Some Teamsters are angry at the way their union is handling negotiations with Anheuser-Busch (A-B) and have successfully delayed the counting of votes on the latest strike proposal. The ballots mailed to 8,000 Teamsters were supposed to be counted on Jul. 15, but the challenges delayed the mailing of ballots and pushed back the count to Jul. 30. Bosses at 8 of the 16 locals that represent the A-B workers asked the Teamsters to call off the vote. The opponents said they were confused about what they were voting on because of additional proposals. But the Teamsters systematically rejected all the opponents’ challenges. Officers of the Baldwinsville, NY and Williamsburg, VA locals hoped the Teamsters would reconsider its decision; otherwise, court action is possible according to Steve Richmond, a member of the Baldwinsville union’s negotiating team. He said that federal law guarantees workers the right to an “informed vote” in such situations. He said there hasn’t been time for the membership to fully debate the offer on the table. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch 07/12/98]
Teamsters Loose in Phoenix
The Teamsters, one of America’s most corrupt unions, suffered yet another organizing loss when it pulled its petition to organize Phoenix’s St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center on Jul. 20. The action canceled an election scheduled for Jul. 23. The obvious conclusion: the Teamsters’ 17-month campaign was a failure and that a majority of St. Joe’s employees would have chosen freedom by voting against unionization. Because the Teamsters withdrew the petition, St. Joe’s can enjoy a 6-month moratorium on union organizing. [Arizona Republic 07/21/98]
Teamsters Plan National Rally Against UPS
The Teamsters is planning rallies against United Parcel Service around the country on Jul. 31 over propaganda that UPS has failed to create full-time positions it promised in return for an end to last year’s debilitating strike. However, UPS stated the jobs are contingent on recovering from strike-hit shipping levels, and UPS remains 4% behind its pre-strike volume. “Unfortunately, the Teamsters have done this to themselves,” said Norman Black of UPS. [Buffalo News 07/21/98]