Copyright 2010 -Teamsters Local 17. All Rights Reserved.
News and information on items that affect our union and our way of life.
News Update
June 3, 2010
Stewards at YRC Take On Company And Win
Effort From Stewards Record Keeping and Persistence Pays Off for Laid Off Members in Denver
(Denver) - The Stewards from Local 17 came out a steps meeting with good news for some laid off members at YRC in Denver. A steps meeting is a precursor to a grievance hearing in which both side attempt to resolve local grievances before presenting them to an official grievance panel.
Through hard work and relentless record keeping, the stewards at YRC showed that contractual language was being violated. The company was working so much overtime that it should have triggered a recall of some members under the contract.
The violations continued while the Local Union kept increasing the pressure for a payout liability. When the meeting was over, the company recognized the mistakes and agreed to pay back wages totaling $10,080. This amount will be paid to 21 laid off members who should have been recalled under the contractual provisions.
This is another example of how diligent record keeping and persistence pays off. Our stewards do a great job on a daily basis and protect our member's interests even when they are laid off.
May 24, 2010
Teamsters, YRCW To Discuss
Company's Re-Entry Into Union Funds
Teamsters Name Pension Expert to Company's Board
(Washington) - The Teamsters Union announced today that it has agreed to form two joint labor-management committees to address YRC Worldwide Inc's (YRCW) re-entry into Teamster pension funds in January 2011 and ways to enhance YRCW's competitiveness in the freight industry.
"Thanks to the sacrifice and hard work of our members, YRCW is rebounding from the impact of the economic recession and efforts by non-union companies in the freight industry to drive YRCW out of business," said Teamsters General President Hoffa. "The joint labor-management committees provide an additional avenue for the Teamsters to be proactive in our continued efforts to preserve jobs and benefits of our hardworking YRCW members."
"The Teamsters Union has turned freight trucking jobs into middle class jobs since the 1950s," said Tyson Johnson, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division and TNFINC Co-Chairman. "While many forces have been attacking those standards, including trucking derugulation in 1980, the Teamsters Union remains committed to ensure the freight industry continues to provide decent wages, benefits and working conditions. The actions taken today can help shape the future of this industry for decades to come."
The Teamsters also announced today that the union has named New School professor Teresa Ghilarducci to be it's selection for the YRCW board seat, which was recently negotiated as part of the job security plan. Ghilarducci is the Bernard L. and Irene Schwartz professor of Economic Policy Analysis at the New School for Social Research in New York City.
Professor Ghilarducci is a nationally recognized multi-employer and defined benefit pension expert who has worked with the Teamsters on numerous projects in the past. She has previously held a professorship at the University of Notre Dame and has researched and published extensively on employee pension and benefit matters. She is currently a trustee for the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust for GM, Ford, and Chrysler and the Goodyear Retiree Health Care Trust for Steelworker trustees.