SUMMER 2016 Teamsters Local 25 Awards $60,000 in Scholarships Stay Connected! Teamsters Boston 6 @teamsters25 Send your contact information to [email protected] and you’ll received important information from Local 25 VISIT THE 10 14 Left Lane The “Left Lane” is the name of the In This Issue | Summer 2016 Teamsters Local 25 Store, which is housed in the Day Room at the head- FEATURES DEPARTMENTS quarters at 544 Main Street, Charles- town, Massachusetts. 6 Local 25 Lights up the Night 2 Business Agent Reports for Autism The store features a select number of 12 TeamstersCare different items offered on a seasonal basis: shirts, hats, jackets and sweat- 10 Three Truckloads of Water 18 Future’s Committee shirts. There are specialty items Delivered to Flint, Michigan available throughout the year. 19 Women's Committee The store is open from 8 a.m. 14 Annual Scholarship Program 21 Blood Bank to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, Awards $60,000 and one hour before and one 22 Pensioners hour after the monthly meetings. 23 In Memoriam The store accepts cash, credit card or debit card. 24 Retiree’s Corner For more information call (617) 241-9687 The Spokesman Sean M. O’Brien, President/Principal Officer | Tom Mari, Secretary-Treasurer Steven J. South John Jay Manley Joan C. Corey John A. Murphy Jason Lopes Abdifatah Yaqub Vice President/ Trustee Business Agent Business Agent Business Agent Organizer Business Agent Joseph Foti Ken Ciccone Robert J. Aiguier, Jr. Kyle Dexter James L. Donovan Jr. Andrew P. Walsh Trustee Trustee Business Agent Business Agent Political Coordinator Recording-Secretary Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation Date of Filing: Location of Office: Ownership: Paid and/or requested Total Distribution: September 30, 2015 544 Main Street Local 25 Teamsters Union Circulation: None 13,832 Title of Publication: Boston, MA 02129 544 Main Street Free Distribution Copies not Distributed: The Spokesman Total: 15,000 Boston, MA 02129 by Mail: 11,591 1,168 (office use..etc) Frequency of Issue: Editor & Managing Edi- Total # Copies: 15,000 Free Distribution Quarterly tor: Sean M. O’Brien Outside the Mail: 2,241 Message from the President Dear Brothers and Sisters: As we go to press on this issue of The Spokesman, our members at ABC Supply have been on strike for several weeks with no end in sight. Striking is always a last resort but is necessary when corporate bullies such as ABC Supply put record profits before our people. I’d like to thank all of our members who have come to lend their support and walk the picket lines at the four facilities. The only way we will grow stronger is by supporting each other. We must recognize what our members at ABC are facing now could be a reality for many other members in the future. On April 2nd we held our 9th Annual Light up the Night Gala for Autism. Hundreds of our Members, Sponsors and those with a connection to autism enjoyed a fun-filled evening with the end goal of raising funds to support many programs within the communities we live in. We were able once again “Striking is to fund many programs such as Challenger Baseball Leagues for children, research programs with hopes of finding a cause and cure, and adult housing. The Teamsters Local 25 Autism Fund provided always a last approximately $400,000 once again to fund such programs. It was another spectacular evening and resort but is I’d like to thank everyone for their support and commitment. In 2017, we will hold our 10th annual gala and I’m pleased to announce it will be held Saturday, April 1st, at the Citi Performing Arts Center necessary when Wang Theatre. corporate bullies such as ABC We’ve heard a lot about the water crisis in Flint, Mich., this year. The situation continues to be a serious public health danger. The percentage of Flint children with elevated blood-lead levels doubled since Supply put record 2013. We’ve been quietly doing our part to assist our neighbors in Flint by providing trucks and profits before drivers to deliver hundreds of pallets of water to the community. our people.” At the May 15th membership meeting, we presented 30 students with $2,000 scholarships. The major- ity of the awards are from the Local 25 Scholarship Fund with proceeds derived from our annual golf –SEAN M. O’BRIEN tournament. Members know that I often talk about the importance of family; what is truly special PRESIDENT/ about all of our scholarship recipients is that they are all the children or grandchildren of members or PRINCIPAL OFFICER retirees. Some are the first in their family to go to college. I wish all of our scholarship recipients the best of luck in their future endeavors. In closing, I wish you and your family a healthy and happy summer! Fraternally, Sean M. O’Brien President/Principal Officer www.teamsterslocal25.com | Summer 2016 | The SPOKESMAN | 1 Officers’ Reports Secretary-Treasurer Vice President Tom Mari Steve South Since my last report, nego- We have completed contracts with tiations continue with Jack all seven companies in the Moving Cooper at the national level. and Storage Division: ABC Moving The National Carhaul Con- Services, EA Spry & Co., Walsh tract negotiations have been Movers, Henry Owens Movers, ongoing for over a year. The Causeway Moving and Storage, IBT has sent updates out to all American Moving & Installation locals requesting that all mem- and JN Muldoon Trucking. All contracts maintain Teamsters bers continue to work as usual health and welfare benefits, include five new sick days, a fifth until further notice. Locally, week of vacation, substantial wage increases, annuity increases Jack Cooper has approached Local 25 requesting a 15-percent and guaranteed 24-man seniority lists. The four companies in pay cut in order to compete with the nonunion competitors. the legacy pension plan have transitioned to the new plan pro- Our answer was that without any guarantees we would not tecting their current level of benefits, as ABC Moving and JN consider any concessions. Muldoon have been negotiated into the pension plan for the At DHL the change of operations is complete and we now first time. All seven contracts were ratified unanimously by the have members working out of South Boston and Westboro members. locations. We have numerous issues at DHL that are going to We also negotiated a new contract for Goodyear Tire which panel and/or to the local level. We will continue to take this includes yearly wage increases, signing bonuses, five new sick company to task when it violates our agreement. days, increases in starting pay and certification differentials. In the Oil Division we have been dealing with numerous The contract was ratified unanimously by the members. different issues at a handful of companies. At Petro we were Negotiations are ongoing with the following employers: successful in getting a memorandum of agreement that all City of Cambridge ECC Supervisors, Boston Pipe and Fittings plumbers will be paid an extra $2.75 an hour for 26 weeks, with a federal mediator, Town of Watertown DPW and based on the condition that they will perform air-conditioning Charles Gilman and Sons (Martignettis). work if needed. Previously, they only got the extra pay when In the City of Medford, we have organized the School they did this work. At Brewer, the company put forward-facing Security Monitors at all schools. I look forward to negotiating video cameras in the cabs of all trucks. We have an agreement a strong contract for them that takes into account their in writing that the cameras cannot be used for disciplinary pur- important work of keeping our children safe at school. poses and also no voice recording can be done. At UPS, we presented arbitrations at the New England Area I last reported that I no longer represent the Trash Industry Parcel Grievance Committee (NEAPGC) for three members but I want to report about one outstanding arbitration case who were wrongfully terminated at the Logan Airport location. that I was still handling for a Capitol Waste member. This The neutral arbitrator put all three of them back to work with member was terminated on July 3, 2015, for doing his job by back pay and benefits. In Chelmsford, the company has created helping out a Boston resident who needed help lifting a piano 28 new full-time inside 22.3 jobs which will be secured by part- to the curb for disposal. The member went above and beyond time employees after the full-timers have an opportunity to to help this resident and was then terminated for his efforts. I bid on them. In Watertown we were able to settle grievances am pleased to report that on April 1 the member was returned favorably to our members regarding seniority dates for new to work with full back pay and benefits for the past nine drivers. Thank you to all of our stewards for all of their hard months he was out of work. work and dedication. We continue to work diligently on enforcing the contract Make sure to purchase your new tires, oil changes and at UPS. I ask that all members continue to keep an eye on Sure- other auto services at Goodyear Tire in Stoughton and Post packages and report to your stewards if the company is Malden to keep our Teamster members working. Have a violating Article 26, Section 4 of the contract. These packages great summer! are not supposed to weigh more than 10 pounds or be more than three cubic feet in size.