Teamsters Set Sights On Representing UPS Freight Employees

http://www.teamster.org/07news/hn_070727_2.asp

Teamsters Set Sights On Representing UPS Freight Employees

Proven Record of Collective Bargaining, Negotiating

July 27, 2007

GAFFNEY, S.C. – UPS Freight employees in South Carolina need workplace representation by a strong and track-proven labor union. The Teamsters Union fits the bill and has a strategy to represent them.

"We know that a fly-by-night group, APWA, is trying to organize the employees of UPS Freight, but they are only after one thing, employees' money," said L.D. Fletcher, President of Teamsters Local 509. "APWA doesn't even have records on file with the Department of Labor. We encourage workers at UPS Freight to hold on for representation by the Teamsters, the premier representative of UPS parcel and small package employees in North America."

The Teamsters represent 200,000 UPS workers across the country and are currently negotiating a contract for the UPS Freight workers in Indianapolis that will be a model for the rest of the country.

"We are confident that UPS Freight employees will not be misled by a group supported by the Right To Work Committee and represented by a union-busting lawyer. This group has no experienced leadership, no staff support, no pension plan, no health plan, no collective-bargaining experience, but makes unlimited, empty promises," said Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Parcel and Small Package Trade Division.

"UPS Freight employees may be frustrated by their long effort to join a union, but that should not cause them to prematurely select a group that will not produce on its promises," Hall said.

Teamsters already represent more than 4,000 workers in the state of South Carolina, including employees of UPS, Yellow, USF Holland, ABF and Roadway Freight, plus Crown Cork and Seal and twenty other miscellaneous companies.