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Monday, December 25, 2017

XPO (Con-way) and The Teamsters – History

https://www.teamsters492.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=679680

XPO (Con-way) and The Teamsters – History   
As some of you may remember, non-union Con-way was created by CF-Consolidated Freightways in 1983. CF shutdown in 2002 while Con-way somehow continued to operate. Now known as XPO, who acquired Con-way in 2015, it has been a rough ride for the workers of this company as the non-union/anti-worker mantra seems to be embedded into the Company regardless of who owns it or what they name it. Recently published info about XPO’s horrible benefit package (really horrible when compared to union carriers ABF & YRC), shows the XPO workers are paying an average of $7556 per year, which does not include the additional out-of-pocket expenses if/when the worker uses the insurance. XPO’s best family insurance is a PPO plan called the “Classic Plan,” which includes very basic vision and dental coverage at extra cost and a possible additional “spouse surcharge”. XPO/Con-way also has no real retirement “plan” as their pension ceased being funded in 2007, XPO currently only has a mainly worker funded 401(k).  
For over 3 years now, the Teamsters Union has been actively responding to the calls that have come in from workers at XPO/Con-way across America. The Teamsters have had some organizing successes, but the anti-union Company has been actively fighting their own employee’s wishes to bargain as a collective voice.  You may have read about a dozen or so of these battles, but there is way more of a fight going on than you may be aware of. 
Con-way/XPO will not agree to Card Check Neutrality, but instead has taken the low road by doing everything they can, including spending tons of money to hire “union busters” and tying up the election and bargaining process in court. It seems XPO/Con-way would prefer to waste its money on lawyers and union busters rather than spend that same money on improving the lives and working conditions of its own employees, who they could not operate profitably without. XPO does not want their employees to have a collective voice or allow them to choose a representative who has their best interests at the bargaining table. You decide for yourself, here are some examples of their behavior:
There have been dozens of locations that have had workers/Unions file various petitions and/or charges with NLRB involving XPO/Con-way because the workers are tired of the way the company is treating them when they show interest in becoming Teamsters. In fact, an administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled Con-way Freight violated the rights of workers who were trying to form their Union with the Teamstersand required the company to re-hire two workers it unlawfully fired during an organizing campaign with full back pay, among other remedies. Administrative Judge Eleanor Laws wrote in her decision, “By instructing employees not to wear Union insignia, threatening employees for supporting the Union, filing criminal charges against an employee, suspending employees, and terminating employees because they supported the Union, the Respondent has engaged in unfair labor practices…” 
In September of 2015, XPO Logistics purchased Con-way Freight for $3 Billion. Over the last 3 years, the XPO/Con-way freight workers have been fighting for their right to collectively bargain. The brave workers have survived a huge Anti-Union battle being waged against them as they simply try to improve their workplace by having a collective voice. These workers voted for Teamster representation at terminals in Miami; North Haven, Conn.; and Philadelphia, Los Angeles; Laredo, Texas; Aurora, Illinois; and Trenton, NJ, but there is still not a single CBA in any of those 7 locations, even though multiple NLRB charges have been won by the Teamsters mandating XPO recognize the Teamsters as the bargaining agent and negotiate a contract. The Company has waged negotiating stall tactics including protesting the elections resulting in Teamster representation, but in September of 2016, The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected XPO Logistics’ bid to throw out a Union representation vote at Laredo, Texas, during 2014, and again in December 2016 and again by the Supreme Court in July of 2017 and has again ordered the company to negotiate in good faith with the Teamsters. 
Unfortunately, the anti-Union company has also been able to intimidate enough workers at many locations that the Teamsters have had to withdrawal election petitions and in some cases have lost some elections, many by a very small margin. 
Soon after Teamster organizing got under way at Con-way, in another effort to slow the organizing progress, Con-way announced it would increase truck driver pay 6% (spending about $60 million) starting Jan 4th, 2015, and make other improvements. “It seems more than mere coincidence that these two companies (Con-way and FedEx Freight) have announced significant pay increases just as hundreds of workers across the U.S. are approaching our local Unions seeking representation,” Tyson Johnson said. “The unfulfilled promises that have been made to drivers and dockworkers over the past decade are coming back to haunt management. Workers now realize the only way to achieve meaningful change in the workplace is to get it in writing in a binding contract.”

Friday, December 22, 2017

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Under Trump, Union Election Rules Could Be Tilted In Employers’ Favor



The newly conservative National Labor Relations Board may scrap worker-friendly reforms made under Obama.

Three years ago, federal officials overhauled the way union elections proceed in the workplace, streamlining the process to give employers less time to pressure workers not to join. The reform was long sought by labor groups who hoped the changes could make it a little easier to unionize.

But now, President Donald Trump has reshaped the National Labor Relations Board, the agency that oversees union elections. With a new conservative majority, the board is considering scrapping the worker-friendly reforms from the Obama years and bringing back the system that employers were fond of.

On Tuesday, the agency published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting feedback on the union election rules. The board asked whether it should keep the current rules in place, tweak them or simply revert to the old ones. Tellingly, it was the three Republican board members who’d approved the notice, while the two Democratic members disapproved.Read more at https://www.huffingtonpost.com





Friday, December 1, 2017

Teamsters ‘March on the Boss’ to Demand XPO Logistics Start Contract Talks

https://teamster.org/news/2017/11/teamsters-march-boss-demand-xpo-logistics-start-contract-talks

Drivers at Logistics Company Blast Company’s Mistreatment
PRESS CONTACT

Ted Gotsch

Phone: (202) 624-6911
(Aurora, Ill.) – Drivers at XPO Logistics in suburban Chicago who formed their union with Teamsters Local 179 in October 2016 “marched on the boss” today to demand that the company start negotiating a contract.
“XPO is mistreating us by refusing to come to the table more than a year after we voted to organize as Teamsters, which is completely unacceptable,” said Jose Ramirez, a driver at XPO in Aurora. “First we had to deal with high-priced union busters during the campaign who repeatedly lied to us, now the company has delayed and delayed the start of negotiations.”
This past July, the National Labor Relations Board ordered XPO to stop refusing to recognize Teamsters Local 179 as the exclusive bargaining representative and to start bargaining with Local 179.
The drivers presented management with a letter and signatures demanding that the company start bargaining right away.
“The drivers at XPO in Aurora stood strong and united during the campaign and they continue to remain strong, despite the company’s vicious anti-worker behavior toward them,” said Tom Flynn, President of Local 179 in Joliet. “We will continue to fight on behalf of the drivers to negotiate a strong contract that protects them and their families. The abuse of the workers must stop.”
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 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.



Thursday, November 16, 2017

Bernie Sanders meets with truck drivers “living an American nightmare”

https://cdllife.com/2017/video-bernie-sanders-meets-truck-drivers-living-american-nightmare/
Yesterday, Senator Bernie Sanders shared a video of his meeting with a group of port truck drivers who say that have been victimized by predatory labor practices.

Port Truck Drivers Share Stories Of Abuse By Predatory Trucking Companies



Wednesday, November 15, 2017

United Steelworkers


Why the Republican Tax Bill is Bad for Working People

The House GOP have released a plan to slash taxes for the rich by cutting services and tax breaks for working families. This bill jeopardizes American manufacturing and its workforce. It will weaken our economy and undermine our nation’s future. 
Rather than promoting growth from the ground up, the bill showers huge tax benefits on corporations and the wealthy. Here's what we know so far:
  1. The GOP tax bill would give huge tax cuts to big corporations that outsource jobs. This bill promotes further outsourcing by moving to a so-called “territorial” tax system that shields multinational companies from paying taxes on the factories and production they move to other countries. This legislation is a tax cut for the rich and powerful masquerading as reform. 
  2. The GOP bill is unfair to union members. Corporations can deduct payments to lawyers to fight unions, but union members can no longer deduct their union dues under this bill.
  3. The GOP tax bill favors corporations and millionaires over working people. Households making between $20,000 and $40,000 per year would ultimately pay more in taxes, while 45% of the tax benefits would go to those making more than $500,000.
  4. The GOP tax bill is bad for students. Tax deductions for student loan interest, tuition expenses and tuition assistance would be ended, as would tax credits for students to cover college expenses.
  5. The GOP tax bill would punish states that make the kind of investments that create good jobs. Repealing the deduction for state and local income taxes would make it harder for states to raise enough money to invest in high-quality education, infrastructure and good jobs.
  6. The GOP tax bill would increase the health care tax burden for low- and middle-income taxpayers, especially seniors and people with disabilities. Millions of Americans with high medical bills would no longer be able to deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses.
  7. Republicans want to (partially) pay for tax cuts with drastic cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and education. The GOP budget includes $5 trillion in budget cuts, including $1.5 trillion from Medicaid and Medicare; increases the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67; and ends Medicare’s guarantee of health coverage.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

End of the road: Will automation put an end to the American trucker?

http://www.msn.com
America's 2 million truckers have long been mythologized in popular culture. But self-driving trucks are set to lay waste to one of the country’s most beloved jobs – and the fallout could be huge.

Friday, September 22, 2017

XPO Exposed



Today, Teamsters across the United States and Canada handed out brochures outside XPO terminals. Here's Tony Seminary handbilling in Joliet, Illinois. The brochures describe XPO workers’ campaign for fairness and CEO Bradley Jacobs’ anti-worker tactics. The workers’ campaign to form their union as Teamsters is gaining momentum. Thanks to all the Teamsters who participated today.
#WeAreXPO

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Laredo Teamsters Stand Strong

XPO Laredo employees are still standing strong 3 years after voting for union representation. They continue to fight against XPO's tactics that include delays, court appeals, discouraging employees, and blaming our Teamster representatives for not having a contract. No matter how much money XPO has spent on lawyers and anti-union consultants, we are convinced that our best option to stop the abuse and terminations is to have a union. We must  continue to support union representation. Laredo teamsters are standing strong for our future!



























Monday, September 4, 2017

Saturday, September 2, 2017

XPO Workers Demand Fairness, Respect at XPO Logistics’ Terminals Nationwide

From https://teamster.org

Employees ‘March on the Boss’ to Demand Fair Bargaining
(WASHINGTON) – Workers at multiple locations across the nation today “marched on their bosses,” delivering a clear message to management and demands that XPO Logistics, Inc. bargain their contracts in good faith without delays. They also want the company to respect the rights of its workers to organize and form a union without intimidation or harassment.
“As Americans get ready to celebrate Labor Day, the XPO workers’ actions today remind us that the long, hard struggle for workers’ rights is far from over,” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said. “XPO continues to be the poster child of corporate greed, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on union busters while outsourcing and eliminating jobs and cutting workers’ benefits. At the same time, CEO Bradley Jacobs continues to enrich himself with a huge stock bonus and a 481 percent wage increase while workers continue to be squeezed.”.........https://teamster.org/news/2017/09/xpo-workers-demand-fairness-respect-xpo-logistics-terminals-nationwide

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Thursday, July 27, 2017

ITF Announces Formation of XPO Global Leadership Task Force

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) today unveiled an XPO global leadership group to tackle the company’s anti-worker, anti-union stance. The new initiative was announced by the organisation’s general secretary, Steve Cotton, from its inaugural meeting in Los Angeles, USA.
The ITF is a global federation representing over 16.5 million workers worldwide in 654 transport workers’ unions in 148 countries worldwide.  The newly formed task force will work to determine XPO Logistics campaign priorities and overall strategy with a focus on bringing justice to – and improving the lives of workers at – XPO facilities around the globe.  Thousands of XPO employees are currently represented by unions in Europe and by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in the US.
ITF general secretary Steve Cotton explained: “XPO is a worldwide logistics and transportation company that is making huge profits on the backs of its workers, and our member unions will stand together and combine our resources to fight the mistreatment and exploitation that is taking place. Together, we will help improve the lives of tens of thousands of XPO workers worldwide.”
James P Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, commented: “This is a very exciting development in the worldwide campaign for justice for workers at XPO here in North America, in Europe and around the globe.
“During our organising campaigns involving freight and warehouse workers, and in the campaign to stop XPO from misclassifying port workers, we have seen how XPO’s vicious anti-worker, anti-union tactics harm workers. This global task force will take XPO head on so that workers will be treated fairly, lawfully and with dignity.”
The new leadership group currently consists of nine members, including newly elected president of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), and president of the BTB Union in Belgium, Frank Moreels.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

After almost 3 years of delays, justice prevails in Laredo, TX. The NLRB ruled in our favor and XPO must now begin to negotiate with the Teamsters on a contract. We can now join our brothers in Miami and Philadelphia. Thanks to our brothers across the country and in Europe for all the support. The real fight has begun and we are determined to keep fighting for our rights to unionize.


Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Teamsters, Community Supporters Protest Unlawful Firings at XPO Logistic

https://teamster.org/news/2017/05/teamsters-community-supporters-protest-unlawful-firings-xpo-logistics
Group Demands That Company Reinstate Three Drivers


(HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J.) – A group of more than 50 Teamsters and supporters, including state lawmakers and the head of the state AFL-CIO, protested outside the XPO Logistics, Inc. terminal here today and demanded that the company reinstate three fired workers they say were punished for supporting a recent union drive.
“XPO has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to run vicious anti-worker, anti-union campaigns across the country, but the company has reached new lows by unlawfully firing three workers here in the Trenton area,” said Ernie Soehl, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division. “Our message is clear: we will not tolerate the company firing workers who are exercising their federally protected right to organize.”
The group included state Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Cranbury); state Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton Township); Charlie Wowkanech, President of the New Jersey AFL-CIO; Laurel Brennan, Secretary-Treasurer of the New Jersey AFL-CIO; and Jeff Sagnip, district director for Rep. Chris Smith (R), as well as AFSCME members. They marched on the XPO terminal and presented management with a letter demanding that the company meet to discuss the firings, and to reinstate the three workers. Management refused to meet with the group.
A group of 34 workers at XPO in Hamilton voted to join Teamsters Local 701 in North Brunswick on April 14. The three fired workers, Tom Bower, Ivo Cifelli and Laszlo Rituper, served on the union Organizing Committee.
Cifelli has logged nearly 500,000 accident-free miles and was hired by Con-way in 2010. “It was clear that we were fired for supporting the union,” he said. “We need a Teamster contract. Without a Teamster contract, this can happen to anyone.”
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. For more information about the XPO campaign, visit Facebook: XPO Exposed.

Sunday, May 14, 2017

from https://www.facebook.com/xpowearexpo/

XPO workers from around the country are standing strong with Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and International Transport Workers' Federation leaders Steve Cotton and Noel Coard at the Teamsters Unity conference today. They are sending a message to XPO that workers are united worldwide against the company’s greed. Workers are organizing for justice in the XPO supply chain. And We Will Win!
#WeAreXPO

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Leading Proxy Advisory Firm Slams XPO CEO’s Pay, Backs Disclosure of Labor Practices

from https://teamster.org/news
ISS Recommends Investors Vote FOR Teamster’sSustainability Proposal, Against ‘Say on Pay’

(WASHINGTON) – Leading independent proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) is recommending investors support a Teamster-sponsored shareholder resolution calling for enhanced disclosure of XPO Logistics Inc.’s (NYSE:XPO) human capital management performance, among other sustainability practices.
ISS is also advising against XPO’s advisory vote on executive pay (the so-called “Say-on-Pay” vote) due to a recent $20 million “mega-grant” to CEO Bradley Jacobs, a pay risk previously flagged by the Teamsters. Coupled with recent controversy over XPO’s workplace practices, the recommendations raise the specter of a contentious annual shareholder meeting when investors meet May 10 at XPO’s Greenwich, Conn. headquarters.
In supporting the Teamster’s sustainability proposal, ISS wrote that such reporting allows shareholders to better evaluate the potential risks, liabilities and opportunities of XPO’s practices and highlighted recent controversy over working conditions at an XPO warehouse operated on behalf of leading UK online clothing company, ASOS plc (LON:ASC). 
“Shareholders have every reason to be concerned about workplace practices, when the UK House of Commons’ Business Committee calls your employment contracts ‘exploitative’ and demands a Parliamentary inquiry into working conditions at one of your facilities,” Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall said.
In a detailed letter to investors, GST Hall also flagged the risks to long-term shareholder value from the company’s business model of labeling drivers independent contractors while treating them like employees. The California Labor Commissioner has called worker misclassification a form of “wage theft” and recently awarded $855,000 to four port and rail drivers working for XPO due to alleged misclassification of the drivers as independent contractors.
“This could be the canary in the proverbial coal mine for XPO shareholders,” Hall said, noting that numerous class action lawsuits were pending. “A sustainability report will allow investors to inspect what potential liabilities or risks to the current business model lie beneath the hood.”
In recommending against the company’s Say on Pay, ISS found a “high concern” for the alignment of pay and performance, noting that CEO Jacobs’ compensation was more than three times that of his peers and had increased nearly 200 percent over the past year – driven largely by a $20 million
“mega-grant” of equity in fiscal 2016. ISS said it was “unclear why the committee made an award of this magnitude,” adding that it was “particularly concerning given that there is no commitment to refrain from making additional grants during the [four-year] measurement period.”
“This feels like a crowning award for a CEO who still faces profound uncertainty over the underlying economics of his business model,” Hall said. “The board risks overvaluing its executive team and undervaluing its workforce.”
The Teamsters’ sustainability resolution calls for the publication of an annual sustainability report that covers, among other things, the company’s processes, practices and performance regarding human capital management and climate change.
XPO is one of the world’s largest global third-party logistics companies, providing transportation and logistical services to 63 percent of Fortune 100 companies.
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.