Over 1,300 Teamsters Secure First Contract, Union Protections for Entire Hub

(HEBRON, Ky.) – More than 1,300 sort workers at DHL’s global hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) have voted by an overwhelming 92 percent to ratify their first Teamsters contract. Its historic passage means all hourly employees at the DHL-CVG hub are now protected under a joint collective bargaining agreement.

In August, DHL voluntarily recognized sort workers at DHL-CVG as members of Teamsters Local 89 through a card-check neutrality agreement. DHL’s decision stands in sharp contrast to the aggressive union-busting tactics employed by Amazon at its neighboring KCVG air cargo hub, where the company continues to fight to deny workers their right to form a union with the Teamsters.

“Amazon workers at KCVG do the same work as Teamsters at DHL, but for lower wages, worse benefits, and without the security of a Teamsters contract,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Amazon is a trillion-dollar company with the means to treat its workers fairly, but its corrupt executives are blinded by greed and the bottom line of their balance sheets. Our contract with DHL further sets the standard for what Amazon workers deserve. The Teamsters will keep negotiating industry-leading contracts that prove the value of working people in this critical sector of our economy.”

Despite Amazon’s unlawful opposition, over 4,000 workers at KCVG continue their fight for the same robust protections that DHL Teamsters and more than 340,000 UPS Teamsters already enjoy.

“Our contract at DHL-CVG is a groundbreaking achievement decades in the making,” said Bill Hamilton, Teamsters Eastern Region International Vice President and Director of the Teamsters Express Division. “I want to congratulate the organizers, Local 100 and Local 89, and most importantly the workers themselves for securing such a strong contract. Together, we are improving the lives of working families at DHL-CVG.”

Sort workers now join the existing collective bargaining agreement that ramp and tug Teamsters represented by Local 100 ratified in January. The new contract includes provisions specific to sort workers, addressing seniority, overtime, safety, weekly scheduling start times, and more.

“We are excited to stand alongside our ramp and tug co-workers under the protection of a Teamsters contract. This is a huge victory for all of us,” said Liam Burke, a sort worker at DHL-CVG and a Local 89 shop steward. “We’re stronger together, and I look forward to working with my fellow stewards to enforce the hard-won protections we’ve fought for. It’s a proud moment to have powerful Teamsters representation.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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