Local #174's Union News

Hoffa Rallies Toledo Teamsters, AFSCME Members to Get Out the Vote
Posted: October 12, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and AFSCME President Lee Saunders called on hundreds of members of the Teamsters and AFSCME to get out the vote on Nov. 6 and do their part to protect the middle class during a rally today at Teamsters Local 20 in Toledo, Ohio. 

Hoffa urged the crowd to take action and vote for candidates that support working families in Ohio and support Issue 2 – an amendment on the November ballot that creates a set of common sense redistricting rules that require fair representation by both parties while making sure the average citizen’s voice is heard.

“This is the most important election for working families in 30 years,” Hoffa said. “We can either sit on the sidelines and watch pro-worker, pro-labor candidates like Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Rep. Betty Sutton lose their races because of a rigged system or we can get out the vote to pass Issue 2 and make sure our candidates stay in office and protect the collective bargaining rights of both public and private union members.”

Saunders called on all Ohioans to do their part in November.

“We all know that Ohio is key to this election,” Saunders said. “No Republican presidential candidate has ever won without the Buckeye state. So here’s where we draw a line in the sand to stop Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.”

Hoffa also voiced his support for President Barack Obama in his bid for reelection.

“We hear all this rhetoric from the other side claiming that President Obama has failed us, has failed to lead during one of the worst financial crises our country has ever seen,” Hoffa said. “But Ohioans know better – they’ve seen jobs come back to the state, the auto industry revitalized. We know the truth and we’re going to vote to keep this recovery on track!”

Bill Lichtenwald, President of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters and Teamsters Local 20, stressed how important Issue 2 is to working families.

“For too Long Ohio’s politicians have manipulated redistricting to affect the outcome of elections and protect their jobs,” Lichtenwald said. “Voting for Issue 2 will make sure that they can’t rig the system anymore and we can elect cadidates that have our interests at heart.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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Teamsters, AFSCME leaders also tout Issue 2 in local visit featuring James Hoffa
Posted: October 12,2012
Source: Toledo Blade
Two of the nation’s most powerful union leaders joined local labor officials Thursday at a rally urging their members to approve Issue 2 and keep President Obama in the White House.

James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, spoke to about 150 local union members outside the Teamsters Local 20 hall on South Hawley Street.

The union leaders, who rallied around the same causes earlier Thursday in Cincinnati, told the crowd in Toledo that Ohio is a battleground state and President Obama will fight for the issues that are important to the working, middle-class families in Ohio and across the country.

“Mitt Romney, I got some bad news for you,” Mr. Hoffa said. “You ain’t going to win Ohio and you ain’t going to be president.”
Read the complete source story here.

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Support striking Wal-Mart workers
Posted: October 11, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
We just received this message from Kim Bobo, executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice. We'll just pass it along to you:

This week, workers from 12 different states walked off the job and joined allies in protest of Walmart's poor wages and working conditions at the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. 

Walmart workers are promising more actions and walkouts on Black Friday (the busiest shopping day of the year) calling on the company to stop retaliating against workers for speaking out and demanding respect. People of faith promise to support workers and hold solidarity actions at Walmart stores across the country. 

Click here to help organize or join an action at a Walmart near you! 

Right now, IWJ supporters and affiliates are preparing solidarity actions supporting the workers on Black Friday: bringing delegations to deliver a letter to a store manager, hosting a prayer vigil outside, or organizing a flash mob inside the store! 

Click here to join IWJ affiliates leading flash mobs and prayer vigils at local Walmart stores.

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Judge Rips Up Union Contracts for Twinkie Makers
Posted: October 11, 2012
Source: In These Times
A bankruptcy judge turned the screws even tighter on workers at Hostess Brands last week, giving corporate managers the right to unilaterally cut wages and benefits for the thousands of men and women who make the Twinkies, Wonder Bread and other baked goods that have made the company famous.

Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., handed down his sentence against the workers on October 4. His action was intended to force other unions to follow the lead of the Teamsters union, which reluctantly acquiesced to draconian contract cuts at Hostess last month. 

The decision endangers the livelihoods of thousands of workers at Hostess, including about 5,000 members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), some 200 members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM), and smaller groups of workers represented by four other unions.

BCTGM members are being indirectly punished for a rank-and-file vote last month in which they rejected a draconian contract offer that would eliminate jobs, cut wages, slash benefits and end pensions. BCTGM President Frank Hurt announced in mid-September that 92 percent of union members had voted against the offer in local union meetings held across the country.

“Our members reviewed the analysis of this company’s business plan provided by a highly respected financial analyst retained by the company which showed the plan had little or no chance of succeeding in saving the business but would provide the investors with a windfall. Our members know that this is a company that is controlled by Wall Street private equity and hedge fund firms, whose sole objective is to maximize their own returns, not rebuild the company for the long haul,” Hurt stated.
Read the complete source story here.

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Teamsters, UPS Get an Early Jump on Contract Talks for 250,000+ Workers
Posted: October 10, 2012
Source: We Party Patriots
Ten months before their contract with UPS is up, the Teamsters are beginning negotiations that will cover the 250,000 workers operating under the current contract. That contract, tumultuously negotiated in 1997 amidst a costly and bitter strike, is what representatives from both sides hope not to mimic. Both parties want a tentative agreement in place by March 31st, 2013.

According to the Teamsters website, there are many issues that need to be covered in the upcoming months if UPS hopes to have a tentative agreement by the hoped-for date:

Teamsters leaders say they want to address the issue of harassment by UPS supervisors and they want an agreement on restrictions on the use of U.S. Mail. For the UPS Freight Division, the use of subcontractors is about 100 percent likely to come up.

The UPS contract is the largest collective bargaining agreement in the United States. In a statement, Teamsters President Jim Hoffa told UPS:

“UPS and UPS Freight Teamsters are the best in the world-they are productive and dedicated. They deserve the best pay and benefits in the industry. We know the company is doing quite well, and so we intend to address protecting and improving their health care, pensions and wages.”

Read the complete source story here.

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Mitt Romney's anti-union rant
Posted: October 10, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation

Here's something every union member should see before casting a vote for president of the United States.

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Wal-Mart retail strike spreads to 12 cities today
Posted: October 10, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Unrest is continuing to spread at Wal-Mart as employees walked off the job in 12 stores. This follows the first multi-store strike on Thursday, when workers at two stores stopped work for the day.

Last week's action was the first time ever Wal-Mart workers went out on strike.

Huffington Post tells us:

... workers are now walking off the job in Dallas, Seattle, the Bay Area, Miami, the Washington D.C. area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Chicago and Orlando, in addition to cities in Kentucky, Missouri and Minnesota.

A total of 88 workers from 28 various stores went on strike today...

Read the source story here.

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Hoffa Compares Mitt Romney to the Fuller Brush Salesman
Posted: October 10, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, joins Stephanie to weigh in on the latest jobs numbers and the presidential debate. Feeling optimistic after the release of the September unemployment report, Hoffa says that the good news “keeps momentum going into the election.”

Stephanie and Hoffa also discuss the debate. Stephanie says that “you feel new sympathy for the president” because he could not debate Romney with all of his flip-flopping. Hoffa says that Mitt Romney is “like the guy selling you a Fuller brush. … You are dealing with a salesman, and the president needs to ramp up for that approach.”

View the video here.

To hear Hoffa’s entire interview with Stephanie Miller, click here.

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The Shrinking Of Our Middle Class Is No Accident
Posted: October 10, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
By James P. Hoffa, General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Published in The Detroit News on October 10, 2012

If you’re lucky enough to have a job, but you feel like you’re working harder than ever, your paycheck is shrinking and your bills are piling up – well, you’re right.

You’re feeling the effects of inequality in America. Last year, the gap between rich and poor Americans was the widest in 40 years.

The earnings gap in the U.S. actually surpassed income inequality in Rwanda, Uganda and Kazakhstan.

Our country is experiencing a crisis of wealth redistribution. It has one cause: corporate America has accumulated staggering amounts of wealth. That, in turn, gave it control over our government.

Americans believe people should have the opportunity to move up and work their way into the middle class. Our country is supposed to be one where people who aren’t born into wealth and privilege can work hard, get an education and create a good life for themselves and their families.

But the American ideal of every generation doing better than the last is on life support. We don’t even need to look to Rwanda, Uganda and Kazakhstan to get a cruel reality check.

Read the rest of President Hoffa's editorial here.

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Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee, ABF Announce Bargaining To Begin In December
Posted: October 10, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee (TNFINC) and ABF Freight System announced today that negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement will begin on December 18, 2012.

“We look forward to negotiating a strong contract for our members that will protect them into the future,” said Gordon Sweeton, International Vice President and Co-Chair of TNFINC. “Our members deserve a safe workplace, good wages, strong health care and a secure retirement.”

The current agreement expires on March 31, 2013.

“Teamsters are the safest and most productive workers in the industry,” added Tyson Johnson, International Vice President and National Freight Director. “We look forward to negotiating a contract that will recognize their contributions.”

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Thank You Local 174 Shop Stewards
and Congratulations Scholarship Winners!

Posted: October 9, 2012
Story by Jeff Sullivan
Photos by Gabby Jacobsen

On September 22, 2012 Local 174 held a Shop Steward Appreciation dinner. This dinner recognized our stewards for the hard work they do every day on the shop floor in the never-ending fight for social and economic justice for all. A great time was had by all and the winners of the 2012 Teamsters Local 174 George Cavano Annual Scholarship were announced.

Secretary Treasurer Rick Hicks presented to the stewards and their guests with the background of George Cavano who held the position of Secretary Treasurer of Local 174 from 1952 until his retirement in 1975. Cavano was instrumental in many of the benefits we enjoy today. He was referred by many as the “Father of the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan” which was established in 1955.

Secretary Treasurer Hicks then announced and presented the following individuals with scholarship checks and certificates.

Melanie Perez attending the University of Washington received a scholarship in the amount of $1000 and was accompanied by parents Mario and Gricelda. Gricelda is a current UPS part time employee at Boeing Field.

Trevor Houle attending the University of Washington received a scholarship in the amount of $2000 and was accompanied by his father Colin and his grandfather Daniel. Colin is a current employee at DHL.

Renee Sullivan is attending Arizona State University received a scholarship in the amount of $2000. Renee was unable to attend, however Business Agent Tim Allen was able to utilize new technology and contact her via Skype. In attendance on her behalf and accepting her check and certificate were her grandparents Francis and Hilda Sullivan. Francis is a retired member of Local 174 where he was employed and delivered ice cream for many years as an employee of the Carnation Company.

Conner Valadez is attending Eastern Washington University and received a scholarship in the amount of $2500. Conner was also unable to attend. Tim Allen also contacted Conner via Skype to present the award. In attendance on his behalf were parents Eric and Angie Simpson. Eric is a current employee of Scarsella Brothers.

Local 174 would like to congratulate Melanie Perez, Trevor Houle, Renee Sullivan and Conner Valadez as the recipients of the inaugural scholarships in honor and memory of long serving Local 174 Secretary Treasurer George Cavano.

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UPS, Teamsters start contract talks
Posted: October 9, 2012
Source: The Press-Enterprise
The largest unionized bargaining group in the country — which also happens to be a major employer in Inland Southern California — started talking about a new contract late last month.

UPS and the Teamsters are still almost a full 10 months away from the expiration of their contracts. But the two sides began negotiations on Sept. 27, and both sides are hoping they can settle their differences by coming up with a tentative agreement by March 31, 2013.

There are 250,000 Teamsters workers in the country covered by the current UPS contract, a five-year deal. In addition to the UPS employees one sees delivering items to homes and businesses, the company runs its West Coast freight hub out of Ontario International Airport.

On its website, Teamsters leaders say they want to address the issue of harassment by UPS supervisors and they want an agreement on restrictions on the use of U.S. Mail. For the UPS Freight Division, the use of subcontractors is about 100 percent likely to come up.

If it sounds strange to start negotiations so far in advance, it must be remembered that the 1997 strike between UPS and the Teamsters was a very bitter and costly one.
Read the complete source story here.

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War on Workers moves to Calif. from Wisco
Posted: October 9, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation

Resistance fighters in the War on Workers.

California Teamsters are fighting hard against an attempt to destroy workers rights through the ballot. Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa traveled to Los Angeles and San Jose over the weekend to lead rallies against Proposition 32.

The Center for Media and Democracy explains:

The fight to dismantle America's unions has moved from Wisconsin to California. This time, billionaires and big business are attempting to use California's referendum mechanism to bar all unions from using money deducted from employee paychecks for political purposes... 

...with some $43 million being spent by unions, and election day still four weeks away, the current life and death battle for the right to organize a union may dwarf all that came before...

...While the language is made to sound evenhanded, the measure is a thinly veiled attack on the only institution that systematically collects its funding via payroll deduction -- unions. You can ban churches and liquor stores from collecting contributions in little baskets, but when only one entity does it, only one entity is going to be wiped out. 

The California Labor Fed exposes the big money (pretending to represent small business) behind Prop. 32:

...the deceptively named “Stop Special Interest Money” Act is now being funded by an equally deceptively named front group, the Small Business Action Committee (SBAC), which has dropped millions into Prop 32, the ballot measure that leading newspapers call “a fraud,” “a cynical ploy” and “a deceptive sham”  because it would silence the voices of workers while giving corporate special interests even more power and influence. 

Here's how much some of the "small businesspeople" gave to SBAC:

• $19,949,560 from Charles Munger Jr., who’s given millions to the state and county Republican parties, and also bankrolls a California Super PAC called “Spirit of Democracy.” Munger has spent more than $22 million on California elections in recent years, and would still be able to do so if Prop 32 passes.
• $550,000 from retired Univision CEO Jerrold Perenchio, another one of the largest individual donors in California politics. He’s also the Founder and Chair of Chatwell Partners LLC, an investment firm that would be exempt from Proposition 32.
• $350,000 from the New Majority PAC, which would in itself be exempt, and its contributors, which include real estate developers, hedge fund managers, venture capitalists, wealthy individuals and other major contributors, would also be exempt under Prop 32
• $300,000 from private equity manager John Murray Pasquesi, whose Otter Capital LLC would be exempt under Prop 32
• $1,000,000 from hedge fund executive William Oberndorf,  who has given almost a million to the California Republican Party in recent years. He’s also the head of two large companies that are exempt from Proposition 32.

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Calif. Teamsters out in force against Prop 32
Posted: October 8, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Hundreds of Teamsters rallied yesterday against Proposition 32, the heinous ballot question that would take away workers' rights to political speech.

Dubbed the "Billionaires' Bill of Rights," the campaign for Prop. 32 receives millions in support from the super-rich, including $4 million from the Koch brothers.

Teamsters already registered more than 25,000 new voters from their ranks -- roughly 10 percent of the entire Teamster membership in California.

This weekend's rallies were aimed at mobilizing Teamsters who will receive absentee ballots this week.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa traveled to Los Angeles and San Jose to urge his brothers and sisters to fight hard against the attack on workers. A press release tells us,

"Proposition 32 is an attack on union workers by the same anti-union, corporate special interests that have waged war against organized labor across the country since the beginning of 2011,” Hoffa said. “Everything that Prop. 32 represents must be defeated here and now – California is the frontline of this battle. If we allow this anti-worker measure to go forward, it could spread across the country, further weakening our middle class.”

In Los Angeles, International Vice President Randy Cammack told members of Local 396,

Prop. 32, at its core, is an attack on workers, plain and simple. Prop. 32’s supporters disguised their attack as a ‘reform’ measure, but everyone from major newspaper editorial boards to good-government groups all agree that Prop 32 is not at all what it seems. (Cammack is also president of Joint Council 42 in Southern California.)

International Vice President Rome Aloise spoke to San Jose Teamsters (he's president of Joint Council 7 in Northern California).

Proposition 32 is bad for California’s families, communities and middle class. We must all join together to make sure that Proposition 32 is defeated in November.

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Hoffa Rallies Teamsters In L.A., San Jose To Vote ‘No On Prop 32'
Posted: October 8, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa traveled across California to attend union rallies in Los Angeles and San Jose and get out the vote to defeat Proposition 32, a measure that seeks to prohibit unions from having a voice in politics while creating exemptions that would give more power to corporate special interests. View a gallery of more photos from the event, here.

Pushed under the guise of campaign finance reform to “stop special interests,” Proposition 32 is specifically aimed at crippling unions while allowing corporate special interests to continue their free-wheeling spending through Super PACs. Hoffa spent Thursday and Friday visiting members at worksites in Los Angeles to help them understand the dangers the measure represents and why they should vote “No On Prop 32”.

“Proposition 32 is an attack on union workers by the same anti-union, corporate special interests that have waged war against organized labor across the country since the beginning of 2011,” Hoffa said. “Everything that Prop. 32 represents must be defeated here and now – California is the frontline of this battle. If we allow this anti-worker measure to go forward, it could spread across the country, further weakening our middle class.”

In rallies in Los Angles and San Jose, Teamster leaders joined Hoffa to denounce the Proposition 32 and educate hundreds of members about what the measure truly represents.

“Prop 32, at its core, is an attack on workers, plain and simple,” said Randy Cammack, International Vice President and President of Joint Council 42 in Los Angeles. “Prop. 32’s supporters disguised their attack as a ‘reform’ measure, but everyone from major newspaper editorial boards to good-government groups all agree that Prop 32 is not at all what it seems.”

Teamsters Locals and Joint Councils statewide have registered more than 25,000 new voters from their union ranks - roughly 10 percent of the entire Teamster membership in California. The rallies were scheduled for this weekend to help mobilize Teamster members across the state that will receive their absentee ballots this week.

“Proposition 32 is bad for California’s families, communities and middle class,” said Rome Aloise, International Vice President and President of Joint Council 7. “We must all join together to make sure that Proposition 32 is defeated in November.”

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Hoffa Talks About Presidential Election And Romney On MSNBC
Posted: October 6, 2012
Source: Teamster.org

Jim Hoffa,Teamsters General President, told viewers of The Ed Schultz Show "We know who the real Mitt Romney is". The show was broadcast live from Local 630.

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Online 'Buy American' store opens
Posted: October 6, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
If we can make it here, we should buy it here.

That's the philosophy of the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA), which opened its online Buy American store yesterday. Now, with the click of a mouse, you can buy Made-in-America products from clothing and chairs to pistols and beef.

The CPA is a coalition of American workers, farmers, manufacturers and ranchers. The news release they issued yesterday shows they're something different.
Read complete source story here.

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Union Drive Registers 450,000 New Voters
Posted: October 5, 2012
Source: AFL-CIO Now
More than 450,000 new voters from union households may be going to the polls Nov. 6 thanks to an ongoing voter registration drive by the union movement, says AFL-CIO Political Director Mike Podhorzer.

We're really proud that more union members are going to be engaged. Whoever they vote for, the fact is we're increasing civic participation.

The newly registered voters include 68,000 in Ohio, 57,000 in Pennsylvania, 13,500 in Colorado, 10,000 in Nevada and 6,700 in Virginia. Now 75 percent of eligible voters in union households are registered, versus about 65 percent in the general population.

The AFL-CIO also registers and protects the right to vote among nonunion people.

Different states have different deadlines to register and many of those deadlines are approaching. Make sure all your friends and family are ready to vote this November. Send them to www.aflcio.org/register.

They can start the registration process online and receive reminders and alerts on voting deadlines. 

If you’re not sure if you're registered, go ahead and start the process now. Visit www.aflcio.org/register to double check. 

The AFL-CIO My Vote, My Right website offers hands-on information on voter registration, voter ID laws and steps to take to protect your right to vote on Election Day. Find out what you need to know to make sure your vote counts this year. Get information on voter registration, your voting rights by state and more at the AFL-CIO’s MyVoteMyRight.org.

Have questions about your voting rights? Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

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Judge allows Hostess to impose contract
Posted: October 5, 2012
Source: The Emporia Gazette
Hostess Brands Inc., the parent company of Dolly Madison, the second-largest industrial employer in the Emporia area, may see the light at the end of a long bankruptcy tunnel.

Judge Robert Drain of the United States Bankruptcy Court Southern District of New York on Wednesday approved Hostess’ motion to impose changes to collective bargaining agreements with one of its largest labor unions, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, which represents 6,600 Hostess employees.

It also granted the company’s motion to impose similar changes on five smaller unions, while only two had contested the motion.

A company spokesperson said Hostess essentially received court permission to impose a pay-cutting CBA on thousands of workers.

Section 1113 relief was granted at the hearing, enabling Hostess Brands to avoid liquidation and possibly emerge from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.

Drain approved motions that allow Hostess to impose changes to both those BCTGM collective bargaining agreements that are still in effect and to another 18 that expired earlier this year.  The approval for the 18 expired CBAs was granted on an interim basis to allow both parties to continue bargaining later. 

According to a statement from Hostess Brands, one of the key steps toward the decision was whether a third party company was interested in buying the company.

This was not the case, but it would have had a dramatic effect on the hearing by providing an alternative exit strategy for Hostess. Instead, existing lenders have agreed to fund Hostess’ exit from Chapter 11 in exchange for employee concessions.

Union employees voted in September on whether or not to accept the offer from Hostess, which will cut wages by 8 percent and reduce benefits, under the company’s threat of liquidating its assets and going out of business.

Approximately 6,500 members of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers International Union rejected the pay contract by a wide margin, Hostess asked Judge Drain to impose it to save the company.

The union sent a letter to its members early in September, urging them to vote down the offer.

“We believe there are parties … who may be prepared to invest in or purchase the company or a significant portion of the baking facilities if the proposal is declined,” said the letter. “… There may be other operators who may purchase individual plants and provide collective bargaining agreements similar to those that have been in place at the company.”
Read the complete source story.

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More labor unrest and activism at Wal-Mart today
Posted: October 5, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Workers at two Wal-Mart stores in Southern California went on strike today. It was the first time in Wal-Mart's 50-year history that workers walked off the job in more than one store.

Three weeks ago, Wal-Mart warehouse workers  struck in Mira Loma, Calif.

Seventeen days ago,  Wal-Mart warehouse workers stopped work in Elwood, Ill.

Three months ago, eight guest workers struck a Wal-Mart seafood supplier in Louisiana because they were forced to work 24-hour shifts for less than minimum wage.

Perhaps this is the beginning of a national uprising of Wal-Mart workers who are finally tired of working hard and being poor.

Here's how abusive Wal-Mart contractors are: They won't even give warehouse employees water to drink, though they work in unbearable heat.

Warehouse workers in Illinois.

Josh Eidelson at Salon writes,

The striking store workers make up just a tiny percentage of Wal-Mart’s 1.6 million U.S. employees. But their strike, and those of their contracted counterparts, signal a new stage in Wal-Mart’s labor wars. They also come as the company faces new challenges on other fronts, including a congressional investigation of its Mexican bribery scandal and the failure of its latest bid to breach New York City limits. 

Eidelson calls today's action,

...the latest – and most dramatic – of the recent escalations in the decades-long struggle between organized labor and the largest private employer in the world... 

Wal-Mart strikers said yesterday that they expect the company will seek ways to punish them anyway. Already, photo department worker Victoria Martinez said yesterday, “Every time I go into work, I get panic attacks … I’m always wondering what are they going to try to do to me when I come in...”

Oh they'll retaliate all right. Look what's happened already. Earlier this week in Illinois, 200 people showed up at a rally to support the striking warehouse workers. Riot police showed up.  Truthout reported,

A planned civil disobedience action took a surprising turn for many of the assembled protesters when riot police equipped with a sound cannon came to arrest the 17 clergy and warehouse workers blocking a road near the distribution center.

The head of the LA Labor Federation, Maria Elena Durazo, put it best today:

Wal-Mart's biggest product is poverty.

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New Pension Fund for Pipeline Workers Established
Posted: October 5, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The trustees that comprise the board of the newly established National Teamsters Pipeline Pension Fund met on Sept. 28 at the IBT to discuss final stages for setting up the fund and other organizational matters. This pension fund will provide benefits for Teamsters who are pipeline workers.

The trustees elected David Laborde, Director of the Pipeline Division for the Teamsters Building Materials and Construction Division, as Chairman. The fund’s board of trustees consists of three union and three management trustees. General President Jim Hoffa appointed as trustees LaBorde; Marion Davis, Director of the Building Materials and Construction Division; and International Trustee Kevin Moore.

“It’s an honor to be part of this new fund which was established exclusively for the benefit of our pipeline members,” Moore said. “Our General President, Jim Hoffa, was the catalyst for approving the fund and I know he is committed to its success. I will work diligently to represent our members.”

“We are in a strong position with currently holding a $5 million balance,” Davis said. “As more employers come on line, the fund will continue to grow.”

The management trustees – Robert Osborn of Michels Corporation, Robert Riess of Sheehan Pipeline Construction and Ronnie Wise of Price Gregory -- represent some of the largest pipeline employers.

There are more than 3,500 Teamster members who work in the growing pipeline industry. As an example, the Keystone XL pipeline has two sites in Texas and Oklahoma under way that are employing 350 Teamsters. In addition, work for a 600 mile project through several states is currently being negotiated as part of the Flanagan line.

In July, Hoffa, along with the General Presidents of the other major pipeline crafts, approved
the transfer of $100,000 from the defunct Pipeline Unions Mobilization Project (P.U.M.P.) to lobby for permits for the installation of over 1,300 miles of new pipeline installation for one of the largest natural gas pipeline companies in the United States, ONEOK. This project will cover territory in North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas.

“Due to the efforts of the major pipeline crafts, we secured an agreement with ONEOK
Partners guaranteeing that at least 65 percent of the work will be performed by the four crafts – Teamsters, Laborers, Operating Engineers and Welders,” Davis said. “The remaining 35 percent of the work will be issued for competitive bids. We anticipate that some of this work will be covered under a collective bargaining agreement as well.”

“While the work on ONEOK is not scheduled to begin until possibly late 2013 or early 2014, we feel that it, along with Keystone, will provide pipeline construction work for our members for the next three to five years, if not longer,” Davis said.

The Pipeline Division is a part of the Teamsters Building Material and Construction Trade Division, which represents more than 93,000 members who work for construction firms throughout the United States.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield Workers Overwhelmingly Approve Contract
Posted: October 4, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Nearly 300 new Teamsters Local 743 members overwhelmingly ratified their first new contract by a margin of more than 10-to-1 on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012.

The unit includes approximately 270 members working in the Naperville, Ill. headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, formerly known as Hallmark. The new three-year contract is an addendum to the current collective bargaining agreement protecting more than 500 Local 743 members at BCBS’s downtown Chicago offices.

The contract, which expires in 2015, was passed by a final vote of 222-21.

“The Teamsters are extremely proud to welcome our newest members from the Naperville Blue Cross Blue Shield offices,” said Donnie Von Moore, President of Local 743. “Alongside the 11,000 other members of our strong and historic local, the Blue Cross Blue Shield employees will now enjoy all the benefits, protections and advantages of a fair and secure Teamster contract.”

“As members of Teamsters Local 743, Blue Cross Blue Shield members can be assured to receive the best union representation possible,” said John T. Coli, Central Region International Vice President and Teamsters Joint Council 25 President. “Teamsters in Illinois are raising the bar for health care workers everywhere, and we’re prepared to protect these dedicated men and women every step of the way.”

Teamsters Local 743 represents more than 11,000 hardworking men and women in health care, warehouse, manufacturing, clerical and professional industries across Illinois, northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area.

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Teamster UPS Driver Dies In Tragic Workplace Shooting
Posted: October 3, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
On Thursday, September 27, 2012, UPS Driver Keith Basinski was tragically killed while making a pickup in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He was one of the victims of a workplace shooting by a disgruntled employee at Accent Signage in Minneapolis.  Unfortunately Keith was in the wrong place at the wrong time and had absolutely no connection to the company or the shooter.  He is survived by three children ages 19 to 25, his parents and five siblings.

“Keith was a great member of our Teamster family who will be sorely missed.  Our heart goes out to his entire family and friends for this terrible loss,” said Trevor Lawrence, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 638 in Minneapolis.  “This was a senseless tragedy that will forever weigh heavily on those who had the honor of knowing and working with him.”

“The thoughts and prayers of the 1.4 million members of the Teamsters Union are with Brother Basinski’s family today,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President.  “Entire families have been devastated by this tragic event. We must all remain vigilant to ensure that no family ever experiences this type of tragedy again.”

“We pray for all of the families impacted by this tragic event and ask that you take a moment of reflection in memory of these victims,” Lawrence went on to say.

Funeral services have been set for Thursday, October 4, at 1:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Christian Center, 7777 University Avenue NE, Spring Lake Park, MN.  Visitation is set for Wednesday, October 3 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Miller Funeral Home, 6210 Highway 65 NE, Fridley, MN.

A Memorial Fund has been established for the Basinski family.  Contributions may be sent to the Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau, 2828 University Avenue SE, Suite #100, Minneapolis, MN 55414-3384, in care of the Keith Basinski Memorial Fund.

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Outrageous Outsourcing – Teamsters Fight Back
Posted: October 3, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Last weekend brought more negative media attention to American Airlines when a flight out of Boston made an emergency landing at JFK after a row of passenger seats became unbolted. Then the same thing happened again on another AA flight on Monday. This is yet another example of the dangers of aircraft maintenance outsourcing. Major carriers, including AA, are sacrificing safety in the name of saving a few bucks.

Maintenance on Saturday night’s Miami-bound 757 was performed by TIMCO, an outside vendor with a knack for substandard work. According to one source quoted in this article, “the same shoddy workmanship that caused a row of seats to ‘slid[e] around like a carnival ride’ is also going into the most critical parts of the aircraft.”

This is an embarrassment to the airline and to the dignity of our profession. And it shows why a serious fight needs to be waged against the outsourcing crisis that is sending the industry into a tailspin.

Fortunately, there is someone who is waging that fight and winning – the Teamsters. In addition to putting a halt to outsourcing at United Airlines in San Francisco and bringing jobs back in house, the Teamsters Airline Division and Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition fought to keep safety language in the FAA Reauthorization Bill. They have also designed a tool to help us expose the poor quality of third party maintenance: the Teamsters Outsourcing Defect Report (TODR).

Third party maintenance has grown exponentially over the last decade. It’s endangering public safety and our job security as aircraft mechanics. We can fasten our seatbelts and hope that the problem will just go away, but the seats aren’t even fastened to the floor. Brothers and Sisters, we need to stand up and reverse the dangerous trend of outsourcing. With the Teamsters, we can preserve the safety of the flying public, our jobs, and our standard of living.

Sign a Teamster authorization card and get involved in the campaign to become Teamsters at AA. With the Teamsters, we can win!

For more information, call the hotline at 877-589-4951 or visit www.teamster.org/aamx.

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New Hampshire Corrections Officers Vote to Join Teamsters
Posted: October 3, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Corrections officers and corporals at the New Hampshire Department of Corrections have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 633 in Manchester.

The new Teamster members, seeking a strong voice on the job, work as corrections officers and corporals at state prisons, correctional facilities and transitional units throughout New Hampshire. The 331 officers were previously represented by the New England Police Benevolent Association.

“We welcome these brave men and women into the Teamsters,” said David Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 633. “The very important work that they do every day can easily be taken for granted, but over 4,000 of their brother and sister Teamsters throughout New Hampshire will make sure they get the respect they deserve.” 

“From the beginning, these state employees were motivated to have a more powerful voice in the workplace and the Teamsters will provide that power,” said Roger Travers, Joint Council 10 organizer.

Teamsters who work as correctional officers and corporals are part of the Teamsters Public Services Division, which represents more than 250,000 employees of federal, state and local governments in the United States.

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Teamsters ratify contract; top 4 contracts done
Posted: October 2, 2012
Source: The Bellingham Herald
About 5,690 Washington state employees belonging to Teamsters Local 117 voted late Sunday night to ratify a new two-year labor contract. The vote was nearly two-to-one in favor, according to the union, which represents employees at the state Department of Corrections.

The agreement comes as talks on a health-care agreement affecting 26 different bargaining units are still stuck, though technically an impasse has not been called between the union and Gov. Chris Gregoire’s bargaining team.

erms of the Teamsters deal are similar to one ratified Friday by the Washington Federation of State Employees. As we previously reported, the federation deal affecting about 30,000 general-government agency employees includes an end to 3 percent pay cuts in June 2013, a new pay step for some workers, and a possible 1 percent cost-of-living adjustment in the second year.

The Washington Public Employees Association also ratified a similar deal with more than a 90 percent approval rate. The smaller Professional and Technical Employees Local 17 also ratified an agreement this afternoon.
Read the complete source story here.

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Calif. Prop 32 like 'Miracle-Gro for corporate Super PACs'
Posted: October 2, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Our brothers and sisters in California are working hard against this heinous ballot question. They're phone banking, registering voters, rallying and going door to door. The challenge is to educate voters about what Prop. 32 is really about.

Cesar Lara, executive director of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, calls it a wolf in sheep's clothing in a Californian op-ed.

Prop. 32 is not fair, and it’s certainly not balanced. It’s a trick, intended to give corporate CEOs and their cronies even more power to write their own rules at the expense of everyone else. It’s deceptive, degrading and is nothing more than an attack by the 1 percent to silence my voice in politics.

Read the whole thing here.

 

 

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Teamsters reach deal on pay-Hike contract
Posted: October 1, 2012
Source: The Olympian
Teamsters Local 117 struck a deal with negotiators for Gov. Chris Gregoire late last night, assuring a deal that mirrors one struck two weeks ago by the larger Washington Federation of State Employees.

According to this summary, the Teamster deal reverses the 3 percent reduction in pay and hours worked for all 5,690 covered workers; it adds a new pay “step” for experience worth 2.5 percent; and it allows a 1 percent pay increase in July 2014 if the state’s revenues hit a target.

Paul Zilly, spokesman for the Teamsters, said a ratification vote is taking place over the weekend and will wrap up just before midnight Sunday evening. The deal affects prison workers and others at the Department of Corrections.

Meanwhile, a ratification vote on the federation’s tentative pay deal was due to conclude at 5 p.m. this afternoon. Results are due later.

That agreement is the state’s largest and affects about 30,000 of the state’s general-government employees.

Several other smaller unions have reached agreements on pay with the state. These are in varying states of ratification or approval, as is explained in this round-up story by The Associated Press.
Read the complete source story here.

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Love, respect and gratitude for Jimmy Hoffa from Teamsters
Posted: October 1, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
The Teamsters Facebook page on Friday posted an eloquent plea for compassion as yet another search began for leads in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. It was linked to a Huffington Post by Bret Caldwell, communications director for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Caldwell wrote:

The family I know has stood together through the most trying times and provided love and support to each other for the past 37 years. The Hoffa family deserves the compassion and respect that every other family in our great nation receives when they encounter such a tragedy. The Hoffa family deserves the same compassion and respect that every other American family deserves in times of tragedy.

Read the complete source story here.

 

 

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