INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS MAY/JUNE 2008 Freight Members Step Up Workers Embrace Change, Overwhelmingly Ratify NMFA nnn%k\Xdjk\i%fi^ iN this issue 2 teamster News l UPS Freight 8 Freight Members Contract Ratified Step Up l Union Continues Teamsters Overwhelmingly Cross-Border Fight Ratify NMFA l DHL Workers Choose Teamsters l Union-Environmental 14 Teamsters Alliance For Change l Web Site Support Union Endorses Sen. Barack For Locals Obama For President 8 20 orgaNiziNg 22 A New Era At l H&M Workers New Era Cap Join Local 71 Workers in Mobile, Alabama l Local 728 Welcomes Unanimously Ratify First Contract Bus Operators l Transit Workers Join 24 The Big Picture Local 528 Warehouse Division l Highway Department Holds Meeting Workers Vote “Yes” l RC Cola Workers Join Local 783 32 Teamster Hero Local 174 Member Retires From Army Reserve At 60 30 court material 22 26 Bright Futures Past Hoffa Scholarship Recipients Make Good 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. MAy/JuNe 2008 / VOLuMe 105, NO. 3 © 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 Teamsters For Change he Teamsters Union endorsed Sen. ment fails to ensure that American-made cars Barack Obama for president because he and trucks receive fair treatment in the Korean is the candidate best suited to lead our market. We currently have an $11 billion country in the right direction and the deficit in automotive trade with Korea. Last only one who can correct the destruc- year, Korea sold 700,000 vehicles in the U.S. tive wrongs of the Bush administration. and the U.S. sold only 4,556 in Korea. The Our biggest consideration was who proposed South Korea agreement does not would be best for our members. Look- do nearly enough to enforce commitments by ing at Sen. Obama’s record on issues Korea to open up its market. Tdear to working families—such as his com- mitment to passing the Employee Free Choice Supporting Unions Act (EFCA) and his opposition to NAFTA— Trade, of course, is not the only reason why the choice was clear. I’ve had the pleasure the Teamsters Union has endorsed Sen. of having several candid conversations with Obama. He understands what working people Sen. Obama, many of them focusing on trade are going through. He will fight for passage of issues. There’s no doubt in my mind that he EFCA, an improved health care system, retire- has a genuine concern about our country’s ment security and good jobs. He will join us unfair trade policies and the hardworking in our commitment to rebuild our nation’s men and women whose livelihoods and transportation infrastructure and will make families are affected by them. appointments that make sense—people who will protect workers. In his administration, A Stronger America a President Obama will ensure our toys and Sen. Obama understands that America needs food are safe, that EFCA becomes law, that fair trade policies that will create a level playing trade policies don’t just benefit big business field with our trading partners. He understands and that working Americans are dealt a that the corporate race to the bottom has had fair hand. a devastating impact on our middle class and I am proud of our union’s support of our communities. Trade with foreign nations, Sen. Obama and will continue to stand with he has said, should strengthen the American him as he fights for a fair trade policy and economy and create more American jobs. other issues that benefit American workers. Take, for example, the South Korea Free Trade Agreement, which Sen. Obama opposes and Sen. John McCain supports. The agree- K<8DJK<IE<NJ UPS Freight Workers Ratify Contract More Than 9,900 Workers Covered Under Agreement he Teamster ranks 90-day mark of our national swelled by 9,900 new campaign, 9,900 workers had Tmembers with workers signed cards. This shows the at UPS Freight overwhelmingly workers’ commitment in join- ratifying a contract with 89 ing a union that will give them a percent of the vote. The agree- strong voice in the workplace.” ment will improve wages, ben- efits and working conditions. The Contract The Teamsters kicked off this “We were committed to pro- organizing campaign in 2006 viding the best contract we when it organized UPS Freight could for these workers and we (formerly Overnite Transporta- have achieved that,” Hall said. tion) workers in Indianapolis The contract expires on July and negotiated a contract with 31, 2013. Among the contract’s the company that was ratified by highlights: a 107-1 vote last October. s Wage increases totaling $4.35 In January 2008, the Team- per hour, or nearly 11 cents a sters launched its nationwide mile, over the contract; campaign. Teamsters General s An improved health care plan President Jim Hoffa and Team- with lower employee pre- sters Package Division Direc- mium costs with no increases tor Ken Hall attributed the in costs to employees over the organizing success to the card- life of the contract; check agreement the Teamsters s Overtime pay for work exceed- nationwide. There are currently Union Pacific Railroad and won from UPS in 2006. ing eight hours per day or 40 more than 15,000 UPS Freight renamed UPS Freight. “The card-check agreement hours per week; and workers, with 12,600 eligible to gave the Teamsters the boost it s UPS Freight employees lock sign cards. The contract ratifi- 'PSNPSFJOGPSNBUJPOPOUIF needed to organize UPS Freight, inin their their current current pension pension cation caps a 50-year struggle 614'SFJHIUDBNQBJHO WJTJU and the workers responded benefits.benefits. by the Teamsters to organize XXXUFBNTUFSPSHJOGP overwhelmingly,” Hoffa said. TheThe Teamsters Teamsters will will continue continue workers at Overnite, which was VQTGSFJHIU “We were amazed that at the to organize UPS Freight workers bought by UPS in 2005 from GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD James P. Hoffa 7*$&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 William Hamilton Ken Wood General Secretary- Fred Gegare 20300 Civic Center Dr. Laval, Quebec 4217 South Halsted St. 2845 Southampton Rd. 5818 E. MLK Jr. Blvd. Frank Gallegos Treasurer 1546 Main Street Suite 320 Canada H7T 2S3 Chicago, IL 60609 Philadelphia, PA 19154 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 Daniel J. Kane Sr. 8&45&3/3&(*0/ Ken Hall 1890 Meyerside Drive 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. 1308 Pierce Street J. Allen Hobart Henry B. Perry Jr. 267 Staunton Ave. S.W. George Tedeschi Mississauga, Ontario Washington, D.C. 20001 Rahway, NJ 07065 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 John Murphy Tukwila, WA 98168 Don McGill 2644 Cass Street 348 D Street Carroll E. Haynes 490 E. Broadway Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Boston, MA 02127 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<IsD8P&ALE<)''/snnn%k\Xdjk\i%fi^ Keeping the Pressure On Teamsters Keep the Border Closed to Most Trucks eamster voices are dim- He was especially angry that that cross-border trucking “The secretary and ming the prospects for the Transportation Depart- would help the U.S. economy. Tthe Bush administra- ment failed to put measures in He pointed out that the U.S. her counsel will not tion’s illegal pilot program place to make sure that every had a trade surplus with Mexi- have the last word. opening the border to trucks truck would be checked. co before NAFTA was enacted. from Mexico. “We don’t know that every “Last year we had a $75 bil- The Congress will Very few Mexican trucks are truck has been inspected every lion trade deficit with Mexico,” have the last word.” now traveling into the U.S. interi- time,” he said. “There will be he said. He cited a long list of or, according to John Hill, Federal consequences for this.” companies that have moved — SEN.