Reviving a campaign they suspended several years ago, the Teamsters will try to organize the 15,000 drivers for Overnite Transportation, but with a difference: They can do so via card-check.
The card-check agreement, announced June 27 at the Teamsters convention in Las Vegas, occurred because Overnite is now UPS Freight, a subsidiary of Teamster-unionized United Parcel Service.
As an independent company, Overnite's rampant and constant labor law-breaking at its terminals nationwide brought National Labor Relations Board and federal court rulings against it, but also frustrated the union's efforts.
The card-check pact to organize Overnite was the big news at the 7,000-delegate convention in Las Vegas, from June 25-30. Hoffa also announced that UPS agreed to start talks on a new contract next year. The current Teamsters-UPS agreement expires in 2008 and covers more than 200,000 workers at the shipper.
The delegates elected Hoffa and Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel to new terms, defeating a slate from the Teamsters for a Democratic Union.
"Our ongoing member mobilization and education drive at UPS Freight helped accelerate this historic victory. UPS Freight workers all over the country are telling UPS and freight members they want to be Teamsters. Our members in the Parcel and Small Package Division and the Freight Division deserve much of the credit," Hoffa stated.
Parcel Division Director Ken Hall added that UPS knew of the convention and that "we would either ramp up our campaign or they could come up with an agreement such as this that the union has been seeking." He said the Teamsters will start by organizing one terminal through card check, though he did not name which one. After they "negotiate a strong contract," they'll use it in their campaign at other terminals, he said.
Written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
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Reviving a campaign they suspended several years ago, the Teamsters will try to organize the 15,000 drivers for Overnite Transportation, but with a difference: They can do so via card-check.
The card-check agreement, announced June 27 at the Teamsters convention in Las Vegas, occurred because Overnite is now UPS Freight, a subsidiary of Teamster-unionized United Parcel Service.
As an independent company, Overnite’s rampant and constant labor law-breaking at its terminals nationwide brought National Labor Relations Board and federal court rulings against it, but also frustrated the union’s efforts.
The card-check pact to organize Overnite was the big news at the 7,000-delegate convention in Las Vegas, from June 25-30. Hoffa also announced that UPS agreed to start talks on a new contract next year. The current Teamsters-UPS agreement expires in 2008 and covers more than 200,000 workers at the shipper.
The delegates elected Hoffa and Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel to new terms, defeating a slate from the Teamsters for a Democratic Union.
“Our ongoing member mobilization and education drive at UPS Freight helped accelerate this historic victory. UPS Freight workers all over the country are telling UPS and freight members they want to be Teamsters. Our members in the Parcel and Small Package Division and the Freight Division deserve much of the credit,” Hoffa stated.
Parcel Division Director Ken Hall added that UPS knew of the convention and that “we would either ramp up our campaign or they could come up with an agreement such as this that the union has been seeking.” He said the Teamsters will start by organizing one terminal through card check, though he did not name which one. After they “negotiate a strong contract,” they’ll use it in their campaign at other terminals, he said.
Written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.