News
Organizing RoundUp
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Niagara Falls Coach Lines
Fifty school bus monitors working for Niagara Falls Coach Lines voted to join Local 264 in a 41-2 vote. Wages were among the biggest concerns: the workers currently get minimum wage with no benefits, and after watching the drivers at their company get wage raises consistently under a Teamster contract, they decided to reach out to the local.
“At first, we had a small committee, but we grew quickly,” said Leonard Averhart, a monitor. “The struggle has made us stronger, and it made us bond more as a group.”
“We’re extremely excited to welcome our newest members from Niagara Falls Coach Lines,” said Brian Dickman, President of Local 264. “They fought really hard, and we are going to make sure that we get them the best contract possible.”
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Belle Fourche Police Department
The Belle Fourche Police Department voted unanimously recently to join Local 120.
The police officers, along with Business Agent James Hereen, will now begin the bargaining process with the city of Belle Fourche, in South Dakota, to negotiate an employment contract.
“We look forward to getting to the bargaining table and exchanging proposals with the city. If the city approaches bargaining in good faith we should be able to find common ground on a range of issues.” Hereen said.
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Saskatoon International Airport
The pre-board screeners at the Saskatoon International Airport voted overwhelmingly to join Local 395 in Saskatchewan.
These 85 new members were looking for reliable representation.
“The endless hours Organizer Joshua Cenaiko put into this gave folks a sense of security,” said Randy Powers, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 395. “His presence showed workers why Teamsters have a reputation for solid union representation.”
With this organizing victory, almost all pre-board screeners in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are now Teamster members.
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Liberty Bakery Kitchen
Workers at Liberty Bakery Kitchen in Brockton voted recently to join Local 653 in Massachusetts, joining a dozen drivers at the facility that produces donuts for Dunkin’ Donuts, who organized with the Teamsters last year.
The campaign to organize the 88 bakery employees began last October. It occurred despite a contentious battle with the company to halt the effort.
Workers there, many of whom earn only the minimum wage and get one paid holiday a year, are seeking higher pay as well as better benefits and working conditions.
“It was a team effort,” said Brian McElhinney, Secretary-Treasurer at Local 653.
Maria Veiga, a packer at Liberty Bakery Kitchen for almost five years, said workers are now optimistic about their future.
“All of us are happy that the union won,” she said. “Now we hope we can have better work conditions and get better wages soon.”
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DHL Express
Eight workers at DHL Express voted to join South Florida’s Local 769 on March 9. The vote was 7-1.
The eight workers deal with DHL’s logistical avionics, and they process airway bills and paperwork necessary for the travel of documents and packages across international borders.
“We’re looking forward to getting these folks added into the national agreement in addition to negotiating a local supplement,” said Mike Scott, President of Local 769. “We’re excited to welcome them to our Teamster family and demonstrate the value of a union contract.”
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Shaw’s
Employees at the Shaw’s distribution center in Wells, Maine have formed a union with Local 340 after an election that took place on March 1.
The workers are seeking job security and disciplinary due process, in addition to a contract that will protect their wages, benefits and working conditions from the uncertainties of the corporate workplace.
“A lot of campaigning went into this victory,” said Local 340 President Brett Miller. “There was hard work required not just this winter, but in previous years as well. We had to overcome the company’s legal roadblocks in hearings at the National Labor Relations Board, before finally triggering a representation election.
We commend the men and women of Shaw’s for their bravery in standing up to the company to demand a fair contract with the guaranteed employee rights and wages they deserve.”
This victory follows on the heels of a recent Teamster-negotiated contract for the Osco pharmacists working inside Shaw’s stores. Local 340 represents several thousand private and public sector workers across Maine.
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WeDriveU
Local 853 is now the union representative for shuttle bus drivers working at WeDriveU, after workers there chose the union. The contractor supplies drivers for tech companies like LinkedIn and Twitter.
Wage rates, health benefits and economic working conditions for all Teamster members working in the tech shuttle bus industry are virtually the same.
Drivers have seen initial increases in pay of about 25 percent after joining the union. There are 30 drivers in this latest group of tech shuttle workers to join the Teamsters.
The workers join drivers at Yahoo, Facebook, Salesforce, Apple, Genentech, eBay, Cisco, Amtrak, Netflix, Zynga, and PayPal, who have all joined the Teamsters since 2014.