February 12, 2008

(Washington, DC) – An overwhelming majority of about 110 workers at the UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) terminals in Charleston, Bluefield, Fairmont and Parkersburg, all in West Virginia, and the terminal in Evansville, Indiana have signed authorization cards to become Teamsters, bringing the total number of drivers and dockworkers seeking to join the union to more than 4,320 since January 16, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced.

The workers are seeking to join Local Union 175 in South Charleston, West Virginia and Local 215 in Evansville.

“I am happy for the UPS Freight workers in West Virginia. In just two weeks, the UPS Freight workers in the entire state of West Virginia signed up to become Teamsters,” said Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Package Division who is coordinating the overall UPS Freight campaign and who is also President of Local 175. “I am excited to welcome the UPS Freight workers into Local 175 so that we can help them fight for a more secure future.”

“Many of the workers in Evansville had gone through previous campaigns, so this day has been a long time coming for the workers,” said Chuck Whobrey, Local 215 President. “I want to thank Local 89 in Louisville, Kentucky for helping out by sending a UPS Freight worker who recently signed a card along with an organizer. It was a great example of member-to-member organizing.”

In addition to the West Virginia and Evansville workers, a majority of UPS Freight workers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Indiana, California, Florida, Arizona, New York, Kentucky and New England, including the large cities of Atlanta, Orlando, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Oakland, Seattle, Memphis and Detroit, have submitted cards to become Teamsters.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.