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Local News
Political Endorsements from Local 70 & Joint Council 7
Hoffa Scholarship | In Memoriam | Sick Benefit Fund | Newsletter Archive
CONGRESS
* Denotes Incumbent
CD9 *Barbara Lee (D)
CD10 *Ellen Tauscher (D)
CD11 *Jerry McNerney (D)
CD13 Pete Stark (D)
SENATE
SD9 (dual)
Wilma Chan (D), Loni Hancock (D)
ASSEMBLY
AD14
(quadruple)
Tony Thurmond (D) Dr. Phil Polakoff (D)
Kriss Worthington D)
Nancy Skinner (D)
AD15 Joan Buchannan (D)
AD16 *Sandre Swanson (D)
AD18 *Mary Hayashi (D)
AD20 *Alberto Torrico (D)
HAYWARD CITY COUNCIL
2-year seat: Steve Bristow
4-year seat: Barbara Halliday
4-year seat: Bill Quirk
4-year seat: (triple) Olden Henson, Marvin Peixoto, Francisco Zermeno
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL
District 2: Charlie Gilcrest
District 4: Joyce Starosciak
District 6: Jim Prola
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
At Large: (dual) Kerry Hamill, Rebecca Kaplan
District 1: Jane Brunner
District 3: Nancy Nadel
District 5: Ignacio de la Fuenta
District 7: Larry Reid
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE
(dual) Philip Daly, Dennis Hayashi
ALAMEDA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Area 2: No endorsement
Area 3: Celsa Snead
Area 5: Fred Sims
Area 6: Eileen McDonald
OAKLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION
District 1: Jody London
District 3: Open endorsement
In 2005, UPS bought Motor Cargo and Overnite Transportation; in 2006, they closed the two company’s respective Newark and Hayward facilities and consolidated into UPS Freight -- San Leandro. Business Agent/Organizer Bob Aiello had been meeting with employees at the two companies, engaging them about critical labor issues and starting to build a relationship and support base.
That work paid off in January, when during a six day period, more than 150 of the 200-plus employees in San Leandro signed cards to request Local 70 be their union representative.
This effort came about as a result of several factors. The first was that Local 135 organized 125 workers at the Overnite facility in Indianapolis in August, 2006 and negotiated a tentative agreement a year later. This development encouraged other local unions to accelerate their organizing drives.
Next, the Joint Council initiated its own organizing program, and called in IBT organizers to support the San Leandro campaign. Our team included Bob Aiello, Joint Council 7 organizer Pilar Barton, rank and file members Jim Davis and Mike Fitzgerald, and retiree Joe Villareal. With these resources in place, the organizers met with the UPS Freight employees in San Leandro to create a comprehensive organizing plan. Unfortunately, implementation of the plan was delayed so that the IBT and UPS could complete early negotiations on the national and supplemental agreements.
Once the UPS contract was ratified, the campaign geared up again. The IBT sent organizers to work with locals at several UPS Freight facilities around the country.
Starting on January 15, IBT Organizer Eddie Muhammad joined with Aiello and Barton to begin soliciting cards from the San Leandro UPS Freight employees. They worked around the clock and by January 20, they had secured cards from 68% of the 218-employee roster.
The IBT will file the cards with UPS for verification. When the San Leandro UPS Freight recognition is approved, the IBT National Negotiation Committee for UPS Freight will negotiate the Collective Bargaining Agreement using the IBT Local 135 Indianapolis Agreement as a template.
In the meantime, a majority of UPS Freight workers in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Southern California, Seattle, New England, Memphis and Detroit have also submitted cards to become Teamsters.
Local 70 thanks all of the organizers and volunteers who worked tirelessly with the UPS Freight employees, gaining their trust and support. Local 70 looks forward to representing them.
Members assembled in the auditorium on January 12 to review the National Master Freight Agreements
and the Joint Council 7 supplement.
On Saturday, January 12, members in the freight industry assembled in the Local 70 auditorium to review the proposed Master Freight Agreement and the Joint Council supplement. Members came from Yellow Freight, Roadway, ABF and a number of smaller companies.
Secretary-Treasurer Chuck Mack reviewed both the revised National Master Freight Agreement and the Joint Council 7 Supplement. He explained that the changes and additional flexibility reflect the significant difficulties that the freight industry is facing, adding that this was the most challenging freight contract in his more than 30 years of experience in freight negotiations.
"Three stages have brought the freight industry to this point," he explained. "One, for years the industry was fully regulated and rates were set for all competitors. The second stage came in 1980 and 1981, when deregulation forced fierce competition between union and non-union carriers and consolidation was the name of the game. The third and current stage is consolidation and unification of carriers who provide a full logistics system, including package, air, and freight components," Mack explained.
After answering questions from our members, Mack recommended they vote "Yes" on the National Master Freight Agreement despite the new utility positions. However, he recommended they reject the Joint Council 7 Supplemental Agreement, pointing out the unanswered questions that surround "four-hour casuals" and the unwillingness of the parties to provide full maintenance of benefits for Locals 85 and 287.
Mack cautioned our members that a rejection of the Joint Council 7 Supplement may lead to a strike. At presstime, ballots have gone out to members in the freight industry and will be counted in mid-February. Members will be informed of the final tally, and will be called together to plan the next steps.
The James R. Hoffa Scholarship Fund will award 100 scholarships for the 2008 program year. These will include thirty-one $10,000 grants and sixty-nine $1,000 grants. Eligibility requirements and application procedures are the same for all awards. Applicants compete in one of the five geographic regions where the Teamster parent's local union is located.
Recipients will be selected by an impartial committee of university admissions and financial aid directors based on academic achievement, SAT/ACT scores, character, potential and financial need. The committee considers all applicants without regard to race, religion, gender, disability, or any other legally protected status.
To get the application and info about the requirements, contact Local 70 or go to: www.teamster.org/resources/students/scholarship/scholarship.htm
Applications must be submitted to Local 70 by March 30, 2008.
Local 70 Obituaries
ANDRADE, Alfred
CARPANETO, Frank
CUMMINGS, LeRoy
CUNNINGHAM, Kathy
ENGLE, James
FANUCCHI, Sergio
FULLER, Greg
HOBBS, David
KELLY, James H.
LA POINTE,
Charles
MENDEZ, Robert
For Local 70 members who are sick or hurt.
We want to hear from you—you may have benefits coming.
SICK BENEFIT FUND
Monthly Meetings — 2nd Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
1-800-243-1350 or 510-569-9317
To be eligible for Sick Benefits, claims must be filed at Local 70’s office within thirty (30) days of disability. Also, dues for the previous month must have been paid on time.
Sick Benefit Fund Bylaws, Section 4: A member depositing an Honorable Withdrawal Card or Transfer Card, or who is reinstated, shall not be eligible for any disability benefits due to injury sustained or illness suffered within a six (6) month period after said Card is deposited, or after said reinstatement; that is, there will be no liability for payment of benefits for any disability having its inception during the six (6) month period. All claims must be filed within thirty (30) days after the date of eligibility. All claims must be filed previous to transferring from Local No. 70.
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