to continue their fight to protect collective bargaining rights, but felt obligated to return to doing what they do best – collecting and protecting the blood supply for the community.

The workers were forced to strike at the end of March because Red Cross wants to eliminate their right to bargain over health care and wages. The union offered money-saving alternatives, but Red Cross has refused anything less than having workers give up collective bargaining rights in order to implement its own wage and health care package.

“I am proud of our members who have stood strong these past 11 weeks,” said Mike Parker, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 580 in Lansing. “Even though we are ending the strike, I want to make it very clear to Red Cross that this fight will continue.”

Despite the union’s willingness to sit down and bargain with Red Cross for as long as necessary to reach an agreement, the company refused to schedule more than six hours of negotiations over the last four weeks.

“We knew from the start that the company’s anti-union agenda coupled with its deep pockets would make this a long, difficult fight,” Parker said. “Our members will remain vigilant and committed to not only protecting Lansing’s blood supply but also their collective bargaining rights.”

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Profitable Funeral Home Owners Break Off Negotiations, Force Union To Prepare For Job Actions
Posted: June 19, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Profitable Funeral Director Services Association (FDSA) funeral home owners broke off contract negotiations with Teamsters Local 727 representatives amid draconian demands, forcing the union to prepare for job actions.

After meeting for nearly six hours on June 14, FDSA employers walked away from the bargaining table without scheduling any future meetings to discuss a new contract. The current five-year FDSA contract for Local 727-represented funeral directors, embalmers and auto livery chauffeurs expires June 30.

The FDSA owners, who admitted at the bargaining table that their homes remain very profitable, proposed a three-year wage freeze because of claims of “financial hardship” — claims they have yet to back up with documentation.

“The union has asked time and again to see financial statements or other proof to support their claims, and all management can come up with are vague references to the state of the economy,” said John Coli Jr., President of Local 727. “If the owners were serious about their economic hardships, they would open their books for the union, and we would gladly work with them.”

The sides have met three times over the last four weeks.

“During our last meeting, the union was completely willing and fully prepared to stay long into the night to reach an agreement, but the owners walked out,” Coli said. “Instead of working with the union, they took their ball and went home because they didn’t get their way.”

Local 727 is planning job actions this week at multiple FDSA funeral homes in the Chicago area.

“This union will do everything it possibly can to fight for our members and secure a contract worthy of their years of hard work,” Coli said.

Teamsters Local 727 has represented funeral directors, embalmers and auto livery chauffeurs for more than 70 years. Nearly 400 members working at funeral homes and facilities across the Chicago area are protected by the FDSA contract.

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Waste Management strike or lockout not looking likely today
Posted: June 18, 2012
Source: NWCN.com
With threats of strikes and lockouts, Puget Sound garbage customers were wondering Monday if their trash was going to be picked up. But there were indications Monday that work was going to happen as normal.

Over the weekend, Waste Management union drivers refused to look at the company’s latest contract offer, but said they would still come to work Monday.

Contract negotiations have been going on for the past five months between Waste Management and Teamsters Local 117, the union representing drivers who haul away recyclables.

Teamsters 117 says its workers do the same job as garbage collectors, but get paid much less.
Waste Management says it has offered compensation, including a four percent yearly wage increase and a $2,000 bonus. The company calls it the best and last offer.

If there is a strike or lockout, it could affect nearly 300,000 residential and commercial customers. It won’t just be recycling because Teamsters 174, representing garbage collectors, says it will honor picket lines and not cross them.

It appeared, however, that garbage workers were on the job Monday.

“I’m feeling we’re going to work,” said one driver reporting to work Monday. “I don’t want to strike. I really don’t.”

At a Seattle yard where garbage trucks are parked, there were new security measures in place Monday – barbed wire and extra security guards – as there has been rumors the company could lock out drivers.
Read the complete source story here.

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Durham School Bus Workers Join Teamsters Union
Posted: June 18, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
School bus drivers and monitors with Durham School Services in Grandview, Mo., have voted to join Teamsters Local 838, uniting for respect and better working conditions. There are 93 workers in the bargaining unit.

“I’m very happy that we are Teamsters!” said Sakethia Humphrey, a monitor. “I’ve been with the company for more than five years and I want us to be protected on the job. We do important work transporting children.”

“I supported us becoming Teamsters so we can have the opportunity to negotiate for fair pay and health care and so we can have a voice at work,” said Jeanine Mabon, a driver.

The drivers and monitors were determined to form their union in the face of resistance by the company to their efforts to organize. The company tried to delay the union election until the fall, but the workers fought back before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and won the right to have their election in June.

The Regional Director for the NLRB ruled on May 14 that “it is appropriate to conduct an election as soon as practical rather than delaying the conduct of the election until the fall after the start of the 2012-2013 school year.”

“We welcome these workers to the Teamsters and we look forward to getting them on the road to better wages, benefits and treatment,” said Billy Thompson, President of Local 838 in Kansas City, Mo.

Durham is a subsidiary of National Express Group, a large multinational corporation based in the United Kingdom.

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 34,000 drivers, monitors, aides, attendants and mechanics have become Teamsters.

For more information on the Drive Up Standards campaign, go to www.driveupstandards.org

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Teamster Leaders Stand Together To Fight Republic/Allied
Posted: June 15, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Leaders of Teamster local unions that represent Republic/Allied Waste workers met in Chicago on June 13 and unanimously agreed to do whatever it takes to protect the retirement security and futures of members. The leaders also strategized on the next steps to send Republic Services a clear message that the union will not back down in this fight.

“Several of our local unions are battling Republic to save our members’ pensions,” said Bob Morales, Director of the Teamsters Solid Waste, Recycling and Related Industries Division. “Their fight is our fight.”

Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall told the more than 75 local union leaders and top officers of the union in attendance that the International Union will use all the resources available to make sure Republic/Allied members’ livelihoods are protected.

“We’re not going to sit back and let the company push our members around,” Hall said. “We need all our local unions engaged in this fight, along with Joint Councils and the International Union.”

The local union leaders unanimously pledged that they would do their part to step up the fight against the company’s attempts to steal members’ pensions.

“We need to be in this together,” said Sean M. O’Brien, an International Union Vice President and President of Local 25 in Boston. “This is a fight we have to fight.”

For more information, visit www.teamster.org/content/solid-waste

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Waste Management hires scabs, prepares to lock out Teamsters
Posted: June 15, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Waste Management would rather spend money on scabs and security than bargain fairly with its own employees in King County, Wash.

Teamsters Local 117 tells us talks broke down between recycle drivers and the company, which refused to bargain in good faith. A mediator ended the talks after the company ignored the Teamsters' proposal.

Meanwhile, Waste Management flew in out-of state strikebreakers to prepare for a lockout. It has also hired scabs from Huffmaster, a company that specializes in lockouts and strikes.

Tracey Thompson, secretary-treasurer of Local 117, said yesterday:

Waste Management did not come prepared to bargain today. We came back to the table to avoid a public health crisis but it’s clear that Waste Management wants to provoke a labor dispute. 

Waste Management is spending thousands of dollars on wages, plane tickets, rental cars, and hotel rooms for out-of-state strike breakers and security guards. That’s money that could be used to match proposals made by its major competitors.

Local 117 says if the company locks out its workers, King County’s landfill system will be disrupted when trucks begin stacking up at county transfer stations.

A lockout would also put replacement drivers on the road who don't know the area.  In 2007, when Waste Management locked out 500 sanitation workers in Oakland, Calif., garbage piled up in East Bay communities for nearly a month.

Said Thompson,

We want to keep bargaining to avoid a labor dispute. This community should not have to suffer because a $13 billion dollar company like Waste Management wants to turn a higher profit.

Read more about the dispute here.

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Contract talks break down between Waste Management, Teamsters
Posted: June 15, 2012
Source: q13FOX.com

Contract negotiations between Waste Management and the Teamsters union representing about 150 recycle truck drivers broke down Thursday, increasing the possibility of a strike or lockout that could affect pickups starting next week.

The contract between the company and Teamsters Local 117 expired May 31. The company said it had agreed to extend a ratification deadline for its last offer until Sunday, June 17, an agreed to meet again on Thursday at the union’s request.

“In light of the union’s request to meet, we were especially surprised that the union came to the bargaining table without creative solutions designed to reach an agreement,” Waste Management said in a statement. “In fact, they refused to offer anything.

“Furthermore, the union informed the federal mediator they were not inclined to vote the agreement this weekend,” said Mary Evans, spokesperson for Waste Management. “Today’s lack of action is extremely disappointing. The union appears more interested in public media displays and the threat of customer service disruptions rather than allowing employees to vote our generous offer.”

The company said its last, six-year contract offer included wage and benefits increases averaging more than 4 percent a year, plus a $2,000 ratification bonus to each employee upon contract acceptance by June 17.

The Teamsters said, however, that the contract on the table is not on par with their garbage truck driver counterparts. The union said the company is preparing to lock out 150 of its recycle truck drivers and that could affect hundreds of thousands of customers.

In 2010, Waste Management workers went on strike for two days after failing to reach an agreement after the workers' contract expired.  That strike affected more than 1 million customers.
Read the complete source story here.

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Hostess faces expiration date
Posted: June 14, 2012
Source: The New York Post
With the clock ticking, creditors of bankrupt Hostess Brands and its unions remain far apart on a deal to save the company from liquidation. Creditors, led by hedge fund Silver Point, on Tuesday rejected the latest plan from the Teamsters union to reorganize the company, and countered with a new plan that is unlikely to bridge the divide, sources said.

“It’s pretty far from what the Teamsters would likely find acceptable,” according to one source.

The creditors have provided a $75 million loan to Hostess, the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, to allow it to operate in bankruptcy. Lenders could pull their financing if Hostess doesn’t hit certain financial targets.

“We’re getting closer to the end of the line,” said another source.

The two sides have been negotiating for 10 months over labor and pension concessions.

Since Hostess filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, the company and its unions have continued to lock horns. Hostess employs 18,000 workers.

Private-equity firm KPS Capital Partners offered to acquire Hostess, but both the creditors and the Teamsters rejected that bid.

It is possible that KPS could re-enter the picture if the two sides reach a compromise, said a source.
Read the complete soruce sory here

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Informational pickets raised at Waste Management
Posted: June 14, 2012
Source: The Stand
With the labor agreement between Waste Management and Teamsters Local 117 expired as of May 31, Waste Management appears to be preparing to lockout its 150 recycle and yard waste drivers, a move that would severely disrupt service to hundreds of thousands of residential customers and businesses throughout our region.

“Instead of bargaining fairly as its competitor has, Waste Management is aggressively preparing to lockout recycle and yard waste drivers, which will disrupt service and put our communities at risk,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117.

Over the past several weeks, Waste Management has been bringing in its Green Team, a cadre of replacement workers from around the country.  Just today, Waste Management required all drivers to hand over their trucks to management and prevented drivers from bringing their trucks onto Company property.  Some drivers were prohibited from performing a proper post-trip inspection as required by federal law.  The company is conducting a job fair this weekend and has installed barricades, temporary flood lights and barbed wire fencing around its facilities.  An outside security firm is also on site.  Waste Management engaged in similar tactics prior to locking out 500 workers for nearly a month in Oakland in 2007.

Teamsters, Local 117 has filed numerous unfair labor practice charges over the Company’s unilateral changes in working conditions without negotiating with the Union, direct dealing, and violating employees’ rights to engage in protected, concerted activity.
Read the complete source story here.

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Get Ready For Charlotte, NC and the TNBC 37th Annual Conference
Posted: June 13, 2012
Source: GOTNBC.com
The Teamsters National Black Caucus will hold its 37th Annual Educational Conference in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference will take place from August 15 to August 19 at the Charlotte Marriott City Center, located at 100 West Trade Street in Charlotte.

If you are an early bird, click the link below to reserve your room now. Your check-in and check-out dates as well as the TNBC group code are already entered, guaranteeing you the special negotiated rate.

When making your reservations, please keep in mind that August 14 and August 19 are travel days, no conference activities are planned for those days.

• Click here to register for the conference
• Click here to reserve your room today
• Click here to place an ad in the conference journal

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Teamsters: Gov. Daniels Wrong About Public Sector Unions
Posted: June 12, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Today, the Teamsters Union denounced remarks made by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels during his appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” when he called for the elimination of all public sector unions. Daniels maintained that government “works better” without unions.

“Gov. Daniels’ opinion on the value of public sector unions is insulting to the men and women that work hard every day to strengthen our communities across the country,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “His views do not reflect the beliefs of the millions of people who fought against the attacks on the public sector in Wisconsin and Ohio.”

While Ohioans successfully fought off an attempt to strip more than 350,000 public employees of their bargaining rights last year when they defeated SB 5, Indianans have not been so lucky. In 2005, Daniels signed an executive order eliminating collective bargaining rights for public sector workers and under his stewardship they have seen their wages decline while the costs of their benefits rise.

“From the first day he took office, Gov. Daniels has targeted public sector unions and the hardworking men and women that teach our children, fight our fires and protect us from criminals,” said Brian Buhle, International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 135 in Indianapolis. “This is just another example of right-wing rhetoric designed to pit middle-class workers against one another. We must continue to fight back against these attacks on workers.”                 

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Teamsters To Monitor Allied's Financial Restructuring
Posted: June 11, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The Teamsters Union will continue to closely monitor Allied’s financial restructuring efforts after the company announced on June 10 a new Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to carry out a financial restructuring aimed at reducing its debt.

In a June 10 news release and letters to employees, Allied said the goal of the final phase of restructuring is to eliminate debt, strengthen the company’s balance sheet while continuing normal operations and serving customers and maintain current pay and compensation packages. The company’s move comes after two New York hedge funds tried to take control of Allied by filing involuntary Chapter 11 proceeding against Allied on May 17, 2012.

“We will continue to monitor the situation at Allied carefully and we will be in touch with management to make sure the interests of our members are protected,” said Roy Gross, Director of the Teamsters Car Haul Division. “We will have a team of experts, with financial, legal and strategic bankruptcy experience, to advise the union and keep our members informed throughout the process. Our message to our members remains the same: keep working as usual.”

The company said the company's terminals and locations will continue to operate as usual, and that employees will continue to be paid without interruption.

Read Allied’s news release and letter to employees. For more information, visit  www.teamster.org/content/carhaul

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elected officials and candidates visit davis wire strike line
Posted: June 11, 2012
Source: Teamsters117.org
Thank you to the many elected officials and political candiates who have shown tremendous generosity and support of striking Teamsters at Davis Wire. 

Many have spent hours on the strike line, carried picket signs, brought coffee, donuts, and even full meals to the striking workers. Your support has been inspiring and helped build hope that the company will do the right thing and treat its workers fairly. 

It also shows that many of our political leaders do indeed care about labor and are willing to take to the front lines to fight to improve conditions for working families.  

Our heartfelt thanks to the following candidates and elected officials:

• House Majority Leader, Representative Pat Sullivan (47th LD)
• Representative Dave Upthegrove (33rd LD)
• Representative Tina Orwall (33rd LD)
• Representative Bob Hasegawa (11th LD)
• Senator Craig Pridemore (49th LD)
• Senator Conway (29th LD)
• Bud Sizemore (47th legislative district candidate)
• Geoff Simpson (former Representative of the 47th LD)
• Bobby Virk (11th legislative district candidate) - THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING MULTIPLE MEALS!
• Rich Hildreth (former Mayor of the City of Pacific)
• Dana Kronick Ralph, Kent City Council
• Joe Fitzgibbon (34th LD)
• Mike Sells (38th LD)

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10 terrifying facts about the economy
Posted: June 10, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
We rely on Business Insider for these. What's truly scary is that Business Insider offers 60 more terrifying facts about the economy. You can read them all here. But since it's Saturday we'll just mention 10:

1. An average of 23 manufacturing facilities permanently shut down in the United States every single day during 2010.
2. 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be "low income" or are living in poverty.
3. 63 percent of all Americans believe that the U.S. economic model is broken.
4. The middle class continues to shrink - 95 percent of the jobs lost during the last recession were middle class jobs.
5. A Jeep Grand Cherokee that costs $27,490 in the United States costs about $85,000 in China thanks to all the tariffs.
6. America is losing half a million jobs to China every single year.
7. 40 million more U.S. jobs could be sent offshore over the next two decades if current trends continue.
8. Overall, there are more than 100 million working age Americans that do not currently have jobs.
9. Our trade deficit with China in 2011 was $295.5 billion.  That was the largest trade deficit that one country has had with another country in the history of the planet.
10. Today, the 9 largest banks in the United States have a total of more than 200 trillion dollars of exposure to derivatives.  When the derivatives market completely collapses there won't be enough money in the entire world to fix it.

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School Bus Drivers, Teamsters Rally at Napa Valley Vineyard
Posted: June 10, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
School bus drivers with Cook-Illinois Corporation and Teamsters Joint Council 7 held a rally today at Benessere Vineyards in Napa Valley to call on its owner, John Benish Sr., to stop squashing Illinois school bus workers’ rights.

Benish is CEO of Cook-Illinois Corporation, the nation’s sixth largest school bus company.

Cook-Illinois school bus drivers and Teamsters rallied outside Benish’s picturesque St. Helena, Calif. vineyard, calling on him to respect school bus workers’ rights and bus safety, while raising public awareness of their concerns. 

“Mr. Benish bought this $4.4 million vineyard on the backs of school bus drivers. We are here today to let him and everyone know that the worker abuses and safety issues at Cook-Illinois have to stop. He needs to do right by us and the kids we transport,” said Hazel Robinson, a driver with RichLee Vans, a subsidiary of Cook-Illinois in Arlington Heights, Ill.

“It’s important that we let the head of this company know we need humane treatment, respect and to be allowed to form a union without repercussions at our job sites,” said Bob Hollenback, a driver for Cook County School Bus, a Cook-Illinois subsidiary in Arlington Heights.

“I’m here to show my Teamster support for the Cook-Illinois school bus drivers. We all need to stand together because together we are stronger!” said Maria Lopez, a Durham School Services driver and member of Teamsters Local 853 in San Leandro, Calif.

Outside Benessere Vineyards’ “Garage Sale Wine Event”, dozens of Cook-Illinois drivers and Teamsters gathered by the Teamsters Joint Council 7 truck. They handed informational leaflets to the public that read, “This Vineyard’s Owner Squashes Bus Workers’ Rights” and chanted, “Mr. Benish, don’t hide behind your wine. Respect your workers--it’s about time!”

“We are proud as Teamsters to stand in solidarity with the hardworking Cook-Illinois drivers who are seeking justice and accountability from their employer,” said Rome Aloise, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7 and International Vice President.

Teamsters Local 777 and Joint Council 25 in northern Illinois have been fighting hard to bring justice to school bus workers at Cook-Illinois. The company employs approximately 2,200 workers at 14 subsidiaries in northern Illinois.

School bus drivers and Illinois communities have expressed concerns over the company’s school bus safety and maintenance record. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued 56 violations of federal and state vehicle safety regulations against Cook-Illinois and its subsidiaries since 2007.
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Teamsters Military Assistance Program
Posted: June 8, 2012
Source: Teamster Magazine
Rich Garcia is a rarity in the construction industry. He’s had steady work for 26 years. Recently, his longevity has been thanks to an innovative Teamster initiative called the Teamsters Military Assistance Program (TMAP).

“Using the Teamsters Military Assistance Program enabled me to find a full-time job after my military service, enhance my skills and keep working enough to put food on the table for my family for years.”

This sums up the experience that Garcia, a member of Local 142 in Gary, Ind., has had since he relied upon the guidance of the TMAP. TMAP is associated with the Helmets to Hardhats program, which the Teamsters has been actively involved in for years, and provides employment assistance to military veterans for jobs in the construction industry.

“I’ve had friends in the military who have had trouble finding work once they returned from their tours of duty and my first recommendation to them is that they contact TMAP,” Garcia said. “When I completed my training I was having a lot of difficulty finding work, even though I had truck driving experience. The Teamsters who run TMAP were able to help me out almost immediately.”

Garcia was in the military from 1986-1992 as a combat engineer out of Fort Dix, N.J. He performed maintenance on Hummer vehicles and other heavy equipment. He was basically responsible for anything with wheels.

“My military training gave me the groundwork to be responsible and take charge,” Garcia said.

Even though he had truck-driving experience in the military, TMAP recommended that he take program-sponsored classes for the hauling and handling of hazardous materials. He also took courses to be certified to operate a boom truck. These choices turned out to be assets which helped him get steady full-time work.

Recently, Garcia has been working full time on a construction job at the BP oil refinery in Whiting, Ind. He operates a tri-axle dump truck and a school bus used to shuttle employees to and from the refinery. Originally constructed in 1889, the refinery has been undergoing a modernization process since 2008. New infrastructure elements (an enlarged barge unloading facility and a 47-acre contractor trailer complex) have been part of the improvements.

Values Learned on the Job
Garcia credits his prior training in the military and his membership in the Teamsters with his ability to find full-time work, which allows him to provide for his family as a single parent.
Read the complete source story here.

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Locked Out Republic Services Workers Extend Picket Line To Long Beach
Posted: June 8, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Sanitation workers who have been locked out of their jobs by Republic Services/Allied Waste (NYSE: RSG) in Evansville, Ind. extended their picket line to a Republic hauling yard and transfer station in Long Beach, Calif. early this morning. The workers are not on strike — their picket line is a protest in response to Republic’s lockout.

The picketers carried signs that read “I AM A MAN,” a replica of the signs carried by sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn. in 1968. Those workers, who were joined by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the picket line before he was assassinated, were fighting for respect and fair treatment on the job after two co-workers were killed by unsafe equipment.

About 300 workers who work at Republic’s Long Beach facilities, and who are members of Teamsters Local Union 396, chose to support their locked-out brothers and sisters by voluntarily honoring the picket line this morning.

On May 8, Republic locked out 80 of its workers who are members of Teamsters Local 215 in Evansville, in an attempt to force the workers into giving up their pensions. Local 215 had been in negotiations for a new contract with Republic since March 2.

“Republic is trying to starve these workers into agreeing to give up their pension plan and put their families’ futures at risk. While the company has guaranteed $23 million for its CEO’s family should he die or be injured on the job, local workers are being treated like trash,” said Chuck Whobrey, President of Teamsters Local 215.

“These workers perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the country to protect our community’s health day in and day out. They don’t get much recognition, but they deserve a secure retirement,” said Robert Morales, Director of the Teamsters Solid Waste, Recycling and Related Industries Division.

Republic Services/Allied Waste is America’s second largest solid waste and recycling company. In 2011, Republic earned $8.2 billion in revenues and declared profits of $589 million, up 15 percent per share from 2010.

On May 17 Republic Services held its annual shareholder meeting, where the Teamsters Union spoke out against Republic’s estimated $23 million in benefits earmarked for the estate of Republic President and CEO Donald Slager should he die or become disabled during employment.

“We have been trying to negotiate with Republic but they have refused. We have presented different pension options, but it appears that the company is set on stealing its workers’ pension while financing its CEO's $23 million death benefit,” Whobrey said.

The Teamsters represent approximately 9,000 employees at Republic Services and its subsidiaries at more than 150 facilities throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/RepublicServicesTeamsters and follow us on Twitter at @repubteamsters.

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Republic Airways Teamsters Share Plight About Company's Attacks on Workforce
Posted: June 8, 2012
source: Teamster.org
Teamster pilots, flight attendants and mechanics who work at Republic Airways—which provides regional jet passenger service for mainline U.S. carriers—distributed fliers today at 10 airports nationwide to educate the flying public about the company’s ongoing attacks on its employees. View photos from this event.

Republic flies for American, Delta, United and US Airways, and a series of bad management decisions and antagonistic labor relations at Republic is hurting this important part of airline service. Today’s hand billing took place at airports in Houston, Indianapolis, Newark, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Columbus, and Dulles, Virginia.

“Republic’s poor management decisions have demoralized its workers and has caused tremendous anger and resentment among pilots, flight attendants and mechanics,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “We want the flying public to know this because at some point it could impact travel.”

“Our pilots are tired of waiting on management to do the right thing for their employees,” said Craig Moffatt, a Republic pilot who is President of Teamsters Local 357 in Plainfield Ind. “Some of your pilots can make more waiting tables than making sure you get where you are needed, safely and on time. The company complains to us that it can’t afford to do the right thing. However, their show and tell for Wall Street says that they can. This goes beyond pay though. This is about honesty, fairness and respect.”

The problems at Republic include: 

• There is a serious pilot shortage and Republic continues to take actions to make it worse;

• In some cases, pilot pay and working conditions are so low that they are eligible for food stamps;

•  Aviation mechanics face management abuse and violation of their rights;

• Republic continues to delay contract negotiations with pilots and flight attendants;

• Republic took action to eliminate Frontier mechanic work and their union;

• Republic management has committed blatant violations of federal labor law. 

The hand billing activity is aimed at alerting the flying public that mismanagement is destroying morale and creating anger and resentment among Republic’s workforce. For more information, visit http://rahcontractnow.org/ and www.teamsterair.org/Republic. 

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Labor battle brewing between Teamsters, Waste Management
Posted: June 8, 2012
Source: KOMO News
SEATTLE - A new labor battle is brewing between Waste Management and some of its workers.

The company says it has made its "last, best and final offer" to 152 union employees in Teamsters Local 117 who handle recycling and food and yard waste collection throughout Puget Sound.

The union and company have been negotiating back and forth for some time, but the company now says - this is it.

Waste Management has put a final offer on the table that includes a 4 percent raise each year for the next six years - part of a total compensation package worth, on average, about $100,000 for each worker.

The union says discussions are getting so tense, the company is preparing to lock out the workers - something Waste Management denies.

Union leaders say recycling drivers make significantly less than garbage haulers, and they want to close that gap.

"It's a basic equity concept. it's equal pay for equal work. and i think everybody can understand that if you're working side by side with somebody performing exactly the same job and they're getting paid so much more than you, that's not right," said Tracey Thompson of Teamsters Local 117.

The union also says that recycling drivers have voted unanimously to authorize a strike.

Read the complete source story here.

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Waste Management moving to lock out recycle drivers
Posted: June 7, 2012
Source: The Stand
With the labor agreement between Waste Management and Teamsters Local 117 expired as of May 31, Waste Management appears to be preparing to lockout its 150 recycle and yard waste drivers, a move that would severely disrupt service to hundreds of thousands of residential customers and businesses throughout our region.

“Instead of bargaining fairly as its competitor has, Waste Management is aggressively preparing to lockout recycle and yard waste drivers, which will disrupt service and put our communities at risk,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117.

Over the past several weeks, Waste Management has been bringing in its Green Team, a cadre of replacement workers from around the country.  Just today, Waste Management required all drivers to hand over their trucks to management and prevented drivers from bringing their trucks onto Company property.  Some drivers were prohibited from performing a proper post-trip inspection as required by federal law.  The company is conducting a job fair this weekend and has installed barricades, temporary flood lights and barbed wire fencing around its facilities.  An outside security firm is also on site.  Waste Management engaged in similar tactics prior to locking out 500 workers for nearly a month in Oakland in 2007.

Teamsters, Local 117 has filed numerous unfair labor practice charges over the Company’s unilateral changes in working conditions without negotiating with the Union, direct dealing, and violating employees’ rights to engage in protected, concerted activity.

“Waste Management has demonstrated, once again, that it would rather trample its employees’ legal rights and spend tens of thousands of dollars in lockout preparations than negotiate an equitable contract for recycle drivers in our region.  I’ve repeatedly told the Company that we do not want a labor dispute.  All we want is for our recycle members to be compensated fairly,” Thompson said.

On June 2, recycle drivers responded to the company’s unlawful scare tactics with a unanimous vote to strike.  Garbage drivers at the company, represented by Teamsters Local 174, have indicated that they will support their Local 117 Brothers and Sisters in the event of a labor dispute.

In 2010, Waste Management engaged in similar tactics when the Company failed to bargain in good faith with Teamsters Local 174, which led to an unfair labor practice strike lasting 36 hours.

Teamsters Local 117 settled its recycle contracts with Allied Waste/Republic earlier this month.  After months of challenging negotiations to address a large compensation disparity between recycle and garbage drivers, Allied Waste/Republic recycle drivers overwhelmingly ratified a 5-year contract on June 2.

“Allied Waste recognized the inequities between recycle and garbage drivers, and that Company bargained a contract in good faith that both protects our communities from unrest and fairly compensates recycle drivers for their labor,” Thompson said.

“We drive the same trucks, operate the same equipment, are held to the same standards, and are often out on our routes for longer periods of time than the garbage haulers. We’re just asking for equal pay for equal work,” said Becky Colburn a yard waste recycle driver for Waste Management.

In 2010 and 2011 Waste Management reported significant profits on their recycling operations.  Waste Management posted $13.4 billion in revenues in 2011. Its 2011 net income was $961 million.

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Teamster Leaders Vote Unanimously To Open Negotiations With UPS
Posted: June 5, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamster leaders have voted unanimously to kick off negotiations Sept. 27 for the national UPS and UPS Freight contracts covering about 250,000 union members nationwide, announced Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer and Package Division Ken Hall.

The UPS contract is the largest collective bargaining agreement in the country. Negotiations will open Sept. 27 in Washington following yesterday’s unanimous vote by the national negotiating committee and local leaders gathered for the UPS and UPS Freight national grievance panels this week in Providence, R.I.

The current five-year agreements expire July 31, 2013. The UPS contract covers package delivery drivers, loaders, unloaders and sorters at UPS, as well as employees at Cartage Services Inc. The agreement with UPS Freight covers drivers, dockworkers and clerks.

Hall said starting negotiations this year means that three weeks will be dedicated this fall to address important operations issues, clearing the way to start focusing in January solely on the critical economic concerns of job security, wages, health care and pensions for both UPS and UPS Freight Teamsters.

The decision to push UPS to the bargaining table was triggered by the company’s recent strong financial performance and record profits.

“The struggling economy and the company’s recent announcements about record quarterly profits make this good timing to open negotiations,” Hall said. “We want to address operations issues now so we can concentrate next year on other important issues such as wages, health care and pensions.”

Operations issues that will be addressed this fall at the bargaining table include work preservation related to subcontracting, workload and safety and health.

“The UPS contract is the largest Teamster contract and the largest collective bargaining agreement in the nation,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “We’ve assembled a great team as we head into negotiations, and you can expect that all of the strength, power and resources of the Teamsters Union will be focused on winning strong new contracts for our members at UPS and UPS Freight.”

Hall said he expects health care to be a dominant issue in negotiations, especially with continuing rising costs, the pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Health Care for America Act and November’s presidential election.

Hall cautioned Teamsters about the impact that a victory for Republican Mitt Romney would have on health care and pension benefits for union members.

“There will be an attack on Teamster health care plans like we’ve never seen before, mark my words,” Hall said. “Romney has made it incredibly clear how he feels about labor unions.”

Hall said he recognizes the concerns of UPS Teamsters about protecting and maintaining their strong health care benefits, and he will fight at the bargaining table to preserve them.

“UPS Teamsters who are in Teamster plans now will remain in Teamster plans after negotiations,” he said.

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Paycheck Fairness Act Fails Senate Vote
Posted: June 5, 2012
Source: Huffington Post
Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a bill that would have ensured women are paid the same amount as their male counterparts.

The Senate failed to secure the 60 votes needed to advance the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have required employers to demonstrate that any salary differences between men and women doing the same work are not gender-related. The bill also would have prohibited employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with their co-workers, and would have required the Labor Department to increase its outreach to employers to help eliminate pay disparities.

The final vote was 52-47, with all Republicans opposing the bill. That included female Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Susan Collins (Maine), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Olympia Snowe (Maine).

President Barack Obama called it "incredibly disappointing" that Republicans would block a bill relating to equal pay for women.
Read the complete source story here.

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Epic Wisconsin turnout, photo finish predicted
Posted: June 5, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Turnout is huge, emotions are running high and today's recall election is expected to be thisclose.

@StuLevitan tweets that an astounding 33 percent of total registered voters came to the polls in the first four hours at Blue Hoyt School on Madison's west side. (That's not good for Scott Walker.)

@PurpleCatMama tweets (unsurprisingly) that polling numbers will be coming in between 9-10 pm, with recount lawyers standing by on both sides.

Wisconsin Teamsters were up before dawn to hold signs and flags on overpasses. Now they're phone banking to get every last Teamster vote out.
Read the complete source story here

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Locked Out Republic Services Workers Extend Picket Line Again In California
Posted: June 4, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Sanitation workers who have been locked out of their jobs by Republic Services/Allied Waste in Evansville, Ind. extended their picket line to a Republic hauling yard, landfill and recycling facility in Milpitas, Calif. early this morning. The workers are not on strike—their picket line is a protest in response to Republic’s lockout.

The picketers carried signs that read “I AM A MAN”, a replica of the signs carried by sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn. in 1968. Those workers, who were joined by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the picket line before he was assassinated, were fighting for respect and fair treatment on the job after two co-workers were killed by unsafe equipment.

More than 200 workers who work at or deliver to the Milpitas facilities chose to support their locked-out brothers and sisters by voluntarily honoring the picket line this morning. This includes the drivers, mechanics and sorters who are members of Teamsters Local 350, members of Teamsters Local 70 who drive for Republic/Allied out of Alameda County, members of Teamsters Local 350 who work for other area companies and deliver to Republic’s Milpitas facility, and members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Ironworkers Unions who are constructing a new recycling facility at the site.

Representatives from Teamsters Local 665, which does not have contracts with Republic, walked the picket line with the locked-out members of Local 215 this morning.

On May 8, Republic locked out 80 of its workers who are members of Teamsters Local 215 in Evansville, in an attempt to starve the workers into giving up their pensions. Local 215 had been in negotiations for a new contract with Republic since March 2. The workers and their union wanted to continue negotiations, but Republic locked them out instead.

“Republic is going to save millions over the next 20 years if they force their workers to move from a pension to a 401(k),” said Chuck Whobrey, President of Teamsters Local 215.

“Republic is betting on its workers not being able to afford to take money from their paychecks for retirement. And when that happens, Republic’s profits will grow even larger.”

Republic Services/Allied Waste is America’s second largest solid waste and recycling company. In 2011, Republic earned $8.2 billion in revenues and declared profits of $589 million, up 15 percent per share from 2010.

On May 17 Republic Services held its annual shareholder meeting, where the Teamsters Union spoke out against Republic’s estimated $23 million in benefits earmarked for the estate of Republic President and CEO Donald Slager should he die or become disabled during employment.

“This is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, and these workers put their bodies in harm’s way every day to protect the public health,” said Robert Morales, Director of the Teamsters Solid Waste, Recycling and Related Industries Division. “It is outrageous that the Republic CEO’s estate will get $23 million if he dies, but in the meantime the company wants to throw out the pension of the men and women who do the work that earns it millions.”

The Teamsters represent approximately 9,000 employees at Republic Services and its subsidiaries at more than 150 facilities throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

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Local 1035 Members Continue To Stand Strong Against Coca-Cola
Posted: June 1, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Members of Local 1035 continue to stand strong against Coca-Cola in East Hartford, Conn., where they have been on strike since May 16. The unit of 350 employees went on strike after negotiating with the company for nearly six months without resolution to a new contract.

Coca-Cola is trying to force the drivers, mechanics, delivery workers and plant workers to give up their Teamster health plan and join an inferior company plan. The members offered to continue to sacrifice the $2.65 that they gave up in the last round of negotiations in order to keep their current Teamster health care plan. However, the company wants to remove the unit from their plan and put the group into the company health plan and increase out-of-pocket costs for the members.

The company is also considering switching to a new distribution system which could mean the elimination of some of their jobs. All of the workers are concerned about the possibility of losing their jobs.

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The Lockout Is Over: Sotheby's Finally Resolves Dispute With Its Union Art Handlers
Posted: June 1, 2012
Source: Blouin Art Info
All the union-sympathizing auction lovers out there can rejoice — after a 10-month-long lockout of the union art handlers at Sotheby’s New York, the auction house management finally came to an agreement with the Teamsters Local 814, which represents 42 art handlers, according to Crain’s New York. The lockout was the longest in company history and sparked daily protests (occasionally assisted by the Occupy movement), caused auction disruptions, and eventually lead to a petition to end the dispute, which has been signed by 2,740 people in the last month.

The push toward a final compromise began when Sotheby’s replaced its legal representation last month, Teamsters Local 814 president Jason Ide told Crain’s. When Bob Batterman of Proskauer, who represented the NFL in its lockout of players last year, replaced counsel from Jackson Lewis, the two sides suddenly started making headway.

The deal will last three years, raise workers’ salaries 1 percent a year, lift starting salaries to $18.50, and maintain workers’ benefits. It also protects all of the union jobs that Sotheby’s had hoped to replace with temporary, non-union hires. According to Crain’s, “Sotheby’s got added flexibility on overtime and staffing issues.”

Now the real question here is… will Diana Taylor, who was recently re-elected to the Sotheby’s board, resign now that the art handlers’ demands have been met, as she threatened to do in a rather dramatic fashion last December?

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Workers Locked Out By Republic Services Extend Picket Line To West Coast
Posted: June 1, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Sanitation workers from Republic Services in Evansville, Ind. extended their picket line to a Republic facility in Richmond early this morning. The workers are not on strike – their picket line is a protest in response to Republic locking them out of their jobs. The 180 Republic workers in Richmond, members of Teamsters Local 315, refused to cross the picket line this morning.

On May 8, Republic locked out 80 of its workers who are members of Teamsters Local 215 in Evansville, Ind., in an attempt to starve the workers into giving up their pensions. Local 215 had been in negotiations for a new contract with Republic since March 2. The workers and their union wanted to continue negotiations, but Republic locked them out instead.

“Republic is going to save millions over the next 20 years if they force their workers to move from a pension to a 401(k),” said Chuck Whobrey, President of Teamsters Local 215. “These are not high-salaried workers, so many of them won’t be able to afford to take money from their paychecks for retirement. And when that happens, Republic’s profits will grow even larger.”

“Unfortunately, we are seeing a pattern here. In the last year, Republic has increasingly tried to intimidate, harass and bully its employees,” said Teamsters Solid Waste, Recycling and Related Industries Division Director Robert Morales. “Back in March, Republic Services workers in Alabama were forced to strike in response to Republic’s labor law violations, which included backing out of a negotiated contract with Teamsters Local 991 in Mobile.”

Republic Services/Allied Waste is America’s second largest solid waste and recycling company. In 2011, Republic earned $8.2 billion in revenues and declared profits of $589 million, up 15 percent per share from 2010.

On May 17 Republic Services held its annual shareholder meeting, where the Teamsters Union spoke out against Republic’s estimated $23 million in benefits earmarked for the estate of Republic President and CEO Donald Slager should he die or become disabled during employment.

“This is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, and these workers put their bodies in harm’s way every day to protect the public health,” continued Whobrey.  “It is offensive that the Republic CEO’s estate will get $23 million if he dies, and in the meantime the company wants to throw out the pension of the men and women who do the work that earns it millions.”

The Teamsters represent approximately 9,000 employees at Republic Services and its subsidiaries at more than 150 facilities throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/RepublicServicesTeamsters and follow us on Twitter at @repubteamsters.

 

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