Teamsters Chief Leo Reed Says Contract Talks with AMPTP Should Resume Soon

NLRB Administrative Judge Upholds Local 25 Victory at Central Parking

An administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 1 in Boston has upheld the February 8 organizing victory at Central Parking in the Boston area, paving the way for 334 workers to join Local 25. 

The company had held up the certification process by challenging some of the ballots that were cast. The judge ruled that 28 challenged ballots were not eligible to be counted, while seven ballots were. 

“Accordingly, based on the forgoing, as the challenged ballots of the seven voters found eligible herein are insufficient to affect the results of the election, I recommend that the Board certify the results of the election in favor of the Union,” the judge ruled. 

“We are very pleased that the judge saw through the company’s stonewalling,” said Sean M. O’Brien, President and Principal Officer of Local 25 in Boston. “Since February 8, the workers at Central Parking have been in limbo. Now they are members of Local 25 and we will work hard at negotiating a strong first contract that addresses their concerns.”

An administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 1 in Boston has upheld the February 8 organizing victory at Central Parking in the Boston area, paving the way for 334 workers to join Local 25. 

The company had held up the certification process by challenging some of the ballots that were cast. The judge ruled that 28 challenged ballots were not eligible to be counted, while seven ballots were. 

“Accordingly, based on the forgoing, as the challenged ballots of the seven voters found eligible herein are insufficient to affect the results of the election, I recommend that the Board certify the results of the election in favor of the Union,” the judge ruled.We are very pleased that the judge saw through the company’s stonewalling,” said Sean M. O’Brien, President and Principal Officer of Local 25 in Boston. “Since February 8, the workers at Central Parking have been in limbo. Now they are members of Local 25 and we will work hard at negotiating a strong first contract that addresses their concerns.”

BLET: Ballots Mailed in Tentative Montana Rail Link Agreement

Teamsters, Allies Protest At Republic Services Shareholder Meeting

(Scottsdale, AZ) – Teamster members, environmental allies and supporters protested Republic Services’ lockout of its workers and excessive CEO death benefits at Republic’s annual shareholder meeting today. View all photos from this event.

Republic locked out 80 of its workers who are members of Teamsters Local 215 in Evansville, Ind., in an attempt to force the workers to give up their pensions. Local 215 had been in negotiations for a new contract with Republic since March 2. The workers and their union wanted to continue negotiations, but Republic locked them out instead.

“These workers put their bodies in harm’s way every day to protect the public health,” said Robert Morales, Teamsters Solid Waste, Recycling and Related Industries Division Director. “It is offensive that the Republic’s CEO’s estate will get $23 million if he dies, and in the meantime the company wants to throw out the pension of the men and women who do the work that earns it millions.”

Outside the shareholder meeting, workers held banners that read “Republic Trashes Workers” and a gold coffin that read “Republic Greed Kills Good Jobs.”

At the shareholder meeting, representatives from the Teamsters General Fund presented a shareholder resolution that would give shareholders the right to vote on executive compensation. The resolution received 41 percent support in today’s vote. ISS, the leading proxy voting advisory service, had recommended shareholders vote for the Teamsters’ proposal.

Republic has an estimated $23 million in benefits earmarked for the estate of CEO Donald Slager should he die or become disabled during employment. Shareholders did not have a voice in this decision.

Louis Malizia, assistant director of the Teamsters Capital Strategies Department, introduced the shareholder resolution on behalf of the Teamsters General Fund.

“Just like other severance-style agreements, shareholders should be given the right to vote on whether we feel that these executives were worthy of such exorbitant sums, and whether their performance at the company merits such compensation," Malizia said.

Republic Services/Allied Waste is America’s second largest solid waste and recycling company. In 2011, Republic earned $8.2 billion in revenues and declared profits of $589 million, up 15 percent per share from 2010.

Attending the shareholder meeting with the Teamsters was Monica Wilson, Director of the U.S. and Canada programs of the environmental coalition GAIA.

“Frontline communities where our members live and work are impacted across the country by decisions that Republic makes, by Republic’s landfills, and how they treat their workers,” Wilson said. “Locking out workers affects the safety on local streets when inexperienced workers drive 2-ton trucks on streets with which they’re not familiar. Republic doesn't even treat recycling drivers with the respect they deserve, by paying them less than garbage drivers. Communities and Republic’s sanitation and recycling workers deserve to be treated better than this.”

“This is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, even more dangerous than police or firefighters,” Morales continued. “It’s amazing to me that these workers can even make it to retirement age, and now this highly profitable company wants to rob these workers of their retirement security.”

The Teamsters represent approximately 9,000 employees at Republic Services and its subsidiaries at more than 150 facilities throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

For more information, visit   https://www.facebook.com/RepublicServicesTeamsters and follow https://twitter.com//repubteamsters

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.

Red Cross Strike In Lansing Enters Seventh Week

(LANSING, Mich.) – Teamster employees of Red Cross in Lansing, who were forced to strike at the end of March, will continue their shutdown of blood drives until Red Cross management makes ample time available for bargaining to reach an agreement.

“Despite nearly seven weeks of cancelled blood drives across the state, Red Cross is only offering six hours of bargaining time to the Teamsters -- and not until June 19,” said Mike Parker, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 580 in Lansing. “This is an insult to the City Council of Lansing which passed a resolution in support of our members. By the time June 19 rolls around, our members will have been on strike 11 weeks.”

According to hospitals, blood plasma is currently being supplied by alternate sources. This is in direct contradiction to the statements the Red Cross has pushed out that the strike is “threatening” the area blood supply.

“We will bargain with Red Cross at any time for as long as it takes to reach an agreement,” Parker said. “But, all they will offer us is six hours. Our members are committed to retaining their collective bargaining rights as much as they are committed to providing caring service to donors who visit the blood drives. Forced out on strike by Red Cross, our members remain strong and proud.”

Teamsters have been on strike because Red Cross wants to take away their right to bargain over health care and wages. The union has offered money-saving alternatives, but Red Cross refuses anything less than having workers give up collective bargaining rights in order to implement their own wage and health care package.

In addition to the Teamster unit in Lansing, Teamsters in Cleveland, United Food and Commercial Workers Union members in Toledo and Office and Professional Employees International Union members in Lansing are also on strike against Red Cross.