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Comment by Joe Balkis on May 9, 2013 at 5:52 Benefit Funding
The contract provides for $1/hour each August to be split between health and welfare and pension funding. This is the same as in the 2008 agreement. Adjusted for inflation, to match the last agreement it would be $5.50 total instead of $5, which could fund pension increases for most UPS Teamsters.
In the west, where Teamsters have “maintenance of benefits” language to protect against health care cuts, any maintenance of benefits funding will come from reduced pension funding.
IBT-UPS Plan Pensions
The 30-and-out benefit will go from $3000 to $3200 in 2014 and to $3400 in 2017. Other benefits will go up similarly. The annual accrual, presently $170, remains frozen for five year and will go up by $5 in 2018.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 9, 2013 at 5:51 May 7, 2013: The International Union made harassment the signature issue of the contract negotiations. Does the tentative agreement deliver on the hype?
Two hot button issues the new contract is supposed to address are unfair discipline based on technology and excessive overtime.
The proposed new language is finally out. TDU.org asks UPSers to look at the language and send us your opinion.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 9, 2013 at 5:51 Technology and Discipline Article 6
The company’s right to fire an employee for “dishonesty” solely based on information from GPS or technology appears largely unchanged.
In cases that do not involve dishonesty, UPS must now “confirm by direct observation or other corroborating evidence” a violation warranting discharge.
But what about cases involving alleged dishonesty? There are only two changes in this language.
“No employee shall be discharged on a first offense if such discharge is based solely upon information received from GPS or any successor system unless he/she engages in dishonesty (defined for the purposes of this paragraph as any intentional act or omission by an employee where he/she intends to defraud the company.”
Dishonesty used to mean “theft.” But under the last contract, UPS has been firing drivers for “dishonesty” and “falsification” for DIAD misentries that used to be routine: mis-recording the delivery time on air, recording a stop when you’re back at the building, entering a closed commercial stop as a “not in” residential stop etc.
Do you think the new language will stop these terminations in the future? Send us your comments.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 9, 2013 at 5:51 Retaliation / Excessive Overtime Article 37
The International Union makes big claims for the new language in Article 37, saying the new language: will protect members from retaliation, make it easier to get on the 9.5 list, get drivers 9.5 pay faster, prohibit excessive overtime on the two remaining days within a workweek, increase cover drivers’ 9.5 rights, and give the Union the power to address inadequate staffing.
Article 37 has a number of language changes—and a number of loopholes.
TDU.org asks shop stewards and members with experience trying to enforce 9.5 to read the proposed changes and send us your thoughts.
More Detailed Analysis to Come
The tentative agreement is just out. It deserves a serious reading. Shop stewards and active UPS Teamsters are reviewing the contract now.
Teamsters for a Democratic Union will be compiling their feedback and publishing an analysis of the contract’s highlights and lowlights.
TDU will host a nationwide conference call for UPS Teamsters on Thursday night. Click here for more information.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 9, 2013 at 5:50 May 7, 2013: You can download and review a benefits chart for the enhanced Central States C-6 Plan, which would cover many thousands of Teamsters from various regions if the tentative agreement is approved.
This chart is being distributed by the International Union.
Most Teamsters across the country presently in the company plan would be moved to this plan under the tentative agreement. Those in California and in New Jersey Local 177 have until November 1, 2013 to come up with an alternative plan for those members, per a Memorandum of Understanding.
Regarding health coverage for retirees, the tentative agreement includes a Memorandum of Understanding which states that Teamsters presently under the company plan will pay premiums for retiree coverage as follows: Effective 1/1/2013 $50 individual, $100 to include spouse; effective 1/12014 $100 individual, $200 with spouse; effective 1/1/2015 $150 individual, $300 with spouse.
We encourage Teamsters to review the health and welfare coverage, as well as the contract.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 9, 2013 at 5:50 May 7, 2013: We have obtained from the International union copies of tentative agreements for some supplements. But the information brown out is continuing, and the International union has not yet provided copies of a number of supplemental tentative agreements.
Available for download here are –
We will make more supplements available for members to review, compare and discuss, as soon as possible. We believe an informed membership is the basis for a strong Teamsters Union.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 8, 2013 at 6:05 UPDATE, May 6, 2013: The information brownout will be lifted and the tentative agreement with UPS will finally see the light of day on Tuesday, May 7.
There will be a meeting for representatives from every local union to review the proposed tentative agreement on Tuesday, May 7.
Due to past legal victories, TDU will receive the tentative UPS contract and make it available to all members.
TDU has obtained more initial details on the UPS tentative agreement, including some information on wages, pensions and health benefits.
Click here to download an updated bulletin of the proposed contract details.
There will be a meeting for representatives from every local to review the proposed tentative agreement on May 7. Due to past legal victories, TDU will receive and make available to the members the national agreement and all supplements and riders at that time.
Wages: Wage increases are as follows.
$.70/hour on August 1, 2013
$.70/hour on August 1, 2014
$.70/hour on August 1, 2015
$.40/hour on August 1, 2016 and $.40/hour on Feb. 1, 2017
$.50/hour on August 1, 2017 and $.50/hour on Feb. 1, 2018
The progression has been increased from three-years to four-years so new full-timers will have to wait longer to reach full union scale.
The International Union has claimed a “substantial increase” in starting pay for part-timers. It will be $10 an hour in the tentative five-year deal, an amount that could again drop below minimum wage in some areas by August 2018.
Health Benefits: All members presently in the company-based health plan are being moved out, into the Central States Health and Welfare Fund or other funds. Benefits there are being enhanced to match current benefits.
Retiree Health Benefits: Members in company-based plans will face much larger payments for retiree health care. Instead of paying $50/month to cover a retiree and spouse, it will go to $100, then $200 and $300/month by the third year of the contract ($150 for a retiree alone).
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 8, 2013 at 6:04 The 30-year pension in the IBT-UPS plan will reportedly go to $3,200/month in 2014, with a second increase to $3,400/month that does not take effect until 2017.
For all other Teamster funds, UPS will increase pension and Health and Welfare contributions by $1/hour more each year. With inflation, this is actually a savings to UPS of 10¢ an hour each year over the last contract.
Contract Language: As previously reported by TDU, the new agreement has language changes on harassment and excessive overtime.
Instead of 10,000 new full-time 22.3 jobs, the deal provides for 2,350 (500 in 2014, 500 in 2015, 1,350 in 2016). Will the 22.3 jobs the company has eliminated be restored? Technology, discipline over “dishonesty” and subcontracting are other critical areas where language needs to be carefully reviewed.
UPS Teamsters will get to review all language changes and vote separately on the national contract and their supplement (and in some cases a third vote on their local rider).
Almost all supplements have now been settled except the Louisville Air Rider, where members are asking for protection of bargaining unit work, ending unreasonable unpaid time going through airport security and shuttle bus to work areas, and protection of jobs and seniority rights.
TDU and Make UPS Deliver expect to post the national and all supplement changes sometime on Tuesday, May 7.
We urge all UPS Teamsters to carefully review the proposed agreements, attend local union contract meetings, ask questions, and cast an informed vote.
It’s Your Contract — Have Your Say. Click here to speak out and share your comments or questions. We want to hear from you.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 4, 2013 at 14:17 Save the Date: TDU Convention Chicago — November 1-3, 2013
The biggest Teamster educational and reform event of the year will once again be hosted by the Chicago Chapter. Save the date so you can join Teamsters from across the country who are organizing to win strong contracts, enforcing our rights on the job and taking back our union.
Interested in attending? Send us a message here.
Comment by Joe Balkis on May 2, 2013 at 23:46 Happy May Day, Teamsters! Corrected Links to Tom Morello Interview & “Union Town” Music Giveaway
In honor of International Workers’ Day (May Day), the Teamsters and friend Tom Morello have teamed up to promote songs from Morello’s union-inspired album, “Union Town."
Songs from the album are available for free download on the Teamster website.
Accompany the labor music giveaway is a Teamster Nation interview with Morello, who reminds us that May Day is a global celebration of the struggles and victories of workers around the world.
Morello, The Nightwatchman, is the pioneering rock guitarist from the politically charged band Rage Against the Machine. He is a longtime union man and champion of workers’ rights, using his music to support union power and other social justice causes. “It’s an honor to be hosted on the Teamster website,” Morello said. “There’s never been a successful social justice struggle without a great soundtrack. My message to Teamsters and workers around the globe on May Day is a message of solidarity and pride in the countless accomplishments, victories, and struggles of workers around the globe, especially here in the United States.”
Morello is a good friend of the Teamsters. He’s performed at a number of Teamster events, including the Teamster rally in Los Angeles in 2011 and the last Teamster Convention. Inspired by the worker protests in Madison, Wisconsin and the labor movement in general, the songs “Union Town,” “A Wall Against The Wind,” “I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night,” and “Union Song – Live In Madison, WI” are available today for free at Teamster.org!
Celebrate May Day with great working-class music and check out the interview for Tom Morello’s message to Teamsters and workers everywhere.
Happy May Day, Teamsters!
© 2013 Created by Eric Lee.
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