Friday, September 26, 2008

Federal Labor Law Violations Provoke Teamster Strike at Oak Harbor

Trucking Company Refuses to Bargain in Good Faith
September 23, 2008

(Seattle) – Teamsters at Oak Harbor Freight Lines in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho walked off the job last night in response to hostile efforts by company representatives to bully and intimidate workers.

Oak Harbor Freight Lines, one of the largest trucking companies on the West Coast, provides time sensitive delivery services to some of the largest companies and government agencies in the country including the Gap, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), Safeway, Siemens, Georgia Pacific, McKesson, Owens & Minor, JC Penny, Honda, GM & Chrysler Parts, Urban Outfitters, Whirlpool, and the State of Washington.

“The last thing we want is a strike,” said Al Hobart, Teamsters Vice President and Teamster Joint Council 28 President. “We understand that service disruptions during the peak shipping season and the holiday rush hurt everyone. Oak Harbor’s owners just have not left us with any alternative. The company seems to be more interested in violating the law than protecting the interests of its customers.”

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

No vpep this month what a suprise. It has been kind of hot at WHT lately so why not get the snow cones out right Andy Lessin? If you don't get the snow cone machine out maybe some of my Teamster friends can bring their own snow cone machine and hand them out at the gate?

Anonymous said...

Hey wouldn't you need to have the SNOW CONE UNION GUYS to pass them out?

Anonymous said...

Mike Hutton of Anaheim service center,you need to remind Tim Mcghann that he has watch a video on violence in the work place. Now if I choose to discuss about the Teamster in the break room on my own time and meaning off the clock, than that is my free Will. Now my problem is when he disrupted my conversation with an off employee and starts telling me to stop talking about f#*$ing Teamsters union, and telling me in a harsh language to f#*k me and the Teamsters is a problem. because now a day you have to watch your P & Q'S knowing Tim, if I had responded back to Tim he would go to Mike and twist thing around and Mike would confind in Tim first, why because of my converation about the Teamsters, and would be fired!! Well let me say one thing my Rights, my 1st amendment, freedom of speech being on grounds of ethical, and not Tim's way UNETHICAL, UNEDUCATED and no CLASS.

Anonymous said...

Andy does snow cones? Is this an inside joke?

Perhaps people don't know the reason for no VPEP. Look at page 61of the company's 2008 financial report, and you will learn exactly why we don't get VPEP.

In case you don't have a copy of the financial report, let me write out the paragraph in question verbatim:

EMPLOYEES UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ARRANGEMENTS

The pilots of FedEx Express, who represent a small percentage of our total employees, are employed under a collective bargaining agreement. During the second quarter of 2007, the pilots ratified a new four-year labor contract that included signing bonuses and other upfront compensation of approximately $143 million, as well as pay increases and other benefit enhancements. The costs were partially mitigated by reductions in the variable incentive compensation of our other employees. The effect of this new agreement on second quarter 2007 net income was approximately $78 million net of tax, or $0.25 per diluted share.

-FedEx Corporation Annual Report 2008.

So let's see what that says:

The pilots are Teamsters and were able to negotiate signing bonuses, pay increases, and benefit increases. Moreover, the company lived up to their end of the contract by taking from the variable compensation of the other employees.

The other employees are us, brothers and sisters.

I think we ought to be smarter than we are and be the next ones to negotiate ourselves a pay raise, better benefits and even a signing bonus! Let them mitigate their losses by sticking their hands in the vice-presidents' pockets! Think about it...there's nothing left to take from us, they'd have to live up to a contract they sign, and they'd have to get the money from somewhere. I don't think the stockholders are going to tolerate the officers in charge taking the money from them or they'll be out on their fat asses. They can't take from the pilots, because they have a contract. There is barely anything to get from us. They aren't going to close the doors of a profitable business.

So here's my message to Andy Lessin: "Open up your pockets, boy." Furthermore, if you don't like it, don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.

frankiez said...

Speaking of VPEP.
Beginning in 2009 the Easts method of bonus will be applied to the Wests.
That is we probably won't be getting any according to the way they cook the numbers.

Anonymous said...

No vpep after the end of this year. Thanks a lot Andy Lessin for more of your lies. You are just a scumbag just like the rest of Fedex management. You try to say you are this nice updtanding Christian man when all you do is lie to us constantly I am tired of two faced scumbags like you hurting us workers. Real good example you set for your kids.