The package-delivery company DHL has dumped W&A Cargo Enterprises as one of its independent contractors in the Twin Cities, "a hollow victory" against a company that refused to recognize its drivers' decision to unionize, said Rhys Ledger, organizing director for Teamsters Joint Council 32.
DHL pulled its business from W&A at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after drivers launched an unfair labor practices strike on Feb. 9, three weeks after they voted to join Teamsters Local 120.
W&A refused to recognize the union, Ledger said, and in steps before and after the election fired most of its drivers, cut pay, and forced drivers to work split shifts in workdays as long as 18 hours.
"In some ways, it's a victory," Ledger said, "because we drove the worst anti-union DHL contractor back to Texas. But it's a hollow victory."
The remaining W&A drivers are now out of work, he said, though some are actively helping Local 120 organize other DHL delivery contractors.
"They've been really tremendous in talking to drivers at other employers," Ledger said. Some have put in more than 12-hour days making house calls leading to union elections.
Once again, however, results are mixed. Drivers at Expedited Transportation in St. Cloud voted March 4 to join Local 120. But drivers at Kandersteg, which has operations in Hutchinson and Wyoming, voted against having a union on March 2. A vote March 11 at Service America at the airport ended in a tie, Ledger said, meaning the union representation attempt failed.
Drivers continue to visit other DHL contractors ? as well as companies that use DHL for package deliveries, Ledger said, urging the companies to urge DHL to make sure its contractors respect their workers' rights.
The local organizing drives are part of a nationwide campaign by the Teamsters to organize DHL drivers. To date, the Teamsters have organized nearly three dozen independent contractors in the DHL system.
DHL ? a division of the German company Deutsche Post ? purchased Airborne Express in 2003, and agreed last year to cover 9,000 workers directly under various Teamsters' contracts. In February, two Teamsters locals in New York ratified their first contract at DHL's gateway hub at JFK Airport.
Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org
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The package-delivery company DHL has dumped W&A Cargo Enterprises as one of its independent contractors in the Twin Cities, “a hollow victory” against a company that refused to recognize its drivers’ decision to unionize, said Rhys Ledger, organizing director for Teamsters Joint Council 32.
DHL pulled its business from W&A at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after drivers launched an unfair labor practices strike on Feb. 9, three weeks after they voted to join Teamsters Local 120.
W&A refused to recognize the union, Ledger said, and in steps before and after the election fired most of its drivers, cut pay, and forced drivers to work split shifts in workdays as long as 18 hours.
“In some ways, it’s a victory,” Ledger said, “because we drove the worst anti-union DHL contractor back to Texas. But it’s a hollow victory.”
The remaining W&A drivers are now out of work, he said, though some are actively helping Local 120 organize other DHL delivery contractors.
“They’ve been really tremendous in talking to drivers at other employers,” Ledger said. Some have put in more than 12-hour days making house calls leading to union elections.
Once again, however, results are mixed. Drivers at Expedited Transportation in St. Cloud voted March 4 to join Local 120. But drivers at Kandersteg, which has operations in Hutchinson and Wyoming, voted against having a union on March 2. A vote March 11 at Service America at the airport ended in a tie, Ledger said, meaning the union representation attempt failed.
Drivers continue to visit other DHL contractors ? as well as companies that use DHL for package deliveries, Ledger said, urging the companies to urge DHL to make sure its contractors respect their workers’ rights.
The local organizing drives are part of a nationwide campaign by the Teamsters to organize DHL drivers. To date, the Teamsters have organized nearly three dozen independent contractors in the DHL system.
DHL ? a division of the German company Deutsche Post ? purchased Airborne Express in 2003, and agreed last year to cover 9,000 workers directly under various Teamsters’ contracts. In February, two Teamsters locals in New York ratified their first contract at DHL’s gateway hub at JFK Airport.
Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org
Related article
Workers at DHL, contractors seek Teamster representation