Next Up in UPS Round Two: Western Region and Local 177 October 4, 2013: Ballots will be counted starting Oct. 9 on UPS supplements in the Central and Pennsylvania. Another 35,000 Teamsters will be re-voting soon in the Western Region and New Jersey Local 177. But for now, there’s an information Brownout on what they will be voting on. The Western and New Jersey Teamsters are covered by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) attached to the national UPS contract, offering them a chance to “carve out” a new or join an existing health and welfare fund. For over a month, they have been told the fund will have great benefits, but members have not been given any details. The health benefits reportedly won’t be revealed until mid-October after Hoffa and Hall see the round two contract results in the Central Region and Philadelphia. If the contract goes down again there, they may be reluctant to try their luck in the West, where the Southwest Rider was rejected by a 71% margin. Andy Marshall, Ron Herrera and other Teamster officials in the West are promising the “carve out” benefits will match the current good benefits members have. A website and benefit comparisons are in the works. Members will have their eyes on the details. Officials say they expect to mail out Western and New Jersey contract votes around the first of November. It’s been more than four months since members voted down their supplements. Since then, there have been no reports on any real changes in other supplement issues being bargained. The Million Dollar Campaign Meanwhile, the Hoffa-Hall administration has spent millions of dollars trying to make sure they pass the Central Region and Philadelphia area supplements: multiple mailings, glossy brochures, meetings, International reps gating UPS buildings, DVDs, phone calls, and more. If only they would put this kind of all-out effort into bargaining and enforcing the contract! What the Vote No Movement Won Already The first No Vote on 18 supplements and riders has already paid off. The Vote No movement forced major improvements in health care benefits under TeamCare. Members can take pride in that victory while continuing to organize for more improvements. Beyond health care, the contract falls short on creating full-time jobs, dealing with forced overtime and harassment, and part-time poverty wages—not to mention new concessions, like the four-year progression. UPS Teamsters will be meeting at the upcoming TDU Convention to discuss next steps for rebuilding Teamster Power at UPS.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 23:33:30 +0000
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