Minnesota Teamsters Issue Travel Advisory

Minnesota Teamsters Issue Travel Advisory

Local 120 Warns of Traffic Delays Due to Job Actions Over Dispute With Company

November 25, 2002

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Teamsters Local 120 is advising commuters of possible delays beginning Tuesday, November 26 in Minneapolis due to job actions by union members who are protesting a city contractor’s failure to sign a labor-peace agreement.

Union officials are advising motorists to allow at least a half-hour extra time to get to their jobs.

Teamster leaders said the city contractor, Municipal Parking, Inc., has backtracked on its verbal agreement last month to agree to most of the terms and conditions in the agreement. At the time, the company’s verbal agreement averted plans by Local 120 to set up informational pickets at city-owned parking ramps and lots.

“The company verbally agreed to much of the labor-peace agreement, but has broken that promise,” said Brad Slawson Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 120. “This agreement would guarantee employees rights if they so choose to organize.”

Labor-peace agreements guarantee employees the right to organize without the fear of being harassed, threatened, intimidated or face retaliation if and when they decided to form a union.

Workers at Municipal Parking have approached Local 120 to assist them in their struggle for protection of their rights.

“We want justice for these workers, and the job actions are meant to bring attention to their situation,” Slawson said. “We’re sorry if commuters are inconvenienced, but the ball is in the company’s court.”

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