FAA amendment would jeopardize wages, road safety
Apr. 25, 2018 | The Teamsters are sounding the alarm about a proposed change to the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA) that would halt the ability of states and localities to set any workplace rules for truck drivers in their jurisdictions. As an example, the provision would strip truckers of minimum wage protections, and would not require their employers to pay them the given rate in the city or state where they work, only the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. In addition, the amendment would carve truck drivers out of traditional workplace protections like unemployment compensation and workers’ compensation. And it would also reverse 80 years of worker protections and leave truckers more vulnerable to long hours and abusive working conditions… Teamsters

Teamsters sue drug manufacturers over opioid crisis
Apr. 23, 2018 | The Teamsters are concerned about how the opioid crisis is affecting its members and their health and welfare funds. On April 18, a lawsuit was filed in Cleveland, Ohio on behalf of Teamsters’ Health and Welfare Funds in West Virginia and Ohio. The union says they are targeting pharmacy benefit managers along with a range of opioid drug manufacturers and distributors alleging a highly-coordinated scheme promoting opioids to treat pain at the expense of Americans, including thousands of Teamster members, retirees and family members…The group points out that its members are more vulnerable to this crisis as they work in physically demanding jobs – such as construction and manufacturing – are at particularly high-risk because prescription opioids have been commonly prescribed to treat on-the-job injuries… Industry Week

Negotiations continue this week
Apr. 23, 2018 | The Teamsters National UPS Negotiating Committees reconvene this week in the seventh round of UPS and UPS Freight negotiations. In case you missed the April 13th update, read it here. You can can also see the latest updates at UPSRising on Facebook. Check in with UPS Rising news here. Text “UPS” to 86466 to receive message alerts (message and data rates may apply).

Contract vote being conducted by electronic ballot
Apr. 19, 2018 | Voting on the proposed changes to the ABF National Master Agreement is being conducted electronically. Voter information and instructions for voting will be mailed to all eligible members (on or about) today, April 19, 2018. Click here for further information.

Teamsters head to Capitol Hill to discuss pension reform
Apr. 19, 2018 | Top Teamster officials twice headed to Capitol Hill in the last week to brief House and Senate staffers on legislation backed by the union that would stabilize failing multiemployer pension plans. Led by John Murphy, an International Vice President-At Large who has headed the Teamsters’ pension reform efforts, the union educated congressional aides about the Butch Lewis Act of 2017 and the history of troubled pension plans… Teamsters

Report: New ABF/Teamsters contract suggests union negotiators won the day
Apr. 18, 2018 | The first independent analysis of the proposed five-year labor contract between Fort Smith-based ABF Freight and the Teamsters suggests the union negotiators won the day. An April 13 investor note from Little Rock-based Stephens Inc. concludes that the agreement favors the Teamsters “more than what we previously expected.” talkbusiness.net

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