This week's member and steward tips posted today
Jan. 2, 2014 |  Your website administrator was off for the holidays so postings resumed today. Be sure to check back for a new helpful tip every Monday.

Teamsters urged to boycott Yuengling beer
Jan. 6, 2014 |  The IBT General Executive Board recently voted to support a Teamsters Union boycott of Yuengling beer over the owner's push for anti-union laws. The owner of D.G. Yuengling & Sons, Inc., based in Pottsville, Pa., publicly stated that Pennsylvania should become a "right-to-work" for less state. Click here for Yuengling beer products to boycott, and substitutes that Teamster members either produce or deliver.

UPS Freight ratification vote scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 12
Jan. 8, 2014 |  Teamster Local Union leaders representing workers UPS Freight workers across the country endorsed a new tentative agreement yesterday. A ratification vote will be conducted at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 241 Railway Lane, Hagerstown, on Sunday, Jan. 12th, at 12 noon. The new agreement can be viewed here. A summary of highlights of the agreement can be viewed here. If you have questions about the TA, contact Principal Officer Tom Krause.

YRCW Teamsters reject company’s proposed modification to MOU
Jan. 10, 2014 |  Teamsters at YRCW rejected the company’s proposal that would have extended and modified the existing memorandum of understanding. The proposed extension and modification was voted down 61 to 39 percent. “Our members have sacrificed billions of dollars in wages and pension benefits over the past five years and yet the company has been unable to recover from the disastrous policies of the previous management,” said Teamster General President Jim Hoffa. Vote results here.

Massive trade bill filed in Congress; you can help stop it
Jan. 10, 2014 |  Legislation was filed yesterday to make it easier to pass job-killing trade deals like NAFTA…Here’s what you can do: Click on this link and send an email to your representatives in Congress. Do it now. We cannot allow Congress to give a rubber stamp to the TPP and other bad trade deals by allowing Fast Track to pass. (Read the full post at teamsternation.org.)

UPS Freight Teamsters approve new national contract
Jan. 13, 2014 |  UPS Freight Teamsters have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new national five-year master agreement that increases wages, significantly strengthens pension benefits and takes on the issue of subcontracting. The vote, which was 5,195 to 2,094 as of Sunday night, was held at local union halls during the weekend. Participation was 69 percent, which far exceeded the previous ratification vote last June, which was 58 percent. More at teamster.org.

Teamsters announce tentative agreement with YRCW
Jan. 20, 2014 | The IBT announced Friday that it had reached a tentative agreement with the company that, if ratified by the membership, will provide a pathway for substantial debt reduction and refinancing initiatives that will permit the company to protect and preserve more than 30,000 jobs. Details of the revised proposal will be reviewed at a meeting of local union officials to be held on Tuesday, Jan. 21. It is up to that committee to approve sending the revised proposal to the membership for a ratification vote. Learn more here.

Teamsters honor legacy, celebrate contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jan. 20, 2014 |  Teamsters across the country are honoring the legacy of civil rights and labor leader Martin Luther King, Jr. today. King devoted his life to securing rights for minorities and eliminating segregation in society. He believed that the path to economic freedom and social justice were one and the same and strongly supported the labor movement…Under the leadership of General President James R. Hoffa, the Teamsters donated more than $25,000 to King in 1961 and sent supplies to marchers and other civil rights workers camped out in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, and other locations along the Freedom Ride routes. King was supporting union sanitation workers in Memphis on the day he was assassinated. Learn more at teamster.org.

Local Union leaders endorse YRCW tentative agreement
Jan. 21, 2014 | Local Union leaders representing YRCW employees overwhelmingly recommended to approve a tentative agreement and to send it out to the membership for a vote. The tentative agreement with YRCW, if ratified, will provide a pathway for substantial debt reduction and refinancing initiatives that will permit the company to protect and preserve more than 30,000 good American jobs. The tentative agreement contains significant improvements over the company’s prior rejected proposal. Details here. UPDATE: A ratification meeting has been scheduled for YRC Freight members to vote on the tentative contract agreement, Saturday, January 25, 2014, from 9am to 12 Noon, at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 241 Railway Lane, Hagerstown, MD., across from the Outback Steakhouse. Questions? Contact the Local at 301-739-7550. A copy of our posted notice is here.

Members approve agreement
Jan. 26, 2014 | YRCW Teamsters have approved a tentative agreement aimed at protecting more than 30,000 jobs. Workers voted this weekend after rejecting a prior company proposal. Teamsters at YRCW approved this latest proposal by a vote of 12,267 to 6,314. More at teamster.org. YRC wins key refinancing ingredient with Teamster vote.

Union growth should serve as signal to elected officials
Jan. 27, 2014 | The union movement is growing. In the last year, thousands of workers took to the streets to protest low pay and their lack of ability to organize. They have stood up to the nation's largest retailers saying they demand respect in the workplace. And new U.S. Labor Department numbers released Friday back that up. Continue reading at teamster.org.

Applications are available for The James R. Hoffa 2014-2015 Scholarship
Jan. 28, 2014 | The Union offers scholarships through the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund for high school seniors. The Fund is established solely to provide scholarships to the child or financially dependent grandchild of a member of the Teamsters. The application deadline is March 31, 2014. Click here to download the application and academic record form. Additional information here.

Teamsters lead massive PA Statehouse rally against RTW4Less
Jan. 29, 2014 | Thousands of Teamsters packed in the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg yesterday to oppose a paycheck deception bill that would put the state on a path to right-to-work-for-less. They were joined by steelworkers, firefighters, EMTs, police officers, electricians, lunch aides — you name it….The bill would ban public employees from negotiating payroll deduction for union dues, fair share fees, and voluntary political contributions. Read it at Teamster Nation. Related: Dark-money groups building campaign for "right to work" in Pa.; Labor unions pack Pa. Capitol over paycheck bill.

Teamsters to take part in tomorrow's Day of Action against Fast Track
Jan. 30, 2014 | Tomorrow, Jan. 31st, people across North American will be taking part in an Inter-Continental Day of Action against Fast Track and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is another bad trade deal that could become the law of the land without any debate or amendments if Fast Track legislation is allowed to pass. We can;t let that happen! Please be sure to call your Representative and Senators tomorrow at 1-888-979-9806 and tell them to vote NO on Fast Track. And if you're able to, please join one of the many events that are being planned nationwide for tomorrow. A listing can be found here. For more information, go to Fast Track is the Wrong Track for Teamsters.