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56697_Mag_Teamster_Summer_2019.qxp_Layout 1 4/10/19 5:15 PM Page 1
Teamster
SUMMER 2019
HOFFA
MARKS
20
YEARS
56697_Mag_Teamster_Summer_2019.qxp_Layout 1 4/10/19 5:04 PM Page 2
IN THIS ISSUE
8 20 22
8 Hoffa Marks 20 Years NEWS
Two Decades of Transforming the Teamsters • Supreme Court Rules Against Forced Arbitration International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Avenue, NW
20 Teamsters Escalate Campaign for • Another Win for Workers in West Virginia Washington DC 20001-2198
202-624-6800
Justice at Sysco • Casting Directors and Associates Ratify
New Agreement The Teamster (ISSN 1083-2394) is the official publication
Organizing Victories and Teamster Solidarity of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 25
• Teamsters Honor Fallen Firefighter Louisiana Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20001-2198. It
is published quarterly (January, April, July, October).
22 Anheuser-Busch Agreement Ratified • Iowa Teamster Wins Seat on Johnson County Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC and at
Wages, Benefits Increased and Job Security additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address
Board of Supervisors changes to The Teamster, Affiliates Records Department,
Preserved • Commitment to Skills and Safety for Pipeline 25 Louisiana Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-2198.
SUMMER 2019 / VOLUME 116, NO 2
Construction Members ©2019 International Brotherhood of Teamsters. All rights
24 Journey to Drive reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written
New Apprenticeship Program Puts More permission is prohibited. Subscription rates: $12 per year.
Single copies, $2. (All orders payable in advance.) Mem-
Teamsters Behind the Wheel 18 Organizing bers should send address changes to their local union.
Like us on Facebook
• DHL Contractor Employees Join Local 986
26 ‘Miracles Do Happen’
• Local 525 Welcomes Ambulance Workers
Long-Lost Mother and Daughter Find One facebook.com/teamsters
• Food Services Victories at Two Locals
Another at Local 777 Follow @Teamsters on Twitter.
• Reyes Workers Join Local 727
28 Longest Shutdown Over • Local 2010 Welcomes UCLA, UCSB Workers SIGN UP FOR UPDATES—
Teamsters Stood with Affected Workers Text “IBT” to 86466
• Americold Workers Join Teamsters (message and data rates may apply)
30 In Memoriam • Local 391 Welcomes Stericycle Workers Follow @teamsters on Instagram.
Teamsters Mourn the Loss of Union Leaders
GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
James P. Hoffa VICE PRESIDENTS Fred Simpson TEAMSTERS CENTRAL REGION EASTERN REGION SOUTHERN REGION WESTERN REGION TRUSTEES
General President AT-LARGE 41475 Gardenbrook CANADA Bill Frisky William Hamilton John Palmer Ron Herrera Jim Kabell
25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. Gregory Floyd Road Stan Hennessy 6511 Eastland Rd., 12275 Townsend Rd. 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. 880 Oak Park Rd., 1850 E. Division
Washington, D.C. 20001 216 W. 14th St. Novi, Michigan 1 Grosvenor Square Suite 120 Philadelphia, PA 19154 Washington, D.C. 20001 Suite 200 Springfield, MO 65803
New York, NY 10011 48375 Delta, B.C. Brook Park, OH 44142 Covina, CA 91724
Ken Hall Canada V3M 5S1 Dan Kane Sr. Kimberly Schultz Kevin Moore
General Secretary- George Miranda George Tedeschi Tony Jones 1308 Pierce St. 11705 Boyette Rd, Rick Middleton 2741 Trumbull Ave.
Treasurer 55 Broad St, 11th Floor 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. François Laporte 555 E Rich St. Rahway, N.J. 07065 Suite 409 460 Carson Plaza Dr. Detroit, MI 48216
25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. New York, N.Y. 10004 Washington, D.C. 1750 Maurice-Gauvin Columbus, OH 43215 Riverview, FL 33569 Carson, CA 90746
Washington, D.C. 20001 20001 Street, Suite 400 Sean M. O’Brien Denis Taylor
John Murphy Laval, Quebec H7S 1Z5 Robert Kopystynsky 544 Main St. 1030 S. Dukeland St.
348 D St. Steve Vairma 25 Louisiana Ave. N.W. Boston, MA 02129 Baltimore, MD 21223
Boston, MA 02127 10 Lakeside Lane, Craig McInnes Washington, D.C. 20001
Suite 3-A 275 Matheson Blvd. E.
Fredrick Potter Denver, CO 80212 Mississauga, Ontario Avral Thompson
3400 Highway 35 Canada L4Z 1X8 3813 Taylor Blvd.
Executive Plaza, Suite 7 Louisville, KY 40215
Hazlet, N.J 07730
!"#
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GENERAL PRESIDENT JAMES P. HOFFA
WORKERS HAVE
WAITED LONG ENOUGH
T
he struggle to ensure the retirements of millions sands of workers who are enrolled in these pension
of hardworking Americans continues. But the plans who deserve assistance.
reintroduction of essential bipartisan legislation As it stands, there are more than 300 multiem-
by a long-time pension protector could go a long way ployer plans across the country—including the Team-
toward bolstering nest eggs jeopardized under the sters’ Central States Pension Fund—that are in danger
current system. of failing. Congress needs to find a solution that will
With the new Congress now seated in Washing- deliver for these hardworking Americans who are
ton, the Teamsters want to let lawmakers know it is paying, or have paid, into the pension pool and have
time to work together across party lines to secure the played by the rules all their lives.
hard-earned retirements of retirees and workers. As of now, the Central States fund is facing an un-
These hardworking Americans deserve to receive the funded liability of $17.2 billion, the largest of all multi-
benefits they were promised. employer plan shortfalls. The Bakery and Confectionary
Fortunately, the Rehabilitation of Multiemployer Union pension is second with a $3.2 billion shortfall,
Pensions Act would solve the problem. Introduced by while the United Mine Workers are third at $2.4 bil-
Reps. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Peter King (R-N.Y.) lion. Other threatened multiemployer plans face a
last month, the bill is a continuation of an effort to total shortfall of $13.6 billion. That’s why the Team-
reform the system that first began in 2015. The seven sters are stressing the importance of Congress com-
House Republican co-sponsors understand the value ing up with a solution as soon as possible.
of the bill and should be lauded for supporting this Workers and retirees aren’t asking for a handout;
legislation. they just want what is rightfully theirs. The Teamsters
There’s no time to lose. There are about 1.5 million urge those on Capitol Hill to work together and pass
retirees in desperate need of quick action to save the a bipartisan solution that will make workers and re-
retirement nest eggs they spent decades contributing tirees whole. They’ve waited long enough.
to on the premise they would be financially secure in
their golden years. There also are hundreds of thou-
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TEAMSTER NEWS
VICTORY FOR WORKERS IN TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY
Supreme Court Rules
Against Forced Arbitration
T
he United States Supreme challenged employers’ attempts nity and justice on the job.
Court recently ruled that work- to compel private arbitration to For years, the Teamsters have
ers in the transportation indus- avoid a public legal battle, the been shining a light on the issue of
try cannot be forced to waive their U.S. Supreme Court ruling makes misclassification for port drivers.
rights through private arbitration it clear that employers cannot and And nowhere has that effort been
agreements. The case, New Prime should not require drivers to waive more intensive than at the twin
Inc. v. Oliveira, was decided on their right to their day in court ports of Los Angeles and Long
January 15, 2019. through binding arbitration agree- Beach, the main gateway for prod-
“This is a great victory for all ments.” ucts made in Asia. While compa-
workers in the transportation in- Numerous companies across nies and CEOs profit substantially
dustry, including employees, legiti- the country are misclassifying their from the sale of those goods,
mate independent contractors, and workers as independent contrac- those who help bring them to mar-
drivers misclassified as independ- tors, which denies them workplace ket are suffering in silence.
ent contractors who are suffering protections under the law. Port For more information on the
egregious wage theft,” said Fred truck drivers are challenging their port truck drivers’ campaign, visit
Potter, Teamsters International misclassification status and at- www.JusticeForPortDrivers.org,
Vice President and Director of tempting to recover stolen wages like us at www.facebook.com/Jus-
the Teamsters Port Division. by filing claims with the regulatory tice4PortDrivers and follow us on
“Although we have consistently agencies to win their right to dig- Twitter @PortDriverUnion.
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Another Win for Workers in West Virginia
JUDGE DECLARES PORTIONS OF RIGHT-TO-WORK LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL
W
orking families in West Virginia won a much- any union,” and forcing unions to provide the same
needed victory recently when Circuit Judge services to all workers, whether union members or not,
Jennifer Bailey declared key portions of “seriously hampers the unions’ ability to recruit new
the state’s right-to-work law unconstitutional, more members and retain old ones,” and amounts to “giv-
than two years after the anti-worker legislation was ing free riders something for nothing.”
passed. The Teamsters Union couldn’t agree more. Right-
Bailey ruled the falsely named Workplace Freedom to-work states have lower wages, higher poverty rates,
Act unconstitutional because it allows workers to re- less health benefits and more workplace fatalities.
fuse to pay dues even though the union must still rep- State elected officials also know that you don’t help
resent those workers. Unions are required to represent the economy by taking money out of workers’ pock-
workers at union work sites whether workers are ets. They know that rebuilding the state’s infrastruc-
union members or not. ture—roads, bridges, water lines, energy grids—is a
Bailey rightly explained that the law “would take more common sense solution that helps workers and
unions’ property without any compensation.” businesses than enacting right-to-work laws that only
General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall, who benefit the already wealthy.
has been leading the fight against right to work in Although this was a big victory for working families
West Virginia, has long said the legislation is in in West Virginia, unions must remain vigilant and con-
violation of the state’s constitution. tinue to beat back these endless attacks on wages and
“We applaud Judge Bailey’s ruling,” Hall said. benefits—things unions have spent decades fighting
Bailey wrote that “membership is the lifeblood of to achieve.
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TEAMSTER NEWS
CASTING DIRECTORS AND ASSOCIATES
RATIFY NEW AGREEMENT
C
asting directors and casting associates repre- the evolution of the industry and the demands of
sented by Locals 399 and 817 ratified a three- casting television, that additional time between pre-
year contract in January, securing significant production and longer episodes must be built into our
gains for the more than 500 members represented compensation. After a good deal of back and forth, I
by the two motion picture locals. believe the AMPTP recognized that, and we now
The steering committee focused on two major have a path forward.”
issues facing casting professionals during the negoti- Within the motion picture and television industry,
ations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Televi- associate casting directors have remained one
sion Producers (AMPTP) – the “stretching” of pay of the lowest paid groups on a production. While
that occurs when episodic television productions the Teamsters have negotiated significant hourly
run long and raising wages for the associate casting wage increases in previous agreements, they still
directors. lag behind when compared to similar positions in
“This was the sixth agreement since organizing other crafts.
this group,” said Tom O’Donnell, Director of the “With this agreement, we secured a decent in-
Teamsters Motion Picture and Theatrical Trade Di- crease in associate casting director wages, however, it
vision and President of Local 817. “After a long is still by no means reflective of the job they do, the
and protracted negotiating process, this is easily experience they have and the time they put in for
our best agreement.” each production,” said Gary Zuckerbrod, casting di-
rector, shop steward and Local 399 Trustee.
Path Forward Local 399 and 817 were able to secure a 26-percent
Entering negotiations, the steering committee be- increase in the first year with a 3-percent increase
lieved the stretching of pay issue could be solved by in the second and third years. This will bring casting
educating the AMPTP on exactly how episodic televi- associates up to $19 per hour in the final year of the
sion production has changed for casting profession- agreement. There were also increases to the pension
als in the digital era. As part of the new agreement, contributions for associate casting directors secured
the AMPTP agreed to include a newly drafted sidelet- in this round of negotiations.
ter to address the issue on future productions. “We are very proud of each and every one of our
“We really wanted to try to get the AMPTP to un- Casting Steering Committee Members from both
derstand the importance of what our casting profes- Local 399 and Local 817,” said Steve Dayan, Secre-
sionals do,” said Bernie Telsey, a steering committee tary-Treasurer of Local 399. “Without their support, in-
member and casting director represented by Local sight and guidance on their pressing issues, we
817 in New York City. “The job today is not the same would not have been able to secure a fair and impor-
job it was when we first organized in 2005. Given tant agreement with the AMPTP.”
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TEAMSTERS HONOR
FALLEN FIREFIGHTER
LOCAL 340 MEMBER CAPT. JOEL BARNES DIED A HERO
O
n a cold and snowy Sunday,
thousands of people from
Maine, around the country,
and the world, gathered in Port-
land to honor Captain Joel Barnes
of the Berwick Fire Department.
The 32-year-old firefighter, a mem-
ber of Local 340, died on March 1
while fighting an apartment blaze.
He was remembered for his kind
heart and heroic actions, having
died shielding a fellow firefighter
from the flames.
More than 2,500 people, many
of them fellow firefighters, lined 340 in South Portland, Maine. nate the service.
the street in front of the memorial “Capt. Barnes was dedicated to At the memorial, Jon Keenan,
to pay their respects and celebrate his profession and to helping other also a Teamster firefighter with the
the life of Capt. Barnes, surrounded people. Listening to everyone at Westbrook Fire Department, joined
by Teamster tractor trailers there in the service talk about how he Miller in presenting Barnes’s fam-
solidarity. touched their lives, that same ily with the Medal of Valor. The
Barnes was one of three bar- theme rang through,” said Traci St. medal is given for heroic action
gaining unit members at the Clair, business agent for Barnes above and beyond the call of duty
Berwick Fire Department in Maine and the Berwick bargaining unit. that is at extreme personal risk and
and an active Teamster member. This was the first firefighter fa- instrumental in rescuing and sav-
He was a member of the Team- tality in the state in decades. Local ing another’s life.
sters negotiating committee. 340 representatives helped organ- A “last call” was sounded at
“Capt. Barnes was a true hero. ize the service, working alongside the service, a poignant moment
His dedication, service and sacri- other firefighter unions, fire de- in memoriam of a firefighter lost
fice to his craft are unquestionable. partments and other public em- in the line of duty. The radio dis-
He was the best example of a Team- ployers. Lt. Joe Carroll, a member patcher called out for Barnes three
ster, helping and protecting others,” of Local 340 with the Westbrook times, then thanked him for his
said Brett Miller, President of Local Fire Department, helped coordi- service, leadership and friendship.
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TEAMSTER NEWS
IOWA TEAMSTER WINS SEAT ON
JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
O
n Dec. 18, 2018, Royceann
Porter was elected to the
Johnson County Board of
Supervisors becoming the Iowa
county’s first African-American
to ever serve as supervisor. As a
member of Local 238 in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa and an International
Organizer, Porter understands
what is at stake for the working
men and women of her state.
Prior to running for public of-
fice, Porter, as a member of the
Iowa Teamsters Political Team,
had a long history of fighting to
raise standards in her community.
In 2015, Porter was part of a suc-
cessful community campaign to son County Community ID pro- time,” Porter said. “Kurt had done
increase Johnson County’s mini- gram. The vital service provides such great work for the community,
mum wage to $10.10. When the government-issued IDs to mem- it was such a loss.”
initiative was rejected by the Iowa bers of the community that didn’t Jesse Case, Secretary-Treasurer
Legislature, Porter helped con- have access to the traditional of Local 238, knew that Porter was
vince 156 businesses in Johnson forms of identification, like the eld- the right person to fill Friese’s
County to voluntarily adopt a erly, students and legal immi- shoes, even if she didn’t realize it
$10.10 minimum wage. grants. Iowa adopted stricter laws herself. Case encouraged Porter
Porter also campaigned that for voter identification in 2017, so to run for the open seat on the
year to raise support for the John- the program has become even board.
more important for these mem- “Royceann is the perfect exam-
bers of the community. ple of what our members can do
“I’ve always tried to do what with the right support and encour-
I can to help others in our com- agement,” Case said. “She has the
munity that don’t have a voice,” compassion and skills that you
Porter said. “It’s a lot like being an would want in someone represent-
organizer: People that can’t stand ing your interests. I am proud of
up for themselves need others to what she has done as a member of
help them fight.” the Teamsters, and I know she will
In 2018, Johnson County Super- only continue to do great things as
For more information about visor Kurt Michael Friese passed a county supervisor.”
Teamsters running for of- away suddenly. A local restaurant “With Jesse’s encouragement
fice, or if you would like owner, Friese volunteered to pro- and the support of the union, I was
to let us know if you are vide food for the Johnson County confident that I could not only run,
running, scan the QR Code Democratic Party BBQ fundraiser but win the seat,” Porter said.
with your smartphone’s each year. Porter teamed up with “What Kurt did was important, and
camera or QR reader (avail- Friese each year, cooking food I am proud that I can continue to
able for free). for the event. carry on his work to honor his
“It was such a shock at the memory.”
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COMMITMENT TO SKILLS AND SAFETY
FOR PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION MEMBERS
STEWARDS FROM TEAMSTER LOCALS ATTEND ANNUAL MEETING
M
ore than 200 stewards and business agents
from local unions in the U.S. and Canada that
represent members in the pipeline construc-
tion industry attended the 7th annual pipeline stew-
ards school recently. The school covered a variety of
safety topics, includes a review of the most recent na-
tional contract, a report about the status of the
pipeline workers’ pension fund and reports on serv-
ices offered by Teamster departments.
Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President, greeted
the numerous first-time attendees with words of en-
couragement to keep participating in meetings such
as this and at their local unions. tives from eight Canadian local unions attending.
“Due to the tremendous work that Bubba Davis “I am proud that we have Canadian Teamster
(Director of the Teamsters Building Material and Con- members here representing thousands who work on
struction Trade Division) and David LaBorde (Director pipelines across our country,” said Francois Laporte,
of Teamster Pipeline Projects) have done with this President of Teamsters Canada. “We fight together
meeting year after year, the word has gotten around and we build things together, and the pipeline is a
and people are coming here enthusiastically,” Hoffa good example. These projects show how unions from
said. “And, your training of Teamster members has two nations can come together.”
taken off. Over 1,250 members trained to work on As a summary of the last year’s progress in the
pipeline projects last year. industry, Davis said, “Our members are the best
“This nation needs pipelines and these pipeline trained in the pipeline construction industry. This is
projects mean more good jobs for Teamster families,” due to our commitment to skills and safety on the job.
Hoffa said. “The pipeline pension fund is doing very We want every member to come home at the end of
well and that is essential. Having a strong pension their shift.”
fund along with the opportunity for good paying jobs In addition to presentations from various Teamster
means the pipeline construction industry will con- departments, there was also an overview on the sta-
tinue to grow.” tus of current pipeline projects in Texas, Minnesota,
More Canadian local unions and members partici- Wisconsin, Ohio, West Virginia and other states, and
pated this year than ever before with 20 representa- early information on planning for future projects.
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TWO DECADES OF TRANSFORMING THE TEAMSTERS
HOFFA
MARKS
20
YEARS
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M
arch 19, 2019 marked an Teamsters. We found good “By establishing a dedicated
important milestone in union employers fighting for Strike and Defense Fund and
Teamster history. On that their survival in the face of gov- designating funds for organizing
date, General President James P. ernment policies that rewarded activities, we made a commit-
Hoffa became only the second companies sending jobs over- ment to grow the Teamsters
General President to log 20 seas. We also faced employers Union, increase Teamster power
years as head of the Teamsters who wanted to take advantage and provide the support Team-
Union. Over the course of those of our weakness to cut wages sters deserve on the picket
two decades, the Teamsters and health care benefits, and lines,” Hoffa said.
have regained their mantle as eliminate pension and retire- The union’s strike fund had
the strongest union in North ment plans. We engaged these been bankrupted by the prior
America through rebuilding its challenges from day one.” administration and employers
finances, organizing the unor- Under Hoffa’s leadership, the knew workers couldn’t afford to
ganized and negotiating the Teamsters Union has strength- strike. By developing a real,
strongest contracts in labor. In ened its foundation by putting strong Strike and Defense Fund,
corporate boardrooms, on Capi- its financial house in order, and employers got the message. In-
tol Hill and throughout the labor by establishing a real Strike and stead of offering little or no sup-
movement, the Teamsters again Defense Fund. Another impor- port to our brothers and sisters
command respect. tant change came to the union on strike, the International
“When our administration in 2002 when the Hoffa adminis- Union now offers real protection
took office 20 years ago, the tration convened the first-ever for workers.
union was on the verge of bank- Special Convention to ensure And instead of having to ask
ruptcy and was hopelessly di- that the Teamsters Union had for assistance from other unions
vided,” Hoffa said. “We faced the financial resources to grow because of an empty treasury,
employers bent on destroying and organize new members. the Teamsters have rebuilt their
our union and others willing to The Strike and Defense Fund general fund as well. When the
spend large sums of money to currently stands at approxi- Hoffa team assumed office, the
keep workers from joining the mately $206 million. Teamsters Union had less than
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“ I WILL NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR STANDING UP FOR
MY FELLOW TEAMSTERS AND ALL AMERICAN WORKERS.”
–JAMES P. HOFFA
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$9 million in net assets. In the last collective power to negotiate drivers and win them the justice,
20 years, it has increased to $329 stronger contracts for members. respect and dignity they deserve
million as of April 2019. Organizing is the essence of at the gateways of the U.S. sup-
who the Teamsters are, and the ply chain. Port drivers and the
Organizing Hoffa administration knows we all Teamsters have coordinated 16
Organized labor has long been must work hard to defeat well- strikes over the past five years
opposed by anti-union corpora- funded, vicious anti-worker forces. to build worker power and ex-
tions and the politicians they Employers have been doing pose an industry built on ex-
control, but the last 20 years everything they can to oppose ploitation, wage theft and
have seen a nonstop attack on unions’ ability to organize, from discrimination.
working families. In that time, worker misclassification schemes In solid waste and recycling,
the country has experienced the to multi-layered contracting. The thousands of workers have been
worst economy since the Great Teamsters are confronting these organized across the country.
Depression and a constant out- challenges head on. Organizing in the airline industry
sourcing of work. Many unions In the core Teamster industry has brought more than 80,000
have seen a significant decline of freight, membership losses new Teamsters into the union
in their membership. due to deregulation were offset over the past 20 years. In pas-
Not the Teamsters. by the union’s aggressive organ- senger transportation and the
“Our union has continued to izing at UPS Freight (formerly private school bus industry, the
do what no other union has Overnite Transportation), which Teamsters have organized more
done during this difficult time— kicked off in 2006. Now the than 50,000 drivers, monitors,
organize,” Hoffa said. “When we Teamsters represent nearly aides, attendants, mechanics,
were elected, the union was di- 13,000 drivers and dockworkers dispatchers and more all across
vided. Today, locals, Joint Coun- at the company. North America.
cils and the International Union The Teamsters represent
work together to ensure that more than 200,000 public sector Contract Victories
workers who want Teamster rep- members, unsung everyday he- Organizing is the first step, but
resentation get it.” roes who provide a wide range the work doesn’t stop there.
The Teamsters Union cur- of public services. On the Las Hoffa and his team have fought
rently has approximately 1.42 Vegas Strip and across the na- hard to negotiate the best con-
million members and continues tion, the Teamsters have organ- tracts in many industries, raising
to grow. ized thousands of workers at wages and benefits and improv-
Under Hoffa’s leadership, the casinos, raising standards in the ing conditions for hundreds of
Teamsters Union is the most active valet parking industry and other thousands of workers.
organizing union in the country. traditional Teamster crafts. In the Passenger Transport Di-
Hoffa knows that growing union At the ports, the Teamsters vision, the Teamsters achieved
density strengthens the union’s are fighting to organize port an unprecedented victory in
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2011 by successfully negotiating nual wage increases, protec- UPS Teamsters with the most lu-
and ratifying a National Master tions against subcontracting and crative compensation and bene-
Agreement (NMA) with the increases to health and welfare fits in the industry.
largest company in the industry, funds, plus other improvements.
First Student, Inc. The agree- In the rail industry, higher Politics
ment is the only one of its kind pay, job stability and strong ben- When it comes to shaping poli-
in the industry and includes efits are the key ingredients in tics and policy for this union,
many benefits that set the bar the freight rail contract covering Hoffa’s tenure as head of the
on protections and workplace about 70,000 members of the Teamsters started off strong and
rights. In addition to the First Teamsters Rail Conference, hasn’t looked back since.
Student NMA, the Teamsters made up of members of the From the get-go, his adminis-
have secured representation Brotherhood of Locomotive En- tration was on the ground fight-
and contracts with other leading gineers and Trainmen (BLET) and ing alongside thousands of
companies in the passenger Brotherhood of Maintenance of Teamster brothers and sisters in
transportation industry. As of Way Employes (BMWED). as part of the “Battle of Seattle”
2019, the Teamsters have agree- And the recently approved against the failed policies of the
ments with the four largest pri- UPS contract, the largest private World Trade Organization (WTO).
vate school bus operators in collective bargaining agreement Hoffa led 40,000 pro-labor
North America. in the United States covering
Some other examples in- 250,000 workers, provides all demonstrators calling for real
clude the recently ratified con- UPS Teamsters—full-time and reform.
tract covering more than 4,400 part-time workers—with tremen- From there, the fight moved
workers at Anheuser-Busch, dous gains in wages, benefits into other areas of trade, like
which raised wages $2.50, im- and working conditions and ex- against granting permanent nor-
proved retirement security, cellent opportunities for part- malized trade relations (PNTR)
maintained the excellent bene- time workers to gain full-time with China, the ongoing imple-
fits and job security and in- employment. This agreement mentation of the North American
cluded a signing bonus. protects the livelihoods of UPS Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
The contract for more than Teamsters and their families and opposing the enactment of
16,000 Costco workers in Califor- well into the next decade. myriad other unfair trade deals.
nia and in the East provides Since the Hoffa administra- Hoffa sounded the clarion call
workers with the best wages and tion began negotiating the UPS against these broken trade
benefits in the retail industry. contract in 2001, the total amount agreements and helped raised
At ABF Freight, a national of new money paid to UPS public attention to the issue.
contract covering about 8,000 Teamsters in wages and benefits One of the best examples of
drivers, dockworkers, mechanics increased to more than $14.5 bil- his administration’s political
and office workers provides an- lion and continues to provide strength has been demonstrated
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over two decades in the fight to sters have been front-and-center gain has always been para-
keep unsafe Mexican trucks off in defending the pension secu- mount for the Teamsters. Hoffa
the nation’s highways. The rity of its members and millions has led that charge in state after
Teamsters Union is single-hand- of others. In 2015, after months state where legislatures have
edly responsible for this effort. of lobbying, the union fought off sought to reduce the power of
A provision in NAFTA would proposed cuts to the Central unions by approving right-to-
have allowed freight haulers States Pension Fund. Now the work legislation.
from Mexico, who are not kept focus is finding a solution that One of the most spirited ef-
to the same safety standards as will secure pensions for some forts came in Wisconsin in 2011,
American trucks, on our nation’s 1.5 million Americans whose re- where then-Gov. Scott Walker
highways. Through constant tirements are jeopardized. demanded that collective bar-
lobbying efforts, rallies and Hoffa spoke at a major rally gaining rights be stripped from
countless other grassroots ef- last July in Columbus, Ohio call- most government workers.
forts, these dangerous trucks are ing for a congressional fix, and Teamsters were among the first
still not threatening the safety of did the same thing a couple of protesters at the Capitol in Madi-
America’s drivers. weeks later in Detroit during a son, bringing their families and
And that is likely to continue, town hall event that featured the now-iconic “Stop the War on
given the ongoing negotiations now House Speaker Nancy Workers” signs.
involving the revamping of Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other law- These fights haven’t always
NAFTA. The Teamsters have makers. He is calling for the pas- been easy. In 2015, for example,
made curbing cross-border sage of the bipartisan the Teamsters and other unions
trucking a priority in the union’s Rehabilitation of Multiemployer beat back efforts to implement
effort to create a fairer North Pensions Act, introduced in Jan- right to work in West Virginia,
American trade policy. uary by Reps. Richard Neal (D- only to have the Legislature
But trade issues are hardly Mass.) and Peter King (R-N.Y.). there approve it the next year.
the only fight Hoffa has led for Sticking up for unions and But the public is beginning to
this union. For years, the Team- their ability to collectively bar- catch on to the right-to-work
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ruse. The Teamsters joined in to championed bipartisan initia- agreeing to end the lawsuit, the
help defeat a Sussex County, Del. tives such as their 2015 “Let’s government acknowledged that
effort to approve right to work in Get America Working” cam- there had been significant suc-
early 2018, and Missouri voters paign, which called on lawmak- cess in eliminating corruption
rejected implementing the policy ers of different political parties from within the union.
last August as part of a ballot to come together to improve in- The consent decree was re-
measure in the “Show Me State” frastructure, focus on training placed with a final order, in
by a two-to-one margin. the next generation for 21st cen- which the government’s contin-
One thing that has helped tury jobs and allow workers to ued involvement in the internal
the Teamsters through all these earn a middle-class wage. affairs of the Teamsters Union
political battles has been the will be phased out over a five-
continued growth of the DRIVE New Challenges year transition period.
(Democratic, Republican, Inde- Another important period in “This historic event for the
pendent Voter Education) politi- Hoffa’s time in office was Febru- Teamsters was the direct result of
cal action program. Created ary 2015, when Chief Judge decades of hard work and our
over 60 years ago by former Loretta Preska of the United success in driving corrupt ele-
Teamsters General President States District Court for the ments from the union,” Hoffa said.
James R. Hoffa, DRIVE funds the Southern District of New York ap-
union’s efforts to defeat anti- proved an agreement that ended Brothers and Sisters
worker legislation at all levels of more than 25 years of govern- “A good union is one that’s
government. DRIVE is funded di- ment oversight of the Teamsters there for its members, whether
rectly by contributions from Union. The agreement dismissed or not they’re at work,” Hoffa
Teamster members and is one the lawsuit brought by the U.S. said. Over the last 20 years,
of the most powerful PACs in Attorney for the Southern District Hoffa has made the union about
the country. of New York, which led to a con- more than just organizing and
The Teamsters under Gen- sent decree that the union has contracts. Through various pro-
eral President Hoffa have also operated under since 1989. By grams, the union is making lives
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better for working families ter Relief Fund has benefited in the last 20 years but there is
everywhere. thousands of members and their always more to do,” said Hoffa.
In November 1999, the Gen- communities. “Workers’ rights and the gains
eral Executive Board created The Teamsters have also en- we have made never stand
the James R. Hoffa Memorial couraged women in the union to still—we are either on the rise or
Scholarship Fund. Since then, assume more leadership roles someone is trying to take what
thousands of children and grand- through the Teamsters Women’s we have—we only win by con-
children of Teamster members Conference. Since it started in stantly fighting for more.”
have eased their financial burden 2002, attendance at the annual Reflecting on serving the
in college with the scholarship. Women’s Conference has in- Teamster membership for 20
The scholarship fund has as- creased every year it has been years, Hoffa added, “It has been
sisted over 4,000 students with held and is one of many ways my greatest honor to serve the
scholarships, awarding more the union has become more all- great men and women of this
than $10,000,000 in funds. inclusive in the last 20 years. union. I look back with pride
Through the Teamsters Dis- Hoffa also established an in- knowing that because of the
aster Relief Fund, thousands of novative program that helps ac- strength of the Teamsters, thou-
members affected by disasters tive military personnel transition sands of workers have been
have been helped through diffi- to a career in transportation. The able to retire with dignity, thou-
cult times. The fund receives Teamsters Military Assistance sands of children had illnesses
donations from members, local Program (TMAP) provides com- treated because of excellent
unions and their affiliates. mercial driver’s license (CDL) union-negotiated health care,
Whether helping out in the instruction. Once the CDL is and that thousands of Team-
wake of Sept. 11, 2001, Hurri- earned by a participant, the ster families could be a part of
cane Katrina, flooding, torna- union and employers provide the American middle class be-
does, wildfires and even the job placement assistance. cause they belonged to the
tainted water in Flint, the Disas- “We have accomplished a lot Teamsters.”
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ORGANIZING UPDATE
DHL CONTRACTOR
EMPLOYEES JOIN
LOCAL 986
108 KWK TRUCKING EMPLOYEES SEEK IMPROVEMENTS
S
ergio Rodriguez is a five-year employee benefits,” Rodriguez said. “We want to nego-
at KWK Trucking in Los Angeles. He tiate a strong first contract that will provide
and his co-workers recently voted to these kinds of improvements.”
form their union with the Teamsters on Management set up numerous roadblocks
February 28. to organizing. KWK Trucking hired four union
“It feels wonderful being a Teamster, busters to conduct daily captive audience
seeing our long effort finally pay off,” said meetings, one-on-one meetings and attempted
Rodriguez, a lead driver. His employer, KWK very hard to persuade the drivers to vote no.
Trucking is a contractor for DHL Express. “The drivers remained strong and united
On February 28, 108 drivers in the bargain- throughout the entire process and were not
ing unit voted 83-23 to be represented by fazed by the company’s union-busting tac-
Local 986 in South El Monte, Calif. tics,” said Chris Griswold, Secretary-Treasurer
“We work with drivers from DHL who of Local 986. “We look forward to negotiating
have a contract that includes strong retire- a strong first contract that addresses the driv-
ment security, great health care and other ers’ needs.”
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LOCAL 525 vote was 23-9 in favor of finished their negotiations awesome experience.
Kurtz Ambulance Service Teamster representation. and became members of Now we need to negoti-
Local 483 will represent Local 2010. ate a strong contract."
A group of 10 firefight- 32 of the 34 workers, “Congratulations to “We are excited to
ers/Emergency Medical while Local 670 will repre- our dedicated childcare welcome the workers at
Technicians (EMTs) in Illi- sent two. workers and welcome to Americold and we will
nois have voted unani- “It feels good to be a the Teamsters,” said work with them to negoti-
mously to join Local 525. Teamster,” said Vince Jason Rabinowitz, Direc- ate a strong first contract
The election was held Nye, an employee in tor of the Teamsters Pub- that addresses their major
by mail ballot and votes Meridian, Idaho for the lic Services Division and concerns,” said Bill Shap-
were counted on Febru- past four and a half years. Secretary-Treasurer of pell, President of Local
ary 26. The vote was 8-0 “We are seeking fair pay.” Local 2010. “This great 429.
in favor of Teamster rep- “For far too long, this win caps a years-long
resentation. company has taken ad- fight by these courageous LOCAL 391
The firefighters/EMTs vantage of these work- workers for union repre- Stericycle
work for Kurtz Ambulance ers,” said Timothy sentation and fair treat-
Service in East Alton, Ill. Acevez, Secretary-Trea- ment in the face of terrible By a more than three-to-
They all serve employees surer of Local 483. opposition from UC.” one margin, drivers at
of Olin Brass, a large “Teamsters proved Stericycle’s Haw River,
manufacturing plant in LOCAL 727 that there is power in N.C. facility voted recently
East Alton. unity and demonstrated to join Local 391 so they
Reyes Fleet Management
“We welcome these the importance of stand- can better fight for respect
workers and we will work In March, mechanics em- ing firm against unfair and dignity on the job.
with them to negotiate a ployed by Reyes Fleet treatment and wage in- Moses Darden, Local
strong first contract that ad- Management, a subsidiary equalities, and has al- 391’s lead organizer, said
dresses their issues,” said of Reyes Holdings, LLC, lowed us to have an workers are demanding
Kevin Engelke, Secretary- voted overwhelmingly in active voice in the work- better working conditions,
Treasurer of Alton-based favor of union representa- place,” Alisa Daniels, affordable health insur-
Local 525. “They perform tion, selecting Local 727 as UCLA lead teacher. ance and job security, all
an important job in our their collective bargaining issues that will be guaran-
community and they de- representative. teed in a strong Teamster
LOCAL 429
serve a secure future.” “On behalf of all Local contract. Local 391 is lo-
Workers are also seek- 727 members, welcome Americold cated in Greensboro, N.C.
ing fair pay and improved to our Teamster family,” Workers at Americold, a The organizing effort
benefits, Wessel said. said Local 727 Secretary- temperature-controlled that led to victory came
Treasurer John Coli Jr. warehousing and logistics after workers withstood
LOCALS 483 AND 670 “We look forward to fight- company, voted on Feb- numerous mandatory
Food Services of America ing for a strong first col- ruary 6 to join Local 429 in captive audience meet-
lective bargaining Wyomissing, Pa. ings, visits from corporate
On March 8, a group of agreement.” executives and ride-
There are 124 workers
34 drivers in Idaho and Local 727 also cur- alongs from manage-
in the bargaining unit.
Oregon working at Food rently represents more ment. But the Teamsters
The employees at the
Services of America, Inc., than 700 employees of helped counter those ef-
warehouse in Leesport,
which US Foods is in the the Reyes Holdings sub- forts. The union’s Waste
Pa. work as forklift drivers
process of purchasing, sidiary Great Lakes Coca- Division reached out to
and janitors/porters.
voted to become mem- Cola Distribution, Inc. other locals with Stericy-
"It feels great being a
bers of Local 483 in Boise, cle workers, and in turn
Teamster," said Harlen
Idaho and Local 670 in LOCAL 2010 Locals 377, 20 and 813
Aquino, a forklift driver
Salem, Ore. sent photos and encour-
UCLA, UCSB and six-year employee.
The two locals filed a aging words to these
"Working so hard to get to
combined petition to rep- Lead childcare teachers at North Carolina workers.
this point has been an
resent the workers. The UCLA and UCSB recently
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Teamsters Escalate
Campaign for Justice at Sysco
T
he Teamsters Union is step- voritism, create a fair pay system been the subject of federal investi-
ping up its campaign for and stem increases in health insur- gations of labor law violations in
worker justice at Sysco, the ance costs that make it too expen- virtually every location where
largest broadline foodservice sive for working families. workers have chosen union repre-
provider in the country. More than Workers have been fighting sentation.
10,000 workers at Sysco are Team- back by organizing as Teamsters.
sters. In recent months, more than 1,000 Organizing for Power
The escalation follows Sysco’s workers across the country have In February, drivers at Sysco near
calculated nationwide campaign of voted to become Teamsters. Miami voted to join Local 769, the
threatening and disrespecting its The campaign includes educat- second organizing victory in less
employees, and its flagrant viola- ing Sysco customers and the gen- than three weeks at Sysco. The
tions of the law when workers seek eral public about the company’s vote count was 100-25 in favor of
union representation. Workers well-documented history of violat- joining the union and there are 132
want to stop management’s fa- ing workers’ rights. Sysco has drivers in the bargaining unit.
“Rather than valuing its hard-
working employees who make this
company successful, Sysco contin-
ues to disrespect them, flagrantly
violate the law when they seek
union representation, and still de-
mand that they work harder and
faster,” Vairma said. “Like more
than 1,000 workers across the
country in recent months, Sysco
South Florida workers are saying
‘Enough is enough’ and standing
together to take action.”
“This victory continues the
strong worker organizing momen-
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tum at Sysco in South Florida,” company’s Norman, Okla. center fire him for his union activism.
said Josh Zivalich, President of and were vocal in fighting against Since his firing, Daniels has
Local 769 in Miami. “Sysco work- a company-backed effort to with- worked on several organizing
ers are tired of the way Sysco is draw recognition from Tulsa campaigns at Sysco, where he
mistreating them and they are de- union members. has delivered important messages
manding change now.” The union has filed numerous to workers.
In late January, drivers and unfair labor practice charges “I tell Sysco workers that they
helpers from Sysco’s Sygma Net- against the company over the fir- need to stick together and fight for
work in Monroe, Mich. near De- ings. The union has also appealed positive change on the job by
troit voted overwhelmingly to a ruling by the National Labor Re- forming their union,” Daniels said.
join Local 337. lations Board that the firings “The only way to improve things
There are 116 drivers and should be settled in arbitration. at Sysco is for workers to organize
helpers in the bargaining unit. As the workers wait for a ruling and negotiate a legally binding
Workers in both locations want a on the union’s appeal, they all say contract—a Teamster contract.”
fair and level playing field and an they will not stop fighting until Nathan Ray is another steward
end to what feels like an endless they win the justice they deserve. who was fired. He is driving for
string of company takeaways. Fortunately, as Teamsters, they another Teamster-represented
Last fall, 253 Sysco drivers near have a process to fight their firings. company while he waits to hear
Boston voted overwhelmingly for If they had been nonunion, they about his case.
Local 653 representation at the would have been at-will employ- “Don’t be intimidated by the
company’s New England distribu- ees and had little recourse. company, the Teamsters have
tion center that serves customers James Daniels, one of the fired your back,” Ray said. “The only
in five states. stewards in Oklahoma, worked at way to get things fixed is to
Some of Sysco’s most egre- Sysco in Norman for 33 years—30 stand together and organize.”
gious actions have taken place in of those years as a steward—when For more information, visit the
Oklahoma, where the company he was targeted by management “Foodservice Teamsters Fight
fired five stewards who are mem- for termination. The company al- for Justice” page on Facebook
bers of Local 886 in Oklahoma City. leged he was dishonest over drink- at www.facebook.com/Sysco
The stewards worked at the ing a soda on duty—an excuse to USFworkers.
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WAGES, BENEFITS INCREASED AND JOB SECURITY PRESERVED
Anheuser-Busch Agreement Ratified
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M
embers at Anheuser-Busch’s breweries working at the Merrimack, N.H. brewery for
in the United States have voted to rat- the past seven years. “The rest of the nego-
ify a new five-year agreement by 88 to tiating team did a good job and spent
12 percent ,with 63 percent of members vot- a lot of time listening to members to get
ing. The contract covers more than 4,400 their feedback on what they wanted in the
workers at 12 facilities across the U.S. new contract.”
“This contract provides our members at The Merrimack brewery not only makes the
Anheuser-Busch with the solid wages, excellent famous A-B brands Budweiser and Bud Light,
benefits and job but also produces
security they de- craft brews for
serve,” said Jim Blue Point Brew-
Hoffa, Teamsters ing.
General President. “More and
“Our members more of An-
work hard to make heuser-Busch’s
this company suc- breweries have
cessful, and this been branching
contract recog- out into craft
nizes their efforts.” beers since they
Wage increases, have gained in
improvements to popularity,”
retirement security Nowak said. “We
and a ratification are pleased with
bonus were all in- this addition as it
cluded in the new keeps our mem-
contract which went into effect March 1, 2019 bers working and provides a product that con-
and has a five-year term. As with the previous sumers enjoy.”
agreements, it maintains excellent benefits
and job security. ‘Good Union Job’
In another victory for workers, the Team- A member at the Baldwinsville, N.Y. brewery
sters National Negotiating Committee argued said they brew at least 63 different brands at
successfully for a memorandum of under- her location alone and that she was grateful
standing with Anheuser-Busch to keep a com- for the new contract.
mitment for all 12 breweries to remain open “It’s a contract that I can live with, that I
for the term of the agreement. can retire with,” said Michele Buck, a member
of Local 1149. “My father, brother and even my
Security sister have all worked here. I know how impor-
“Our negotiating committee listened to the tant it is to have a good union job.”
membership and negotiated a contract that pro- All 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries in the
vides job security and financial security for these U.S. employ members of the Teamsters who
hardworking men and women for the next five brew, bottle and package the brands produced
years,” said Greg Nowak, Director of the Team- by the company.
sters Brewery and Soft Drink Conference. “I’m The brewery locations are: Los Angeles;
proud of the work of the committee and look St. Louis; Jacksonville, Fla.; Newark, N.J.;
forward to implementing the new agreement.” Houston; Fort Collins, Colo.; Williamsburg, Va.;
“Everyone is happy with the new con- Cartersville, Ga.; Merrimack, N.H.; Fairfield,
tract,” said Ryan Smith, a Local 633 member Calif.; Columbus, Ohio; and Baldwinsville, N.Y.
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Journey
to Drive New Apprenticeship Program Puts
More Teamsters Behind the Wheel
A
nyone who works in trucking practices in the skilled trades: the try,” said Lamont Byrd, Director of
or follows the transportation apprenticeship. Today, Teamsters the Teamsters Safety and Health
sector knows there is one are paving a new road for countless Department.
topic that has dominated the indus- workers who want to build careers Since it was launched in 2015,
try in recent years: the persistent in the transportation industry. Team- more than 240 CDL-A apprentices
shortage of drivers. sters have developed a number of have been trained in the program.
While the effects of deregula- apprenticeship programs at locals The goal is to train more than a
tion are largely to blame for the and Joint Councils, especially in the thousand dock worker/drivers in five
decline in drivers, as fewer work- construction industry, but the new years. The Safety and Health Depart-
ers are attracted to the harsh Teamsters Apprenticeship Program ment worked closely with ABF as
demands of jobs in the nonunion is the first national effort by the well as the Teamsters Freight Divi-
sector, the shortage has led to all union that is focused on the trans- sion to put together the curriculum
kinds of proposed solutions includ- portation industry. of the apprenticeship program.
ing the use of new technology to “This program is designed to
fill the gap in the labor supply. promote the craft and train people DOL Certified
But there is another remedy, to build strong middle-class ca- Like many freight companies, ABF
and it draws from centuries-old reers in the transportation indus- has been hit by the driver short-
age. So the company turned to the
Teamsters for help in bringing new
drivers on board. In addition to
ABF and DOL, Teamsters have
partnered with community organi-
zations focused on outreach to dis-
advantaged communities in order
to recruit young workers into the
apprenticeship program.
At 18 years old, an apprentice
dock worker is registered with the
DOL when they enter the program.
Their progress is monitored by in-
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one hand who are trained to do they can carry on the work and
the work and, on the other hand, keep this industry going,” said
you have companies that are James Mullens, a 24-year ABF
struggling to find drivers. The ap- dock worker and member of Local
prenticeship program is building a 957 in Dayton, Ohio. Mullens
bridge between the two,” added joined more than a dozen other
Chee Chang, a program manager ABF dock workers at a training
with the Teamsters Safety and at Local 776 in Harrisburg, Pa.
Health Department who manages in March to sharpen his skills as
the worker trainings and helped instructor to new dock worker
design the program. apprentices.
To read the full version of
this story or to find out The Teamsters secured federal “This program really got me
more about the Teamsters grant funding to support the devel- thinking more about how we talk
Safety and Health Depart- opment of the apprenticeship pro- about the union with new hires
ment, including trainings gram, which will be sustained by and figure out better ways of
and other resources, visit employer contributions. And the teaching people who are just start-
teamstersafety.org or scan union is also looking to apply for ing in the industry. And with the
the QR Code with your state-level grants to further sup- outreach at job fairs and high
smartphone’s camera or port the effort. schools, I think it can help lead to a
QR reader (available for free). better recruitment system for dock
New Blood workers and show that this is actu-
A checklist…that’s how some cur- ally a good job with good bene-
structors. After 144 hours of dock rent dock workers at ABF described fits,” said Lindsay Mandelik, who
operation training, they go through the extent of their training before has been working on the docks at
2,690 hours of supervised work the Teamsters Apprenticeship Pro- ABF in Dayton for five years. She
experience. Once they are of age, gram was introduced. That check- also attended the “Train the Trainer”
they begin training to upgrade to list is now a 157-page manual, event in Harrisburg.
a CDL. This involves another 240 written by the Teamsters Safety By turning back to the practices
hours to train for their CDL-A li- and Health Department in consul- of earlier generations, Teamsters
censes, followed by another 2,690 tation with the company. may help turn back the trend of the
hours of work experience. “It’s important to make a good driver shortage and jumpstart a new
“You have young people on the connection with younger folks so generation of union truck drivers.
Thousands of Teamsters Participate in Safety and Health Trainings
T
eamsters Safety and Workers Hazardous Materi-
Health provides a range of als Training Program, which
resources and training for represents nine rail unions.
members across many trades Covering everything from
and industries. In 2018, more construction to transporta-
than 7,400 workers (including tion to warehouse to airline
more than 2,000 Teamster professions, Safety and
members) participated in Health programs focus on
training programs held training workers in under-
around the country. Trainings served populations and pro-
are conducted through an af- viding members with the
filiated consortium of 12 skills they need to work safely on projects in
Teamster training centers as well as the Rail their communities.
For more information, visit teamstersafety.org.
www.teamster.org | Summer 2019 | Teamster 25You can also read
