Happy Birthday, Teamsters Union!
Aug. 5, 2024| One hundred and twenty-one years ago on Aug. 4, 1903 in Niagara Falls, NY, the founding delegates of our union wrote, “The Teamsters of this country are determined to get their just rewards and to make their organization as it should be – one of the largest and strongest trade unions in the country now and beyond.” We honor previous generations who made great sacrifices and worked tirelessly to build the Teamsters into North America’s most powerful union, our tens of millions of members throughout our 121-year history, and every Teamster fighting today to always be the very best union we can be.

Costco workers in Virginia vote to join Teamsters national contract
Aug. 5, 2024| Today, Costco workers in Norfolk, Va., voted overwhelmingly to join the union's national contract at Costco, securing strong job and retirement protections under the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan. For nearly 300 workers at the location this will be their first collective bargaining agreement. This group, who voted to join Teamsters Local 822 in December, marked the first organizing victory at the wholesale retailer in over two decades. More than 900 Costco workers in Maryland are represented by Teamsters Local 570 in Baltimore. Negotiations for over 18,000 Costco Teamsters covered under the National Master Agreement are set to begin next week. Learn more here.

Vice President Harris to meet with Teamsters
Aug. 19, 2024| Members of the Teamsters will host Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable discussion in the near future, but union President Sean O’Brien has yet to get an invitation to speak at next week’s Democratic National Convention. Kara Deniz, a spokeswoman for the 1.3 million member union, said in an email Friday that the Teamsters are working with Harris’ campaign on dates for the roundtable. A person briefed on convention planning said Saturday that O’Brien will not speak, but the Teamsters will have a presence on the convention stage. Learn more here.

Costco Teamsters suspend national contract talks
Aug. 22, 2024| Costco Teamsters were forced to suspend negotiations for a new National Master Agreement after the wholesale giant, despite its claims of being pro-union, refused to accept a card check agreement that would make it easier for nonunion Costco workers to join the Teamsters. “This is not the Costco I joined 37 years ago. Something has changed, and not for the better,” said Christopher Reed, a front-end cashier at Costco’s Glen Burnie, Maryland location and a member of Teamsters Local 570 in Baltimore. “We can all feel the shift in the corporate culture. Management has become disconnected and dismissive, eroding the appreciation and respect we once had. The top executives have chosen to prioritize corporate shareholders over the very workers who drive this company’s success.” The current national contract, first negotiated in 2022, is up for renewal and protects more than 18,000 workers across the country. The contract expires January 31, 2025. Learn more here.

Federal labour board orders rail workers back on the job, imposes binding arbitration
Aug. 26, 2024| Freight trains must start rolling again first thing Monday morning, the federal labour board ruled on Saturday as it ordered thousands of rail employees back to work to end a bitter contract dispute that shut down the country's two major railways. The decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) imposes binding arbitration on the parties following an unprecedented dual work stoppage at Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) that halted freight shipments and snarled commutes across the country. But the matter may not be settled for good, since the Teamsters union, representing 9,300 workers with both companies, is pledging to appeal the ruling in court. CBC

UPS drivers won ‘historic heat protections’ but vehicles are still hot – and dangerous
Aug. 27, 2024| A year after a union contract won “historic heat protections” for UPS drivers, the Teamsters are still pushing the company to do more to protect workers in vehicles that can reach up to 120 degrees. While the company has made good progress on installing more fans, heat shields, and induction systems in trucks, air conditioning appears to be the most intractable change. Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz says the company’s lag in refurbishing trucks with air conditioning is “unacceptable.” …In interviews with Mother Jones, employees emphasized the gap between contract language and the day-to-day reality of the workplace—which the union is working to close. Read more here. Teamsters wanna know: "Where's our f*cking trucks?"