TDU - Teamsters for a Democratic Union

PTS hauls for most North American automakers

Andrew Grossman
Automotive News
June 9, 2008 - 10:11 am ET
UPDATED: 6/9/08 2:34 p.m. EDT

A Teamsters strike against the nation’s second-largest vehicle hauler won’t immediately affect deliveries to dealers of General Motors and Ford Motor Co. vehicles, say spokespeople for the two automakers.

Teamsters drivers went on strike against Performance Transportation Services Inc. this morning. Performance Transportation, of suburban Detroit, hauls light vehicles for almost all of the major automakers that sell vehicles in the United States, according to the company’s Web site.

By Alex Lange

June 9 (Bloomberg) — Performance Transportation Services Inc. workers represented by the Teamsters went on strike today after the new-vehicle hauler won bankruptcy court approval to cut their pay, the union said.

The walkout involved 1,250 workers at 24 U.S. sites, Teamsters spokeswoman Leigh Strope said in an interview. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan last week allowed a 15 percent pay reduction for union employees of the Allen Park, Michigan- based trucking company.

Performance Transportation’s lawyers on June 7 asked for an injunction against a Teamsters strike in U.S. bankruptcy court in Buffalo, New York. “Such action will cause irreparable harm from which the debtors will never recover,” the closely held company’s attorneys said in a court filing.

READ MORE

Wage concessions were apparently key to convincing Ford Motor Co. to direct many of the 4,500 new jobs involved in building Fiestas to the Ford plant in Cuautitlan, on the outskirts of Mexico City. Union leaders at the plant told The Associated Press they had agreed to cut wages for new hires to about half of the current wage of $4.50 per hour.

“We agreed to it,” said Ford union leader Juan Jose Sosa Arreola. “We need to be more competitive. That’s the truth. That’s a reality.”

Jobs still flowing south

The UAW had hoped to preserve American jobs by offering a two-tier wage system last fall, cutting starting wages for new U.S. workers by half to about $14.20 an hour. But it hasn’t worked — the jobs are flowing to Mexico, where starting wages at some plants also have been two-tiered, to as little as $1.50 per hour with a lot less of the related pension and health care costs of U.S. workers.

READ MORE 

June 2, 2008: Performance Transportation Services (PTS) is the latest Teamster employer to ask a bankruptcy court to impose concessions on its workers, in this case 1,300 carhaulers.

The company will be in court within days to ask for a 15 percent wage cut.

TDU - Teamsters for a Democratic Union

Performance Transportation Services (PTS) is the latest Teamster employer to ask a bankruptcy court to impose concessions on its workers–and 1,300 carhaulers are facing cuts.

The company has not specified the details, but the wage cut request will be at least 10 percent and could be as high as 17.5 percent, which would match the concession that the International gave to Allied Automotive Group a year ago.

The move comes at a terrible time, on the eve of the contract expiration on May 31. PTS is also attempting to pull out of the employers’ joint bargaining group to bargain separately with the union.

READ MORE

The International Union issued a statement calling on PTS to return to joint employer bargaining, and is conducting strike votes at PTS terminals this weekend.

Unfortunately, just six months ago, the International Union negotiated and supported a proposal that would have stuck the PTS Teamsters with a 17.5 percent wage cut. That was when the IBT signed a deal with Allied to acquire PTS, and cut PTS Teamster wages without PTS Teamsters being allowed to vote on it. Instead, the International Union conducted a vote of Allied Teamsters to modify their concessionary contract, and promised each voter a $2,000 bonus if the deal went through.

That deal fell apart, but IBT Carhaul Director Fred Zuckerman continues to act as if he works for Ron Burkle, the billionaire who owns Allied.

READ MORE

Teamster Negotiators Call on Company to Return to Multiemployer Talks

May 29, 2008

Performance Transportation Services, Inc. notified Teamster carhaul negotiators late on Thursday, May 29 that it has withdrawn from multiemployer contract talks. Union leaders quickly informed the company that it has no right to withdraw from the multiemployer bargaining negotiations, which have reached a critical stage after several months of intense bargaining.

The deadline for bargaining is midnight Saturday, May 31.

Read More 

Money would be used for UAW buyout program
DETROIT — General Motors has agreed to pay $200 million to help with employee buyouts and “buy-downs” to help resolve a crippling strike at American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc.
In a regulatory filing today, GM said the agreement is “predicated upon an expedited resolution to the ongoing strike called by the International UAW against American Axle.”
About 3,650 workers at five …  story 

UAW STRIKE AT AMERICAN AXLE

DETROIT — General Motors has told its dealers it has suspended production of some 2008 full-sized trucks and SUVs because of the American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings strike.

The vehicles:

• GMC Yukon

• GMC Denali

• GMC Sierra heavy-duty regular cab

• GMC Sierra heavy-duty extended cab

• GMC commercial heavy-duty

• Chevrolet Tahoes and same variants for Chevrolet full-sized trucks.

“Essentially, we’re not accepting any more orders,” says Randy Fox, GMC spokesman

READ MORE

May 1, 2008

Teamster leaders negotiating the National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement said both sides remain apart on key issues, but they are cautiously optimistic that the issues will be resolved.

National contract talks resume May 18-31 in Arlington, Virginia.

“We remain apart on key issues but we are making progress and we are cautiously optimistic that we will resolve the differences by the end of this month,” said Fred Zuckerman, Director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division.

The agreement, when reached, would be retroactive to May 31, when the current contract expires.

“When we are done, I fully expect that we will have protected our members’ health, welfare and pension benefits, and increased their job security,” Zuckerman said.

The current contract covers about 9,000 workers.

Meanwhile, carhaul Teamsters are invited to attend two of the remaining meetings at local unions to give input on what issues should be the priorities at the bargaining table.

Meetings have already been held in Detroit; Toledo, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and in Louisville, Kentucky.

The following meetings are scheduled:

• Dallas, Texas, Local 745, noon Sunday, May 4,

• Buffalo, New York, Local 449, 9 a.m. Saturday, May 10, and

• Lansing, Michigan, Local 580, 7 a.m. Monday, May 12.

READ MORE

May 2, 2008

Leaders from Local 89 in Louisville, Kentucky are trying to stop a Canadian company from assisting Ford in eliminating 450 Teamster jobs at a carhaul rail-loading and vehicle-handling company in the city.

Since 1956, Teamsters have been loading Ford vehicles since Ford’s Louisville Assembly plant opened that year. Teamsters have also loaded Ford vehicles since its Kentucky Truck plant opened in 1969.

READ MORE

UAW official: Half of striking workers will take buyouts

Two American Axle forging plants likely to close
DETROIT — The outgoing president of a key UAW local at American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. said today that he expects at least half of the 3,650 striking workers at the axle maker to take a buyout once a contract is completed.
Adrian King, president of UAW Local 235 representing workers at American Axle’s Detroit complex, said talks probably will last beyond the weekend. He said it … story Published: May 2 4:17 pm U.S. Eastern time [REG]

Ford to launch more UAW buyouts

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. will offer more buyouts to hourly workers at assembly plants in Chicago and Louisville, Ky.
Mark Fields, Ford President of the Americas, confirmed in an interview with Automotive News that those two plants will be part of another round of buyouts the automaker is about to begin. The new round will target only certain plants, and the offers have not gone out, … story

Protecting Benefits, Boosting Job Security are Top Priorities

April 23, 2008 ( original Article )

National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement talks resumed today, April 23, in Florence, Kentucky.

“Our goals continue to be protecting our members’ health, welfare and pension benefits, and increasing their job security,” said Fred Zuckerman, Carhaul Division Director.

The current contract, which covers about 9,000 workers, expires on May 31, 2008.

Talks this week are scheduled to run until Friday, April 25. Talks will continue May 18-31 in Arlington, Virginia.

Members Invited to Offer Ideas

April 17, 2008

READ MORE

The Teamsters Carhaul Division has scheduled meetings at local unions where members are invited to offer input about the national contract negotiations that are under way.

“Earlier this week about 80 members turned out at Local 299 in Detroit and we received great input from the members, and we hope to get more guidance at the upcoming meetings,” said Fred Zuckerman, Director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division. “We invite all carhaul Teamsters to attend the meetings and help us determine what the contract priorities should be.”

The following meetings have been scheduled at these local unions:

• Toledo, Ohio, Local 20, 9 a.m. Saturday, April 26;

• Dayton, Ohio, Local 957, 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26;

• Fort Wayne, Indiana, Local 414, 9 a.m. Sunday, April 27;

• Louisville, Kentucky, Local 89, 2 p.m. Monday, April 28;

• Dallas, Texas, Local 745, noon Sunday, May 4, and

• Lansing, Michigan, Local 580, 7 a.m. Monday, May 12.

National contract talks resume April 23 in Florence, Kentucky.

 April 15, 2008

TEAMSTER.ORG

On Monday, April 14, carhaul Teamsters who belong to Local 299 in Detroit provided valuable input to union leaders who are negotiating the national contract, with many members agreeing that contract changes are needed to boost job security.

“This meeting at our largest carhaul local union was a good opportunity for members to let us know what’s on their minds,” said Fred Zuckerman, Director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division. “For example, the members recognize that we need to revise Article 48 so that the employers have a better chance to compete against the non-union companies. This in turn will give our members more job security and the chance to earn more money with backhauls and fuller loads.”

David Barkholz
and Robert Sherefkin
Automotive News
April 8, 2008 - 3:18 pm ET

General Motors is reopening two assembly plants this month with axles supplied from Mexico by American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc., sources have told Automotive News.

The 7-week-old UAW strike at five American Axle plants had shut GM’s light-truck plant in Fort Wayne, Ind., until the company this week resumed production there of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM also intends to restart production of its full-sized pickups in Oshawa, Ontario, starting the week of Monday, April 21.

American Axle is supplying the plants from its factory in Guanajuato, Mexico, the sources said.

It is the same plant that has supplied axles and other parts throughout the strike to GM’s Silao, Mexico, factory and an SUV plant in Arlington, Texas.

Reuters
April 7, 2008 - 11:25 am ET

DETROIT (Reuters) — Top leaders of the UAW and American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. are to meet on Monday for the first time in months in what may be a positive development toward ending the union’s nearly six-week-old U.S. strike against the auto parts supplier.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger and American Axle CEO Dick Dauch have not met since negotiations opened in December.

READ MORE…