Local #174 Teamster News Archives-Spring 2008

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RUAN MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY AUTHORIZE A STRIKE

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist

Ruan bargaining unit members heard from the three rank and file members on their Bargaining Committee at their Strike Authorization Vote Meeting May 18th.

(May 19, 2008) The Contract between Local 174 and Ruan Transport expired on April 30, 2008. The negotiations between the parties were progressing until the Company unequivocally rejected the Union’s key issues. About 85 members of Local 174 are in the bargaining unit. The Strike Authorization Vote was held on Sunday, May 18th at the JC-28 Headquarters Building in Tukwila.

The Ruan grocery drivers heard a lengthy report on the bargaining history to date from Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks, who is leading the negotiations. They also heard from other members of their Bargaining Committee — Local 174 President Ted Bunstine, 174 staff members Senior Business Agent Tom Mann and Business Agent Carl Gasca, and rank and file members Art Guerrero, Jim Paulson and Doug Frechin. 

Bargaining has been contentious from the start. The first official bargaining session was set for April 15-16. On the 15th, Hicks said, the Company stopped listening before the Union completed their initial proposal, caucused briefly then left abruptly.

Hicks explained to the members the Committee had been unsuccessful in getting the Company to agree with the main points the Ruan members made in their Demands Meeting on March 31st.

A second official session was set for April 25-26. After back to back negotiating days, one of which went late into the morning of the 26th, there was little progress made. At the conclusion of the second day the Company wanted us to sign an extension agreement with the Contract set to expire on April 30th. We declined their request in order to keep all options open as the Company had not demonstrated a serious attempt to resolve our member’s issues. Again, like the first meeting, the Company's negotiators packed up early and left.

Finally, a third session was set for four days, May 16-19. Hicks said after some progress he and the Committee believed a Ratification Vote could be achieved by Sunday, May 18th. But as the theme of this bargain the Company negotiators refused to seriously address the member’s top three non-economic issues. So we decided it was time to take a Strike Authorization Vote to gauge the pulse of our members over the remaining unresolved demands.

The Local 174 Ruan members voted unanimously, 100%, to authorize a strike if one becomes necessary.

Prior to the Strike Authorization Vote, Hicks assured the members that they have strong backing from the IBT and JC-28. Contact between 174 and the IBT and JC-28 is especially close. International Warehouse Director and Local 117 S/T John Williams has agreed to fully support whatever decision Local 174 makes.

Closing the May 18th Strike Authorization Meeting, Hicks thanked the members for their vote of confidence. He stressed, "For now, just continue going to work and doing your job. We don't want an extension, and we don't want a strike. But if we have to have one, we will be ready."

We have scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, May 21, in a last attempt to convince the Company of the seriousness of this situation.

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YOU ARE INVITED TO THE 2008 TRUCK ROADEO

By DAVE JACOBSEN, Local 174 Business Agent
(May 14, 2008) Every year in our State, the Washington Trucking Association's Driving Championships are held somewhere in or near Local 174's neck of the woods. The Best of the Truck Drivers from around Washington State — Teamsters and non-Teamsters alike — gather to display their professional driving abilities and compete for awards against fellow competitors from many companies.

Some of the folks at the 2007 Roadeo

But the competition — which is also called the Truck Roadeo — is much more than just a driving contest. It is a popular family outing, featuring picnic food and drinks, entertainment of various kinds for young kids, and exciting driving to watch. By the way, the Teamster drivers often dominate the Roadeos, and several Local 174 members are multi-award winners and haven't slowed down at all.

JOIN US JUNE 14TH
This year, the Roadeo will be held Saturday, June 14th at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. Bring yourself and your whole family and join us! The Local 174 Truck will be there, and the Local will have a special tent under which we'll have a Barbecue. The driving competition will start about 8 a.m., and the event will last all day. Vittles, free for Local 174 members and their families, will be served starting about 11 a.m., or whenever we've grilled a sufficient number of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Please come join us at the BBQ. This is a fun family outing, and we guarantee you will enjoy yourself, no matter what the weather. This is no minor deal. Last year some 164 drivers registered to compete, and the contests were tense and close. The 2007 Roadeo was held at the Kent Boeing practice field in South Seattle.

Again in 2008, as has been the case for 18 years, one of the event's chiefs will be our own 174 Senior Business Agent Erv Lemon — who has become known affectionately as the Roadeo's “Den Mother.” His task, which is a tough one he willingly takes on every year, involves making sure the drivers don’t see the course before their allotted performance time. He also makes sure the drivers are not competing in their own companies' trucks. Besides being involved in the State Roadeo competition he has been an assistant at the Nationals in different parts of the country.

Local 174 Teamsters took 6 of the 8 First Places awarded in the 2007 Roadeo. Those six winners competed in the Nationals in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

LOCAL 174 STATE 2007 ROADEO WINNERS
Twins Trailers: 2nd, Dustin Hustad, Oak Harbor Freight; 3rd, Rick Colton, Boeing. Tank Truck: 2nd, Mark Koruga, Boeing; 3rd, Ed Campbell, Yellow. Straight Truck (Solo): 1st, Dan Poole, Boeing. Sleeper Truck: 1st, Roy Garcia, Peninsula; 2nd, Chuck Snowdon, Boeing. Flatbed: 1st, Dana Moore, Boeing; 2nd, Tom Lydiard, Ruan/AG; 3rd, Doyle Urquhart, Peninsula. Five Axle Van: 1st, Robert Ness, Safeway Grocery; 2nd, Robert Rautenberg, Safeway Grocery; 3rd, Joe Martinez, Roadway. Four Axle: 1st, Chris Bates, Roadway. Three Axle: 1st, Mike Mygatt, USF Reddaway; 2nd, Russell Swihart, USF Reddaway.

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LOCAL 174 BYLAWS OVERHAULED AT MAY 8 GMM

Members follow along during Bylaws' third reading May 8th

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(May 12, 2008) The final Local 174 General Membership Meeting that will be held this year until next September was at times quite boring. But it was at the same time, very important. It was in the Main Meeting Hall at Tukwila Joint Council 28 Headquarters Thursday, May 8th. The members present completed the process of overhauling Local 174's Bylaws, which has been a rather monumental task.

As Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks said at the start of the GMM prior to turning the microphone over to Business Agent Roger Pardo for the third and final consecutive monthly reading of the proposed changes, "This updating of our Bylaws is long overdue, and much needed. The last time Local 174 attempted to update the Bylaws took place back in the early 1990's and was not real successful. But this time we have done it right."

• BA Pardo had been given the assignment of forming a Rank & File Standing Bylaws Committee, studying the existing Local 174 Bylaws with the Committee's members, and proposing text changes with them to bring the language throughout the Bylaws up to 2008 needs and proper constitutional standards. Pardo was ably assisted by four Local 174 members who volunteered for this Committee's difficult and time-consuming effort — Dave Macellari, DHL; Steve Kienholtz, Yellow Transportation; Stuart Snow, Todd Shipyards; and Wilson Worthen, Huttig.
  
• The Local 174 Rank & File Standing Bylaws Committee eventually came up with forty-plus proposed changes to the Bylaws. By the rules, all had to be voted on individually.

The proposed changes were read and discussed on the floor one by one on May 8th, and then the members voted on whether to accept or reject them — one by one. The voting ballots were collected, and then the counts in all the voting on each individual change were carefully tallied. The results will be verified shortly, and if you are interested in them you can contact Roger at the Local 174 Office and he'll see that you get the information you desire.

OTHER BUSINESS AT THE GMM MAY 8TH
The GMM covered other ground besides the Bylaws reading, voting and tallying. Hicks gave a detailed Secretary-Treasurer's Report, during which he and several Business Agents talked about the various negotiations and issues they and Local 174 have been involved with.

• Most of the bargaining involving Local 174 has gone well in 2007 and early 2008. Hicks thanked all those at the GMM for their support, and said that the input and feedback of the membership is the fuel that has made and continues to make Local 174 one of the strongest Labor organizations anywhere.  
  
• Hicks closed the GMM, wishing all a pleasant summer and urging them to pay attention to political developments and to be active politically, helping pro-worker candidates if they are able to do so.

The next GMM, following the three-month summer recess, will be at 10:00 a.m., Sunday, September 14th in the Tukwila JC-28 HQ Main Meeting Hall. It will as usual be preceded at 8:00 a.m. by an Initiates Meeting.

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LOCAL 174 & 763 OHFL MEMBERS ARE HANGING TOUGH
IN A FRUSTRATING SITUATION

Some of those who attended the Local 174-Local 763 Oak Harbor Freight Lines Informational Meeting on May 4th posed for a "Solidarity" portrait after it was over.

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(May 9, 2008) The negotiations of the Teamsters with the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Company have dragged on for months. The Contract expired on October 31, 2007. About 600 members are in the multi-state, multi-Local Union bargaining unit. Signatory to the OHFL Agreement are Locals 81, 174, 231, 252, 324, 483, 589, 690, 760, 763, 839 and 962; Alaska/Washington/Northern Idaho Joint Council 28 and Oregon Joint Council 37.

• Local 174 and Local 763 conducted an Informational Meeting at JC-28 Headquarters in Tukwila on Sunday, May 4th starting at 2 p.m. — to update their Oak Harbor members on the progress or lack thereof of the bargaining.
• Local 174 has approximately 200 OHFL members, and Local 763 has approximately 70.

The members first heard from Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks, Local 763 Secretary-Treasurer Dave Grage, 174 Business Agent Brian Davis, 763 Business Agent Evie Gradilla, and the rank and file members of their Bargaining Committee. Then they heard from Local 174 Attorney Dmitri Iglitzin, who talked about proper behavior on picket lines and elsewhere during strikes and other types of work stoppages — and also about unemployment insurance concerns, strike pay, and the rules of both stationary picketing and ambulatory picketing.

• The good news is, all the affected members of the OHFL bargaining unit including those in 174 and 763 are hanging tough and showing great Solidarity against their stubborn, arrogant, greedy, increasingly anti-union employer.
• The bad news is, there is no end in sight for the long, drawn-out negotiations

Hicks, who moderated the Tukwila 174-763 Meeting, told those present that the next decision on what happens will be made by the IBT, which is now deeply involved in the Oak Harbor bargaining. All efforts to deal with the owners by the two Locals, with help all the way up to the International Headquarters offices, have been coldly rebuffed by the Company.

OHFL is essentially thumbing its condescending nose at the entire Teamsters Union. That could prove in the long run to be an unwise decision, because the general public, once they find out about the facts, does not feel very charitable toward companies that treat employees the way OHFL is treating their Teamster workers.

Hicks promised to report any new bargaining developments to the Oak Harbor members immediately. In the meantime, he suggested everyone hope for the best, but plan for the worst. He urged the bargaining unit members to save their money, and be ready for a prolonged fight for their rights should one become necessary.

• He summed it up with, "We are all in it together. We will accept nothing less than a fair contract. We will rise or fall together. Carry that message back to the shop floor and get it across to the employer.

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From the Teamsters E-Dispatch
DHL Express Workers Overwhelmingly Approve National Agreement

(May 9, 2008) More than 7,000 Teamsters working at DHL Express ratified their first agreement by a solid 82%. The Contract, which boosts wages and benefits, improves working conditions and strengthens job security, marks the Union's second new National Agreement in the past month. Read more here.

View preliminary vote count here.

SOON, LOCAL 174 SENIOR BUSINESS AGENT TIM ALLEN, WHO WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE DHL NEGOTIATIONS, WILL POST HIS OWN  LOCAL 174-RELATED COMMENTS ABOUT THE NEW AGREEMENT ON THE LOCAL 174 WEB SITE. STAY TUNED

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TEAMSTERS E-DISPATCH ENTRIES

(May 6, 2008) At the Joint Council 28 Semi-Annual Delegates Meeting in Tukwila, Washington, Sunday, May 4th, a videotape from IBT General President James Hoffa was presented. In it he praised U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and explained why the IBT has endorsed Obama in his current run for U.S. President. Hoffa mentioned the IBT's recent Working Class Convoy for Change tour, which he led. Also, the IBT recently criticized a U.S. Defense Department decision that "outsourced our national security." Following are eDispatch details about these two situations.

Bad Trade Costs Thousands of Jobs in Pennsylvania
During the Working Class Convoy for Change tour through the Keystone State, General President Jim Hoffa said bad trade deals have cost thousands of Pennsylvanians their jobs as more and more companies have moved out of the U.S. Hoffa also explained how Sen. Obama could help to stop this catastrophic trend. >>Read More

View more photos from this three-day event here.

Hoffa: Stop Outsourcing America's Security
The Defense Department weakened our national security when it recently gave a $35-billion contract to a European group for the creation of a new fleet of aerial-refueling aircraft, rejecting an offer from Chicago-based Boeing, the longtime supplier of the airplanes. Since this deal could swell to $100 billion, we are contributing in a major way to outsource our national security. >>Read More

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Some of the Local 174 Executive Board and Staff members, with friends from other Locals, at the May 3, 2008 Joint Council 28 Educational Seminar's Freight/Carhaul Trade Division Meeting.

Informative JC-28 Educational Seminar
By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(May 4, 2008) Every year in conjunction with its Semi-Annual Delegates Meeting in Tukwila, Joint Council 28 holds its Annual Educational Seminar. Local Union elected officers, staff members, and interested general members, are invited to attend a day of illuminating speeches and Trade Division discussions about many subjects of interest to Teamsters. Local 174 had a good turnout at the Educational Seminar, which was held May 3rd at JC-28 Headquarters.

The agenda began at 9 a.m. with a general session in the large auditorium at the JC-28 Building. Four fine speakers from the IBT addressed those at the Seminar.

IBT PERSONNEL ADDRESS PARTICIPANTS
Cindy Impala of the IBT Training and Development Department spoke about the "Importance of Membership Involvement in Their Union." Attorney Martin Costello of the IBT Legal Department gave a presentation on "Arbitration Practice and Procedure." And Per Bernstein and Brian Rainville of the IBT Communications Department put forth for consideration several suggestions about "Writing Effective Press Releases" for Local Union personnel.

ATTORNEY TIM JOHNSON SPEAKS
At noon the Seminar paused for lunch. After lunch, from 1 p.m. till 1:30, Tim Johnson, Labor attorney whose office is located in the JC-28 Building, brought those present up to date on developments on the legal front in the area of "Worker's Compensation." That area is Tim's specialty.

TRADE DIVISION MEETINGS
After that, from 1:30 p.m. till the Seminar wrapped up at 2:30, the participants broke into Trade Division groups in meeting rooms throughout the JC-28 Building. Local 174's contingent dispersed into the various divisional meetings. The photo with this story was taken at the Freight/Carhaul Division Meeting, which was run by that Division's Chairman for the Joint Council, Local 690 Secretary-Treasurer Buck Holliday.

The other Divisional Meetings and their JC-28 Chairs or facilitators were: Bakery & Dairy, Local 760 Secretary-Treasurer Steve Parks;  Food Processing, Local 117 Business Agent John Parks; Public Sector, JC-28 Research Director Doug Henderson; United Parcel Service, Local 760 Business Agent Larry Nickell; and Warehouse/Beverage, Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer John Williams.

The Divisional process is very valuable to Local 174 and the other Locals, who share issues and concerns in the various jurisdictions represented. The Divisions give the JC-28 Locals the chance, through the Joint Council, to pool their resources and talents in times of turmoil or unrest.

IBT WARNS OF BUSH COLUMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT STRATEGY
(April 21, 2008) The IBT is urging its membership to "Tell Congress to Say 'NO' to the Colombia FTA!" On April 7th, the Teamsters Communications Department said in an Alert, "President Bush transmitted the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to Congress, which means that it now must be voted on before the August Congressional recess according to time limits under fast track rules."

If passed, what will this FTA mean for American workers? Following are further comments prepared by the IBT about this situation:

TELL CONGRESS TO SAY 'NO' TO COLOMBIA FTA
The Bush Administration has done it again -- negotiated another unfair trade agreement that would have damaging consequences here at home as well as abroad. (Under fast track rules) Congress can only vote a straight YES or NO and cannot make any amendments to the agreement.

The Teamsters want good, job-creating trade policies and not more of the same job-killing trade agreements that the Bush administration continues to push through. While the labor chapter of the Colombia FTA is an improvement, the rest of the agreement is modeled off of the same flawed language found in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). NAFTA and CAFTA resulted in major job loss here at home, environmental degradation and the decimation of family farmers in other countries, and increased immigration to the U.S. We can only expect the results of the Colombia FTA to be the same.

What is even more alarming is that Colombia remains the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade union activist. Since 1991, the National Labor School reports that 2,238 trade unionists were assassinated in Colombia, more than any other country in the world. Already this year, 11 trade unionists have been killed. The Colombian government has done very little to bring justice to these senseless killings, with only 68 convictions related to violence against trade union activists since 2001 according to the Office of the Colombian Attorney General. Trade unionists and their families in Colombia live in a climate of fear that makes it impossible for them to fully and confidently exercise their rights to organize, bargain collectively, go on strike, or criticize their government.

This trade agreement is not "free." It comes at a huge cost for Americans and Colombians alike. For Americans, it means more losses in jobs and exports, decreased living standards for middle-class families, and a weaker domestic manufacturing base. For Colombians, it means more substandard wages, the destruction of their country's biodiversity, ruined livelihoods for family farmers, an increased pressure to emigrate, and no justice for the thousands of trade unionists already assassinated and those who continue to live in fear.

HOW YOU CAN  HELP THE IBT
The Alert noted: "We need your help (by July 31, 2008)! American workers cannot afford this, especially not with an already fragile economy, and the Colombian government's impunity with regard to trade unionist assassinations should not be rewarded with more access to the U.S. market. Call and/or e-mail your members of Congress today and let them know that they should be opposing the Colombia FTA!"

A way you can help is to go to the IBT Website by clicking here and signing the petition.

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LOCAL 174 WELCOMES NEW UPS FREIGHT MEMBERS
AT APRIL GMM
By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist

Left-to-right at the April 10, 2008 Local 174 GMM: Ted Bunstine, UPS Freight members Robert Harrelson and Rick Greytak, and Rick Hicks.

(April 14, 2008) The members at the Local 174 regular monthly General Membership Meeting on Thursday, April 10th enthusiastically welcomed their new Brothers and Sisters at UPS Freight into Local 174. There are 140 members in this brand new Local 174 bargaining unit, whose jobs have been negotiated under a National IBT Agreement. In addition many other items for consideration were on the agenda at the informative and interesting GMM.

The proceedings of the GMM this night revolved almost entirely around the subject of past, ongoing and future bargaining in Local 174. Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks introduced several Staff Members who reviewed the particular negotiations involving them directly.

Hicks started off the GMM, though, with a heartening discussion of the UPS Freight victory — one of the IBT's greatest organizing successes in many years.

The new 174 UPS Freight bargaining unit was represented at the GMM by two guests, Robert Harrelson and Rick Greytak. Robert has been working at the former Motor Cargo satellite terminal in Kent for three years, and Rick has been working at the former Overnite terminal in Tukwila for 15 years. They were given a standing ovation by the members gathered in the JC-28 Main Meeting Hall for the GMM.

Hicks called on Local 174 Organizer Patty Warren to review the history of the UPS Freight National Contract, which has involved an intense struggle by general members all over the United States, and a strong concerted effort at the bargaining table and in the courts by the IBT. She pointed out that the 140 members in Local 174 are just a few of nearly 10,000 nationwide now under the new Agreement. There are in all over 15,000 workers who could be affected by the national Contract, Warren said.

E-BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS SPEAK
After the public recognition of the new Local 174 members at UPS Freight, Hicks thanked the whole Local 174 Staff for their parts in helping coordinate the very successful "Teamster University" Shop Stewards and Activists Training held March 29th. He singled out for special praise the main instructors, Senior Business Agent Tim Allen and Organizer Patty Warren.

Hicks then individually introduced all the other six members of the 174 Executive Board. They told those in attendance of their individual personal career backgrounds and each expressed how they believe their work as Board members is helping the general membership of the Local.

They are: President Ted Bunstine (UPS), Vice President Mary Stuart-Fairburn (Horizon Lines), Recording Secretary Launa Running (King County Solid Waste), and Trustees Jeff Anderson, Sr. (Waste Management), Gary Bolen (Yellow Freight), and Carl Gasca (Safeway). Hicks' own background was at UPS.

Then Hicks introduced each Staff Member at the Meeting working in the Business Agent and Organizer areas. They all reviewed details of their personal career profiles prior to joining the Staff at 174. You can read about all of them on this Website. They also reviewed the negotiations they have been, are, or will soon be involved in on behalf of Local 174's members.

The Staff Members who spoke included Business Agents Tim Allen, Larry Boyd, Ted Bunstine, Bill Byington, Brian Davis, Tom George, Michael Gonzales, Dave Jacobsen, Erv Lemon, Tom Mann, Ken Marshall, Roger Pardo, Jeff Sullivan and Matt Webby; and Organizer Patty Warren.

Based on their comments, it was very clear that there is a huge amount of combined energy, knowledge and experience among them. It was also evident that a lot of hard work has been going on in the bargaining-and-organizing arena under the Hicks Administration, whose term began January 1, 2007 — and that much more of it will be coming up as 2008 unfolds.

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UPS Freight Members Join the Local 174 Team
By TED BUNSTINE, Local 174 President
(April 7, 2008) Yesterday at the special Local 174 UPS Freight Contract Ratification Meeting at JC-28 Headquarters in Tukwila, an overwhelming 88% of the members present approved of the new IBT National Agreement — and have decided to join Local 174. That result was about the same as the totals so far in IBT voting Locals all across the United States.

The 140 new Local 174 UPS Freight members have been working out of two locations, one in Kent under the name of Motor Cargo, and the other in Tukwila under the name of Overnite.

We are proud to have these new members in the proud, progressive Local 174 organization. These workers have been through a long ordeal, which has led to a fantastic new nationwide situation for the whole Teamsters Union. Let's review some of the history that has been involved in these negotiations.

BACKGROUND BEHIND THE UPS FREIGHT BARGAINING
The NATIONAL UPS FREIGHT AGREEMENT covers OVER-THE-ROAD and LOCAL CARTAGE OPERATIONS for the period of Ratification through July 31, 2013. The Employer, UPS FREIGHT, dealt with the TEAMSTERS NATIONAL UPS FREIGHT NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE, representing Local 174 and many other Teamster Local Unions.

In Local 174, the progress was monitored closely by Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks and myself. Following are excerpts from an official statement from the IBT sent out today, April 7, 2008. It was headlined, "UPS Freight Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Ratify Contract — More than 9,900 Workers Covered":

(Washington, D.C.) — The Teamsters added more than 9,900 new members with workers at UPS Freight, overwhelmingly ratifying a contract by more than 89 percent. The agreement will improve wages, benefits and working conditions, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced today.

The Teamsters kicked off this organizing campaign in 2006 when it organized UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) workers in Indianapolis and negotiated a contract with the company that was ratified by a 107-1 vote last October.

In January 2008, the Teamsters launched its nationwide campaign. Hoffa and Teamsters Package Division Director Ken Hall attributed the organizing success to the card-check agreement the Teamsters won from UPS in December 2007. Card-check is a procedure where workers sign cards to join a union instead of going through a voting process. A majority of workers in a bargaining unit must sign cards, which are then certified, before the company recognizes the union. "The card check agreement gave the Teamsters the boost it needed to organize UPS Freight, and the workers responded overwhelmingly. This is the largest organizing victory in the freight industry in 25 years," Hoffa said. "We were amazed that at the 90-day mark of our national campaign, 9,900 workers had signed cards. This shows the workers’ commitment in joining a union that will give them a strong voice in the workplace."

“We were committed to providing the best contract that we could for these workers and we have achieved that," Hall said. "We are proud to have them join our ranks and look forward to representing them. I want to congratulate the Locals and the workers on a job well done."

Among the Contract’s highlights:

• Wage increases totaling $4.35 per hour or nearly 11 cents a mile over the Contract.
• An improved health care plan with lower employee premium costs with no increases in costs to employees over the life of the Contract.
• Overtime pay for work exceeding 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.
• UPS Freight employees lock in their current pension benefits.
• The cost of retiree health insurance for most retirees is reduced substantially with no increase in premium cost to employees over the life of the Contract.
  

The Teamsters will continue to organize UPS Freight workers nationwide. There are currently more than 15,000 UPS Freight workers, with 12,600 eligible to sign cards. The contract ratification caps a 50-year struggle by the Teamsters to organize workers at Overnite, which was bought by UPS in 2005 from Union Pacific Railroad and renamed UPS Freight.

A majority of UPS Freight workers in 33 states have submitted cards to become Teamsters: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Victories have come in numerous large cities (including our own Seattle): Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis, Nashville, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

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INFORMATIVE STEWARDS & ACTIVISTS
TRAINING GET-TOGETHER MARCH 29TH

Local 174 Senior Business Agent Tim Allen (standing to the right) addresses the crowd at the March 29th Shop Stewards and Activists Training.

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(Posted March 30, 2008) About 100 Local 174 Shop Stewards and Activists gathered Saturday, March 29th for the first “Teamster University” Training event of 2008. The half-day of seminar-format instruction was geared toward both advanced veteran Stewards and new Stewards. It was held in the Joint Council 28 Main Meeting Hall, and began at 9 a.m. with a welcome from Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. For several hours ending at 1 p.m.  —  when the participants capped the training day with lunch courtesy of the Local  — the Stewards and Activists present considered many aspects of “The Art of Being a Steward.” Their guides throughout the training were Local 174 Senior Business Agent Tim Allen and Organizer Patty Warren.

TIM ALLEN ON BASICS OF STEWARDSHIP
Senior Business Agent Allen began with a historical view of the Teamsters Union and Local 174’s part in it. He noted that the biggest recent blow to the IBT, which still plagues it every day, was Truck Deregulation in 1982. Before that disastrous policy change came from the Federal Government under pro-Big Business and anti-Organized Labor Republican President Ronald Reagan, the IBT was America’s largest Union. Now, it is the second largest, behind the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

DEREGULATION. How has deregulation affected Stewards in the Teamsters Union through the years? It gave companies more power than they had ever had before in the Teamsters’ glory days when Trucking was regulated. So now, there are more grievances to deal with, since management can push its employees around with little fear. But managers and owners must deal carefully with groups like Local 174 which have strong Stewards and back those Stewards’ hard work on behalf of their fellow members and co-workers with the legal means necessary to fight and win in times of grievance conflict.

ADVOCATES AND A CONDUIT. Allen said all Local 174’s Stewards are advocates for their fellow workers, and together are a vital conduit between the Union and the workers. There are no exact ways to be a successful Steward, though. He stressed, “Every Steward will devise his or her own system. I change my own personal organizational and procedural system all the time in my Business Agent job, trying for perfection, which of course I never quite achieve. As Stewards you should study, use books and resource materials to help you be prepared for what might happen, and then do your Steward duties in whatever systematized way works best for you.”

GOOD TRAITS FOR STEWARDS. He offered suggestions about the traits of being a good Steward. Among them: Listen well, communicate well, have deep knowledge of your contract, and have personal integrity. Also: Have a thick skin and know you can’t please everyone, and use a style of talking with people that works for you whether it be loud or soft, combative or diplomatic. And: Remember, you are an advocate for and representative of your fellow Local 174 members, and you must view even friendly managers and supervisors as what they really are, which is, paid advocates for the corporation.

MUST ASK FOR UNION REPRESENTATION. Allen reviewed Weingarten Rights, and urged all the Stewards to know what they are and how they work. Fundamentally, he said, they say that a worker in some kind of trouble does not have to go into a hearing alone. He or she has the right to Union Representation during the hearing, but the catch is, management does not have to tell its employees they have the right to that representation, and the workers need to know they must ask for help from their Union to get the help. Allen warned, without Steward influence and Union Representation, workers can be severely damaged by misunderstandings and false charges. But with their Steward’s help, a worker can often have things cleared up quickly after just some amicable discussion between Security and his or her Steward or other Union spokespersons.

IT’S THE GRIEVING MEMBER’S RESPONSIBILITY. Allen emphasized that Stewards should know, and should let their co-workers know, that they are advocates and helpers when it comes to the grievance process. But they should also make those co-workers know that in grievance times, they can help them along the pathways of the grievance process. However, the grieving members must know that it is their responsibility to fill out the grievance forms and is not the job of their Steward. And they should know they must turn the preliminary paperwork in on time, using preferably regular mail or better yet dropping it off at the appropriate place in person. They should never use e-mail.

She outlined in depth the Seven Steps of Just Cause, some of the written documentation Union Representation have in their hands to help in preparing to fight for the rights of grieving members. She told the Stewards and Activists that when mounting a defense, those involved first refer to this long-established legal guideline of effectively determining if a proposed disciplinary action is fair. They are:

JUST THE FACTS, PLEASE
Allen and Warren ended the Training with a brief question and answer session, during which they stressed the importance of “the facts” to those trying to help accused members in potential or actual grieving incidents. Stewards helping members, and the involved members themselves, they said, should write down everything they can pertaining to timing of the suspected bad behavior, witnesses of it, and anything else that would be helpful.

BE ACCURATE AND PRECISE. In telling the Union about the problem in their advocate role, Warren advised, Stewards should report the facts, coldly and as concisely as possible. Emotionalism should not enter the picture. And she said all Stewards and Activists should remember that though a grievant may not be guaranteed of always emerging victorious in a grievance procedure battle — he or she will be guaranteed of always being the loser if they don’t grieve.

COMPLY AND THEN GRIEVE. The main lesson is, as Allen summed it up: “Comply with your supervisor now, then grieve later.” With Justice, a sympathetic Steward and trained knowledgeable Union Representation on an accused worker’s side, he said, chances are very good that he or she will in the end receive fair treatment.

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HISTORIC NEW DHL AGREEMENT REACHED

By TIM ALLEN, Senior Business Agent
(Posted March 10, 2008) After nine months of tense, frustrating, but ultimately rewarding negotiations, the new DHL National Agreement has been completed. It is being prepared for the membership’s approval.
       These negotiations have been labeled historic because this is the first new National Contract negotiated by the Teamsters in nearly forty years! Over the years I have been involved in numerous regional and national negotiations. Nothing compared with the complexity of this undertaking.
        Those of you at DHL know the story — our invitation by the General President to be part of the “secret” discussions that took place most of the summer which helped lay the groundwork for the new contract. We revealed our participation in those meetings at our proposal meeting in August, and got down to the start of real negotiations in October. This was followed by our Local Rider negotiations in November and December. Further complicating negotiations were reports published in January, as national negotiations resumed, by two large brokerage houses, Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns, recommending that Deutsche Post World Net — DHL’s parent company — scale back its U.S.-based operations due to large financial losses. Similar reports have continued almost daily in financial papers around the world.
        When we resumed the final round of negotiations in mid-February feeling the news couldn’t get any worse, we were greeted with reports that DPNW’s CEO had been arrested by German Authorities on income tax evasion charges. Despite all the upheaval and speculation swirling around us we were able to finish these historic negotiations. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

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NEW IBT NATIONAL MASTER FREIGHT AGREEMENT

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(Posted March 10, 2008) The results of the voting on the IBT’s National Master Freight Agreement and Supplements were announced February 10, 2008, and they were an overwhelming approval and ratification of the Agreement.
        Ballots for the proposed changes to the NMFA and Supplements were mailed to Freight Teamsters January 15. Because the “national standards” were used as the model for negotiations with Freight Industry Employers, all Freight members participated in the ratification vote on the standards agreement, as they have for every National Freight referendum since the first National Contract in 1964.
        Only a few Local Unions voted against either the NMFA itself, or their respective Supplement. Local 174 was one of them. The voting members of 174 said “No” to the National Agreement by a vote of 129 for it and 197 against; and the Supplement by a vote of 97 for it and 229 against.
        In a February 10 press release the IBT said:
        “Teamster Freight members overwhelmingly ratified the 2008-2013 National Master Freight Agreement (NMFA) that protects existing Teamster jobs, maintains a strong wage and benefit package and provides new language to allow the largest unionized carriers a chance to better compete, which will give Teamsters more job security.
        “ ‘This is a landmark contract because we won many economic gains despite this poor economy, and we have taken steps to allow the largest unionized companies a better chance to compete against the non-union competition,’ said Tyson Johnson, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division.
        “ ‘This contract provides a more secure future for the 70,000 Teamsters covered by the NMFA and their families,’ Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said.
        “The NMFA was ratified by a 67% margin. In addition, all but two of the 22 Regional Agreements were also ratified. (The two, covering Joint Council 7 in Northern California and the Carolina Automotive Supplement, have since been resolved.)
        “The strong gains include record employer health, welfare and pension contribution increases of $5 per hour over the life of the Agreement, and wage increases of $2.20 per hour and 5.5 cents per mile over the life of the Agreement, including 50 cents per hour in the first year. That’s an average increase of 3.9% in wage and benefit-contribution increases.
        “The Union also maintained the COLA, or cost of living adjustment, which kept wages up with inflation by providing an additional 10 cents per hour increase under the current Contract. The new language to help unionized companies compete allows the transfer of some long-haul, dedicated rail traffic back to the road and creation of a new classification, a “utility employee,” who can service freight on a more expedited basis.”
 

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LOCAL 174 SOON TO CELEBRATE 100TH BIRTHDAY

(Posted March 10, 2008) On February 19, 2009 Local 174 will reach a monumental moment — our 100th Birthday. On that date, it will have been an entire Century since this venerable Local Union’s earliest officers signed our Charter. We have been featuring, and will continue to feature, historical articles in the Teamster Record about Local 174 and our place in the overall picture that also includes the IBT, the Western Conference of Teamsters and JC-28. In the meantime, we are getting ready to celebrate our birthday publicly.
        As noted in the story about the February 2008 General Membership Meeting on page 4, a 100th Birthday Rank & File Committee has been set up to get ready for the Celebration. The Committee is being chaired by Mary Stuart-Fairburn, Local 174’s Vice President.
        Do you have ideas about what the Celebration should include, historical pictures, or stories to tell? If so, please contact Mary at 206-441-6060.

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NEW RETIREES CERTIFICATES
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS FOR WHAT THEY ACHIEVED

By RICK HICKS, Secretary-Treasurer

Member Steve Dalseg and S-T Rick Hicks

Sisters and Brothers:
        (Posted March 10, 2008) Last month I received an e-mail from Business Agent Tom Mann, who had been contacted by a recent Local 174 Retiree.
        Steve Dalseg from Nelson Trucking had communicated to BA Mann that he had not yet received his certificate similar to the one hanging on the office wall of his longtime friend and former co-worker George Steele. George also retired from Nelson Trucking several years earlier.
        Tom forwarded the message to me so I called Steve to see if I could help resolve his issue. Turns out the Certificate that George had received was from the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust, not the Local Union like Steve had thought.

HONORING LOCAL 174’S RETIRED MEMBERS
As a result of Steve’s e-mail, I have decided to create a Local 174 “Retirees Certificate” honoring the men and women who retire from Local 174 — to show them the respect and appreciation for all they have achieved through their pursuit of social and economic justice!
        The very first recipient of this “New” tradition was the aforementioned Steve Dalseg — who retired after 30 years as a Teamster from Nelson Trucking. This “Retirees Certificate” is the start of a long overdue gesture on the part of Teamsters Local 174.
        The “Certificate of Retirement” was designed entirely by current Local 174 Business Agent Dave Jacobsen — including the hand-drawn artwork showing the Local 174 Truck and the original horse and wagon featuring “Thunder and Lightning,” the names of the original Team Drivers Horses.

THEIR HARD WORK MADE OUR LIVES MUCH BETTER
We owe our Retirees for every right and every wage and benefit package we enjoy today. So it is with great pleasure on my part to announce the beginning of this long overdue recognition to our members who reach retirement!

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GOVERNOR APPOINTS PATTY WARREN TO MARINE EMPLOYEES COMMISSION

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(Posted March 10, 2008) Local 174 is proud to announce Governor Christine Gregoire has appointed Organizer Patty Warren to the important Marine Employees Commission (MEC). Patty will still be working full-time for 174. The term of her MEC appointment is February 21, 2008-June 15, 2011.

Gov. Gregoire & Patty Warrren

        The Washington State Legislature established the MEC in 1983 to protect the rights prescribed by Chapter 47.64 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW): rights of employers, employees, labor organizations, and the public. The MEC is meant, according to the RCW, to ensure that the operation of the State’s Ferry System is not disrupted by labor disputes.
        Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks said, “This is an important honor for Patty and our Union. She is the first Teamster ever to be appointed to the Marine Employees Commission.”
        The MEC’s website points out that Washington State’s Ferry System has America’s largest ferry fleet, with 28 vessels carrying 25 million passengers and 11 million vehicles each year. It is very important to transportation, tourism, and the overall economy of our State.
        Patty thanked the Governor for appointing her as the Labor Commissioner on the three-member Commission. The others are a Commissioner representing Management, and one representing the public. Her term, Patty said, “will be challenging and interesting.” She added, “The MEC's mission is to encourage peaceful labor relations. Its purpose is to resolve complaints, grievances and disputes between Labor and Management arising from Ferry System operations, providing impasse mediation, determining bargaining units, conducting salary surveys, and certifying fairness for all.”
        S-T Hicks noted, “Patty's time as a MEC member will give Local 174 — and Teamsters in general — greater visibility. It will give workers a much stronger voice in the Ferry System’s bargaining arena.”
        Besides the Teamsters Patty’s MEC Union jurisdiction will include the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific; the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association; the Masters, Mates and Pilots; the Office & Professional Employees International Union; the Service Employees International Union; the Metal Trades; and the Ferry Agents, Supervisors and Project Administrators Association.

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Looking For Former FedEx Drivers Who May Now Be Working For UPS Or DHL

By TED BUNSTINE, President
(Posted March 10, 2008) As you may be aware, a lawsuit was filed against FedEx Ground Package System, Inc., in Washington State in 2004, claiming that FedEx misclassified its pickup and delivery drivers in both the Ground and Home Divisions as “independent contractors,” when they were really treated as employees — and that, as a result, FedEx owes the drivers overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in any given work week and reimbursement of uniform expenses.
        This lawsuit has been certified as a class action by Judge Gregory P. Canova of the King County Superior Court, and the law firm of Schwerin Campbell Barnard & Iglitzin, which has represented Local 174 in numerous matters, has been approved as “class counsel.”
        Trial is set for June 2, 2008. The law firm is looking for any current UPS or DHL drivers who formerly worked for FedEx Ground or FedEx Home, who might be willing to testify as to the similarities and differences between their former job as a FedEx P & D driver, versus their current job as an acknowledged employee of UPS or DHL.
        If you are interested and willing to assist the FedEx drivers in this matter, please call Dmitri Iglitzin, FedEx Class Counsel, or his paralegal Betsy Miller, at (206) 285-2828 or toll-free at 1-800-238-4231. All communications will be kept strictly confidential.
 

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FEBRUARY LOCAL 174 GMM

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist

At the February 10th General Membership Meeting

(Posted March 10, 2008) The morning of Sunday, February 10, 2008 was busy at the JC-28 Headquarters Building in Tukwila for Local 174 officers, staff and general members. Four meetings took place — all important to the membership of 174, and all full of information for those attending.
       Politically 2008 is a crucial year for Local 174 — and all of Organized Labor. It is a Presidential Election Year. There is a great chance, if Labor helps “get the vote out,” of ending the Republican Party stranglehold on governmental power at Federal and State levels — and especially there is an opportunity to overcome the “executive order” tyranny perpetrated on Working People and Unions by the viciously anti-Labor, pro-Business Administration of President George W. Bush.
       The regular General Membership Meeting was preceded by a regular monthly Initiates Meeting, an Oak Harbor Freight Lines informational meeting discussing pension matters, and a ratification vote meeting for Local 174 and Local 117 members employed by EXPEDX.

ROUTINE AGENDA
As all members know, there are several routine matters that are taken care of at the start of all Local 174 General Membership Meetings. The February GMM was no exception.
       The members attending were welcomed, the oath of membership in Local 174 was administered to the Initiates who had just attended their preparatory educational meeting prior to officially swearing-in and becoming brand new regular members of 174, and the minutes of the January General Membership Meeting and the February Executive Board Meeting were read by 174 Recording Secretary Launa Running.
       Then 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks spoke.
       S-T Hicks first mentioned the hard work being done by his office staff at the Local 174 Office, and thanked them. He reported that the Local 174 Communications and Education Department will be intensifying its efforts in 2008, and will make the Local 174 Website more reactive and interactive.
       He emphasized the importance of Local 174’s members paying attention to the Presidential Election, and added that Local 174 will itself be actively participating in political events during the remainder of 2008.
       He then asked Local 174 Trustee Gary Bolen to talk about his own experiences during the recent Washington State Caucus voting. Gary said the caucus system is complicated but effective, and that he found most Union members in and out of the Teamsters Union optimistic about the upcoming Presidential Election but worried by the vituperous attacks going on between the Democratic candidates.
       Hicks then reminded everyone that Local 174’s 100th Birthday is coming up fast — on February 19, 2009. He said the Local will be having a big celebration to note the occasion. A 100th Birthday Rank & File Committee has been set up, chaired by Local 174 Vice President Mary Stuart-Fairburn. Mary urged members to call her through the 174 Office with ideas about what the celebration should include, and invited anyone who is interested to serve on the Committee.
       Hicks then talked about the progress of several negotiations, chief among them being the National Master Freight Agreement, just approved by the IBT’s affected Freight members; DHL, which is now settled; Laidlaw and Seattle Times, which are in limbo; Oak Harbor Freight Lines, which is snagged in a lengthy frustrating struggle; EXPEDX, which saw its contract proposal ratified at the meeting prior to the GMM for the affected members of both Local 174 and Local 117; and UPS Freight, which recently affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
       Hicks asked Local 174 Organizers Patty Warren and Michael Gonzales to speak about topics they have been directly dealing with. Patty reviewed Seattle Times and Laidlaw bargaining. Michael talked about the lengthy history behind UPS Freight (formerly Overnite), and motor cargo organizational efforts across the United States by the IBT Freight Division.
       Then Hicks called on Business Agent Roger Pardo, the Chair of the Local 174 Rank & File Standing Bylaws Committee, to explain the mandatory changes to the 174 Bylaws. Printouts of them were passed out, and the rank & file members of the Bylaws Committee were introduced and thanked for their recent intensive efforts.

OTHER BUSINESS
After Hicks and the others had finished speaking, the floor was opened up for open microphone discussion of issues both old and new, and after everyone who wanted to speak had spoken, the meeting was adjourned.
       But first all members in attendance were thanked for their support, and all those members who have not been going to their Union meetings were urged to do so because they should take part in running their Union.

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PENINSULA TRUCK LINES DEMANDS

(Posted March 10, 2008) A Contract Demands Meeting was held on January 19, 2008 for Local 174 employees working for Peninsula Truck Lines. The meeting was at the Joint Council of Teamsters No. 28 Main Meeting Hall at JC-28’s Tukwila, Washington Headquarters Building, and it was well attended by the Peninsula membership. 
       Many issues were discussed and numerous pages of proposals have been submitted to the Bargaining Committee for review. The formal negotiations process began on February 12, 2008 and continued on the 13th. It appears much intense negotiating will follow.
       Local 174 congratulates Dan D’Andrea and Dale Barnes, who have been elected to represent the Auburn facility at the Bargaining Table, along with Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks and 174 Business Agent Brian Davis.
       Said Davis, “We here at Local 174 look forward to bringing the members of our bargaining unit at Peninsula Truck Lines a finished contractual product they can be proud of.”

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ACTIVE USA UPDATE: NEGOTIATIONS SOON FOR NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTERS AGREEMENT

By TOM MANN, Senior Business Agent

Left-to-right: BA Tom Mann, and Active USA Stewards Vinnie Beedle and Dave Rinehart

(Posted March 10, 2008) Just before the Holiday break, the Local was notified by the IBT that our National Automobile Transporters Agreement, Supplemental, Rider, and Addenda proposals were to be forwarded to the Carhaul Division by mid-January. Needless to say our timeline was a bit short, but with the cooperation of Vince Beedle and Dave Rinehart (Stewards at Active USA), we were able to distribute the proposal forms and call a general Demands Meeting well in advance of the requested IBT due date.
       The Demands Meeting was well attended and informative. “This Group gave us clear direction on what they need fixed in the language area, and were realistic on the economics as well. These members know their Industry inside and out,” said Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks.
       After completion of the Demands Meeting, the Local requested the Employer to relieve the Stewards from work duties to allow us time to formulate our language proposals. After a weeklong process of late nights here at the Local, we completed and forwarded all of our proposals well in advance of the requested date.
       We were later notified that the National and Area Committees would screen the various proposals on January 28 & 29, 2008, and I was in attendance. The screening meetings went very well for Local174, as all but five of our proposals were accepted by the Western Area Committee, which means they will be proposed to the Employers.
       The schedule has been going forward as follows: February 20, two-man meeting in Washington, D.C., to review the final National proposals before presentation to the Employers in Detroit on March 3; and the start of Western Area negotiations, March 27 & 28.
       Secretary Treasurer Hicks has requested that the Drive-away and Western Area Yard Supplements be negotiated here at the Teamster Building in conjunction with Local Rider negotiations. “It is important that we schedule negotiations here rather than out of our area, given the fact that we have the only Drive-away operation in the Western Area. It is our intention to involve our Stewards at every step of the process,” he emphasized.

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