U.S. Foodservice, Inc. Using Bullying and Scare Tactics against Teamsters Local 628
U.S. Foodservice, Inc. took a large ad out in the Philadelphia Inquirer seeking replacement workers in an attempt to intimidate Local 628.
Local Union No. 628 represents 284 workers at U.S. Foodservice, Inc. President John Laigaie said the company is doing nothing more than saber-rattling. "We understand that times are difficult, but in this case I think the company is acting out of corporate greed. There is no reason to use such scare tactics." said Laigaie.
Although the Local authorized strike action they are still in negotiations at this time.
Philadelphia Local Union Secures Construction Jobs
June 8, 2010 Concrete Workers Steadily Employed Despite the downturn in the economy, Teamsters Local 107 has many members working on the Philadelphia Convention Center’s expansion and other projects around the city. Four Redi Mix cement manufacturing companies in all are employing more than 100 members. Making sure that unionized workers have these jobs has been a major concern for the local union. “We want to keep non-union entities out of the 10-yard barrel trucks,” said Shawn Dougherty, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 107. “We know exactly what the building companies need because we have pre-construction meetings with the companies. And, we bargained so that each of the four RediMix companies involved had the same contract.” In the meetings union officers review the scope of the project and compare it to the type of skills their members have (i.e. models of trucks and other equipment they have prior training on.) “Our local union worked hard to gain the best wages and benefits we could for all of our members employed at a RediMix facility,” said Bill Hamilton, President of Local 107 and International Vice President. “When it comes to the Philadelphia area, we take pride in representing skilled construction workers and we know that the city and private industry relies on us to get the job done.” Ray Bewley, a Teamster since 1985 said that the company he works for, Action Concrete, is the only company currently working with a full crew of 17. “We just finished a Comcast building and now we are working on a tunnel job, plus numerous buildings at Children’s hospital.” “The officers of the local union have stood by us,” said Steve Toroni, a employee of J.D. Materials and a Teamster for the past 30 years. “They are very professional. Our contract guaranteed us a raise and we have been busy with the Philadelphia Park Casino, a couple of high-rises and buildings at Children’s Hospital. We have a good bunch of guys.” “When benefits and other parts of contracts were being taken away from other union members in our area, our Teamster contract held us together,” Toroni said. “We have had a great contract.” Teamsters Local 107 represents 2,300 members in the Philadelphia area. In addition to the construction industry, members also work in the convention and trade show, freight, public sector, air freight, steel, paper and industrial supply products industries. Spring Grove School Bus Workers Stand United For Better Working Conditions Galen Munroe gmunroe@teamster.org 202-624-6904
Teamsters Local 676
Lodovico
“I like being out; I wouldn’t like sitting in an office. I like interacting with people and I’ve made a lot of friends that I’ve delivered to. A lot of the kids have grown up and now they have kids. It’s a very rewarding experience,” Lodovico said.
Lodovico has earned the distinction of safest UPS driver in New Jersey. He’s gone nearly 40 years and more than 1.5 million miles without an accident. Earning such recognition is no small feat, considering New Jersey is one of the most congested states for driving in the United States. The member of Teamsters Local 676 attributes his impressive driving record to his alertness and the regular training he receives on the job.
“We talk about safety every morning and we have constant training. You look out for hazards. You look left-right-left and then count 1-2-3,” Lodovico said, sharing his tips for safe driving.
Great at His Job While safety is important to Lodovico, so is supporting his co-workers. He’s served for 30 years as a Teamster shop steward. “I enjoyed being a steward because I could help the other drivers, work together with everybody and follow the contract,” he said. “I like working with people, always have.” “I’ve known George for 30 years, and he’s great at his job and he’s a great member,” said Roy Kaiser, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 676 in Collingswood, New Jersey. Lodovico starts work around 4:30 a.m. This morning, he was at PhiladelphiaInternationalAirport, collecting packages and taking them to the Vineland, New Jersey, facility to be sorted and delivered. The holiday season is the busiest time of the year at UPS. If you live in the Philadelphia region, Lodovico could possibly be delivering your holiday package. So, keep your eyes on the road. That’s where Lodovico’s will be.
Teamsters Local 776
(Washington, DC) – School bus drivers with Durham School Services in Spring Grove, Pa. have voted to join Teamsters Local 776 in Harrisburg. The drivers united to protect their rights on the job and improve their working conditions. There are 95 workers in the bargaining unit. “I’ve been here 15 years and we’ve been through a lot of changes in ownership; we were made promises that weren’t kept, and it just keeps getting worse,” said Kathy Sterner, a driver. “The wage freeze and bonus loss mean a loss of up to $1,200 for some of us this year. We united so we can have some oversight to be paid properly and have a say.” According rivers, they were undeterred by the company’s anti-union campaign and decided the best choice for their fellow workers and families was to join together as Teamsters. “This was a great victory. The workers were prepared and ready to unite, and there was a good partnership between the International Union, local union and Joint Council,” said Carlos Ramos, President of Local 776. The victory is the latest in an effort to organize private school bus and transit workers across the country. Drive Up Standards is a national campaign to improve safety, service and work standards in the private school bus and transit industry. Since the campaign began in 2006, more than 26,600 drivers, monitors, aides, mechanics and attendants have become Teamsters. For more information on the Drive Up Standards campaign, go to: www.schoolbusworkersunited.org Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
