Full Steam Ahead at UPS Freight Thousands of Workers Join the Teamsters from Coast to Coast
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INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS MARCH/APRIL 2008 Full Steam Ahead At UPS Freight Thousands of Workers Join the Teamsters from Coast to Coast nnn%k\Xdjk\i%fi^ iN this issue 2 teamster News l Carhaulers Seek 8 Full Steam Ahead Job Security Thousands Of UPS Freight Workers l Allied Waste Teamsters Join The Teamsters Secure Contracts l Teamsters Assist Flood 14 Drive For Victims In Washington l Fighting Free Improvements Trade Agreements More First Student And First l New Construction Transit Drivers Join Teamsters Division Director Named 18 18 New Addition Local 117 Focuses on 20 orgaNiziNg Representing And Building l Tollbooth Operators Existing Units Join Four Locals l Chicago Hotel 22 Everyday Heroes Employees Join Union MV Transportation Workers l Local 671 Welcomes Organize, Ratify Strong Contract Transit Workers l Peter Pan Bus Workers Join Local 25 32 Dr. King’s Legacy l BMWED Welcomes Memphis Workers Emulate Oklahoma Rail Employees 1968 Sanitation Struggle 22 29 court material 26 National Strike Averted BMWED, Rail Coalition Achieve Tentative Agreement With Amtrak www.teamster.org International Brotherhood of Teamsters 25 Louisiana Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-2198 202-624-6800 The Teamster (ISSN 1083-2394) is the official publication of the International Brotherhood of Teamster, 25 Louisiana Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20001-2198. It is published six times a year in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/ October, November/December. Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC and at additional mailing offices. MArCh/APrIL 2008 / VOLuMe 105, NO. 2 © 2008 International Brotherhood of Teamsters. All rights reserved. reproduction in whole or in part without writ- ten permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Teamster, Affiliates records Department, 25 Louisiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20001- 2198. Subscription rates: $12 per year. Single copies, $2. (All orders payable in advance.) Members should send address changes to their local union. A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL PRESIDENT 503&REIGHT#AMPAIGN-OVES&ORWARD s this edition of Teamster magazine the years of struggle many of these workers went to press, more than 6,000 work- endured. For more than half a century, work- ers at UPS Freight (formerly Overnite ers at Overnite had struggled to become Transportation) had joined our union, Teamsters and win a Teamster contract, cul- a phenomenal success in a phenomenal minating in an unfair labor practices strike campaign.You may recall that during from 1999 to 2002 when Overnite was owned the 27th International Convention by Union Pacific railroad. Jimmy Jenkins, a back in June 2006, we announced that dockworker at UPS Freight in Memphis, has we had won a card-check agreement worked for the company for nearly 11 years. with UPS Freight. The plan was to Upon submitting his authorization card, he negotiate a strong contract at one location— said, “I’m glad to finally see this day!” Jimmy, Indianapolis—and use that winning contract we’re glad to finally see this day as well. 8as a model to negotiate contracts at other locations. After the Indianapolis work- Positive Changes ers voted to ratify their contract 107-1 last UPS Freight employees work hard every October, we prepared for the campaign that day to handle and move freight across the is under way. International Vice President United States. For far too long, they have Ken Hall has been working closely with the been lacking the strong voice necessary to local unions and the Organizing Department make improvements in their work lives. That to coordinate the card signings. Organizing is changing now, and thousands of families through card-check is an efficient, smart way will be far better off because of it. When we to grow our union and increase Teamster ended the strike against Overnite and its Power. Thousands more UPS Freight work- parent company, Union Pacific, back in ers will join the union in the coming weeks 2002, I pledged to continue to work with and months. Our goal is to provide the Overnite workers to help them make positive 12,600 UPS Freight workers who are eligible changes. That day has arrived, and justice is to become Teamsters with a brighter future prevailing at UPS Freight terminals all over and a stronger voice at work. the United States. A Core Industry This campaign involves a core Teamster industry, and is especially gratifying given K<8DJK<IE<NJ try Negotiating Committee union. The agreements also reviewed contract proposals established a two-tier wage 0RIORITY*OB3ECURITY in late January. National con- structure that pays new work- Carhaul Teamsters Want Jobs, Benefits Protected tract talks were expected to ers less than current ones and begin around March 1 (go diverts COLA payments into to www.teamster.org for the paying for health-care benefits. latest update). The National For example, GM’s new Master Automobile Transport- contract with the UAW ob security and protect- security, and we will address ers Agreement, which covers reduces its health-care obliga- ing pensions and health- those concerns in the contract about 10,000 Teamster car- tions by $47 billion and cuts Acare benefits are the top negotiations,” said Fred Zuck- haulers, expires May 31, 2008. new worker compensation in concerns of Teamster Carhaul erman, Director of the Team- Rising gasoline prices and half. Instead of a defined pen- members as talks for a new sters Carhaul Division. “We the growing financial crisis sion benefit, new hires will national contract get under way. will also address their pension battered the U.S. car market in have contributions paid into “The U.S. auto industry and health-care concerns.” 2007. Sales fell by 2.5 percent a 401(k) and will have to con- is facing very difficult times, Contract-proposal surveys to 16.15 million vehicles—the tribute to their health-care pre- and that directly affects our were returned in January, and lowest level seen since the end miums. GM’s U.S. hourly labor carhaul members. They are the union’s National Auto- of the 1990s. The Big Three costs dropped to $10.1 billion concerned about their job mobile Transporters Indus- automakers—GM, Ford and in 2007 from $12.6 billion in Chrysler—are seeing 2006, and will decline “signifi- their market shares cantly” from 2008-2011. dwindle and are With the U.S. economy trying to lower all slowing down significantly, the their costs including auto sector is not expecting any what they pay com- improvement in 2008. Experts panies to haul their expect to see car sales in North new cars. America hovering between 15.5 and 15.9 million cars. Recent At this rate, the world’s Agreements biggest car market could soon The recent conces- have to hand over the title to sionary UAW agree- Europe with its growing ments with GM, eastern regions. It is within this Chrysler and Ford difficult environment that the allow the companies Teamsters Union will fight to to turn over respon- protect carhaul jobs as well as sibility for retiree pensions and health benefits in health care to the the upcoming negotiations. GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD James P. Hoffa 7*$&13&4*%&/54 Fredrick P. Potter Jr. 5&".45&34$"/"%" $&/53"-3&(*0/ &"45&3/3&(*0/ 4065)&3/3&(*0/ 53645&&4 General President "5-"3(& 3400 Highway 35 Robert Bouvier John T. Coli Jack Cipriani Tyson Johnson Ferline Buie 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. Randy Cammack Executive Plaza, Suite 7 President 5940 W. Montrose Ave. P.O. Box 35405 1007 Jonelle Street 2120 Bladensburg Washington, D.C. 20001 845 Oak Park Road Hazlet, NJ 07730 Teamsters Canada Chicago, IL 60634 Greensboro, NC 27425 Dallas, TX 75217 Rd. N.E. Covina, CA 91724 2540 Daniel Johnson Washington, D.C. 20018 C. Thomas Keegel Fred Simpson Suite 804 Patrick W. Flynn Daniel J. Kane Sr. Ken Wood General Secretary- Fred Gegare 20300 Civic Center Dr. Laval, Quebec 4217 South Halsted St. 1308 Pierce Street 5818 E. MLK Jr. Blvd. Frank Gallegos Treasurer 1546 Main Street Suite 320 Canada H7T 2S3 Chicago, IL 60609 Rahway, NJ 07065 Tampa, FL 33619 207 North Sanborn Rd. 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. Green Bay, WI 54302 Southfield, MI Salinas, CA 93905 Washington, D.C. 20001 48076-4169 Tom Fraser Cheryl Johnson John Murphy 8&45&3/3&(*0/ Ken Hall 1890 Meyerside Drive 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. 348 D Street J. Allen Hobart Henry B. Perry Jr. 267 Staunton Ave. S.W. George Tedeschi Mississauga, Ontario Washington, D.C. 20001 Boston, MA 02127 14675 Interurban Ave. S. 976 E. Brooks Ave. South Charleston, WV 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. Canada L5T 1B4 Suite 301 Memphis, TN 38116 25303 Washington, D.C. 20001 Walter A. Lytle Tukwila, WA 98168 Don McGill 2644 Cass Street Carroll E. Haynes 490 E. Broadway Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Chuck Mack 50 Calhoun Avenue Vancouver, B.C. P.O. Box 2270 New Rochelle, NY Canada V5T 1X3 Gordon Sweeton Oakland, CA 94621 10801 1601 Maiden Lane Joplin, MO 64802 Jim Santangelo 818 S. Oak Park Road Covina, CA 91724 ) K<8DJK<IsD8I:?&8GI@C)''/snnn%k\Xdjk\i%fi^ address their needs in Decem- 984 in Memphis, Tennessee ber, when they distributed distributed leaflets at Home 3OUTHERN#OMFORT fliers at Home Depot stores. Depot stores. As this issue went The flier informed customers to press, the locals were in vari- Local 991 Members Secure New Contracts at Allied Waste of Allied Waste’s bad behavior. ous stages of negotiations with (Allied Waste handles trash for Allied Waste. n mid-January, workers at issue went to press, voting for a Home Depot.) The Solid Waste Division Allied Waste facilities in similar contract was scheduled “Handing out the fliers was and locals coordinated bar- @Alabama and Florida over- for the 35 workers at Allied quick—we were only there for gaining goals via conference whelmingly ratified new con- Waste’s facility in Mobile.