The preliminary agreement contains significant economic and language improvements for membership, as well as creative tools for companies to increase their market share, expand into new areas and improve service, while protecting and improving jobs, seniority, working conditions and pay opportunities for membership (for more information, see the interior). The commission also rejected many efforts by companies to impose co-country health premiums and other givebacks. Workers representing teamsters at YRC Freight, Holland and New Penn voted to approve the national master section of the new national labour safety agreement, which increases wages, reinstates a week off and protects benefits. Over the past decade, YRCW`s operating companies have made a series of declarations of intent (MOUs) that contained significant economic concessions necessary to enable the company to survive. At the beginning of the negotiations, the trade union committee noted not only the tendency to grant concessions, but also the need to move away from the structure of the agreement and return to a traditional NMFA contractual structure. The members have not had a new contract for almost a decade. The interim agreement succeeds, restores the traditional contract structure and provides for significant economic and non-economic improvements for The Teamsters. This situation has not been easy, as YRCW companies are still facing financial difficulties, need to improve equipment and must try to regain market share. Voting is done through the electoral system of BallotPoint`s electoral services. In the mailed package, members will find the agreement and a summary of the highlights, including questions and answers. But instead of a postal vote, members will find an individual passcode and simple instructions on how to use the passcode to vote over the phone or over the internet.
The national master part of the agreement, which has about 25,000 workers, has been ratified by a margin of 60 to 40 per cent. All contracts were also adopted, with the exception of one of the 27 regional complementary contracts (Joint Council 40). The national treaty will not enter into force until Joint Council 40 has been completed. The parties currently have an extension agreement. Employees should come forward to work as usual. “The negotiations have been very difficult and complex, but we strongly believe that we have negotiated an agreement that will protect the livelihoods of our members over the next five years,” said Ernie Soehl, Director of the Teamsters` National Labour Force Division. “Every member of our negotiating committee believes that YRCW companies cannot afford more money than is included in this preliminary agreement and that there is not a penny left to be gained. We have put the company at the absolute limit. The interim agreement contains many improvements, including: the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, founded in 1903, represents 1.4 million hard-working men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “we love” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.