The Teamsters National UPS Freight Negotiating Committee also made headway this week in a number of areas. Tentative agreements were reached on Article 13, Compensation Claims, Article 15, Equipment and Safety, Article 23, Time Clocks and Timesheets, and Article 24, Leave of Absence. 

These agreements include improvements or additions related to employees who are permanently disabled, identifying a serious accident, creating technology change protection language, and instituting jury duty and funeral leave for long-term casuals. The committee also added maternity and paternity leave and a rehabilitation program into the agreed upon language.

The next round of negotiations is scheduled for the week of April 22.

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The Teamsters National UPS Negotiating Committee concluded the sixth round of negotiations this week and focused on subcontracting and other issues. The UPS Freight National Negotiating Committee made strides on compensation claims, equipment and safety, and other issues. 

“This week was very productive in terms of moving forward on the issue of subcontracting, which continues to be a major issue for our members in many areas of the country,” said Denis Taylor, Director of the Teamsters Package Division and Co-Chairman of the Teamsters National UPS Negotiating Committee. “We are in a good position now to move into economic proposals and will continue to keep the members updated on our progress.”  

The committee dealt with Article 26, Subcontracting, specifically focusing on making sure feeder operations are sufficiently staffed to address the shortage of qualified feeder drivers in various regions. The committee also continued to work on Article 6.6, Technology and Discipline.

The committee began working internally on economic proposals as well. It hopes to be able to present a comprehensive economic proposal at the next round of negotiations. Open, non-economic proposals will continue to be dealt with even as negotiations turn to economic proposals. 

The Safety and Health Committee also made progress in negotiations this week, securing tentative agreements in Article 18 by providing an avenue to address safety concerns with commercial motor vehicle tires and providing electronic access to Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (eDVIR). Additionally, the committee made progress introducing new language in Article 16 regarding assistance to employees in processing off-the-job disability claims. 

Many of the proposals for Article 40, Air, and Article 43, Premium Services, are economic in nature, therefore those committees are hoping to make improvements on those issues as negotiations move into economics.

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) shared his belief that the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans will find a solution to the growing pension crisis this year during his remarks at the National Press Club.

Brown, who co-chairs the bipartisan committee with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), spoke at length about what was at stake if Congress did not pass legislation to address a pension crisis that would impact millions of retired and active workers.

“It will be up to Congress to step in, or allow the entire multiemployer pension system to fail – eviscerating the retirement of 10.1 million American workers and retirees, and forcing American businesses to file bankruptcy, lay off workers, and close their doors,” Brown said. “As dysfunctional as Washington is, I don’t see a scenario where Congress allows that type of devastation without stepping in.”

The committee, which is comprised of eight senators and eight members of the House evenly divided by party, will work toward reporting a bill to solve the pension crisis. The Teamsters Union supports the passage of the Butch Lewis Act of 2017 (H.R.4444/S.2147) which was introduced in Congress last November by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) and has received bipartisan support.

“Sen. Brown has been leading the charge on this issue since day one,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “He knows what’s at stake and understands that no worker should be denied what they worked so hard their entire career to earn – the ability to retire with dignity.”

“People of both political parties talk about the American Dream – about the idea that if you work hard, you can earn your way to a better life,” Brown said. “These Americans worked hard. They earned a living and they earned a secure retirement. We should all be able to come together to affirm the principle that hard work should pay off. And I believe we will.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.