Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

Clearing the Air at American Ports And The Labor Green Coalition-Deregulation The Cause Of Environmental Degradation
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/business/26ports.html?scp=1&sq=envirornment trucking deregulation&st=cse

February 26, 2010
Clearing the Air at American Ports

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
The Teamsters union and environmental activists have formed an unlikely and outspoken alliance aiming to clear the air in American ports, and perhaps bolster the Teamsters’ ranks in the process.

The labor-green alliance is getting under the trucking industry’s skin by asserting that short-haul trucking companies working in ports — and not the truck drivers, who are often considered independent contractors — should spend the billions needed to buy new, low-emission rigs that can cost $100,000 to $175,000 each.

The Teamsters union says seaport air is so dirty largely because port truck drivers earn too little to buy trucks that would belch out fewer diesel particulates, tiny particles that contribute to cancer and asthma. Working with environmentalists, the union helped persuade the Port of Los Angeles to adopt a far-reaching plan that bars old trucks from hauling cargo from the port and puts the burden of buying new vehicles on the trucking companies, not the drivers.

Will Orange County IBT Local 952 take on UPS?
http://socialistworker.org/2010/02/17/will-local-952-take-on-ups

Will Local 952 take on UPS?
Edgar Esquivel, a former teacher and a UPS worker for nearly 12 years, explains why Teamsters Local 952 members are organizing against the company's contract violations--and challenging union leaders.
February 17, 2010

Teamsters Local 952 members on strike against the Orange Country Transportation Authority in 2007

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.--Under a weakened and corrupt Teamsters union led by James Hoffa, the officers of Teamsters Local 952 in Orange County, Calif., have become divorced from their constituency. But now, UPSers in the local--concerned over a series of contract violations by the company and concessions--are determined to take their union back.

The key issue is enforcement of the contract. Beginning with one of the most regressive deals in the history of UPS Teamsters in December 2007, the Teamsters at the Laguna hub have suffered the consequences of an apathetic local unwilling to enforce the contract and rightfully represent its members.

Management's breaches of the contract range from the failure of the company to replace vacant positions left after retirements to the elimination of full-time jobs guaranteed under Article 22.3--which was drafted into the 1997-2002 agreement that was won after the historic 1997 strike against UPS. Production harassment--attempts to discipline workers for failure to complete a set amount of work--are also on the rise. Management has also repeatedly violated the contract by forcing drivers to work 9.5 hours several days in a row.

Teamster IBT Carhaulers Director Zuckerman On Depression & NUMMI
http://blip.tv/file/3218560

IBT Carhaul Director Fred Zuckerman on February 12, 2010 spoke at a
rally for UAW 2244 NUMMI Toyota Fremont workers. He talked about the
more than 50% loss of jobs for IBT members at NUMMI and the massive
loss of jobs to IBT car haulers and automotive workers.
A production of Labor Video Project,
P.O. Box 720027, SF, CA 94172
laborvideo.blip.tv www.laborvideo.org (415)282-1908

A Chicago coup attempt in the Teamsters
http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/15/coup-attempt-in-the-teamsters

A coup attempt in the Teamsters
Lee Sustar explains the background to the attempt by the Teamsters bureaucracy to oust the reform leadership of an important local in Chicago.
January 15, 2010

Richard Berg outside worker-occupied Republic Windows and Doors in December 2008

A COUP against the reform leadership of a big Teamster local in Chicago is underway--and it's aimed at restoring the corrupt old guard leadership to power and snuffing out union democracy.

Teamsters Local 743 President Richard Berg and the local's vice president, Gina Alvarez, were removed from office January 11 by Teamsters Joint Council 25, a body comprised of the leaders of Chicago-area Teamster locals.

Although Teamsters General President James Hoffa reinstated Berg and Alvarez pending a full investigation by the union, the charges remain. The Joint Council alleges that Berg and Alvarez improperly handled the severance package of a fired union representative and wrongfully denied membership in the local to some union representatives for 18 months.

So although Berg and Alvarez will remain in office for now, the controversy will, at the very least, be used by the old guard to besmirch the reformers' New Leadership slate.

Removal of Chicago Teamsters Local 743 Leaders Stopped Temporarily By IBT Pres Hoffa

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/1/14/removal-teamsters-743-leaders-stopped

Removal of Teamsters 743 Leaders Stopped
Hoffa Grants Stay of Effectiveness to Berg and Alvarez
By Staff | January 14, 2010
Read more articles in Teamsters
Chicago, IL - Two days after Teamsters Joint Council 25 suspended Richard Berg and Gina Alvarez from office over trumped up charges, the International president, Jimmy Hoffa, Jr. has granted them a stay of effectiveness. This will be in place until the international hears their appeal. Berg and Alvarez will be restored to their positions in the union immediately.

The two reform leaders of Local 743 were charged with corruption. Ironically, neither of them was accused of personally benefiting in any of the charges brought against them. In fact, Secretary Treasurer Alvarez and President Berg had worked to put the local union back into the hands of the members after decades of true corruption. The officers of the local for years before Berg and Alvarez had stolen elections and forced sell-out contracts onto members. These practices were accepted by the Joint Council.

Chicago Teamsters boot Local 743 boss Berg

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1986074,teamster-union-berg-011210.article

Chicago Teamsters boot Local 743 boss Berg
He's accused of improperly firing, giving $20,000 severance to an organizer

Comments

January 12, 2010
FROM ChicagoUnionNews.com
Richard Berg -- who took the helm of Teamsters Local 743 on a reform plank, ousting an "old guard" regime rife with corruption -- now is being booted out of office for alleged violations of union rules.

Berg is accused of improperly firing a Local 743 organizer and, along with secretary-treasurer Gina Alvarez, signing off on a $20,000-plus severance check for the man, officials said.

The firing and the payout first should have gotten approval from Local 743's executive board, a Teamsters official said.

Berg also is accused of preventing two business agents from rejoining Local 743 -- even though they apparently were entitled to do so. Some viewed the move as an attempt by Berg to undercut future political rivals.

The alleged violations were brought by members of the group's executive board to the Teamsters' umbrella organization for the Chicago region, Joint Council 25, which made the decision to boot Berg from office and strip him of membership for five years, the official said.

Puerto Rico Teamsters Unite for Change
http://www.tdu.org/node/3568

Puerto Rico Teamsters Unite for Change
December 28, 2009: Members are uniting for change in Puerto Rico under the banner Teamsters Making the Difference.

“We are proud to be Teamsters—but we are not proud of Local 901 leaders who have put their own interests ahead of the members,” said Humberto Miranda, a Local 901 Teamster and a member of Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

“We’re organizing to restore democracy, integrity and power to our union,” Miranda said.

That battle is far from won. But corrupt local officials are on the defensive.

Local 901 principal officer German Vázquez is on his way out after being caught in an embezzlement scandal. (An investigation by the Independent Review Board found that Vázquez gave himself four improper pay hikes totaling $55,532).

The Department of Labor is suing Local 901 for election violations, charging that the local ran last fall’s voting to illegally favor the incumbents.

And the National Labor Relations Board is taking action against Local 901 officials—charging them with retaliating against members for supporting the reform candidates for union office. An NLRB trial that begin in December will continue next month.

New Leadership In NYC IBT Local 804-Key UPS Local Cuts Salaries And Puts Money Into Membership Education On Labor History

http://socialistworker.org/2009/12/18/big-step-for-teamster-reform

A big step for Teamster reform
Former Teamsters Local 804 member Danny Katch looks at the significance of the reformers' victory in the union's recent election.
December 18, 2009

Tim Sylvester (left, facing camera), the newly elected president of Teamsters Local 804, with a group of UPS drivers (804 Members United Slate)

THE TEAMSTER reform movement took a step forward earlier this month when members of the New York City-based Local 804 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters voted for Tim Sylvester and the 804 Members United slate.

The new reform team, which defeated the incumbent leadership of Howard Redmond by a more than 2-to-1 margin, won the election by pledging to increase member involvement and take a more confrontational approach with the local's main employer, UPS. "The membership was ready for change," said Ken Reiman, a member of the new executive board and leader in Teamsters for a Democratic Union. "They told us this at every gate we hit."

The reformers' victory in New York has national significance. Local 804 is one of the largest locals of UPS workers, and the change in local leadership could increase pressure on IBT President James Hoffa to stand stronger against company demands for concessions.

Road transport unions in South Africa are fighting precarious work practices through their collective agreements
http://www.itfglobal.org/transport-international/ti36success.cfm

Road to success

Road transport unions in South Africa are fighting precarious work practices through their collective agreements, writes Jan Theron

In 2000, “R” started working for ITR Recruitment as a crew member on a truck. In 2007 he was employed as a driver. He is now regarded as “permanent”. As “permanent”, he is supposed to work a full week, as opposed to the temporary workers, who often do not. Yet there is nothing “permanent” about what he and the other workers do, delivering products for the local flour and maize mill. ITR does not have any other contract in the town where R is based. So all the workers depend on the mill for their livelihood.

A driver for South Africa’s Super Group: worker or small business person?
This mill is in turn part of SASKO, a larger group that owns a variety of food manufacturing plants. Previously the group had transport divisions at its plants, distributing all its products. Then in the 1990s, it introduced owner-driver schemes. In terms of these schemes, drivers were “converted” to owners of the trucks. Instead of receiving a wage, these owner-drivers were paid per load (tonnage) delivered.

ILWU Local 6:Stand Up With Waste Management Office Workers

Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:56:32 -0700
Subject: STAND UP WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT OFFICE WORKERS
From: dmahon@ilwu6.org

Brothers & Sisters,
There is a strong possibility that Waste Management will lock out our clerks at the 98th Avenue offices. Waste Management has already announced that they contracting out the Service Representatives (40 of the 80 clerks at WM) jobs to Washington, Southern California, and Utah--non-Union contractors all, sending the fees we pay to Waste Management for them to export to other areas of the country. This is the first Local 6 Waste Management contract to open since WM locked out the Teamsters, and it is pretty clear that WM is retaliating for Local 6 members respecting the Teamster picket lines. Please send a message to Waste Management that we support our clerks. The person that answers the phone ought to know your local conditions. And fees collected from Alameda tax payers ought to be spend in Alameda County, not used to retaliate against our members for respecting another Union's picket line.
Thanks, Donal

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From: Fred Pecker