February 21, 2008

Contact: Galen Munroe (202) 624-6904

(Washington, D.C.) – An overwhelming majority of nearly 130 workers at the UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) terminals in Syracuse, Albany and Binghamton, in New York, and a terminal in Stockton, California have signed authorization cards to become Teamsters, bringing the total number of drivers and dockworkers seeking to join the union to about 5,830 since January 16, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced.

The workers are seeking to join Local 294 in Albany, Local 317 in Syracuse, Local 693 in Binghamton and Local 439 in Stockton. The victories in New York were a joint effort of Joint Council 18.

“The local unions within Joint Council 18 worked closely on these victories, and I want to thank the workers for stepping up to the plate and hanging in there all this time,” said John Bulgaro, President of Local 294 and Joint Council 18.

“Local 693 Secretary-Treasurer Bob Firmstone has done a great job coordinating the campaign,” said Roberta Dunker, Local 693 President.

“Our Vice President, Mark May, has done a great job keeping the workers informed and they remain united in their fight to win a solid contract,” said Gary Staring, Local 317 President.

“As soon as we got the go-ahead, our organizer Rob Nicewonger did a great job collecting cards,” said Sam Rosas, Local 439 Secretary-Treasurer. “The workers are overwhelmingly happy to become Teamsters.”

“The victories in New York are another example of local unions working together on behalf of the UPS Freight workers,” said Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Package Division. “Across the country this is happening, and it is leading to overwhelming unity among the workers.”

In addition to the New York and California workers, a majority of UPS Freight workers in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Indiana, California, Florida, Arizona, New York, Kentucky and New England, including the large cities of Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, Houston, San Diego, St. Louis, 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.