April 30, 2008

(Washington, D.C.) —An overwhelming majority of more than 150 workers at UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) terminals in Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and Oklahoma have signed authorization cards to become Teamsters, bringing the total number of drivers and dockworkers who have signed cards to 10,700 since January 16, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced.

The workers will be joining Local 483 in Boise, Idaho; Local 50 based in Belleville, Illinois which covers the Mt. Vernon terminal; Local 61 in Asheville, North Carolina which covers the Hickory terminal; Local 957 in Dayton, Ohio, and; Local 886 in Oklahoma City.

“Our organizing campaign gained members in two new states this week, Idaho and Oklahoma,” said Teamsters Package Division Director Ken Hall. “We now have members in 39 states and we are nearing our goal of organizing 12,600 UPS Freight workers. This campaign has never lost momentum.”

“The UPS Freight workers in Oklahoma City knew what other workers across the country were gaining by joining the Teamsters and they jumped aboard,” said Randall Loewenkamp, President of Local 886. “We are a right-to-work state so this is tremendous.”

“It’s a great day for the workers in Boise and they will quickly see the advantages of being in a union,” said Mark Briggs, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 483. “Idaho is also a right-to-work state and these protections really count more than ever here.”

“It’s a huge victory for us because these workers have waited so long to join the Teamsters,” said Bill Bradley, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 50. “They will be gaining many benefits.”

“UPS Freight workers in Dayton now are guaranteed a more secure future as Teamsters,” said Varney Richmond, President of Local 957. “We are proud to represent them.”

Earlier this month, more than 89 percent of UPS Freight workers who are already Teamster members ratified a new contract, which improves wages, benefits and working conditions.

A majority of UPS Freight workers in 39 states have submitted cards: Alabama, Arizona,

Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Victories have come in numerous large cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis, Nashville, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Jose, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

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