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DHL Teamsters Overwhelmingly Ratify National Contract
Contract Addresses Members’ Top Priorities; Provides Wage Increases and Maintains Strong Benefits
(WASHINGTON) – Teamsters at DHL have overwhelmingly ratified a new national contract that provides significant wage increases, improves working conditions, and maintains strong member benefits.
Ballots were counted throughout the week, and the national contract was ratified by an overwhelming percentage of the membership. All the various supplemental agreements were approved as well.
“This contract was all about putting members first. We went into negotiations prepared to win the strongest agreement ever at DHL, and we succeeded,” said Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President and Chairman of the Teamsters National DHL Negotiating Committee. “Last year this company made record profits, and we demanded that our members share in the success.”
The new agreement is the most lucrative national master agreement at DHL in the union’s history, with significant wage increases across all classifications—for both full-time and part-time workers—retroactive to April 1.
“In all my years negotiating on behalf of DHL workers, this national agreement is the strongest one we’ve ever secured. We made significant increases to wages while maintaining strong benefits and improving working conditions,” said Bill Hamilton, International Vice President and Co-Chairman of the Teamsters National DHL Negotiating Committee. “This contract and its supplements will allow workers to do even better at DHL—with the pay, benefits, and working conditions they deserve.”
In addition to historic wage increases, the tentative agreement maintains workers’ health and welfare plans and pension plans through increases in employer contributions.
Other highlights include the addition of MLK Day as an observed paid holiday; an increase of paid holiday leave for part-time workers; improved ability to take paid funeral leave; reimbursement for all required CDL costs; stronger seniority protections for day-to-day cutting of routes; and protections against inward-facing cameras in delivery vehicles.
The Teamsters also maintained the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which could result in additional significant wage increases next year above and beyond the contractually required increases. The new agreement contains no givebacks or concessions.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.