Local #174 Teamster News Archives
September 2012

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Hoffa Addresses Historic Gathering of School Bus Workers
Posted: September 29, 2012
Jim HoffaSource: Teamster.org
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa addressed an historic gathering of hundreds of Teamster local unions and school bus members today in Chicago at the 2012 Teamsters School Bus Workers Congress.

“There is a war on workers being waged by anti-worker politicians and employers, but Teamsters are fighting back. We’ve built a movement of school bus workers across North America who are gaining the respect, dignity and working conditions that they deserve,” Hoffa said.

Hoffa noted the unprecedented success of the Teamsters’ Drive Up Standards campaign, which has brought 35,000 drivers, monitors, aides and mechanics into the union since 2006.

The 2012 Teamsters School Bus Workers Congress is a two-day event that brings together Teamster local union representatives and school bus workers to participate in a national dialogue, learn more about the industry and the Teamsters’ role in driving up standards, all in preparation for a year of increased activity.

Rick Middleton, International Vice President and Chair of the Teamsters national school bus campaign, pointed to the union’s success in protecting workers’ rights at First Student as having laid the groundwork for other private, multinational school bus companies.

“It wasn’t easy. We spent many years raising our concerns about the discrepancies between the way workers were treated in the U.K. and in North America. Global corporations appear to have different standards in their home countries and become bad actors when they enter the North American market,” Middleton said. “Our allies in the U.K. and throughout Europe helped us illuminate the need for a real policy to protect workers’ rights, and today more than 21,000 men and women are protected by a national agreement with First Student.”

John T. Coli, International Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 25, welcomed the Congress attendees to Chicago, and also gave a warm welcome to the newest Teamster members—the 270 Alpha School Bus drivers and attendants in Crestwood, Ill., who joined Teamsters Local 777 in an election held Friday night. Alpha School Bus is one of 14 Cook-Illinois Corporation subsidiaries.

“Illinois workers want and need strong union representation. We’ve organized 4,000 workers over the past six years at First Student, Cook-Illinois, Illinois Central, Latino Express and a number of other private school bus companies,” Coli said. “By working together, at all levels of our union, and with the hardworking men and women who transport our children, we are transforming this industry for the better.”

School bus workers from a number of companies spoke about current conditions in the school bus industry, detailing contract wins, organizing successes and legislative initiatives that impact school bus workers nationwide.

Terry Riley, a driver with Durham School Services in Albuquerque, N.M., is currently working with his 200 coworkers to join the Teamsters.

“We are treated at our companies like we are the problem, not like we are part of the solution. I am here to thank the Teamsters for their Drive Up Standards school bus campaign because it gives us hope. We are the 99% and we have to stand up and speak up,” Riley said.

The national gathering of Teamsters looked at workers’ rights abuses and safety issues at National Express Group, parent company to Durham in the U.S. and Stock Transportation in Canada.

The event hosted global partner delegates from Teamsters sister union “Unite the Union” in the U.K. and the International Transport Workers’ Federation, in preparation for Teamster efforts at National Express in the coming year.

Other speakers and supporters in attendance include Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora);

Bobby Morton, National Officer for Transport, Unite the Union (U.K.); Mac Urata, Inland Transport Secretary, International Transport Workers’ Federation; Rev. C.J. Hawking, Executive Director, ARISE Chicago; and Kim Bobo, Executive Director, Interfaith Worker Justice.

“We have so much to be proud of. We’ve built a movement of school bus workers across North America, and working together, we are an unstoppable force for change. We have an exciting year ahead,” Hoffa said.  

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

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Alpha School Bus Drivers And Attendants Join Teamsters
Posted: September 29, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The men and women who transport school children for Alpha School Bus in Crestwood, Ill., have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 777 in Lyons, Ill., after a hard-fought campaign to win respect, better school bus safety and working conditions at the company. There are 270 drivers and attendants in the bargaining unit.

“I cannot tell you how happy I am. We worked so hard for this for so long, and now we have our union,” said Vanessa Robinson, an attendant. “We need respect, better bus conditions and a better work environment. This is a big step toward achieving all those things.”

“A Teamster contract will give the Alpha drivers and attendants an equal voice and the confidence to speak up without fear of discipline. We need fairness and respect at Alpha and that is why I voted Teamsters,” said Olivia Morris, a driver.

“This is a great victory for these workers, who had the courage and dedication to fight for what is right for such a long time,” said Jim Glimco, President of Local 777. “This is one of the hard-core anti-union, low wage bus companies, and Alpha will now need to come up to the standards that these workers deserve.”

Drivers and attendants at Alpha had been working to organize since 2010. The company resisted the workers’ efforts, setting up a fake “union” called the Executive Committee.

Understanding that they did not have true representation or a legally binding contract, the workers held an internal vote to affiliate with Local 777 in April 2011. The vote resulted in an 8-1 margin in favor of affiliating with Local 777, yet the company did not respect the workers’ decision and refused to recognize Local 777 as their bargaining unit.

The workers remained determined to have a real union, reorganizing and filing for a National Labor Relations Board election in June 2012.

“This vote stands as a testament to the power of workers to unite and better their lives. I am proud of the work of Local 777, Joint Council 25 and the International Union, coming together to help these workers drive up standards in their workplace,” said John T. Coli, International Vice President and President of Joint Council 25. “Our next step is to negotiate a contract that values these hardworking members.”

The Alpha workers had widespread support as they worked together to form their union with the Teamsters. Their support network included the Teamster leaders and school bus members locally and nationally; Cook Action Network (CAN); ARISE Chicago and Chicagoland clergy; and Michael Hastings, Board of Education member, High School District 230 and candidate for Illinois State Senate (District 19).

Alpha School Bus is a subsidiary of the Cook-Illinois Corporation, the nation’s sixth largest private provider of student transportation services. Cook-Illinois operates 14 subsidiaries in Illinois.

Cook-Illinois workers have formed the Cook Action Network (CAN) and engaged in a long-term campaign to bring workers’ rights and school bus safety to this company. A recent CAN report outlines the various safety and workers’ rights issues at the company.

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, 35,000 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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Teamsters Open UPS, UPS Freight Negotiations
Posted: September 28, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
UPS negotiations kicked off today for new contracts covering 250,000 Teamsters.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall put the company on notice that no tentative agreement will be reached with UPS until supervisor harassment is addressed and there is consensus on restrictions on the use of the U.S. Postal Service. And at UPS Freight, there will be no agreement without addressing subcontracting, they said.

"I will tell you upfront how serious these problems are," said Hall, who also serves as Package Division Director and Co-Chairman with Hoffa on the UPS and UPS Freight Negotiating Committees. "We will not get a tentative agreement unless you address these important issues."

The UPS contract is the largest collective bargaining agreement in the country. The UPS and UPS Freight contracts are five-year agreements and expire on July 31, 2013. Both sides stressed the importance of reaching a tentative agreement by March 31.

"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," Hoffa told the company. "We know the company is doing quite well, and so we intend to address protecting and improving their health care, pensions and wages."

Negotiations opened with a focus on working conditions, work rules, harassment, subcontracting and safety. Negotiations will then turn to economic issues including pensions, health care and wages. The National Negotiating Committees submitted proposals to the company today that included:

Company officials acknowledged that its employees are the best in the industry and deserve the best pay and benefits. But they complained about rising health care costs, increased competition and the global recession.
Preparations for negotiations by the IBT have been occurring for months, and included surveys to UPS and UPS Freight members and member focus groups.

The very first meeting held to prepare for negotiations involved both UPS and UPS Freight Teamsters from all over the country who perform various jobs at both companies, including package delivery drivers, feeder drivers, loaders, unloaders and sorters at UPS, as well as road drivers, city drivers, dockworkers and clerks at UPS Freight. They came to the IBT to participate in focus groups to identify and discuss contract priorities.

Both Hall and Hoffa attended the meetings, as did other General Executive Board members and IBT staff to make sure that members' priorities were understood and recognized.

After listening to members and reviewing membership surveys, priorities were identified. Screening committees also were convened to discuss and review proposals submitted by UPS and UPS Freight locals.

Finally, contract priorities were discussed at a "two-person meeting" in Chicago, which included two representatives from every UPS and UPS Freight local. All locals had a chance to review opening proposals and ask questions. Ultimately, the local unions unanimously approved both the UPS and UPS Freight proposals.

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AA Mechanics’ Voices: Why Teamsters Are the Best Choice for AA Mechanics & Related
Posted: September 28, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The Teamsters have the resources to support AA mechanics and carry on the fight for a better contract, says Listor Victory in a new video featuring AA mechanics in Tulsa. Listor joined several other mechanics to put together a video that answers the central question that is driving this campaign: why is the Teamsters Union and its Airline Division the best choice to represent mechanics and related workers at American Airlines?

“The Teamsters Airline Division is by far the best union to represent us mechanics and related at American Airlines. Our future is at stake,” says Listor. “The Teamsters Union has the horse power, the finances, the capital – whatever it takes to help us in our negotiations to bring us an industry-leading contract,” adds Kevin Malone.

Mechanics and related workers know that having the largest airline mechanics union fighting for us means real power at the bargaining table.  

As Roger Tylkowski, an AMT in Tulsa, says in the video, “With the Teamsters coming in here, I feel like we have control over our future.”

Click here to watch the video now.  Then share it with you coworkers and sign a Teamster card today!

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2012 a big year for Teamster candidates
Posted: September 28, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Nearly two dozen Teamsters are running for office this November, including an international vice president who wants to be a New Hampshire state representative and a former Teamster (and astronaut) seeking a congressional seat from California.

Cross your fingers. A win for Teamster candidates is a win for all working people.

We're not just saying that. A recent report showed politicians with roots in organized labor are reliable friends of working families. Writes Cole Stangler in The Huffington Post
Politicians who come of age with the labor movement in their lives are more likely to advocate on behalf of worker-friendly policies, regardless of their political leaning, the makeup of their district and financial support from labor, according to a new study on union members and voting behavior. 
Gary McDowell
Pro-worker advocacy extends far beyond issues that directly affect labor unions, and includes stronger support for policies such as family and medical leave or paid sick days, according to the study. It puts numbers on an ephemeral but intuitive notion: that having direct experience under a boss in solidarity with other coworkers shapes people's worldview in lasting and profound ways, even after they've moved up the class ladder. 
At the same time, the report, which was funded by the pro-labor group American Rights At Work, helps explain the disconnect between working-class America and Congress, where working people are barely represented. Recruiting more union members to run for office would be an effective way of finding reliably worker-friendly legislators, the study implies.
Teamsters are already serving in high office, including Lynn, Mass.,
Jose Hernandez
Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, Missouri state Treasurer Clint Zweifel and Missouri Rep. Tim Meadows.

Here's a partial list of the Teamsters now running for office (forgive us if we've left anyone out):

 California:
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan  Missouri
Montana New Hampshire New York Pennsylvania Wisconsin

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Teamsters, School Bus Workers Rally for Respect in Illinois
Posted: September 27, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
School bus drivers and attendants with Alpha School Bus joined today with hundreds of Teamsters, political, religious and community supporters, at a “Rally for Respect.”

About 270 Alpha drivers and attendants who transport Northern Illinois schoolchildren, mainly special needs children, have been fighting for years for respect and decent working conditions, including a living wage and better school bus safety standards at the company.

“You don’t hear this enough, but ‘thank you.’ Thank you for transporting our children. Thank you for having the courage to stand up to an employer that would rather keep you down. We are proud of you and we are standing together with all Alpha workers,” said Al Mixon, International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 507 in Cleveland.

Chanté Jones, a driver at Alpha, told the crowd about the struggles she and her coworkers have endured.

“This is a multi-million dollar company because of us, but we barely make enough to support our families. We need better safety standards and to be treated like human beings by this company. I know we are going to make a change, as long as we continue to stick together and form our union,” Jones said.

“The Alpha drivers and attendants have never wavered. You are an inspiration to school bus workers and workers everywhere who want a better life, and the ability to stand up to their anti-worker, anti-union employers,” said Jim Glimco, President of Teamsters Local 777 in Lyons, Ill.

Drivers and attendants at Alpha have been working to organize with the Teamsters since 2010. The company resisted the workers’ efforts, setting up a fake “union” called the Executive Committee. Understanding that they did not have true representation or a legally binding contract, the workers held an internal vote to affiliate with Local 777 in April 2011.

The vote resulted in an 8-1 margin in favor of affiliating with Local 777, yet the company did not respect the workers’ decision and refused to recognize Local 777 as their bargaining unit.

The workers remained determined to have a real union, reorganizing and filing for an election in June 2012.

Alpha workers will vote in their representation election on Friday, Sept. 28.
Read the complete source story here.

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Sanitation work just got deadlier
Posted: September 26, 2012
Sanitation workersSource: Teamster Nation
Sanitation workers put their lives on the line every day. Rarely is that recognized.

But Waste & Recycling News reported recently that collecting trash and recyclables is not only dangerous, it's getting more dangerous:

One of America's most dangerous jobs, being a trash and recyclable collector, just got deadlier. 

On-the-job fatalities among trash and recycling collectors dramatically increased last year, making the job the fourth most dangerous in the land, according to statistics released minutes ago by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The much-anticipated numbers show that 34 waste and recycling collectors died on the job in 2011. 

That compares with 26 such fatalities in 2010, according to the BLS.

When Local 117 claimed that four Puget Sound waste workers were killed on the job since 2005, the local newspaper felt the need to check that fact. (Local 117 was supporting striking workers.)  The Seattle Times then reported that five sanitation workers had been killed during that period.

(By the way, Waste Management just agreed to rebate Seattle residents $1.24 million because of the 8-day strike.)

And let's not forget that Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed in Memphis while supporting a sanitation workers' strike. And the strike was inspired by the deaths of two sanitation workers.

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Waste Management to pay $1.24M in settlement over garbage strike
Posted: September 26, 2012
Source: The Seattle Times
The longest garbage strike in Seattle history has resulted in rebates to customers whose trash wasn't collected, sometimes for as long as 12 days.

Mayor Mike McGinn Tuesday announced a $1.24 million settlement with Waste Management for missed collections including recycling and yard waste during an eight-day strike last month by Teamster union drivers.

Residential accounts will be credited $10 on solid-waste bills for November-December. Condominiums, businesses and apartments will receive a $50 credit per Dumpster, the mayor said.

Only residents and businesses served by Waste Management will receive refunds.
Read the complete source story here.

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Tariffs on China steel, tires created jobs in Ohio
Posted: September 26, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Thousands of jobs are back in Ohio because President Obama did two things: He got tough on China and he rescued the auto industry.

That's according to Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan, who represents Youngstown. He should know. Northeastern Ohio suffers deeply because manufacturers fled to foreign competitors. But now they're coming back, partly because President Obama slapped tariffs on Chinese tires and steel tubing.

Ryan said today in a conference call with bloggers and reporters that those tariffs have had huge benefits in Ohio:

When we see tariffs and then we see jobs in Northeast Ohio, then we know that a policy of being assertive and firm with China leads to job creation in the U.S. The sky didn't fall. It brings fairness and balance back. That's what leaders are for; bringing fairness to a system that's unfair.
Obama's tariffs on tires brought back a thousand jobs to Akron and Northwest Ohio, Ryan said. And after the president imposed tariffs on oil country steel tubing, a French company invested $700 million in two steel tubing plants in Youngstown. Those plants are creating nearly 500 direct jobs and as many as 700 building trades jobs constructing them, Ryan said.

Ryan said the president's auto rescue saved the Lordstown plant from closing. The GM plant, just south of Youngstown, makes the Chevy Cruze. Said Ryan,
The plant was down to one shift, it's now up to 3 shifts, with 4500 workers. (These are) good-paying, solid middle-class jobs. A few weeks ago, GM announced it's making the second-generation Cruze in Lordstown with a $200 million investment. That will help the building trades.

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News On 6: American Airlines Mechanics’ Support Growing Rapidly for Teamster Representation
Posted: September 25, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
An enthusiastic group of over two dozen Teamster organizers, AA mechanics and UAL Teamster mechanics from across the nation gathered in Tulsa this weekend for three successful days of trainings, meetings and worker-to-worker outreach in support of our campaign to become Teamsters. We got the attention of our coworkers and local media.

Check out Tulsa’s News On 6 coverage of this weekend’s events and share it with your coworkers.

Commenting on the card drive, Teamsters Airline Division Representative and Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition chair Chris Moore said, “We are very pleased with our progress to date and look forward to more meetings with the American mechanics, answering questions and explaining the benefits of being a part of the largest airline-based union in America – the Teamsters.”

And as News On 6 observed in its article, AA mechanics and related are ready for the change!

A reporter interviewed our AA mechanic brother Tom Schlabaugh. “The union we have now (TWU), they’re watching our jobs go away,” he said. “We’ve signed a contract that gives away 35 percent of the work we currently have.”

Another article in Tulsa World quotes Chris Moore, who said we are seeing “a lot of enthusiasm” for the Teamsters. “These American Airlines workers have issues that go back over 10 years. They’re tired of being beaten over the head. We’re gathering momentum.”

Chris also spoke about why the Teamsters are clearly the best choice for AA mechanics:

“The one issue that the mechanics see very clearly in this bankruptcy is the absolute need for the backing and support of a union like the Teamsters and the expertise of our Airline Division. When you are attempting to protect your careers and your families in a fight with one of the biggest airlines in the world, you need a union with experience and resources like the Teamsters, You also need the support and resources of the TAMC (the Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition) that brings together mechanics from across the airline industry to fight for you on Capitol Hill.”

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Biden visits Teamsters in NH
Posted: September 24, 2012
Source: Teamster Natiion
Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden got a warm welcome from New Hampshire Teamsters at Local 633 on Saturday.

Joining our Teamster brothers and sisters were carpenters, firefighters, teachers and SEIU members. They were ready to put their boots on the ground to get out the vote in November. Biden got them even more motivated.

Reported Fox News:

Vice President Joe Biden sought to rev up union support in yet another crucial swing state Saturday, stopping by the local Teamsters headquarters to address members getting ready to canvass neighborhoods on behalf of the Democratic ticket. 
The vice president professed his loyalty to the crowd soon after taking the podium. 
"I've never ridden anywhere without the Teamsters," he said. "I've never ridden anywhere without the Teamsters and all of labor industry," he repeated for emphasis.
(Fox seemed to think that was a bad thing.)

The Associated Press reported,
Vice President Joe Biden rallied union workers at a Teamsters union hall Saturday, saying their door-to-door efforts would be an antidote to the millions of dollars spent on advertising by Republican-leaning super PACs. 
Biden told teachers, firefighters and other union members at the rally in Manchester that the middle class wouldn't exist without organized labor and that he was counting on them to counter political advertising promoting the Republican ticket. 
"We're going to be outspent by these super PACs considerably," the vice president said. 
"There's only one antidote, and the people of New Hampshire are used to this ... it's a knock on a door, it's somebody saying 'Look, I know what you just heard, what you just saw in that ad ... I'm here to tell you, I know these guys ... I vouch for them.'" 
Biden said he was glad to hear GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan talk about the struggles of the middle class but said they also should acknowledge the policies Ryan voted for in Congress caused those difficulties. A Romney-Ryan administration would bring more of the same, Biden said. 
"They're doubling down on everything that caused the economic crisis in the first place," he said.
Dennis Caza, Local 633's political coordinator, said days of preparation went into the vice president's visit. But it was worth it, said Brother Caza:
I think it’s nice to have a vice president come to your union hall.

We do too.

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Teamster Locals Approve UPS, UPS Freight Contract Proposals At Two-Person Meetings
Posted: September 24, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
The Teamsters Package Division held two-person meetings with both UPS and UPS Freight Local Unions on Sept. 21 to discuss the Union’s opening proposals to the company. All Local Unions had a chance to review the proposals and ask questions. Ultimately, both the UPS and UPS Freight proposals were unanimously approved by the Local Unions. Negotiations for UPS and UPS Freight will officially begin on Sept. 27, when the IBT will hand over the proposals to the company.

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Local 117 Achieves Recommended Settlements at Sysco and FSA
Posted: September 24, 2012
Source: Teamsters 117
Two Local 117 bargaining committees representing members in the food service industry achieved fully recommended settlements this week.  Recommended agreements were achieved at both Sysco and Food Services of America.

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American Airlines Mechanics Support Growing for Teamster Representation
Posted: September 24, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The bankruptcy filing by American Airlines last November and other issues, including layoffs and wage and benefit cuts; all done to avert a bankruptcy and that have been piled on top of the previous cuts that occurred in 2003, have led the airlines mechanics to consider changing union affiliation to the Teamsters.

Chris Moore, an International Representative for the Teamsters, said his union is seeing "a lot of enthusiasm." "These American Airlines guys have issues that go back 10 years," Moore said. "They're tired of being beaten over the head. You have to bring order to the place, and work with the company to get things better for the guys. We're gathering momentum."

While AMFA is also attempting to conduct a drive, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters clearly is getting a very positive response. “The one issue that the mechanics see very clearly in this bankruptcy is the absolute need for the backing and support of a union like the Teamsters and expertise the Airline Division,” said Moore. “When you are attempting to protect your careers and your families in a fight with one of the biggest airlines in the world, you need a union with experience and resources like the Teamsters; not one that is in decline and has a history of giving up hard fought for gains like AMFA. You also need the support and resources of the TAMC (Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition) that brings together mechanics from across the airline industry to fight for you on Capitol Hill,” Moore continued.
Read the complete source story here.

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Study Busts Myth Corporations use to Justify Skyrocketing CEO Pay
Posted: September 24, 2012
Source: Nation of Change
CEO pay has increased 725 percent over three decades, while worker pay has essentially remained flat. A new study challenges a conventional practice corporations use to justify skyrocketing CEO pay, which is that without it, CEOs would leave for competitors. According to the study by the University of Delaware’s Charles M. Elson and Craig K. Ferrere:

It is increasingly apparent that the pay awarded to chief executives is becoming profoundly detached from not just the pay of the average worker, but also from the companies they run. Offsetting the external focus, which is so heavily relied upon today, with internal metrics and internal benchmarking may help to curb the persistent escalation. We hope that if directors are no longer constrained by notions of “competitive” pay, which are driven by the false belief that CEOs are interchangeable, they may have the space to rationalize the upward spiraling pay ratchet and deliver what is more shareholder acceptable compensation.

Company boards rely on a practice where they use loosely defined “peer groups” of supposedly similar companies to set the CEO’s compensation. In reality, few CEOs leave one company for another: Of 1,800 CEO successions between 1993-2005, less than 2 percent had held the position at a competing firm. Their skills, highly specific to the company, are not easily transferrable.
Read the complete source story here.

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Romney’s Latest Myth: Obama Wants To Force Workers Into Unions!
Posted: September 24, 2012
Romney smirksSource: Think Progress
During a Sunday evening conference call with a group of Iowans, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney warned voters that President Obama wants to force everyone into organized unions. Twice during the 30 minute phone call, Romney raised the spectre of President Obama and Democrats reintroducing the Employee Free Choice Act, which was last introduced in 2009.

EFCA would have introduced “card check” votes in the workplace, making it easier for employees to decide whether or not to unionize. If 50 percent of workers sign a statement of support of organizing, that union would be granted bargaining power with the employer. The bill would strip employers of their ability to force their workers into a full union organizing election if they don’t like the results of a signature campaign.

As it stands, employers can legally force their workers to attend anti-union meetings and one-on-one “discussions” with their superiors ahead of any vote on unionization, an intimidation tactic that succeeds in derailing many unionization efforts. Stricter penalties for failure to negotiate a contract with a new union and for discriminating against any worker who supports a union would have also been included.

Even though EFCA never made it past the House in 2009, that didn’t stop Romney from ringing the alarm:

Romney brought up card check twice, unprompted, when answering Iowans’ questions about other topics. Early in the call, Romney mentioned it when describing his five-point plan for creating jobs.

“We’ve got to champion small business,” he said. “Small business is getting crushed under the president’s program with higher and higher regulation on small business, with higher taxes on small business, and by forcing people to join unions that don’t want to. That’s something known as card check. I think that’s a bad idea.”

But EFCA does not force anyone to do anything. It simply gives workers the ability to more easily organize themselves into a union if a majority of them choose to do so. One study found that “employers threatened to close plants in 57 percent of [union] campaigns and threatened to cut wages and benefits in 47 percent,” while firing pro-union workers 34 percent of the time.
Read the complete source story here.

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STA School Bus Drivers Ratify Contract
Posted: September 22, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Student Transportation of America (STA) drivers in San Jose, Calif., recently ratified their first Teamster contract. The members of Teamsters Local 287 voted overwhelmingly in favor of a five-year contract providing for a 12 percent wage increase, sick leave and major improvements to the medical plan, among other gains.

“We are proud of this contract and the difference it will make in the lives of our members,” said Bob Blanchet, President of Local 287. “We made a lot of improvements in this contract, which was reflected in a strong vote in favor of the agreement.”

Kelli Watson, a driver, has seen the change in her workplace after she and her coworkers joined the Teamsters in November 2011.

“The respect around the office is tremendously different, like it always should have been but never was, and that was the most important thing to us drivers,” Watson said. “It’s a whole different atmosphere.” 

Watson, a 12-year driver, took part in the negotiating committee for the contract.

“This is a really good contract, especially for a first contract. We have more bereavement days, more affordable health insurance, better pay, sick days and get to keep our park-outs,” Watson said.

Recognizing the importance of voting not only for a contract, but against initiatives that hurt workers, the STA drivers have all registered to vote to defeat California’s Proposition 32, on the November ballot.

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Airline Teamsters Mobilize Outreach Effort to Tulsa American Airlines Mechanics
Posted: September 22, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
United Airlines (UA) mechanics represented by the Teamsters Union are joining Teamster organizers and American Airlines (AA) mechanics in Tulsa today for an outreach program in support of a campaign by AA mechanics to change their current union representation.

Dozens of mechanics and related employees from both airlines gathered at a local hotel this morning near Tulsa International Airport where American Airlines has its largest maintenance facility. The workers are meeting with Teamster representatives in preparation for an afternoon of door-to-door outreach to AA mechanics throughout the Tulsa area.

“This is part of a major push by AA mechanics and related workers who are unhappy with their current union representation and want to reach out to their coworkers to build support for a new union,” said Chris Moore, a representative of the Teamsters Airline Division. “With all the difficulties that American is going through right now, we believe these workers want the strong representative that the Teamsters provide to thousands of other aviation mechanics throughout the industry.”

Teamster organizers conducting house visits with AA workers will be accompanied by UA mechanics who organized with the Teamsters back in 2008 and ratified a strong contract last year.

“Becoming Teamsters was the best choice we made at United and I think we have a lot to share with AA mechanics,” said Rich Petrovsky, a UA mechanic in San Francisco, Calif. and a business agent with Teamsters Local 986. “American Airlines is threatening mass layoffs and outsourcing maintenance work so it can get out of bankruptcy and, as we saw first hand at United, the Teamsters are the only union with a proven record when it comes to fighting outsourcing.”

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How Unions Help Build the American Dream
Posted: September 21, 2012
Wages hold up communitiesSource: AFL-CIO Now
Both Democrats and Republicans stress that the ability for people to move up the economic ladder to build better lives is at the heart of the American Dream. But new data from the Pew Center on the States pits the Republican tenet on economic mobility against another deeply held Republican belief that unions are a heavy and evil anchor on the economy that must be cut away.  

Where there is a strong union movement, there is more economic mobility. If unions are strengthened, upward mobility will increase.

David Madland and Nick Bunker at the Center for American Progress Action Fund write in a new issue brief looking at the Pew figures:

Six of the eight most mobile states have high unionization rates—Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Colorado and Maryland—and all but 1 of the 10 least mobile states—South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia, Georgia and Oklahoma—have low unionization rates and laws that discourage unionization.

The 10 states with the highest unionization rates—New York, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Oregon—perform considerably better on a range of measures of mobility than the 10 states with the lowest levels of unionization.

What’s the connection between unions and greater opportunity for people to move up? Midland and Bunker outline several reasons:

First, unions help workers negotiate for higher and rising wages. Labor unions are particularly effective at boosting the wages and mobility of young, immigrant, low-wage and African American workers. Unions also push for increased job training and career ladders, which both help boost mobility over a lifetime.

It’s not just in the workplace where there is a union advantage. Labor unions, they note, help get ordinary citizens involved in politics to advocate for public policies that help boost mobility such as the minimum wage and investments in education. States with higher levels of unionization have more generous social safety nets that lift workers up, as well as cushion blows.

Mitt Romney’s plan to boost economic mobility and build a wider path to the middle class centers on cutting taxes for the wealthy—who have long passed through the middle class on their way to gated communities and private islands. But, say Madland and Bunker, the tight connection to unionization and upward mobility shows:  

Policymakers that are concerned about boosting mobility and strengthening the middle class should add increasing the strength of organized labor to their list of policy solutions.

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Workers want a visit from Romney as Bain ships their jobs to China
PRomney's dirt secret video linkosted: September 21, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Democracy Now posts longer, more recent videos about workers at Bain-owned Sensata here. The workers are watching as their plant is dismantled and shipped to China. Bain, of course, was founded by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Democracy Now reports,

"Welcome to Bainport, a taste of the Romney economy." That’s the message on one of the banners that greets you at the tent city where we broadcast from in Freeport, Illinois. "Bainport" is an encampment set up by workers who face losing their livelihoods when their workplace closes its doors in November and moves to China, taking 170 jobs with it. The workers’ plant, Sensata Technologies, is owned by Bain Capital, the firm co-founded by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Democracy Now! first spoke to the Sensata workers when we met them at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, where they unsuccessfully tried to meet with Romney. Now, they have returned to Freeport and set up a protest camp in a bid to save their jobs.

Bobby Schilling video linkNow we don't think Romney will go to Bainport. Not after Rep. Bobby Schilling fled from Sensata workers rather than tell them he opposed the "Bring Jobs Home Act." (Video link at right.):

Progress Illinois reported on Wednesday:

At a town hall meeting yesterday, Schilling couldn't take the heat when Sensata workers showed up to discuss the issue, so he ran out of the kitchen — or in this case the meeting.
When Tom Gaulrapp, one of the workers set to lose his job after working at the Bain Capital-owned company for 33 years, asked Schilling if he would support a bill that would offer companies tax incentives for bringing overseas jobs back to the U.S. and also close loopholes that allow corporations to ship American jobs overseas, like the Bring American Jobs Home Act, Schilling refused to answer and walked out of the meeting. But his campaign manager Terry Schilling essentially answered the question for the congressman by saying, "He said no. He does not support the bill."

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Some good news from Wisconsin
Posted: September 21, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Dane County administrators are negotiating with their public employee unions to put contracts in place until 2015. They're scrambling to do it quickly now that job-killer Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting law was struck down.

Problem is, the Wisconsin state Supreme Court is stacked with Walker cronies. Many believe the justices will reinstate the law severely limiting collective bargaining rights.

But until then, Dane County is doing what it can to extend the life of its government unions. The Wisconsin State Journal reports,
County administrators were negotiating with workers Wednesday night on contracts that could keep its unions alive through 2015. The County Board was poised to vote on the pact tonight. 
"We have a window here, and we're going to take advantage of it," said County Board Chairman Scott McDonell.... 
On Friday, portions of the law were ruled unconstitutional by Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas. State officials asked Colas to delay enforcement of that ruling until after appeals can be heard by higher courts, but it may be days or weeks before he decides on that request. 
As long as the ruling is in force, McDonell said, local governments can negotiate new binding contracts with employee unions... 
"In Dane County we use the right tool for the right job, and County Executive (Joe) Parisi believes those tools are communication, collaboration, and cooperation," said Parisi's chief of staff, Josh Wescott.
Meanwhile, Walker's attacks on workers haven't helped the state's economy. (Duh-oh!) Today, the Associated Press reported the unemployment rate rose in Wisconsin in 7.5 percent in July. AP noted,
The latest jobs numbers show that about 19,000 jobs have been created since Walker took office in 2011. He promised to create 250,000 jobs by 2015.
Only 231,000 more jobs to go, Scotty boy!

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Teamsters Blast Romney For His Disdain For Workers
Posted: September 20, 2012
Jim HoffaSource: Teamster.org
The Teamsters Union blasted Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney today for saying that he wishes labor unions didn’t prevent him from slashing the federal workforce as much as he’d like if he is elected.

“Mitt Romney’s blatant disdain for workers is outrageous,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “He was caught on video disparaging them to the people he is most comfortable with—rich campaign donors. His comments raise even more disturbing questions about whether he would be a president for all Americans or just the wealthy.”

Romney’s remarks came at a private fundraising event with millionaire donors in May, and were captured on video published exclusively by Mother Jones magazine. Romney, who was urged by a donor to “clean house” if elected, said: “I wish we weren’t so unionized so we could go a lot deeper than you’re actually allowed to go.”

“Workers are dying in unsafe mines,” Hoffa said. “Contaminated food is killing people and their pets. A drug war is raging on our border. Air traffic controllers are overworked. We’re on heightened alert for terrorist attacks. How can Mitt Romney justify jeopardizing the safety of Americans?”

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Romney disdains collective bargaining rights
Posted: September 20, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation



Reports the Wall Street Journal,
Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney suggested he would reduce the federal government workforce if he wins the election and voiced regret that union protections would prevent him from cutting more deeply, in remarks at a secretly taped fundraising event.
Romney’s remarks came in May, and were captured on video published exclusively by Mother Jones magazine. Romney, who was urged by a donor to “clean house” if elected, said: “I wish we weren’t so unionized so we could go a lot deeper than you’re actually allowed to go.”

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said he video raises disturbing questions about whether Romney would be a president for all Americans or just wealthy ones:
Workers are dying in unsafe mines. Contaminated food is killing people and their pets. A drug war is raging on our border. Air traffic controllers are overworked. We’re on heightened alert for terrorist attacks. How can Mitt Romney justify jeopardizing the safety of Americans?

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Be a voter this fall
Posted: September 20, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Becoming a voter
Becoming a voter in SoCal.
Teamsters all over the country are busting their butts to register thousands of new voters. California Teamsters are especially active as they're fighting against Prop. 32, the potentially devastating Billionaire's Bill of Rights.

We've reported Local 856 in San Bruno set up registration tents and tables outside Delta Dental, where their members work. But there's been even more activity in California, as every single local is registering voters.   Between Joint Councils 7 and 42, almost 20,000 people became voters, and 90 percent of those are registered to vote by mail.

Joint Council 28 in Seattle is working with an immigrant rights group to test messages and outreach to their members who haven’t become voters or moved. They're trying out a phone app provided by Washington's secretary of state.

Said Joint Council President John Williams,
Business Agent Abe Taylor of Local 174 walked around warehouses and driver bays with his phone app and resolved hundreds of voter registration issues in just a few days.
Local 237 in New York City launched an aggressive September voter registration drive. President Greg Floyd said his local's 14,000 registered voters understand how important it is to vote since elected officials control many of their departments' budgets.

In New Jersey, International Vice President Fredrick Potter said his local, 469, is planning for a voter registration drive to coincide with a shop steward meeting and another at a local shopping mall.

David Robinson, president of Joint Council 43 in Detroit, said Michigan's working families lost a great deal when their collective bargaining rights were chipped away:
Now we are working with all the trade unions in the state to reverse that decision with a constitutional amendment. Re-establishing collective bargaining rights is one of the most important fights we’ve ever had.
If you aren't a voter, it's easy to become one. Just go to the Rock the Vote's website here. Or check out the Teamsters' web page to find out your state's deadline. Most deadlines are in October, so get cracking!

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Car Dealer Contract Covers 450 Teamsters
Posted: September 20, 2012
Car DealersSource: Teamster.org
A contract victory covering more than 450 Teamsters represented by Local 618 in St. Louis was ratified by 95 percent of the vote.

On September 16, Teamsters auto dealer members ratified a new five-year agreement. The contract covers workers at more than 40 individual car dealerships in the St. Louis and surrounding area who are parts managers, parts counterpersons, drivers, porters, order fillers and packers.

“With strong leadership by our local union officers and all Local 618 dealer members who are affected by this agreement, we were able to achieve a great contract that addressed our concerns and also gave us the job security for the next five years,” said Rob Boone, a member of the local bargaining unit committee who is employed by Lou Fusz Dodge. “We also ratified the agreement two weeks before the expiration of the contract.”

Several meetings were held with Local 618 and the St. Louis Auto Dealers Association to reach the new agreement, which includes wage increases each year of agreement; pension increases each year of agreement; and fully funded Local 618 health and welfare.

“We were adamant in obtaining a five year agreement for our members to ensure their security long term,” said Local 618 Recording Secretary Tom Cole, who represents the Local 618 dealership members. “We were successful in our goal.”

“The vote clearly showed the membership was entirely behind the committee’s recommendation,” Kropp said.

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Teamsters beat back attack on truck safety
Posted: September 19, 2012
TruckSource: Teamster Nation
The Teamsters and allies won a battle this week in the war to undermine truck safety and exploit truckers.

We beat back a bill in Congress to widen the hours-of-service exemption for truck drivers during the grape harvest. Wineries and grape growers wanted the bill so they could force drivers to work longer hours during harvest season. Under a similar exemption, some truckers are pressured to work 20-hour shifts.

The legislation to extend the radius of exemptions to 175 miles was introduced by New York Reps. Tom Reed and Richard Hanna and Georgia Rep. Paul Broun, all Republicans.

The bill was scheduled for a vote on Wednesday. On Tuesday, it was pulled from the schedule.

Politico reported on the reason: the Teamsters and safety groups sounded the alarm about the bill in a letter to House members Monday. The letter said,

Every time a new special interest exemption is passed, the door opens for other businesses to do the same, eventually leading to exceptions swallowing the rule and putting safety on the auction block. 
The letter cited a May 14 New York Times story about similar exemptions for oil field drivers:
“Over the past decade, more than 300 oil and gas workers…were killed in highway crashes, the largest cause of fatalities in the industry. Many of these deaths were due in part to oil field exemption from highway safety rules that allow truckers to work longer hours than drivers in most other industries…” 
“Many oil field truckers say that while these exemptions help them earn more money, they are routinely used to pressure workers into driving after shifts that are 20 hours or longer.” 

The bill won't be back on the schedule until mid-November at the earliest, and possibly not at all.

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Galliker's Dairy Teamsters Standing Strong
Posted: September 19, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters at Galliker’s Dairy remain out on strike as the fight to receive a fair offer from their employer continues. The 55 workers have been without a contract since Feb. 28, 2011, and overwhelmingly voted down a substandard contract offer earlier this year.

The company, who has refused to bargain since the tentative offer was rejected in May, is trying to eliminate the workers’ pension benefits and refuses to include retroactive pay in its offer. Following the expiration of the previous contract in Feb. 2011, the union agreed to an extension with the one requirement being that the workers would receive retroactive pay as part of any agreement.

“We have bent over backwards to try and reach an agreement that the company and union could both live with,” said Larry Wolfe, Teamsters Local 453 President. “It is nothing more than an insult for Galliker’s to not recognize the outstanding work our members do every day. It’s time for management to step up and do the right thing.”

In 2012, the Teamster members at Galliker’s received national recognition as the best single production plant within the Quality Chekd membership. Quality Chekd is an organization of 27 independent dairy processors that have 59 manufacturing facilities internationally.

“We’re anxious to get back to work. We would much rather be working than striking, but we are doing this because we want to be treated fairly and recognized for our hard work,” said Tom Fair, a 16-year driver.
The workers have received outstanding support from the community during the strike which has helped them remain committed and focused on their goal.

“Our members want to get back to work – no one likes to go out on strike,” Wolfe said. “But there are times when you have to stand up for what’s right and with the community behind us, we will continue to stand strong.”

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Mitt, Meet the 47%
Posted: September 18, 2012
ChartSource: AFL-CIO Now
Just who was Mitt Romney referring to in his secretly recorded comments at a Boca Raton, Fla., fundraiser as people who don’t “take personal responsibility and care for themselves”?

(Data source: www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3505#_ftn9.)

The fact that they're not paid enough or are active duty military or are too old or disabled—maybe suffering from black lung or other diseases acquired on the job—does not mean they don’t contribute to America’s tax revenues. In fact, the poorest one-fifth of U.S. households pay a grinding 17.4 percent of their income in various federal, state and local taxes.

In case you’ve been visiting another planet and missed perhaps the most disgusting screed by a candidate for the presidency—ever—here it is:

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what….These are people who pay no income tax. […] [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

Watch the video on Mitt Romney's remarks on the 47 percent.

By the way, Mitt, it's actually 46 percent, and people in southern red states—you know, where those "right to work" for less laws you like keep wages low—are disproportionately likely to pay no income taxes.
Read the complete source story here.

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Teamsters Laud Obama Administration For Action Against China's Unfair, Illegal Protection Of Its Auto Industry
Posted: September 18, 2012
Jim HoffaSource: Teamster.org
The Teamsters Union applauded the Obama administration today for challenging China over illegally and unfairly protecting its auto and auto parts industries through export subsidies.

The illegal subsidies, prohibited by the World Trade Organization, distort trade conditions and flood the United States with low-priced auto parts, providing an unfair playing field to China.

“We are pleased the Obama administration is acting to stop China’s illegal subsidies,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “President Obama is sending a strong message to China that its protectionist policies that hurt American workers must end.”

The production of autos and auto parts in the United States is an important sector of the nation’s manufacturing base. In 2001, manufacturers in the United States produced more than $350 billion worth of automobiles and parts and employed nearly 800,000 workers.

“We must fight back to keep good-paying American jobs here at home,” Hoffa said. “I’m pleased President Obama is backing up his commitment to do so with action, insisting that China play by global trading rules.”

China has risen to the world’s fifth-largest auto and auto parts exporter since 2001, with the value of exports soaring to more than $69 billion from $7.4 billion. The United States is China’s largest export market for auto parts. China’s illegal export subsidies have been estimated at $1 billion between 2009 and 2011. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that China puts 1.6 million U.S. auto parts jobs at risk.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including more than 7,500 delivery drivers and merchandisers at Hostess. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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Walmart Warehouse Workers On Strike Against Illegal Working Conditions
Posted: September 18, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Warehouse workers in Southern California are on strike, protesting against harsh working conditions and retaliation by warehouse employers. The workers move goods for Walmart, the retail giant notorious for driving down wages and crushing unionization efforts.

Conditions at its warehouses in the California desert are brutal and the subcontractors operating the facilities have been cited for numerous labor law violation. Workers face temperatures as high as 100 degrees and lack access to clean drinking water. Wages are low and the rate of injury is high -- and workers' complaints have been met with retaliation from management.

Sign the workers' letter to Walmart and support their strike for better conditions.

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Rosenberger’s Dairies Workers Join Teamsters
Posted: September 18, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Workers with Rosenberger’s Dairies in Hatfield, Pa., have voted to join Teamsters Local 463, based in Fort Washington, Pa. There are 100 workers in the bargaining unit.

“I was all for the vote,” said Dave Shearer, who has worked at the company for nine years. “Management changed the rules day by day, hour by hour. We need equal pay rates for the different jobs. Things have gotten worse over the years. We needed a change.”

Rosenberger’s is owned by HP Hood LLC. Teamsters Local 463 already represents drivers, lab technicians and production workers at Penn Maid, also an HP Hood LLC brand.

“We are confident going into negotiations. We already have two contracts with this company,” said Robert Ryder, Local 463 Secretary-Treasurer.

Rosenberger’s mechanics and drivers have also expressed interest in joining Local 463.

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NBC Seattle: Sysco Workers Vote To Strike
Posted: September 17, 2012
Source: Teamster.org

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The Union is YOU
Posted: September 17, 2012
source: Teamster Nation
Brother Mark J. Cleland posted a message on Local 436's Facebook page. He's spot on, so we're sharing it with you:
Most people feel that the "Union" is the Executive Board, the people who "Run" the union. This could not be further from the truth. 
"The Union" is YOU! YOU are the one who elects YOUR officials to represent YOU. YOU are the one who has the priviledge to go to YOUR meetings and speak what's on YOUR mind, to let YOUR board know of any grievance YOU may have. A strong Union is only as strong as its members. 
Show YOUR employer YOU mean business, show them YOU stand behind YOUR union, attend meetings, report infractions by the employer to YOUR shop steward or local when they occur. YOU will never agree with 100% of what YOUR local does or doesn't do. But it is important that YOU get past that and carry on and continue fighting for YOUR rights. YOU are the eyes and ears of the Union.

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Kochs spend $4M on Prop 32
Posted: September 17, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
If California's Prop 32 is supposed to take money out of politics, why are the Koch brothers supporting it? They're the poster boys for the corporate takeover of our democracy.

Short answer: Prop 32 is about taking union money out of politics. That's why they call it the "Billionaires' Bill of Rights."

Here are the deets: The LA Times reported,
A group with ties to the conservative billionaire Koch brothers has dropped $4 million to pass a ballot measure that would severely limit the political activity of labor unions. 
The new committee has just one donation -- $4 million from the American Future Fund, a conservative nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to promote “conservative and free-market principles...”  (Ed. note: Yeah, free for corporations, not so much for ordinary citizens.)... 
No on 32 spokesman Brian Browkaw said the donation illustrated that the initiative would hurt unions while leaving corporate influence in tact. "The very same corporate special interests who carefully exempted themselves from Prop 32 and who stand to benefit from its passage – Big Oil, billionaire businessmen and the Super PACs linked to the Koch Brothers and Karl Rove – are now spending millions to pass Prop 32 and advance their interests at the expense of everyday Californians," he said .] 
The donation comes as new polls show support for Proposition 32 slipping from its original highs of more than 60% support among likely voters. Proponents say it would limit political activities of corporations and labor unions, but its opponents, led by the state’s largest worker groups, say it is aimed at tempering unions’ political influence while leaving wide loopholes for corporations to funnel millions into state campaigns.

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Teamsters Joint Council 7 Leads Caravan Across California
Posted: September 17, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Starting Monday, Sept. 17, hundreds of Teamsters will turn out at UPS in Bakersfield, Calif., to register to vote and learn about the threat Proposition 32 represents to their way of life. The event is the kickoff to a 22-day caravan that will travel to 19 job sites across the Central Valley and Northern California to build on a massive voter registration program spearheaded by Teamsters Joint Council 7 in San Francisco, Calif.

Prop. 32 is the most recent effort by anti-union forces to strip union members in California of their voice in the political arena. Pushed under the guise of campaign finance reform to “stop special interests,” Prop. 32 is specifically aimed at crippling unions while allowing corporate special interests to continue their free-wheeling spending through Super PACs.

Joint Council 7 has already successfully registered 5,000 new Teamster voters leading up to the caravan, and hopes to add to that number while educating members about the dangers of Prop. 32.

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Hostess Teamsters Vote to Accept Company's Final Offer
Posted: September 16, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters working for Hostess Brands Inc. narrowly approved contract modifications that Hostess management and lenders required as a condition to bring the company out of bankruptcy again, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced today.

More than 4,400 Teamsters voted in a national mail ballot referendum, with 2,357 voting to approve and 2,043 voting to reject. Ballots were mailed out on Aug. 25 and were tabulated today by an independent election firm, Hartfield Resolution Group.  

“This was a difficult decision,” said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall. “Our members are frustrated at being in the position to bail out the company again, but overall were willing to accept modifications with the hope that Hostess will recover and be in a better position in the years to come. At the end of the day, our members recognized that they can’t replace their pay and benefits in the non-union sector.”

Hostess Teamsters have already endured two previous rounds of concessions to help bolster the company, which is currently in its second bankruptcy.

Hostess executives now must decide what to do based on today’s vote results and those of its other unionized workers, which are expected in the coming days.

“This has been a very difficult and trying year for our members at Hostess and, should the restructuring go forward, we pledge to push and hold Hostess management accountable to create a successful business that provides greater job security for our members,” Hall said.

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Hoffa Says Organized Labor Fighting Back Against Right-Wing Radical Agenda
Posted: September 14, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said today in a National Press Club speech that organized labor is the country’s last barricade against a Tea Party takeover of the Republican Party that has lurched to the extreme right by inflaming cultural differences and declaring a war on American workers.

“We are the only ones standing in the way of this movement to turn the country to the far right,” Hoffa said. “They’re taking us on because they realize if they can knock out labor…they’ll have a free run.”

He cited coordinated, well-funded GOP efforts to roll back collective bargaining rights, suppress voter registration, attack women’s rights and champion policies that benefit wealthy Americans.

“We’re fighting very hard to make sure we restore the balance in the country,” Hoffa said, adding that “this election is going to decide whether the rich get richer, whether we’re going to have food stamps and Social Security.”

The Teamsters Union is historically a politically bipartisan union that has backed pro-labor Republicans. But the union has found that the GOP has left workers behind, Hoffa said. He called the Democratic Party a “big tent” of diversity. But at the recent Republican National Convention, “all I saw was 1 percenters—it was like looking at the Rotary Club,” he said.

He blasted Republican congressional leaders for fixating on trying to defeat President Obama instead of doing what is best for the country—restoring the U.S. economy and putting Americans back to work.

“Somebody has to say, ‘Do you really want to solve America’s problems?’” Hoffa said, adding that “the words we really need to bring back are ‘bipartisanship’ and ‘compromise.’”

Solving the country’s problems must start with bringing back jobs to the United States, he said. NAFTA has been a “disaster,” and tax laws need to be changed so that companies are not rewarded for shipping jobs overseas and that they also pay their fair share.

“There’s something wrong when some of our biggest corporations don’t pay any taxes,” said Hoffa, who noted that U.S. businesses are sitting on more than $1.5 trillion in cash reserves domestically. “Start investing in this country,” he urged.

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Consumer, Labor Rights Groups, Teamsters Tell Whole Foods: Don't Support Child Labor Chocolate Maker
Posted: September 13, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Advocates against the exploitation of children by chocolate makers initiated a campaign today calling on Whole Foods Market (NYSE: WFM) to hold The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) – the manufacturer of Dagoba and Scharffenberger Chocolates – accountable for exploiting children for profit. The Organic Consumers Association, the International Labor Rights Forum, Global Exchange and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are demanding that Whole Foods join a growing coalition of grocery stores urging Hershey to fully commit to using only child labor free cocoa produced under fair-labor standards.

In August, a coalition of forty-one independent natural food stores and co-ops called on the Hershey Company to meet the standard set by its competitors and fully commit to using ethically sourced cocoa. Unfortunately, Whole Foods and its supplier, United Natural Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNFI), refused to sign the coalition’s appeal.

About 35 percent of the world's chocolate is grown on small farms in the Ivory Coast. According to a U.S. Government-funded study, over 1.8 million children work in West Africa’s cocoa industry. Many of these children are exposed to dangerous working conditions and some are even sold off to perform grueling labor on cocoa farms.

“We believe it’s time for Whole Foods and UNFI to join other natural food stores in pointing out to Hershey that ethically sourcing a small amount of the company’s overall chocolate, does not make up for continuing to be laggards among the large chocolate companies, nor does it erase the fact that most of Hershey’s profits are earned at the expense of children,” said Ryan Zinn, Campaign Director for the Organic Consumers Association.

Hershey's failure to commit to purchase significant portions of ethically-sourced cocoa contrasts with the proactive commitments demonstrated by its major competitors. Mars and Ferrero, for instance, have committed to ensure 100 percent of their cocoa supply is ethically sourced by 2020. Nestle is working with the Fair Labor Association to examine its supply chain for child labor. And Kraft/Cadbury also has taken steps to certify one-quarter of its Cadbury Dairy Milk bars sold globally as Fairtrade.

“The Teamsters have supported the fight to end child labor in the cocoa industry for over a decade,” said Tracey Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “Unfor-tunately, it is not surprising that Whole Foods has turned a blind eye to the rogue conduct of its suppliers, after all Whole Foods is also unwilling to hold is supplier in Seattle, UNFI, accountable for violating workers’ rights.”

Consumers can join the campaign by clicking on the following link: www.LaborRights.org/wf

View the online Whole Foods petition by clicking here.

View the full text of the letter by clicking here.

GLOBAL EXCHANGE is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. www.GlobalExchange.org

INTERNATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS FORUM (ILRF) is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide. www.LaborRights.org

THE ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The Organic Consumers Fund is a 501(c)4 allied organization of the Organic Consumers Association, focused on grassroots lobbying and legislative action. www.organicconsumers.org

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Sysco comes After Teamsters Health Care
Posted: September 12, 2012
Source: Teamsters 117.org
After 11 bargaining sessions, Sysco is still clinging to an economic proposal that would significantly erode health care protections for Teamster members and their families.

“Sysco has failed to put forth an acceptable proposal that protects the health and welfare of our members,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer and lead negotiator for the Union.

In response to the company’s hard line, Teamsters at Sysco voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike at a meeting at the Teamsters Hall in Tukwila on August 25.

“We had a great turnout at the meeting. It puts the company on notice that we are united and are not going to be pushed around,” said Will Buff, a night crew Shop Steward, and 11-year Teamster.

To send a clear message to the company, Teamsters at Sysco began wearing Hands off my Health Care! stickers on Tuesday after it became clear in negotiations that Sysco has not been interested in achieving a fair resolution at the bargaining table.

Members have also been wearing Superman T-Shirts every Thursday in a show of solidarity.

The contract between Teamsters at Sysco and the company expired on August 31, but the parties have signed an extension agreement through midnight of September 11 with bargaining dates scheduled for September 10 and 11.
Read the complete source story here.

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Hostess 9/12/12 Member Update
Posted: September 12, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Just a reminder that the Hostess Referendum ballots need to be received by Friday, September 14 at 10 am EDT. The ballots will then be sorted and counted in a process run by an independent election firm, Hartfield Resolution Group (http://hartfieldresolutiongroup.com/).

Based on previous contract vote counts we anticipate being able to announce the results by sometime late afternoon Eastern Time on Friday, September 14th. The results will be posted on www.teamster.org/hostess and faxed and emailed to Local Union’s at that time.

Many of you may have heard that Hostess’ other major union the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco, and Grain Millers Union (BCTGM) has been conducting votes at individual facilities over the past week. It is our understanding that the BCTGM will officially inform the Company of those results around the same time that our results are available. We will keep you posted as more information becomes available.

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Drivers, Warehouse Workers at UNFI Vote Overwhelmingly to Strike
Posted: September 11, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Drivers and warehouse workers, employed at the United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) distribution center in Auburn, sent a clear message to their employer on Saturday when they rejected the company’s Last, Best, and Final contract proposal and, in doing so, resoundingly passed a final strike vote.

“This vote demonstrates that these workers are prepared to fight for the respect they deserve,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117.

The central issues in bargaining have been a stiff production standard and UNFI’s refusal to bargain about a large compensation gap between the company and its local competitors. 

“In the highly-competitive grocery warehouse industry, UNFI is insisting on providing substandard wages and benefits to its employees so that it can continue to maintain an unfair advantage over its competition,” Thompson said. “These workers are simply asking for their fair share from a highly-profitable corporation that is enriching itself on their labor.” 

UNFI’s revenues have increased 83% in the last five years, and the company has maintained an average profit margin of over 18% during that time.

Yet despite soaring profits, UNFI compensates its employees at a rate of 25% less than the compensation provided by other major unionized grocery distributors in the Puget Sound area.

“UNFI is raking in record profits while cheating middle-class workers and their families out of the means to pay their bills and put food on the table,” Thompson said.

UNFI supplies organic and specialty foods to major supermarkets throughout the Puget Sound area, including Whole Foods, PCC, and the Metropolitan Market.  Teamsters Local 117 represents 168 drivers and warehouse workers at the company’s distribution center in Auburn.  For more information see http://www.teamsters117.org/

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This is what we union THUGS (those helpful union guys and gals) do for each other
Posted: September 11, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
HONK…HONK. The unmistakable sound of a tractor trailer air horn penetrated the quiet, Levittown neighborhood.

HONK…HONK. “I wonder where that is coming from,” I said to my father.

“I don’t know,” he said. A lifelong truck driver, my father recognized the powerful sound, but it was unusual to hear it in our neighborhood. Honk…honk. The truck moved closer to our house. My father struggled to the window to see the excitement.

I was a student at Temple University in Philadelphia. Like on most days, I had awoken early for school and helped my father with his breakfast that consisted of pureed food, orange juice, and myriad vitamins and prescription drugs.

My father, though only 49, was battling a terminal illness, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive degenerative disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that causes rapid muscle deterioration. Patients typically live between three and five years after diagnosis; my father was is in his fifth year.

Though predictable in medical circles, my father’s decline in health was shocking to everyone who knew him. He had been a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and served in the Korean War. Once a strapping 6-foot-2 and weighing 210 pounds, he was now a fraction of his former self. He was confined to a wheel chair and struggled to breath and talk. His food had to be pureed due to his inability to swallow.

It was an extremely difficult time for my family and me. We struggled to balance work, school and my father’s care. As his disease progressed, so did the emotional and financial toll on our family.  

Honk…honk. The truck slowed down, engaged its air brakes and pulled in front of our house. It was a large Mack truck, with the distinctive Mack bulldog displayed prominently on the hood. Two large men jumped out of the truck.  They opened the trailer doors, unloaded several boxes, and walked toward our front door.

“Hello,” said one of the men.

“Is this the Malloy house?” the other asked.

“Yes, it is,” I said.

“Is Pat Malloy here? We are from the Philadelphia Teamsters Local 500.”

My father had been a lifelong truck driver and proud member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and at one time served as a union shop steward. He had been forced to give up truck driving a few years earlier, physically unable to perform the job.

The men entered the house and greeted my father, who was sitting in his wheelchair near the front door. They introduced themselves. My father couldn’t raise his arms or hands, so they placed their hands on his shoulder.

“Hi Pat, we are from the Teamsters. We want you to know that we are thinking about you and your family. We stopped at the Nu-Way Market on Haines Road and picked up some groceries for your family.”

My father became overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry. Tears streamed down his face. He struggled to find words. “It’s been hard...we have had a hard time...thank you,” he said.

My father wasn’t demonstrative. He was a tough man, born and raised in a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia, yet there were times when he was open and friendly and warm, especially when neighbors or relatives visited or when we had a backyard cookout. Even at all the christenings, the confirmations and the graduations, I never saw my father cry.  

The men emptied the truck, carrying several boxes of groceries for our family. We stored the food in the pantry and refrigerator. After the food was safely put away, the Teamsters said their goodbyes and departed.

As they drove down the street, my father, still crying, turned to me and said, “They remembered me, Charlie. They remembered me.”

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Mexican truck program still a failure
Posted: September 11, 2012
Mexican death truckSource: Teamster Nation
Just as Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa predicted: The pilot program to open the border to Mexican trucks is turning out to be a complete failure.

There aren't enough trucks in the program -- only four at last count. And the government isn't making sure drivers can understand American road signs -- or that they aren't carrying cargo illegally.

Don't take our word for it. Read what the U.S. Transportation Department's own inspector general wrote about the program. The Packer Daily publication reported on the audit and concluded the cross-border trucking program's future is iffy.
The future of the cross-border pilot program for Mexico-based trucking companies is unsure at best, according to a federal audit.
Can't say we didn't warn them....

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US has lower wages than 10 countries
Posted: September 11, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Low pay does not create more jobs. That's why right-to-work is a scam. But don't take our word for it. Look at these statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Unemployment is higher in the United States than in nine of the 10 other countries, and yet wages are lower. As Kenneth Thomas notes at Angry Bear,

What is most confounding, for Republicans at least, is that nine of these countries also have lower unemployment, which contradicts their view that high wages (and high minimum wages) harm employment.
He also makes the point that there are advantages to living in high-cost, high-wage places:
...having extra cash gives you extra options. You will have a higher retirement benefit and will keep it if you move to a lower-cost area, whereas the reverse is not possible. You will have better quality services on average, particularly health care. It is far easier for you to vacation in a low-cost location than it will be for someone in a low-cost location to vacation to a high-cost location ($25 personal pan pizzas!). 
Your high salary will be the benchmark if you take a job in a lower-cost location. If you economize from the standard basket of goods used to measure cost of living, your benefit will be higher in the high-cost area. Of course, a full treatment of this issue requires another post, but the big point is that high wages do not necessarily create unemployment and reducing wages is not the route to middle class prosperity. 

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Canada Bread workers join Teamsters
Posted: September 11, 2012
Source: Teamsters Canada
The 350 workers of the two plants operated by Canada Bread in Hamilton, Ontario, have chose the Teamsters Union to represent them last week.

This decision follows a representation vote electing Local Section 647 of the Teamsters Union as the bargaining agent.

The workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of affiliation with the Teamsters.

“We thank our brothers and sisters for placing their trust in us,” said Teamsters Canada president Robert Bouvier. “We have the expertise and know-how to negotiate good labour contracts in the bakery industry; these workers made the right choice.”

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James Hoffa, Teamsters President, Says Romney 'Wants To Annihilate Organized Labor'
Posted: September 10, 2012
HoffaSource: Huffington Post
The way Teamsters President James P. Hoffa sees it, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney would be happy if an already weakened American labor movement ceased to exist altogether.

"He wants to annihilate organized labor as we know it," Hoffa told HuffPost outside the Democratic National Convention this week. "It's on his website. I'm not making this up. He's for a national right-to-work law. The Republican Party has veered dangerously to the right. It's rather incredible, in 2012, if you think about it."

Indeed, Romney's official stance on labor isn't kind to unions. His campaign website suggests that unions have outlasted their significance, "driv[ing] up costs and introduc[ing] rigidities that harm competitiveness and frustrate innovation." He supports states pursuing right-to-work laws, which weaken the clout of unions, and his party last week approved a platform pushing for national right-to-work legislation. He'd also like to prohibit automatic union dues-deduction from employee paychecks.

Hoffa isn’t the only labor leader who visited Charlotte this week and sees a hostility toward unions in Romney's positions. Mary Kay Henry, head of the 2 million-member Service Employees International Union, told HuffPost earlier this week that Romney "wants to take us out."

The Romney campaign didn't respond to Hoffa or Henry's comments.
Read the complete source story here.

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Teamsters 117, which delivers organic foods, votes to strike
Posted: September 10, 2012
Source: KING 5
The Teamsters Local 117 Union overwhelmingly voted to approve a strike against United National Foods Incorporated.  About 160 members made up of truck drivers and warehouse workers work for the company, one of the largest natural food distributors in Western Washington.
   
Sticking points of production standards, retirement security and pay caused negotiations to stall which prompted the union to take action.

Following the vote, members claim UNFI put up a fence around the property and brought in replacement drivers. The union calls these actions scare tactics and a way to bully members into accept a labor agreement.

This tug-of-war also impacts natural food stores relying on delivery of UNFI’s products and customers. A strike could cause businesses to order elsewhere, driving up prices.
Read the complete source story here.

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Hostess employees to vote on new contract
Posted: September 8, 2012
TwinkiesSource: Journal Tribune
Hostess Brands CEO Greg Rayburn made a stop at the company’s Biddeford bakery Friday to take questions from and listen to the concerns of the approximately 410 employees who work there regarding a proposed five-year union contract.

His visit came the day before members of the Local 340 International Brotherhood of Teamsters union are scheduled to vote on whether to accept the contract that includes a number of concessions.

The Teamsters union and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union represent a large majority of Hostess workers and represent the largest number of the company’s employees in Biddeford.

Company executives said the concessions are necessary if Hostess is to emerge from bankruptcy, stay afloat and maintain production of Twinkles, Suzy Q’s and its other baked confections.In January, Hostess Brands filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time. It is still in proceedings for its recent filing.

In 2004, the previous owner, Interstate Bakeries, had also filed for bankruptcy protection. It emerged in February 2009.

High rates of worker compensation is one of the reasons the company pegs for the necessity of seeking Chapter 11 protection.

However, local Teamsters representative Alan Churchill blames “more of a bad economy and mismanagement of the company” as the real culprits.

The company’s owners are investment firms, he said, “who don’t understand baking.”
Read the complete source story here.

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Teamsters General President Hoffa Appoints Warehouse Director
Posted: September 7, 2012
Source: Yahoo! News
Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa announced today the appointment of Steve Vairma to Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. Steve Vairma also currently serves as an International Vice President for the Western Region, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 455 in Denver, President of Joint Council 3 and previously served as Western Region Director for the Teamsters Warehouse Division. Vairma has been a Teamster since 1982.

"Steve Vairma is a great choice to lead such an important division," Hoffa said. "I have no doubt that his experience and intellect will serve our members well."

Vairma replaces John Williams who has served as Warehouse Director for the past decade and is retiring. Williams served as Secretary-Treasurer of Local 117 in Seattle from 1992-2008 and has been a Teamster since 1968. Williams also recently stepped down as Joint Council 28 President and has been a Joint Council 28 Executive Board Member since 1995.
Read the complete source story here.

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For arena supporters, conflict over Port CEO’s board position is nothing but net
Posted: September 7, 2012
Source: The Seattle Times
A letter last week from 13 state Legislators questioning Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani’s new board position at Expeditors International was drafted by Heather Weiner, the state political director for the Teamsters.

A forwarded e-mail to a state legislator shows the Teamsters were shopping around a draft on Aug. 23, looking for lawmakers who might sign it and add pressure to the Port Commission to publicly question Yoshitani about the board position. The letter says there could be, maybe, a possible appearance of conflict-of-interest. It stopped short of taking sides, but it definitely kept the issue in the news.

Weiner said state Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila, asked her to shop around the letter because he didn’t have time. The Teamsters’ interest in Yoshitani’s board position, she said in an e-mailed statement, “is about a long list of incidents where the weak Port of Seattle Commission failed to hold its CEO accountable and allowed corporate interests to take over our public port. Whether under Mic Dinsmore or Tay Yoshitani, a weak port commission means the port ends up in chaos and strife.”

There are two other reasons the Teamsters may have been interested in getting that letter out.
Read the complete source story here.

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Republic rally video linkRepublic Workers March on Company Headquarters
Posted: September 7, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Republic Airways pilots, flight attendants and mechanics, and members of the Monitoring Committee held a rally and marched on the company's headquarters on Aug. 30 to demand that the company honor its professional employees who keep passengers safe.

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Teamster addresses nation at Democratic National Convention
Posted: September 6, 2012
at podiumSource: Teamster Nation
Four days after getting a call out of the blue, Carroll County Deputy Sheriff Ken Myers is representing the Teamsters at the Democratic National Convention. This afternoon he addressed the assembled delegates -- and the country -- from a podium in Charlotte, N.C.

It's been an adventure, from the last-minute flight, a mix-up over hotel rooms, questions about what to wear and what to say and backstage jitters. But he did great. His speech was frequently interrupted by applause

Brother Myers started off by proudly stating, "I am a Teamster, and a father."

Here are his remarks:

I’m lucky to walk a pretty quiet beat, as they say.  
But one evening last spring, me and two other officers answered a call, a domestic disturbance. As one of my partners knocked on the front door of the house, I went around back. 
That’s when, through a window, I saw a man with a gun. And he saw us. 
He started firing. We took cover. Backup arrived, and we spent the night trying to convince the suspect to surrender.   
By morning, he walked out the door, hands in the air. 
Thankfully, no one was hurt. 
First responders like me put our lives on the line. We’re proud to do it. It’s the job we signed up for. To protect and serve.  
But we need a leader who will do the same for. And that leader is President Barack Obama.  
Governor Romney has said, “it’s time to cut back” on public employees like teachers, firefighters, and cops. And that’s exactly what his plan would do. 
When the Republican Governor of Ohio attacked the collective bargaining rights of police officers, Romney supported him.  
The Romney-Ryan budget could cut funding for first responders by 20 percent. 
That funding, it helps pays for the officers who heeded my call for backup last spring. 
It also helps pay for the  Fire and EMS vehicles that responded to the scene.  
And it helps pay for the bulletproof vest that – if, God forbid, I was shot that night – could have saved my life. 
But this isn’t just about me – or about my partners in the sheriff’s office. It’s about all Americans. 
In his big speech last week, Mitt Romney talked about helping families.  
We help families every day. And let me tell you – what Mitt Romney doesn’t understand is that there’s nothing helpful about undermining public safety. 
When you cut funding for first responders, that means there will be fewer of them. And that means help may take longer to get there – or may get there far too late. 
President Obama understands that.  
That’s why he’s helped keep tens of thousands of cops on the job – and helped create thousands of new law enforcement positions across the country. 
He’s made sure we’re outfitted with the best equipment, the most advanced technology to keep us safe.  
In New York City on 9/11, and on the Gulf Coast after Katrina, first responders saw our communications network break down, making it harder to get to the people we were trying to help. President Obama helped create a national safety communications system so that never happens again. 
In places like Carroll Country, we do things for ourselves. We’re not strangers to hard work.  
But part of that work is looking out for our neighbors. That’s why we need police. That’s why we need firefighters, and teachers. 
And that’s why we need a President who fights for us. A President who stands up for middle class jobs, and middle class communities.  
President Obama has our backs. And in this election, we have his.

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Teamsters leader shaped by Lincoln County
Posted: September 6, 2012
Ken HallSource: Sunday Gazette-Mail
Every day is Labor Day for the working-class Lincoln County boy who rose to the second highest post in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a success story that amazes even the man who lived it.

A second-generation Teamster with a high school education, 55-year-old Ken Hall grew up in Yawkey and started his union affiliation as a roustabout with Pennzoil.

Fast forward to last March when the union elected him international secretary-treasurer, second in command behind Teamsters President James P. Hoffa.

He spends much of his time working in Washington, but he lives in Alum Creek and remains president of Teamsters Local 175 in South Charleston. First elected in 1990 at the age of 33, he's serving his seventh term as the local's chief.

His constituency includes 250,000 United Parcel Service workers. He earned his stripes after leading a 1997 UPS strike that resulted in a landmark settlement.

A master negotiator, calm and soft-spoken (most of the time), he has a homespun but tenacious manner that clicks at the contract table.

The work is about getting even.
Read the complete source story here.

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Woo-hoo! Protect Our Jobs on Mich. ballot
Posted: September 6, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
This is great news! The constitutional amendment to protect collective bargaining rights in Michigan will be on the ballot in November.

We won the court battle; now we have to win the ballot question.

Here is MLive on the latest development:
Michigan could follow Ohio and Wisconsin as a nationally watched battleground for unions looking to restore clout after the state Supreme Court ruled that “Protect Our Jobs” proposal will be before the voters in November. 
Unions have collected millions of dollars to campaign for the proposal, which would enshrine collective bargaining into the state constitution, and possibly affect about 170 existing laws. 
“I would say that Michigan will become a major battleground, like Wisconsin, on this Nov. 6,” said Bill Ballenger of Inside Michigan Politics. 
“The unions spent millions just getting this on the ballot. They’re trying to head off anything that might be coming from a Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Snyder, fearing they could enact ‘right to work’ legislation that would be the coup de grace for organized labor in Michigan.” 
Unions successfully overturned laws directed at organized labor in Ohio, but failed in an expensive, high-profile attempt to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who ushered through laws limiting collective bargaining.
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa was quoted:
The Protect Our Jobs proposal is backed by national union leaders, and was discussed by Teamsters President James Hoffa as he addressed the Michigan delegation at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday. 
At a morning breakfast Hoffa talked about re-electing Barack Obama and retaking the state House -- but said passing the constitutional amendment “is the most important thing.” 
“We need to guarantee collective bargaining in Michigan forever in our constitution,” he said to applause.

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Jim Hoffa On MSNBC Morning Joe
Morning Joe video linkPosted: September 5, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters President Jim Hoffa says we will fight back and rebuild America to counter bad trade deals.

 

 

 

 

 

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Indiana Teamster running hard for state rep
Posted: September 5, 2012
Jerod WarnockSource: Teamster Nation
Brother Jerod Warnock, business agent for Teamsters Local 135 in Indianapolis, has a good shot at winning his race for state representative in Indiana's 5th District.

Warnock, a Democrat, spends his off hours at events such as a church rummage sale, a police breakfast (at 4:30 a.m.), tailgate parties at Notre Dame football games and the Elkhart Labor Day parade. He knocks on doors three times a week. His big brother Bob, president of Teamsters Local 364, accompanies him on his walks around the district.

(Their dad, Bob Warnock, Jr., is a Teamster retiree now. The South Bend Tribune just ran a nice story about him.)

Warnock is one of three Teamsters running for the state Legislature in Indiana. It's part of a concerted effort by working people to reclaim the state and repeal the right-to-work-for-less law enacted earlier this year. But it won't be easy.

"It's going to be work," Warnock said. "We're good at that."

The two other Teamsters running for the Indiana Legislature are Local 1070 President Brad Thompson and Local 716 President Jim Cahill. Thompson is running for state Senate from the 7th District. Cahill is running for state Senate from the 37th District.

Check out Warnock's website here and give his Facebook page a Like.

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The Ed Show On MSNBC Interviews Jim Hoffa
Posted: September 4, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
The Ed Show on MSNBC interviews Jim Hoffa Prior to the beginning of the Democratic National Convention, Ed Schultz interviewed Jim Hoffa about labor union support for President Obama.

 

 

 

 

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PBS NewsHour Labor Day
Posted: September 4, 2012
Source: Teamster.org
Teamsters President Jim Hoffa was interviewed on PBS NewsHour along with presidents of SEIU and AFSCME.

 

 

 

 

 

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Secretary Solis' Labor Day Message To The IBT
Posted: September 2, 2012
Source: Teamster.org

Secretary SolisBrothers and sisters –

Today, I want to extend my warmest wishes to you, the members of the Teamsters Union. You are the very fabric of this country; you deliver our packages, drive our kids to school, nurse our loved ones, and pick up our trash. You’re our friends and neighbors. You are America. Thank you for your commitment, your talent, your hard work, and your service to this country. On behalf of everyone at the Department of Labor, I'm honored to wish all of you a great Labor Day.

Labor Day is the celebration of a promise fulfilled. For generations, the promise of good jobs, fair treatment and wages, and a seat at the bargaining table has sustained the economic security of America’s vital middle class.

Labor Day is also a call to action, a reminder that we must defend that promise to ensure that dignity and opportunity remain the birthright of all workers in this country. It reminds us that workers’ rights, family-sustaining wages, and the free exercise of collective bargaining rights are the backbone of an America built to last.

We know what’s at stake, and we know what we have to do.

We must continue to get people back to work. We've come so far in the last 3 ½ years, but we've still got a long way to go. Over the last 29 months, we've created 4.5 million jobs.

These new jobs will only contribute to a thriving middle class and a growing economy if we work together to demand good jobs for everyone. That means protecting workers from wage violations, employee misclassification and illegal discrimination. It means ensuring that all workers come home safe and healthy at the end of their shifts. It means expanding opportunity so that no matter who you are or where you come from, you get a fair shot at success

Some say that we can't afford unions right now, that labor unions are the problem in this country. But I think they've got it just plain wrong. Teamsters helped build America's middle class. You are now — and always will be — part of the solution. American workers still want and need a seat at the table. Collective bargaining rights give them that seat. You understand that collective bargaining helped build the greatest middle class the world has ever known.

For me, this Labor Day has added meaning. My dad, who was a proud member of the Teamsters, passed away this year. When I was in ninth grade, he would come home and ask me to sit with him at our kitchen table. From his pockets, he would pull pieces of paper with writing in Spanish on them. They were notes given to him by his co-workers. There were all sorts of things scribbled on them: grievances about health and safety, questions about paychecks that didn't add up, and ideas about how to improve the productivity of the line.

He'd ask me to translate them into English. At first, I didn't understand what they were. When I asked, he explained: “They are the voice of the workers.” It was from him, as a young girl, that I learned about the critical need for workers to have a voice on the job and a seat at the table.

Today, I honor his memory with a call for unity and strength – a commitment to keep building on our achievements to meet the urgent needs of working families.

One thing is certain: the promise of the great American worker will never be broken. Working together, there's no challenge we can't overcome.

Respectfully,

Hilda L. Solis
Secretary
U.S. Department of Labor

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Fry Made in America (by a union) for Labor Day
Posted: September 2, 2012
BudSource: Teamster Nation
It's not too late to run to that union grocery store (um, that excludes Wal-mart, folks) for some Labor Day picnic food. Think about baking or cooking with union-made ingredients.

Our brothers and sisters at UFCW have a Pinterest board that can help you find union recipes. As Teamsters, we're partial to the Teamster-made beer-battered fried chicken recipe. We're not sure French toast is the best use of UFCW-made Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, but we definitely see a role for UFCW-made Hebrew National hot dogs at our barbecue!

Here's the recipe for beer-battered fried chicken (ignore comments about using "any beer"):
Read the complete source story here.