Reminder for members, stewards
Oct. 5, 2015  | Every Monday we post new information under the Member Info and Shop Steward Info tab in the left column. Today's educational tips offer information about the union's right to strike and the differences between the two types of strikes.

Webcast Oct. 7: Domestic violence as a critical workplace issue
Oct. 5, 2015  | When domestic violence enters the workplace, it can have significant repercussions for the targeted individual and the work environment. Union stewards and fellow coworkers can all be affected by, and have a role to play in, dealing with intimate partner violence as a critical workplace issue. A free one-hour webcast on Wednesday, Oct. 7th, beginning at 12 noon will explore labor's role in addressing domestic violence in the workplace. The webcast is a joint initiative between the ILR School's Scheinman Institute of Conflict Resolution and The Worker Institute at Cornell University. Click here to learn more and register.

Hoffa says tenuous TPP agreement does not listen to workers' concerns
Oct. 5, 2015  | Bum trade deals like NAFTA have killed upwards of 1 million U.S. jobs, many of which moved abroad. And that’s the concern with the looming TPP. These big business handouts continue to hollow out the manufacturing base of communities and destroy middle-class jobs in their wake. The Teamsters and many, many others just don't see any value in what TPP brings to this country. First and foremost is the deal won't create any new jobs here. Full statement...

Teamster port truck driver to speak at White House summit
Oct. 7, 2015  | Alex Paz, a Local 848 member, will be a panelist at the first-ever “White House Summit on Worker Voice” tomorrow in Washington. As a nonunion port truck driver, Paz was misclassified for years as an independent contractor but fought for, and won, the right to be recognized as an employee. Paz, who is based in Los Angeles, was selected among nominees from around the country to lend his voice to the summit. The event will focus on how workers can make their voices heard in the workplace, and energize a new generation of Americans to come together and recognize the potential power of their voice at work. The summit will be livestreamed starting at 10:30 a.m. EDT here: www.whitehouse.gov/live.

Central States Pension Fund files plan to cut retiree benefits under new law
Oct. 7, 2015  | …The huge pension fund, which administers retirement benefits for some former and current Teamster truckers, said the reductions are the only way to save the plan from insolvency. Under the proposal, pensions for Central States’ 407,000 participants would be cut by an average of nearly 23 percent. “Pension fund participants and beneficiaries did not cause the problem of underfunding,” James P. Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, wrote in a letter to Central States. “They worked day in and day out to earn their pension credits. It is monstrously unfair that they will end up holding the short end of the stick.” Full story…

We need to tell Congress to protect our pensions
Oct. 12, 2015  | Some of the nation's retirees are facing enormous cuts to their pensions, but we can help them by convincing Congress to pass Keep Our Pension Promises Act, S. 1631/H.R. 2844, that will protect hard earned pension benefits. Additionally, the Senate's Pension Accountability Act, S.2147, will give plan recipients a meaningful voice when plans are considering making cuts. The Teamsters Union has been working with several members of Congress to develop the legislation that would prevent massive cuts to some pension beneficiaries. We urge you to email your Senators and Representative now to ask them to sign on to S. 1631/H.R. 2844, Keep Our Pension Promises Act, and S.2147, the Pension Accountability Act. Click here to send your emails to Congress. Read this, too: Hoffa, union leaders call on Central States to recall pension cut proposal, improve transparency for retirees.

Penn. Senate OKs limits on union dues, PAC collection
Oct. 15, 2015  | Legislation that would weaken the ability of public-sector unions to collect full dues and political action committee contributions from members' paychecks is on the move in the Pennsylvania Legislature. The GOP-controlled Senate approved the legislation Wednesday, 26-23, and sent ot to the House of Representatives. All 19 Democrats and four southeastern Pennsylvania Republicans opposed it. It's opposed by Gov. Tom Wolf. Similar legislation failed last year in the Senate, 20-28. An amendment to exempt police and firefighters' unions failed. Continued...

Making public sector jobs RTW will gut wages
Oct. 19, 2015  | Public-sector employees have become a punching bag for anti-union forces who are trying to cripple the movement. But with the U.S. Supreme Court getting ready to consider a lawsuit that could allow workers to opt-out of paying union dues while still receiving representation, a new report shows just how much value union membership brings to workers' paychecks. Continued...

Highway safety should come before higher trucking industry profits
Oct. 21, 2015  | General President Jim Hoffa today joined a bipartisan collection of lawmakers and truck safety advocates at a Capitol Hill press conference to denounce efforts to extend the length of tractor trailers nationwide, saying the move jeopardizes highway safety. Allowing trucks to pull 33-foot trailers would add an additional 10 feet to the length of existing double trailers, making it harder to pass these trucks and harder for truck drivers to see who's beside them. Continued…

Hoffa: Teamsters won't cross picket lines if UPS pilots strike
Oct. 22, 2015  | General President Jim Hoffa and Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall sent a letter this week to the Independent Pilots Association pledging support for its 2,600 members. "If a strike is necessary, we will not cross your lines, but will stand with you on them." The IPA will announce the result of its strike authorization vote tomorrow morning. More…

Stand with Safeway Teamsters in their drive to keep jobs in Maryland
Oct. 28, 2015  | Safeway plans to move up to 900 good union jobs from Prince George's County to a low-wage, non-union grocery warehouse in Pennsylvania. Maryland has been devastated by companies shipping out good jobs. It is painful to see that Safeway plans to join their ranks and put hundreds of Teamsters – members of Local 730 and 629 – out in the cold just days before Christmas. Stand with Safeway Teamsters – sign the petition asking the company to delay its decision and work with elected officials and its employees to try to find a way to keep these jobs in Maryland. Click here to sign.