Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

FedEx Spent $21.1 Million In 15 Months To Preserve Its Ability To Prevent Drivers From Unionizing
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/05/17/fedex-lobbying-prevent/
FedEx Spent $21.1 Million In 15 Months To Preserve Its Ability To Prevent Drivers From Unionizing
Currently, House and Senate negotiators are trying towork out the differences between each chamber’s respective bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. One key difference between the bills is that the House version corrects an inequity in labor law that allows Federal Express to operate under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which poses higher barriers to union organizing than the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). FedEx’s competitors, such as the United Parcel Service, are governed by the NLRA. The Senate bill does not contain the change.

FedEx has been waging an intense campaign in order to preserve its special treatment, led by CEO Fred Smith, who was George W. Bush’s fraternity brother and has said that “I don’t intend to recognize any unions at Federal Express.” And according to Roll Call, in 15 months the company spent $21.1 million lobbying Congress:

Last year, it ranked 14th among all groups and companies in lobbying budgets, spending more than oil giant BP and defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The Memphis-based company also has tapped politically connected assistance, contracting with 14 outside lobbying firms that employ a number of former Senators. Not only is the Breaux Lott Leadership Group working for FedEx, but its founders, former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) and former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), are listed on the lobbying disclosure forms as personally working on the account. FedEx hired the international public relations firm Burson-Marsteller to work specifically on this issue.

Turning up the heat in Orange County IBT Local 952
http://socialistworker.org/2010/05/10/turning-up-the-heat
Turning up the heat in Local 952
Edgar Esquivel, a UPS worker in Orange County, Calif., reports on the progress of the new reform movement in his Teamster local.
May 10, 2010

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

FIVE MONTHS after it was born, the grassroots movement Reform Teamsters 952 has gained significant momentum through rank-and-file workers' efforts to change the direction of their union.

In recent weeks, the group, made up of pragmatic rank-and-file workers from Teamsters Local 952 in Orange County, Calif., has campaigned at numerous worksites, including UPS, CVS, Coca-Cola, Straub (the local Budweiser distributor), UPS Freight and Yellow Freight--and has been well-received by workers at each of these companies.

But perhaps the biggest shock to the Local 952 system came at the UPS hub in Laguna, Calif., where the reform movement was launched. In late April, UPSers from the Coast Center at the Laguna hub organized several votes of "no confidence" against their shop stewards, who were controlled by the union old guard.

Seattle IBT 174 Striking garbage workers to return to jobs to prevent a "public health crisis."

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/418878_strike22.html
Thursday, April 22, 2010

Striking garbage workers to return to jobs
By CHRIS GRYGIEL
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Striking garbage workers in King and Snohomish counties said Thursday afternoon they'd return to their jobs at midnight to prevent a "public health crisis."

Union representatives said in a statement they expect 700 sanitation workers to resume normal operations Friday morning to catch up on the backlog created by the walkout, which began Wednesday.

"We are trying to persuade Waste Management to stop bargaining in bad faith," Rick Hicks, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 174, said in a statement. "However, we are also concerned that if we continued the strike, Waste Management might lockout our members."

Seattle Public Utilities is advising its Friday customers to put out their garbage, yard waste and recycling before 7 a.m. Friday.

People whose collections were missed due to the strike on Wednesday and Thursday may set out up to twice their garbage, yard waste and recycling on their next regular collection day, at no additional cost, the utility said. Missed recycling should be set out on customers' next recycling day, which would be in two weeks.

1,600 Scabs apply to haul trash in case of Seattle Teamsters strike against Waste Management

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/89835652.html
1,600 apply to haul trash in case of Teamsters strike
By KOMO Staff
More than 1,600 people have applied to work as replacement drivers for Waste Management in case of a strike by the Teamsters, a company spokesperson said Saturday.

More local news
Story Published: Apr 3, 2010 at 10:19 AM PDTStory Updated: Apr 3, 2010 at 7:05 PM PDT

Members of Teamsters Local 174 conduct a "practice strike."

Teamsters dump Waste Management's 'best, last, final offer'
Garbage drivers authorize strike in King, Snohomish counties
SEATTLE - More than 1,600 people have applied to work as replacement drivers for Waste Management in case of a strike by the Teamsters, a company spokesperson said Saturday.

"We're preparing to hire replacements in the event of a prolonged strike. It's part of our contingency planning," said Jackie Lang, spokeswoman for Waste Management.

The company submitted what it calls its "best, last, final offer" to union garbage truck drivers represented by Teamsters Local 174, but the offer was rejected Friday by the union.

Fed Ex Buys an Exemption From Labor Laws-Obama Likes The Thinking Of Union Buster Fed Ex Boss Smith
http://www.counterpunch.org/macaray03262010.html
Weekend Edition
March 26 - 28, 2010

Cheating American Workers Out of Their Right to Organize

Fed Ex Buys an Exemption From Labor Laws

By DAVID MACARAY

One of the more devious means by which corporate America has kept labor unions at bay is by narrowing membership eligibility requirements. For example, because the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) restricts “supervisors” from joining a union, businesses are busy redefining workers’ job duties to have them appear as supervisory in nature.

Even though it’s a transparently naked power-play—one that likely wouldn’t fool a middle-school student—under George W. Bush’s administration (with Labor Secretary Elaine Chao leading the charge), businesses were nonetheless able to convince the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) to cheat American workers out of their right to organize.

The most notorious of these exemptions was the so-called “Kentucky River decision.” Under Kentucky River, “charge nurses” (nurses who act as lead persons) were reclassified as supervisors, thus depriving hundreds of thousands of health care employees of their legal right to join a union.

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.