News Updates
Hunts Point Market Teamsters Overwhelmingly Ratify New Three-Year Agreement
January 20, 2012(BRONX, NY) – Today, workers at the Hunts Point Produce Market represented by Teamsters Local 202 in the Bronx, overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new three-year agreement that provides financial security and affordable health care for the nearly 1,300 members and their families.
The workers, which include produce market warehousemen, drivers and sales representatives, reviewed the contract Thursday evening and then voted from midnight to Friday at 10 a.m. More than 95 percent of the voters approved the contract, which takes effect May 1, 2012.
“Our members voted on the merit of this contract, clearly demonstrating that they thought the negotiating committee delivered a strong agreement,” said Danny Kane, President of Teamsters Local 202. “With this process behind us, our members are looking forward to doing what they do best – serving New York City and the tri-state area by keeping the best produce in the world flowing to the grocery stores and restaurants.”
In addition to wage increases and contributions to the pension, the contract included improvements to the health care benefits that lower out-of-pocket costs, reducing or eliminating co-pays, deductions and coinsurance. The improvements to the health care benefits total more than $1.7 million each year of the contract.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.Teamster.org or follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.
Teamsters, Hunts Point Produce Trade Association, Reach Tentative Agreement
January 18, 2012(BRONX, NY) – Representatives from Teamsters Local 202 in Bronx, N.Y. today announced they have reached a tentative agreement with the Hunts Point Produce Trade Association. The proposed three-year agreement makes gains in wages and secured the workers’ pensions while increasing health care benefits.
Approximately 1,300 Teamsters will review the details of the tentative agreement on Thursday and hold a ratification vote that will start that evening at midnight and conclude on Friday at 10 a.m. Specific contract details will not be released to the media prior to the ratification vote.
“When our negotiating committee began this process we agreed that no matter how difficult this process may prove to be, our only goal was to secure a contract that would offer financial security for each member now and in the future,” said Danny Kane, President of Teamsters Local 202. “I believe that this tentative agreement more than meets that goal.”
Teamsters Publish Online Petition to End Sotheby's Lockout
December 22, 2011(NEW YORK) – The Teamsters Union, which represents art handlers at Sotheby’s Auction House [NYSE: BID], has created an online petition that asks Sotheby’s to end its five-month-long lockout.
Sotheby’s locked out its staff of 43 art handlers in July. These workers, most of whom are minorities, have been without paychecks ever since. The auction house hired notorious union-hostile law firm Jackson Lewis to attempt to starve its workers into giving up their job security and accepting wage cuts.
The workers, who are represented by Teamsters Local 814 in Long Island City, N.Y., will lose their health insurance coverage on January 1 because of the lockout.
The petition says, in part, “Dear CEO William Ruprecht: Sotheby's just celebrated its most profitable quarter in the company's history, and yet you have locked out your hardworking, loyal art handlers--some have worked at Sotheby's for more than 40 years. Not only are your employees now forced to face the holidays without jobs, but they will also be forced to ring in the New Year by losing their health care.”
The petition can be signed here. A video “How Sotheby’s Stole Christmas” can be viewed here.
Despite earning record profits—Sotheby’s made $774 million last year and near doubled its CEO’s pay—the company wants to cut wages and permanently replace its professional art handlers with inexperienced, outsourced workers.
Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information or follow us on Twitter at @TeamsterPower.
Vitamin Company Workers Join Local 912
December 20, 2011Workers with Threshold Enterprises in California recently voted to join Teamsters Local 912. The 366 warehousing, manufacturing and packaging workers are seeking respect and better working conditions.
“We’re excited. We’re happy about this successful vote and to be able to change the lives of more than 360 people,” said Brad Sebring, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 912 in Watsonville, Calif.
The workers manufacture and package vitamins at two Threshold facilities in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley.
“They did a lot of work to organize because they want to see changes,” said Santos Lerma, President of Local 912. “They need job security. The workers haven’t had a wage increase in a couple years. Their health and welfare is costly to them. They want respect on the job.”
Victor Martinez has worked at Threshold’s manufacturing department in Scotts Valley for five years and is excited about being a Teamster.
“We feel like we’ve achieved something big and that we have a professional union behind us,” Martinez said. “Respect and fairness is what we need, and we are glad to have the union to protect us.”
Teamster Warehouse Workers Ratify Contract
December 16, 2011Teamsters Local 463 members with Nep Cold Storage in Philadelphia have unanimously ratified a three-year agreement that provides for significant improvements to their health care. The contract covers 10 members who work in the cold storage warehouse.
“This is a great contract and a big improvement for our members,” said Robert Ryder, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 463 in Fort Washington, Pa.
“They were paying $60 a week for health insurance and now they pay zero dollars for a very good health plan. Their prescriptions cost less and the cost for doctor’s visits went down by 50 percent,” said Rich Deal, Local 463 Recording Secretary and Organizer.
“I think we got a great deal,” said Tom Kenney, a shop steward who has worked at Nep for 16 years. “When you work in freezing temperatures, you need to have sick time. We now have four sick days and good medical. I’m glad we have our union to protect us.”
Teamsters Reach Settlement With US Foods
December 6, 2011(STREATOR, IL) – US Foods workers represented by Teamsters Local 722 in La Salle, Ill. ratified a new contract on Monday, December 5th that resolved the open contract and all outstanding issues.
“As I said before – no one wants to strike and we are happy we were able to get back to work and serve the customers,” said Steve Mongan, President of Teamsters Local Union 722. “On behalf of our members at Local 722 we thank the Teamster US Foods members that showed our members unprecedented support. I truly hope and believe this agreement will pave the way for a new relationship with US Foods.”
“Other Teamster Local Unions have contracts that will be open for negotiations in the coming months, said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. We have been able to settle our US Foods contracts in the past without strikes and anticipate getting back to that in the future.”
The Teamsters represent approximately 4,000 employees at US Foods at 24 distribution centers throughout the nation.
Teamster Sympathy Pickets Return To US Foods
December 1, 2011(Swedesboro and Bridgeport, N.J.)—Teamsters from Locals 628 in Philadelphia and 169 in Elkins Park, Penn. once again refused to cross picket lines at US Foods distribution facilities in Swedesboro and Bridgeport, N.J. yesterday evening.
The sympathy picket lines, which were established by members of Locals 1414 in Philadelphia and 676 in Collingswood, N.J., were in support of an unfair labor practice strike by maintenance workers at US Foods’ Streator, Ill. location. That strike began October 30 in response to US Foods’ violation of Federal labor laws, including disciplining a Streator employee for being absent while he was in contract negotiations with the company as a member of the bargaining committee for Teamsters Local 722.
Picket line extensions and sympathy pickets have spread to 12 US Foods facilities across the country during the past month. More than 2,000 Teamsters have honored picket lines in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Colorado and Maryland.
At the center of the picket extensions is Mike Vagasky, a member of Local 722 in La Salle, Ill. and a maintenance worker at US Foods in Streator. Vagasky has extended his picketing to warehouses in Bensenville, Ill., St. Louis, Mo., Fishers, Ind. and Englewood, Colo.
“Our members who work at US Foods care about this company and its customers, but they are not willing to cross lawful picket lines,” said Teamsters Warehouse Division Director John Williams. “Our members, like the rest of the 99 percent in America, are tired of being bullied and having their rights under federal labor law violated while the private equity firms and other Wall Street bankers in the top one percent destroy their livelihood.”
US Foods, which distributes food and related products to restaurants and schools, is owned by private equity giants KKR and CD&R. KKR and CD&R purchased US Foods (then U.S. Foodservice) in 2007. The Teamsters represent approximately 4,000 employees at US Foods at 25 distribution centers throughout the nation.
For more information, visit www.USFoodsWorkers.org and www.flickr.com/photos/usfoodsworkers/
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter: @teamsterpower
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