News Updates

(South El Monte, Calif.) – From Brooklyn, N.Y., to San Diego, Teamsters are telling 7-Eleven customers today that the price they pay for fuel is too high. The nationwide demonstration is in support of tankhaul drivers of Teamsters Local Union 986 in South El Monte, Calif. which has been negotiating a first contract with KAG West. KAG West supplies gasoline to 7-Eleven stores.

“We are fighting for a Teamster contract so that we can have respect, fair pay and benefits,” said Avery Scott, a tankhaul driver for the past nine years. “Having support from brother and sister Teamsters in other parts of California and on the East Coast is a big boost for us.”

More than 380 tankhaul drivers working for KAG West are represented by Teamsters Local 986. The union and the company have been bargaining to achieve a first contract for over 14 months, but the company continues to stall negotiations.

Teamster tankhaul drivers across the United States are rallying behind the contract bargaining for Local 986. The Teamsters Union represents more than 10,000 tankhaul drivers across the country.

“This is our third week of hand-billing at 7-Elevens and customers continue to be surprised by the way KAG West is treating its employees,” said Chris Griswold, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 986. “We know with the strength of our members across the country behind us we will be able to turn around the direction of these contract negotiations for the better.”

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @teamsterpower.

View photos from the event here.

(South El Monte, Calif.) – Tankhaul drivers and members of Teamsters Local Union 986 in South El Monte, Calif. hand billed customers outside of area 7-Elevens this morning to protest KAG West’s destruction of union jobs. KAG West supplies gasoline to 7-Eleven stores.

“We want respect on the job, better pay and job security,” said Avery Scott, a tankhaul driver and member of Local 986. “KAG West has singled us out by taking back the hourly wage raise that they gave everyone else in the company. We all work hard for this company and we deserve better treatment.”

More than 380 tankhaul drivers working for KAG West are represented by Teamsters Local 986. The union and the company have been bargaining to achieve a first contract for over 14 months, but the company continues to delay contract talks or show up unprepared to bargain.

“It seems like KAG West doesn’t care about good jobs,” said Frank Basaldua, a tankhaul driver and member of Teamsters Local 986. “They just want to cut, cut, cut – but that hasn’t stopped us from continuing to work safely and efficiently. That’s what we we’re hired to do.”

Teamster tankhaul drivers from local unions across the United States are rallying behind the contract bargaining for Local 986. Throughout the country, Teamsters represent more than 10,000 tankhaul drivers in every state.

“Customers at 7-Eleven were surprised by the way KAG West was treating its employees,” said Chris Griswold, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 986. “We know with the strength of our members across the country behind us we will be able to turn the direction of these contract negotiations around for the better.”

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @teamsterpower.

The fallout from the November election has been nothing short of disastrous for the American middle class, but it didn’t catch the Teamsters Union off guard. The moment the threats of the campaign trail became a reality, the Teamsters Union sprang into action.

“This wasn’t the first time we saw a slew of anti-union legislation hit states at the same time, but the sheer number of bills taking aim at the heart of working America was daunting,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “Luckily, we were prepared. And even more important, our members, local unions and Joint Councils have worked together to show the kind of solidarity that’s a hallmark of the Teamsters Union.”

The sea change followed the November 2010 elections when anti-worker politicians took the helm in a number of states. Immediately after the election, the Teamsters put into place plans to deflect as many of these attacks as possible. As we’ve seen inWisconsin,Ohio, Indiana,Missouri and elsewhere, there is no shortage of proposed legislation aimed directly at working Americans. Before the onslaught, theunion held numerous conference calls with locals in targeted states, prepared and held steward seminars and worked closely with state lobbyists and other activists. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has worked closely with Joint Councils and local unions across the country on:

Membermobilization: The union assisted Joint Councils and locals to put together solidarity rallies.

Messaging: The Teamsters assisted Joint Councils and locals on drafting public statements in solidarity withWisconsin and other workers under attack. The union has also coordinated with more than a dozen other international unions. The Teamsters offered all pertinent polling research on many of the threats facing labor, as well as polling and information on key messaging points, in order to educate people about the real reasons behind the war on workers and where it could lead. Utilizing Facebook, Twitter and other social media have also helped the International Union get its message out, along with the stopthewaronworkers.com website. The International Union also employed robocalls, “take action” emails,and has prepared and mailed materials to Joint Councils and locals, such as the “Stop theWar onWorkers” signs that have been so prevalent at rallies, letters to the editor, postcards, press statements and other materials.

Trainings: The Teamsters Union coordinated training programs and provided training on building one-on-one communication networks at locals and worksites to educate members on legislation pending in their state. So far,more than 1,000 Teamsters have participated in trainings inWisconsin andMissouri. More are scheduled.

In Wisconsin alone, the International Union has held trainings, wrote letters to the editor, sent press releases, rally signs and postcards, blogged on local news websites and been in hourly communication with the locals there.Most importantly, from the International to the Joint Council to the local union level, Teamsters have pulled together in solidarity to beat back their common enemies.

United

For months before this anti-union blitz, the Teamsters Union conducted massive amounts of opinion research, including polling and focus groups. That information was carefully analyzed to see what the public thought about labor unions and how the union could win their support. Message after message was tested to determine the best way to change peoples’ opinions about specific anti-union proposals and to change their broader perception about unions.

But that’s only a fraction of the fight. The Teamsters Union, working closely with Joint Councils and local unions, has continued to build on their foundation of solidarity with rank-and-filemembers. People across the country are engaged and active in this fight, but unionmembers are truly turning the tide. Hoffa recently tookWisconsin and Ohio by storm,marching through the streets of the capital cities and pumping up crowds with energetic speeches promising to stay in the fight for American workers until it is won.

“Destroying workers’ collective bargaining rights won’t balance the budget and it won’t create a single job,”Hoffa said. “The Teamsters Union stands with workers inWisconsin and we stand united in this battle for all of labor, all working families, across the country.”

There are currently 22 right-towork (for less) states and up to 12 states hope to pass such legislation in 2011.Meanwhile, politicians in places like Wisconsin who are not satisfied with worker concessions on wages, pensions or health care to help fill the state budget gap are now trying to completely strip workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Teamsters are urged to stand together to defeat these measures. For more information on what you can do, go to www.teamster.org.

(Minneapolis) – Hundreds of Teamster women marched through downtown Minneapolis on Friday, September 17, to protest Wall Street greed that kills jobs to increase corporate profits and executive bonuses.

As part of the Teamsters 10th annual Women’s Conference in Minneapolis, Teamster women held a rally to draw attention to the devastation caused on Main Street by Wall Street.

“We’re making our voices heard loud and clear to Wall Street today,” said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel. “The Teamsters are not going to stand for corporate greed while working Americans are suffering. It’s time to reclaim the middle class and the American Dream.”

Sue Mauren, Teamsters Women’s Conference Director and President of Teamsters Joint Council 32 in Minnesota, lead the crowd of energetic Teamster women through the streets of Minneapolis and called for a just economic recovery.

“The very people who caused this crisis are recovering, but we need an economic recovery that includes the working class,” Mauren said. 

One in five Americans currently want a full-time job and can’t get one, the national unemployment rate hovers at nearly 10 percent and millions of Americans have lost their homes and retirement savings. Wall Street gets billions in taxpayer bailouts and hands out bonuses in the millions to an elite few, all the while trampling on the rights of hardworking Americans. Workers at KAG West, a tankhaul company owned by Goldman Sachs, recently overcame a vicious an anti-worker campaign by the company and formed a union.

Teamsters gathered in downtown Minneapolis to let their message be heard loud and clear: and to say “no” to Wall Street and “yes” to decent jobs.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Review the highlights of the Teamsters Women’s 2010 Conference.