Teamsters denounce false reports of striking drivers in Puerto Rico
 Oct. 2, 2017 |  The Teamsters Union denounces reports from online, anti-union sources that stated Teamster truck drivers in Puerto Rico have refused to move supplies from the port as part of an effort to leverage wage increases from the government. These reports are false and have no basis in fact. The truth is that members from Teamsters Local 901 in San Juan have been working or volunteering since the day after the hurricane passed, helping with disaster relief and recovery… teamster.org

Tell Congress not to overturn the NLRB’s joint employer ruling
Oct. 4, 2017 |  The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is marking up legislation that would have a drastic impact on what it means to be an employer. H.R. 3441, the Save Local Business Act redefines the term “employer” so narrowly that many workers will have no remedy when their employers violate wage laws or their rights to organize and bargain collectively. Learn more here, then take action!

Hoffa: NAFTA should deal with trucking, labor
 Oct. 4, 2017 |  While the third round of renegotiations of the North American Free Trade agreement ended last week, the status of many important issues remains in flux, including workers’ rights and cross-border trucking. At the top of the agenda is fixing the mistake of including long-haul trucking in the original NAFTA. This issue must be addressed in these negotiations. Not only do truckers stand to benefit, but American lives are at stake. Old and unsafe trucks put our highways at risk and pollute or air, putting the public’s health in jeopardy… detroitnews.com

Two California Teamsters among the dead in Vegas shooting
 Oct. 5, 2017 |  Two Teamsters members from California, Dana Gardner of Local 1932 in San Bernardino, and Rachael Parker of Local 911, a police records clerk from Manhattan Beach, were among 59 people killed in the shooting massacre in Las Vegas the night of October 1-2, the Southern California Teamster reported. A kindergarten teacher from southern California, Jenny Parks, a member of a National Education Association local there, also was shot to death… peoplesworld.org

UPS Teamsters convene national grievance committee panels
 Oct. 5, 2017 |  Representatives and leaders of UPS and UPS Freight Teamster local unions are meeting this week in Seattle for Teamsters National Grievance Committee panel sessions. Across the table from company representatives, subcommittees are hearing dozens of grievance cases on subcontracting, 9.5 violations, safety and health violations, and other issues. The meetings were kicked off on Monday with a pre-panel session led by Teamsters Package Division Director Denis Taylor who ran through the docket of cases. Taylor commented on the upcoming contract negotiations and the need for unity among all UPS Teamster locals in order to win the strongest contract possible in 2018... teamster.org

Teamster locals to review UPS contract proposals October 17
 Oct. 11, 2017 |  On Tuesday, October 17, representatives from each local union that represents UPS and UPS Freight Teamsters will be meeting in the Washington, D.C. area to review and approve national contract proposals that will be submitted to UPS when negotiations begin. This “two-person” meeting includes two representatives from each UPS and UPS Freight local union. “There are a lot of issues at stake in the upcoming negotiations, including UPS members’ pensions, ongoing harassment by management, new technology, and subcontracting issues,” said Denis Taylor, Director of the Teamsters Package Division. “Following our day-long review next week, we will be submitting these proposals to the company when negotiations start, which we expect to happen in January,” Taylor added. UPS and UPS Freight proposals will be reviewed separately at the October 17 meeting

Public Service members: Join the discussion about public service employee unionism
 Oct. 11, 2017 |  All Teamster public sector members as well as their local and Joint Council representatives are invited to a special radio program on The Rick Smith Show this Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5:00 pm eastern. Union advocate and radio labor show host Rick Smith will have a Teamster-only show that will focus on the future of public employee unionism in America and a discussion about the upcoming Supreme Court case on the constitutionality of "fair share" fees and the prospect of national right to work in the public sector. The dial-in number for those wishing to express an opinion or ask a question is: 1-717-422-5215. Access the program (and hear a recording afterwards) on your computer, www.TheRickSmithShow.com or, on your smart phone, access the The Rick Smith Show using the Stitcher app.

Las Vegas Teamster sells his Harley to go to Puerto Rico and volunteer
 Oct. 12, 2017 | When Marco Cruz heard about the need for truck drivers to help hurricane victims in Puerto Rico he knew he could help. The single dad of two teenagers was born in Puerto Rico but has lived in Las Vegas for over 40 years. Cruz has a commercial drivers license and experience driving tanker trucks. But to pay for his humanitarian mission, Cruz had to sell his Harvey Davidson motorcycle… thedenverchannel.com

Leaders from UPS local unions overwhelmingly approve proposals
 Oct. 18, 2017 |   More than 260 local union leaders who represent Teamsters at UPS and UPS Freight gathered today in the Washington DC area to review national contract proposals, all of which were approved. General President Jim Hoffa, Chairman of the UPS National Negotiating Committee (NNC), said the proposals will be submitted to the company when national negotiations begin in January. Contract proposals adopted today by the NNC focus on subcontracting, excessive hours and other issues. For UPS members, additional proposals were adopted related to ongoing harassment and increases in the average size and weight of shipments; UPS Freight proposals also took up the issue of blackout weeks… teamster.org

UPS contract update 
 Oct. 23, 2017 |  The Package Division has received some questions about the process by which the National Agreement for UPS and UPS Freight are negotiated. To help answer this questions, information has been provided here. Updates on negotiations for the National Contract that will begin in January can be found at www.upsrising.org.

Federal bills aim to stop exploitation of Teamster-backed port truckers
 Oct. 30, 2017 |  …House Democrats introduced two federal bills last Thursday aimed at cracking down on port trucking companies that have for years exploited their workforce with lease-to-own contracts that forced drivers to work around the clock for pay that sometimes dipped to pennies on the hour. The measures come in response to an investigation that revealed truckers were working as modern-day indentured servants while hauling goods for America’s retail giants… USA Today