Organizing Workshop will be held:
DATE: SUNDAY,JUNE 14, 2009
TIME: 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
PLACE: TEAMSTER LOCAL 952
140 MARKS WAY, ORANGE CA.
COME AND MEET THE TEAM WHO HELPED THE
School Bus Workers Ratify A Strong Teamster Contract!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
School Bus Workers Ratify Strong Teamster Contracts
May 28, 2009
First Student school bus workers who are members of Local 952 in Orange, California recently ratified strong first-time Teamster contracts.
The two agreements cover the 81 First Student drivers in Santa Ana, as well as 110 drivers and 10 attendants with First Student in Mission Viejo.
“This was a sweet victory and we are very pleased,” said Cole Franklin, a driver at the Mission Viejo location.
According to Ruben Lopez, a business agent and organizer with Local 952, the workers were extremely focused throughout the negotiations of these contracts.
Both three-year agreements provide improvements to wages; paid bereavement and jury duty leaves; paid sick days; seniority rights for biding of routes; as well as layoff and recall by seniority, among many other industry-leading advancements.
“It is important to organize all of the contractors in this sector, including at companies like Durham, in order to push up wages and benefits for all hardworking bus workers,” said Patrick D. Kelly, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 952.
First Student school bus workers who are members of Local 952 in Orange, California recently ratified strong first-time Teamster contracts.
The two agreements cover the 81 First Student drivers in Santa Ana, as well as 110 drivers and 10 attendants with First Student in Mission Viejo.
“This was a sweet victory and we are very pleased,” said Cole Franklin, a driver at the Mission Viejo location.
According to Ruben Lopez, a business agent and organizer with Local 952, the workers were extremely focused throughout the negotiations of these contracts.
Both three-year agreements provide improvements to wages; paid bereavement and jury duty leaves; paid sick days; seniority rights for biding of routes; as well as layoff and recall by seniority, among many other industry-leading advancements.
“It is important to organize all of the contractors in this sector, including at companies like Durham, in order to push up wages and benefits for all hardworking bus workers,” said Patrick D. Kelly, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 952.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
FAQS About Forming a Union
What is a union?
A union is an organization of workers who join together in order to have a voice in improving their jobs in the workplace.
What are my rights on the job?
You and your co-workers have a legal right to form a union at your work place. You are protected under the law and it is illegal for management to in any way threaten, harass, spy or discriminate against any employee for union activity.
What kind of raises and benefits can we expect with a union?
Every union contract is different, because it reflects the priorities of the group that negotiated it. But, on average:
Union contracts typically include guaranteed annual raises, pay steps that reward experience and length of service, and higher shift differentials, certification and specialty bonuses, and other premium pay.
Union members have better benefits. Most employees represented by a union have achieved fully paid family health benefits and guaranteed pensions.
Who makes decisions in a union?
A union is a democratic organization. The employees who are members of the union make all the primary decisions. They vote on their union contracts, they elect union leaders, they vote on bylaws and any changes in dues structure and they or their elected representatives vote on other important decisions. A union is guided by the priorities that the members choose.
Do we have a right to form a union?
Yes. By law, employees have the freedom to form a union and work together to improve the quality of their jobs. You can-and should-talk to your co-workers about forming a union anywhere and anytime you're allowed to talk about non-work topics.
Your rights to distribute union literature (during breaks and lunchs, before and after work hours), and encourage other employees to support forming a union are protected by law. It's illegal for your employer to intimidate, discriminate, or otherwise interfere in your decision.
Will we be able to maintain a direct relationship with management?
Yes. Most employees say forming a union improves their relationship with supervisors because everyone knows what to expect and there are clear ways to resolve any problems that arise day-to-day. With a union , we share in decision-making.
Can we lose our benefits if we form a union?
The purpose of negotiating a union contract is to preserve and improve benefits, not lose them. When you sit down to negotiate a union contract, you start with your existing pay and benefits—including those accrued with seniority—and work your way up. Management cannot unilaterally reduce pay or benefits when you vote to form a union.
Because they're written into a legally binding contract that you've voted to approve, your pay and benefits are guaranteed-they can't be changed unless employees at your work place vote to do so. At a time when many companies are looking for ways to cut costs, forming a union is the best way to protect your current benefits.
Does forming a union mean we'll have to go on strike?
No. No one ever wants to go on strike—which is why about 98 percent of union contracts are settled without one. Strikes are the exception, not the rule. More importantly, a decision to go on strike is one that only you and your co-workers can make for yourselves through a democratic vote. If members don't want to strike, there won't be one-it's the members' decision to make by a majority vote.
A union is an organization of workers who join together in order to have a voice in improving their jobs in the workplace.
What are my rights on the job?
You and your co-workers have a legal right to form a union at your work place. You are protected under the law and it is illegal for management to in any way threaten, harass, spy or discriminate against any employee for union activity.
What kind of raises and benefits can we expect with a union?
Every union contract is different, because it reflects the priorities of the group that negotiated it. But, on average:
Union contracts typically include guaranteed annual raises, pay steps that reward experience and length of service, and higher shift differentials, certification and specialty bonuses, and other premium pay.
Union members have better benefits. Most employees represented by a union have achieved fully paid family health benefits and guaranteed pensions.
Who makes decisions in a union?
A union is a democratic organization. The employees who are members of the union make all the primary decisions. They vote on their union contracts, they elect union leaders, they vote on bylaws and any changes in dues structure and they or their elected representatives vote on other important decisions. A union is guided by the priorities that the members choose.
Do we have a right to form a union?
Yes. By law, employees have the freedom to form a union and work together to improve the quality of their jobs. You can-and should-talk to your co-workers about forming a union anywhere and anytime you're allowed to talk about non-work topics.
Your rights to distribute union literature (during breaks and lunchs, before and after work hours), and encourage other employees to support forming a union are protected by law. It's illegal for your employer to intimidate, discriminate, or otherwise interfere in your decision.
Will we be able to maintain a direct relationship with management?
Yes. Most employees say forming a union improves their relationship with supervisors because everyone knows what to expect and there are clear ways to resolve any problems that arise day-to-day. With a union , we share in decision-making.
Can we lose our benefits if we form a union?
The purpose of negotiating a union contract is to preserve and improve benefits, not lose them. When you sit down to negotiate a union contract, you start with your existing pay and benefits—including those accrued with seniority—and work your way up. Management cannot unilaterally reduce pay or benefits when you vote to form a union.
Because they're written into a legally binding contract that you've voted to approve, your pay and benefits are guaranteed-they can't be changed unless employees at your work place vote to do so. At a time when many companies are looking for ways to cut costs, forming a union is the best way to protect your current benefits.
Does forming a union mean we'll have to go on strike?
No. No one ever wants to go on strike—which is why about 98 percent of union contracts are settled without one. Strikes are the exception, not the rule. More importantly, a decision to go on strike is one that only you and your co-workers can make for yourselves through a democratic vote. If members don't want to strike, there won't be one-it's the members' decision to make by a majority vote.
Monday, May 25, 2009
U.S. House Approves Legislation Fought by FedEx, Airlines
By John Hughes
May 21 (Bloomberg) -- FedEx Corp. truck drivers, package handlers and other employees would be able to join unions more easily under legislation the U.S. House approved today.
Workers in FedEx’s Express unit could vote locally to join unions under the plan rather than having to hold a national election to gain representation. The labor provision was included by Representative James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat, in broader $53.5 billion legislation to finance the Federal Aviation Administration through fiscal 2012.
The 277-136 vote sets up a clash in the Senate between FedEx and larger competitor United Parcel Service Inc., which says the legislation would even the playing field with UPS’s union workforce. UPS workers organize under the National Labor Relations Act, which allows local organizing. FedEx operates under the national organizing standard used for airlines.
“The House of Representatives has done the right thing in closing this unfair loophole,” Teamsters President Jim Hoffa said in a statement. “FedEx Express workers have been deprived their right to form unions like workers at other package- delivery companies.”
The Senate hasn’t yet crafted its version of the bill. The House approved similar legislation in 2007 that wasn’t taken up by the Senate.
FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE:
Now YOU must contact your states' U.S. senator and inform them of your support for this bill.
May 21 (Bloomberg) -- FedEx Corp. truck drivers, package handlers and other employees would be able to join unions more easily under legislation the U.S. House approved today.
Workers in FedEx’s Express unit could vote locally to join unions under the plan rather than having to hold a national election to gain representation. The labor provision was included by Representative James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat, in broader $53.5 billion legislation to finance the Federal Aviation Administration through fiscal 2012.
The 277-136 vote sets up a clash in the Senate between FedEx and larger competitor United Parcel Service Inc., which says the legislation would even the playing field with UPS’s union workforce. UPS workers organize under the National Labor Relations Act, which allows local organizing. FedEx operates under the national organizing standard used for airlines.
“The House of Representatives has done the right thing in closing this unfair loophole,” Teamsters President Jim Hoffa said in a statement. “FedEx Express workers have been deprived their right to form unions like workers at other package- delivery companies.”
The Senate hasn’t yet crafted its version of the bill. The House approved similar legislation in 2007 that wasn’t taken up by the Senate.
FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE:
Now YOU must contact your states' U.S. senator and inform them of your support for this bill.
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