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(PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST A NON-UNION TO UNION MERGER)
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MY SENIORITY IF FEDEX CANADA MERGES WITH PUROLATOR??
If you belong to a unionized FedEx station your seniority would carry over
and be dovetailed with the appropriate Purolator seniority list.
If you belong to a non-union FedEx station your seniority would start at the
time of the merger and be placed in order under the appropriate Purolator
seniority list.
WITH A POSSIBILITY OF A MERGER WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR SENIORITY????
Unionize your station today and protect yourself!!
www.fedexworkers.org
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Labor board rules in favor of MARB worker
Here is a good example if you decide to organize with us at FedEx Freight. There are laws in this country that protect employee's who organize its workforce. As long as you follow the rules, do your job correctly and don't threaten anyone, especially management, you will be fine.
We had an employee in Georgia,who made a remark," don't be surprise if this place burns down"' and Fedex fired him for making a "Terrorist Threat". Not for being pro-union, which he said there should be one here at FedEx. But for the threat!
Get educated on how to organize.Know what you can do and what you cannot do!
Rudy,
Organizer at FedEx Freight in
San Bernandino Ca.
Labor board rules in favor of MARB worker
09:08 PM PST on Friday, November
19, 2010
By JACK KATZANEK
The Press-Enterprise
The National Labor Relations Board has upheld a judge's 2009 decision that found in favor of a March Air Reserve Base worker who was fired after fallout from a union organizing campaign.
The case stemmed from an effort to organize workers at Satellite Services Inc., a Marquette, Mich.-based contractor that provided maintenance and operational support at the Riverside base.
Employee Raul "Rudy" Trejo had been attempting to convince his fellow workers to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Trejo was fired in October 2008, several months after he was admonished by his bosses for distributing union material on the base. He was also accused of using obscene language and misusing a government vehicle in the process.
Last year federal Administrative Law Judge Lana Parke ruled that Trejo's actions were legal under the National Labor Relations Act, which gives workers the right to talk about and join a union.
Also, Parke found that Satellite Services did not investigate thoroughly enough to prove that the incidents involving foul language and abusing a vehicle, which allegedly involved spinning its wheels so violently it sprayed gravel, ever happened.
The judge, following a hearing held in Riverside in July 2009, ordered Trejo made whole for the discharge, meaning either he'd be reinstated with back pay or receive back pay if he doesn't want to be rehired.
Late last month, three members of the labor board sitting in Washington issued an opinion that upheld the judge's decision.
We had an employee in Georgia,who made a remark," don't be surprise if this place burns down"' and Fedex fired him for making a "Terrorist Threat". Not for being pro-union, which he said there should be one here at FedEx. But for the threat!
Get educated on how to organize.Know what you can do and what you cannot do!
Rudy,
Organizer at FedEx Freight in
San Bernandino Ca.
Labor board rules in favor of MARB worker
09:08 PM PST on Friday, November
19, 2010
By JACK KATZANEK
The Press-Enterprise
The National Labor Relations Board has upheld a judge's 2009 decision that found in favor of a March Air Reserve Base worker who was fired after fallout from a union organizing campaign.
The case stemmed from an effort to organize workers at Satellite Services Inc., a Marquette, Mich.-based contractor that provided maintenance and operational support at the Riverside base.
Employee Raul "Rudy" Trejo had been attempting to convince his fellow workers to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Trejo was fired in October 2008, several months after he was admonished by his bosses for distributing union material on the base. He was also accused of using obscene language and misusing a government vehicle in the process.
Last year federal Administrative Law Judge Lana Parke ruled that Trejo's actions were legal under the National Labor Relations Act, which gives workers the right to talk about and join a union.
Also, Parke found that Satellite Services did not investigate thoroughly enough to prove that the incidents involving foul language and abusing a vehicle, which allegedly involved spinning its wheels so violently it sprayed gravel, ever happened.
The judge, following a hearing held in Riverside in July 2009, ordered Trejo made whole for the discharge, meaning either he'd be reinstated with back pay or receive back pay if he doesn't want to be rehired.
Late last month, three members of the labor board sitting in Washington issued an opinion that upheld the judge's decision.
Buffett says rich people should pay higher taxes
By Juliann Neher
Bloomberg News
WASHINGTON — Billionaire Warren Buffett said that rich people should pay more in taxes and that Bush-era tax cuts for top earners should be allowed to expire at the end of December.
"If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further," Buffett said in an interview on ABC's This Week With Christiane Amanpour that is scheduled to air next Sunday. "But I think that people at the high end — people like myself — should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to take up President Barack Obama's plan to extend some of the tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush when the House returns after Thanksgiving. The legislation would retain lower tax rates and increased credits that apply only to the first $250,000 of a married couple's gross income or $200,000 of a single person's.
Unless Congress acts, income tax rates will rise across the board, tax credits that benefit families will be slashed, and tax rates on capital gains and dividends will increase.
"The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you," Buffett, chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said in the interview. "But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on."
House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer didn't rule out backing a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000 a year. He said Sunday he plans to discuss the matter with Obama.
"I'm certainly going to talk to him about how we move the ball forward," Hoyer said on the CBS Face the Nation program.
Bloomberg News
WASHINGTON — Billionaire Warren Buffett said that rich people should pay more in taxes and that Bush-era tax cuts for top earners should be allowed to expire at the end of December.
"If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further," Buffett said in an interview on ABC's This Week With Christiane Amanpour that is scheduled to air next Sunday. "But I think that people at the high end — people like myself — should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to take up President Barack Obama's plan to extend some of the tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush when the House returns after Thanksgiving. The legislation would retain lower tax rates and increased credits that apply only to the first $250,000 of a married couple's gross income or $200,000 of a single person's.
Unless Congress acts, income tax rates will rise across the board, tax credits that benefit families will be slashed, and tax rates on capital gains and dividends will increase.
"The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you," Buffett, chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said in the interview. "But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on."
House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer didn't rule out backing a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000 a year. He said Sunday he plans to discuss the matter with Obama.
"I'm certainly going to talk to him about how we move the ball forward," Hoyer said on the CBS Face the Nation program.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
False equivalency watch: Union versus corporate spending
Written by Allison Kilkenny
October 28th, 2010 at 9:56 am
I overheard CNN’s John Roberts worrying his pretty, neatly-coiffed anchor head about the vast amount of cash being pumped into this election cycle from outside entities. He’s right to be concerned. So far, $4 billion has been spent on the midterms, which according to Open Secrets, is enough cash to “run the city of Pittsburgh for two years, [b]uy every resident of Topeka a nice used car, [o]r treat each and every American to a Big Mac and fries.”
Have I mentioned one in eight Americans is on food stamps? Mm’k.
But the strange part happened when Roberts appeared to draw a false equivalency between unions and corporate spending. He kept lumping the two sources together as though unions were spending just as much on the midterms as outside corporate influences. That’s all shades of wrong.
Election 2010 to Shatter Spending Records as Republicans Benefit from Late Cash Surge
This outside money, made considerably easier to raise and spend by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision primarily purchases television, radio and print advertisements. Sometimes, these messages promote a candidate.
But often, they attack politicos. And of this spending, about $176.5 million has come from non-party-committee conservative organizations, through Wednesday. That compares to $81.6 million from non-party-committee liberal organizations. In four U.S. Senate races, outside groups have spent more than the candidates themselves through mid-October.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ($34 million), American Action Network ($22.1 million), the Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads ($19.9 million) and Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies ($16.2 million) and ranked one, two, three and four among outside organizations spending money on independent expenditures, electioneering communications and other political communication costs through Wednesday. All are overtly conservative organizations.
They’re followed in fifth and sixth place by two liberal labor unions – Service Employees International Union ($15.5 million) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ($11.8 million).
So the outside corporate influences (Chamber, AAN, American Crossroads -which discloses its donors- and Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, which does not,) have thus far spent a total of some $92.2 million dollars on the midterm elections, while unions have spent $27.3 million, less than a third of corporate spending.
Certainly, $27.3 million isn’t chump change, but it’s important to keep these things in perspective. Outside corporate groups are spending way, way, way more than labor unions. Most importantly, while unions must disclose their donors, groups like Crossroads GPS can use virtually unlimited funds from anonymous sources for the sole purpose of undermining the public sector, which of course includes things like federal workers and unions.
This is the first election after the Citizens United ruling, and we’re beginning to see the effect of SCOTUS’s decision. Unfortunately, private business will always be able to outspend labor unions, which is partially why the labor movement has been diminishing over the past few decades. But now the process is really accelerating. Consider these figures from Open Secrets:
In 2006, the federal midterm election cost $2.85 billion, while in 2002, it cost $2.18 billion. The 1998 election cost just $1.61 billion. Races during the 2004 presidential election cycle are tallied at $4.14 billion – only a small fraction more than the predicted cost of the 2010 midterm cycle. The 2008 presidential election cycle, at nearly $5.3 billion, remains the most expensive overall.
Now we’re talking about $4 billion on a mid-term election, a large chunk of it from outside, sometimes anonymous, sources. There’s just no way small, individual donors can compete with that cash machine.
In a democracy, every vote is supposed to have equal weight. But in hyper-Capitalistic America, the rich can buy influence, and the rest of us get left behind. That’s what’s happening here. To frame it as “both unions and corporations” hijacking the democratic process is really misleading. By far, it is corporate spending which has corrupted the political system.
October 28th, 2010 at 9:56 am
I overheard CNN’s John Roberts worrying his pretty, neatly-coiffed anchor head about the vast amount of cash being pumped into this election cycle from outside entities. He’s right to be concerned. So far, $4 billion has been spent on the midterms, which according to Open Secrets, is enough cash to “run the city of Pittsburgh for two years, [b]uy every resident of Topeka a nice used car, [o]r treat each and every American to a Big Mac and fries.”
Have I mentioned one in eight Americans is on food stamps? Mm’k.
But the strange part happened when Roberts appeared to draw a false equivalency between unions and corporate spending. He kept lumping the two sources together as though unions were spending just as much on the midterms as outside corporate influences. That’s all shades of wrong.
Election 2010 to Shatter Spending Records as Republicans Benefit from Late Cash Surge
This outside money, made considerably easier to raise and spend by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision primarily purchases television, radio and print advertisements. Sometimes, these messages promote a candidate.
But often, they attack politicos. And of this spending, about $176.5 million has come from non-party-committee conservative organizations, through Wednesday. That compares to $81.6 million from non-party-committee liberal organizations. In four U.S. Senate races, outside groups have spent more than the candidates themselves through mid-October.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ($34 million), American Action Network ($22.1 million), the Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads ($19.9 million) and Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies ($16.2 million) and ranked one, two, three and four among outside organizations spending money on independent expenditures, electioneering communications and other political communication costs through Wednesday. All are overtly conservative organizations.
They’re followed in fifth and sixth place by two liberal labor unions – Service Employees International Union ($15.5 million) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ($11.8 million).
So the outside corporate influences (Chamber, AAN, American Crossroads -which discloses its donors- and Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, which does not,) have thus far spent a total of some $92.2 million dollars on the midterm elections, while unions have spent $27.3 million, less than a third of corporate spending.
Certainly, $27.3 million isn’t chump change, but it’s important to keep these things in perspective. Outside corporate groups are spending way, way, way more than labor unions. Most importantly, while unions must disclose their donors, groups like Crossroads GPS can use virtually unlimited funds from anonymous sources for the sole purpose of undermining the public sector, which of course includes things like federal workers and unions.
This is the first election after the Citizens United ruling, and we’re beginning to see the effect of SCOTUS’s decision. Unfortunately, private business will always be able to outspend labor unions, which is partially why the labor movement has been diminishing over the past few decades. But now the process is really accelerating. Consider these figures from Open Secrets:
In 2006, the federal midterm election cost $2.85 billion, while in 2002, it cost $2.18 billion. The 1998 election cost just $1.61 billion. Races during the 2004 presidential election cycle are tallied at $4.14 billion – only a small fraction more than the predicted cost of the 2010 midterm cycle. The 2008 presidential election cycle, at nearly $5.3 billion, remains the most expensive overall.
Now we’re talking about $4 billion on a mid-term election, a large chunk of it from outside, sometimes anonymous, sources. There’s just no way small, individual donors can compete with that cash machine.
In a democracy, every vote is supposed to have equal weight. But in hyper-Capitalistic America, the rich can buy influence, and the rest of us get left behind. That’s what’s happening here. To frame it as “both unions and corporations” hijacking the democratic process is really misleading. By far, it is corporate spending which has corrupted the political system.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
James Hoffa Interview on The Ed Schulz Show 11-9-10
Joining me now is James Hoffa, the president of the Teamsters Union.
Mr. Hoffa, good to have you with us tonight.
JAMES HOFFA, PRESIDENT, TEAMSTERS UNION: How are you doing, Ed? Good to be here.
SCHULTZ: I‘m doing great, sir.
The 50,000 jobs that the president is talking about that are going to be created because of our trade dealings with India, do you buy that? And where are these jobs?
HOFFA: It‘s a drop in the bucket. Let‘s look at the entire picture that you have been talking about.
We‘re losing millions of jobs. It is not 50,000 jobs. We have lost millions of jobs to Mexico, India, China, and it continues today.
Last month, Whirlpool closed down a plant, 1,300 Americans laid off in Indiana, and they moved it to Mexico. It‘s going on as we speak right now. It hasn‘t stopped.
And when we talk about outsourcing, that‘s an easy word. It sounds—
“outsourcing,” it sounds like it doesn‘t hurt anybody. We‘re closing down plants of workers in America.
Your fellow Americans are losing their jobs. They‘ve worked there 30 years. They‘re closing the plant down, most of the time taking all of the equipment and moving it to Mexico, or somewhere else.
We‘ve got to stop this hemorrhaging. Jobs, jobs, jobs. And the jobs that are leaving America are the good jobs, the high-paying jobs, the manufacturing jobs, the union jobs, where people make good wages, they have good health care, they have pensions.
Those are the jobs that are being shipped out of this country. We‘ve got to stop this.
You know, when the president ran, he talked about renegotiating NAFTA.
That was a great issue.
When you go in front of workers as you have—you‘ve done town halls, I do it, too—you talk about, NAFTA‘s bad, NAFTA‘s cost jobs. Everybody can say that‘s right. We‘ve got to make sure that trade agreements open up and create jobs, not lose jobs. And what‘s happened is that the previous administrations going back to Bill Clinton have lost their way when it comes to trade, when it comes to NAFTA, CAFTA, China PNTR.
These have been terrible mistakes that have basically cost us millions of jobs, and we continue to hemorrhage jobs. The jobs aren‘t coming here, the jobs are going there. And every time they buy a company, they close it down, they put everything on a boat, and they take it back to China, or it goes on a railroad car to Mexico.
So, if we want to talk about jobs, let‘s talk about stopping this hole. Let‘s talk about negotiating good trade agreements that are ones that create jobs, instead of sending jobs overseas.
Take Korea right now. Korea basically is one of the most walled-off countries right now. They won‘t let American cars in, they won‘t listen, you can‘t let different types of products, agricultural products, because they‘re a closed economy.
But what do they do to our country? They‘re shipping Hyundais over here, all kinds of cars are filling our highways. And they get away with it. We can‘t send one car there.
That is wrong, and we have to have people that will stand up for the American worker and have good trade agreements that, when you go over there, you‘re going to say you‘re going to open up your economy and you‘re going to be able to buy American products. That‘s the solution.
SCHULTZ: Mr. Hoffa, has your expectation and has labor‘s expectations been diminished with this president and the Democratic Party? I mean, the only people that can change trade agreements and push change at this point are the people in charge and the people in power, and it was not a good day at the office one week ago tonight for wage earners in this country.
What are your expectations right now?
HOFFA: Well, the answer is it‘s obviously a lot darker now because we have lost so many Democrats that were standing up for the American worker. Now, we‘ve got the Republicans you talked about that can hardly wait to send more jobs overseas. They are pawns of big business.
So they are basically eager to send these jobs overseas. So it‘s going to be harder. But I want you to know that organized labor are the ones that are standing up and saying, no, we are going to make sure that we don‘t pass these trade bills that send American jobs overseas.
You know, the idea is, with this administration and other administrations, any trade deal—a trade deal is good. Well, that‘s not true. A trade deal that sends American jobs overseas and, basically, ,we don‘t get any access to their markets, that‘s not a good trade agreement. And nobody can get that through their head in Washington.
SCHULTZ: Mr. Hoffa, thanks for speaking up tonight. It‘s a story that we are just not going to let go, and because this is going to go on.
And I‘m afraid that the Democrats are fallen prey to the corporations and the right wing of this country that can‘t get enough of getting rid of jobs in this country. It‘s who we are, it‘s where we are as a country now. It is an identity crisis when it comes to how we feel and how we view the importance of American workers.
Thanks, James. I appreciate your time tonight. Thank you.
HOFFA: Thank you
Mr. Hoffa, good to have you with us tonight.
JAMES HOFFA, PRESIDENT, TEAMSTERS UNION: How are you doing, Ed? Good to be here.
SCHULTZ: I‘m doing great, sir.
The 50,000 jobs that the president is talking about that are going to be created because of our trade dealings with India, do you buy that? And where are these jobs?
HOFFA: It‘s a drop in the bucket. Let‘s look at the entire picture that you have been talking about.
We‘re losing millions of jobs. It is not 50,000 jobs. We have lost millions of jobs to Mexico, India, China, and it continues today.
Last month, Whirlpool closed down a plant, 1,300 Americans laid off in Indiana, and they moved it to Mexico. It‘s going on as we speak right now. It hasn‘t stopped.
And when we talk about outsourcing, that‘s an easy word. It sounds—
“outsourcing,” it sounds like it doesn‘t hurt anybody. We‘re closing down plants of workers in America.
Your fellow Americans are losing their jobs. They‘ve worked there 30 years. They‘re closing the plant down, most of the time taking all of the equipment and moving it to Mexico, or somewhere else.
We‘ve got to stop this hemorrhaging. Jobs, jobs, jobs. And the jobs that are leaving America are the good jobs, the high-paying jobs, the manufacturing jobs, the union jobs, where people make good wages, they have good health care, they have pensions.
Those are the jobs that are being shipped out of this country. We‘ve got to stop this.
You know, when the president ran, he talked about renegotiating NAFTA.
That was a great issue.
When you go in front of workers as you have—you‘ve done town halls, I do it, too—you talk about, NAFTA‘s bad, NAFTA‘s cost jobs. Everybody can say that‘s right. We‘ve got to make sure that trade agreements open up and create jobs, not lose jobs. And what‘s happened is that the previous administrations going back to Bill Clinton have lost their way when it comes to trade, when it comes to NAFTA, CAFTA, China PNTR.
These have been terrible mistakes that have basically cost us millions of jobs, and we continue to hemorrhage jobs. The jobs aren‘t coming here, the jobs are going there. And every time they buy a company, they close it down, they put everything on a boat, and they take it back to China, or it goes on a railroad car to Mexico.
So, if we want to talk about jobs, let‘s talk about stopping this hole. Let‘s talk about negotiating good trade agreements that are ones that create jobs, instead of sending jobs overseas.
Take Korea right now. Korea basically is one of the most walled-off countries right now. They won‘t let American cars in, they won‘t listen, you can‘t let different types of products, agricultural products, because they‘re a closed economy.
But what do they do to our country? They‘re shipping Hyundais over here, all kinds of cars are filling our highways. And they get away with it. We can‘t send one car there.
That is wrong, and we have to have people that will stand up for the American worker and have good trade agreements that, when you go over there, you‘re going to say you‘re going to open up your economy and you‘re going to be able to buy American products. That‘s the solution.
SCHULTZ: Mr. Hoffa, has your expectation and has labor‘s expectations been diminished with this president and the Democratic Party? I mean, the only people that can change trade agreements and push change at this point are the people in charge and the people in power, and it was not a good day at the office one week ago tonight for wage earners in this country.
What are your expectations right now?
HOFFA: Well, the answer is it‘s obviously a lot darker now because we have lost so many Democrats that were standing up for the American worker. Now, we‘ve got the Republicans you talked about that can hardly wait to send more jobs overseas. They are pawns of big business.
So they are basically eager to send these jobs overseas. So it‘s going to be harder. But I want you to know that organized labor are the ones that are standing up and saying, no, we are going to make sure that we don‘t pass these trade bills that send American jobs overseas.
You know, the idea is, with this administration and other administrations, any trade deal—a trade deal is good. Well, that‘s not true. A trade deal that sends American jobs overseas and, basically, ,we don‘t get any access to their markets, that‘s not a good trade agreement. And nobody can get that through their head in Washington.
SCHULTZ: Mr. Hoffa, thanks for speaking up tonight. It‘s a story that we are just not going to let go, and because this is going to go on.
And I‘m afraid that the Democrats are fallen prey to the corporations and the right wing of this country that can‘t get enough of getting rid of jobs in this country. It‘s who we are, it‘s where we are as a country now. It is an identity crisis when it comes to how we feel and how we view the importance of American workers.
Thanks, James. I appreciate your time tonight. Thank you.
HOFFA: Thank you
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Organizing Meeting At Local 952
Organizing Meeting At Local 952
DATE: SUNDAY, November 14,2010
TIME: 8:30-11:00 A.M.
PLACE: TEAMSTERS LOCAL 952
140 S. MARKS WAY, ORANGE
THE TIME TO ORGANIZE IS NOW!
Bring a co-worker to their first meeting or a spouse and
even an LTL,Express or Ground employee!
DATE: SUNDAY, November 14,2010
TIME: 8:30-11:00 A.M.
PLACE: TEAMSTERS LOCAL 952
140 S. MARKS WAY, ORANGE
THE TIME TO ORGANIZE IS NOW!
Bring a co-worker to their first meeting or a spouse and
even an LTL,Express or Ground employee!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
F.Y.I. Russ
YRC Worldwide CEO Indicates Co. May Counter Sue ABF Freight.
By Bob Sechler, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
YRC Worldwide Inc. (YRCW) Chief Executive Bill Zollars called a legal challenge to the struggling trucking company's critical new labor concessions meritless on Friday, saying YRC likely will counter sue in the case.
ABF Freight System Inc., the largest subsidiary of YRC Worldwide rival Arkansas Best Corp. (ABFS), filed a lawsuit this week against YRC and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. ABF contends YRC's latest union concessions, as well as two previous rounds of concessions, violate the collective bargaining agreement governing the bulk of employees at unionized U.S. trucking companies, tilting the playing field in YRC's favor in terms of costs.
"There's a very high likelihood" that YRC will sue ABF Freight as part of its response, Zollars said in an interview. "We think the suit is completely without merit, and we're approaching it on that basis as we defend ourselves here."
YRC said ABF isn't a party to YRC's labor contract and the suit "is in direct contradiction to laws governing labor contracts." The Teamsters have called the complaint frivolous.
Zollars downplayed the prospect that ABF's complaint could become a significant new obstacle in YRC's recovery effort.
YRC, struggling under a heavy debt load, has said the latest concessions will save it $350 million annually.
"We're talking to our lenders, and they understand the situation" and are supportive, Zollars said, although he added that it's unclear how long it will take for the issue to play out.
YRC shares were off 54 cents, or 11.3%, in recent trading, at $4.22, after the company reported a third-quarter loss that slightly exceeded Wall Street expectations. As of Thursday's close, the stock has fallen 77% this year on a split-adjusted basis.
Meanwhile, Zollars said the company's search for his replacement is focusing primarily on outside candidates. Zollars announced in September that he plans to retire, although he said he will stay until YRC's recovery plan is in place.
"We have a few things to get done here before a new CEO steps in," Zollars said Friday. He said it's "hard to tell" at this point if he will remain past Dec. 31.
-By Bob Sechler, Dow Jones Newswires; 512-258-1690; bob.sechler@dowjones.co
By Bob Sechler, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
YRC Worldwide Inc. (YRCW) Chief Executive Bill Zollars called a legal challenge to the struggling trucking company's critical new labor concessions meritless on Friday, saying YRC likely will counter sue in the case.
ABF Freight System Inc., the largest subsidiary of YRC Worldwide rival Arkansas Best Corp. (ABFS), filed a lawsuit this week against YRC and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. ABF contends YRC's latest union concessions, as well as two previous rounds of concessions, violate the collective bargaining agreement governing the bulk of employees at unionized U.S. trucking companies, tilting the playing field in YRC's favor in terms of costs.
"There's a very high likelihood" that YRC will sue ABF Freight as part of its response, Zollars said in an interview. "We think the suit is completely without merit, and we're approaching it on that basis as we defend ourselves here."
YRC said ABF isn't a party to YRC's labor contract and the suit "is in direct contradiction to laws governing labor contracts." The Teamsters have called the complaint frivolous.
Zollars downplayed the prospect that ABF's complaint could become a significant new obstacle in YRC's recovery effort.
YRC, struggling under a heavy debt load, has said the latest concessions will save it $350 million annually.
"We're talking to our lenders, and they understand the situation" and are supportive, Zollars said, although he added that it's unclear how long it will take for the issue to play out.
YRC shares were off 54 cents, or 11.3%, in recent trading, at $4.22, after the company reported a third-quarter loss that slightly exceeded Wall Street expectations. As of Thursday's close, the stock has fallen 77% this year on a split-adjusted basis.
Meanwhile, Zollars said the company's search for his replacement is focusing primarily on outside candidates. Zollars announced in September that he plans to retire, although he said he will stay until YRC's recovery plan is in place.
"We have a few things to get done here before a new CEO steps in," Zollars said Friday. He said it's "hard to tell" at this point if he will remain past Dec. 31.
-By Bob Sechler, Dow Jones Newswires; 512-258-1690; bob.sechler@dowjones.co
Friday, November 5, 2010
SBO Management Still Talking YRC and Anti-Union Tactiics
Russ ask me how I liked the new teamster contract and I told him it was good. He gave me a funny look like I was crazy or stupid. I had to explain to him that it was good the teamsters are willing to take concession's and keep a company in business. I had to remind him about when Roadway purchased Viking and then started buying other companies that were losers and almost bankrupted them. That's the same thing that is happening now to YRC. I said it sounds like they have a bad management team.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Teamsters Ratification of Labor Contract Accomplishes Key YRC Worldwide Objective
October 30, 2010
Teamsters Ratification of Labor Contract Accomplishes Key YRC Worldwide Objective
- Extends Labor Contract through March 31, 2015 - Changes Designed to Drive Cost Reductions and Service Enhancements
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Oct 30, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- YRC Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq: YRCW) announced today an important step in the company's comprehensive recovery plan, with a majority of its employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters voting '"yes" to ratify a modified labor agreement. The new labor contract extends the previous agreement, slated to expire in 2013, until March 31, 2015. Importantly, the new labor contract addresses the company's competitiveness, re-entry into multi-employer pension funds and progress toward long-term growth.
"This new labor contract positions our company for improved performance by providing a long-term market competitive cost structure as well as enhanced efficiency to meet the demands of today's transportation and supply chain customers," said Mike Smid, President of YRC Inc. and Chief Operations Officer of YRC Worldwide. "Given the progress we have made over the last two quarters, this new labor agreement provides a strong foundation for long-term growth."
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words "designed," "positions" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. It is important to note that the company's actual future results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements because of a number of factors, including (among others) whether multi-employer pension funds to which we contribute approve our re-entry into the funds and the terms and conditions of any re-entry, our ability to generate sufficient cash flows and liquidity to fund operations, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, inflation, inclement weather, price and availability of fuel, sudden changes in the cost of fuel or the index upon which the company bases its fuel surcharge, competitor pricing activity, expense volatility, including (without limitation) expense volatility due to changes in rail service or pricing for rail service, ability to capture cost reductions, changes in equity and debt markets, a downturn in general or regional economic activity, effects of a terrorist attack, labor relations, including (without limitation) the impact of work rules, work stoppages, strikes or other disruptions, any obligations to multi-employer health, welfare and pension plans, wage requirements and employee satisfaction, and the risk factors that are from time to time included in the company's reports filed with the SEC.
The company's expectations regarding the benefits from the new labor contract are only its expectations regarding this matter. The wage, benefit and work rule concessions in the new labor contract may cease if a committee representing the Teamsters ("TNFINC") exercises its rights in the new labor contract described below.
•TNFINC was given the right to approve certain changes of control applicable to the company. If TNFINC approval is not received, TNFINC may declare the wage, benefit and work rule concessions null and void on a prospective basis.
•In the event of a bankruptcy of the company, TNFINC may declare the wage, benefit and work rule concessions null and void.
•The company expects to begin discussions to restructure the debt under its credit agreement, which may include additional capital investment (debt and/or equity) by third parties in a recapitalization. The new labor contract provides the following:
◦TNFINC would have the right to approve the various transactions comprising the restructuring/recapitalization.
◦If TNFINC's approval is not obtained, TNFINC may declare the wage, benefit and work rule concessions null and void on a prospective basis, and the company would owe its Teamster employees an amount equal to the concessions that in fact benefited the company prior to the termination.
◦TNFINC would have significant rights to participate in the restructuring/recapitalization discussions.
◦In deciding whether to give its approval to a restructuring/recapitalization, TNFINC could demand on behalf of Teamster represented employees of the company's subsidiaries additional compensation if negotiated performance triggers are met, equity participation, specified terms in the restructuring, specified indebtedness levels resulting from the transactions, governance rights and financial viability criteria.
◦The company is required to enter into definitive agreements to effect the restructuring/ recapitalization by December 31, 2010 and close those transactions by March 31, 2011, or in each case, such later date as TNFINC would agree and, in each case, on terms and conditions that TNFINC approves.
Teamsters Ratification of Labor Contract Accomplishes Key YRC Worldwide Objective
- Extends Labor Contract through March 31, 2015 - Changes Designed to Drive Cost Reductions and Service Enhancements
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Oct 30, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- YRC Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq: YRCW) announced today an important step in the company's comprehensive recovery plan, with a majority of its employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters voting '"yes" to ratify a modified labor agreement. The new labor contract extends the previous agreement, slated to expire in 2013, until March 31, 2015. Importantly, the new labor contract addresses the company's competitiveness, re-entry into multi-employer pension funds and progress toward long-term growth.
"This new labor contract positions our company for improved performance by providing a long-term market competitive cost structure as well as enhanced efficiency to meet the demands of today's transportation and supply chain customers," said Mike Smid, President of YRC Inc. and Chief Operations Officer of YRC Worldwide. "Given the progress we have made over the last two quarters, this new labor agreement provides a strong foundation for long-term growth."
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words "designed," "positions" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. It is important to note that the company's actual future results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements because of a number of factors, including (among others) whether multi-employer pension funds to which we contribute approve our re-entry into the funds and the terms and conditions of any re-entry, our ability to generate sufficient cash flows and liquidity to fund operations, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, inflation, inclement weather, price and availability of fuel, sudden changes in the cost of fuel or the index upon which the company bases its fuel surcharge, competitor pricing activity, expense volatility, including (without limitation) expense volatility due to changes in rail service or pricing for rail service, ability to capture cost reductions, changes in equity and debt markets, a downturn in general or regional economic activity, effects of a terrorist attack, labor relations, including (without limitation) the impact of work rules, work stoppages, strikes or other disruptions, any obligations to multi-employer health, welfare and pension plans, wage requirements and employee satisfaction, and the risk factors that are from time to time included in the company's reports filed with the SEC.
The company's expectations regarding the benefits from the new labor contract are only its expectations regarding this matter. The wage, benefit and work rule concessions in the new labor contract may cease if a committee representing the Teamsters ("TNFINC") exercises its rights in the new labor contract described below.
•TNFINC was given the right to approve certain changes of control applicable to the company. If TNFINC approval is not received, TNFINC may declare the wage, benefit and work rule concessions null and void on a prospective basis.
•In the event of a bankruptcy of the company, TNFINC may declare the wage, benefit and work rule concessions null and void.
•The company expects to begin discussions to restructure the debt under its credit agreement, which may include additional capital investment (debt and/or equity) by third parties in a recapitalization. The new labor contract provides the following:
◦TNFINC would have the right to approve the various transactions comprising the restructuring/recapitalization.
◦If TNFINC's approval is not obtained, TNFINC may declare the wage, benefit and work rule concessions null and void on a prospective basis, and the company would owe its Teamster employees an amount equal to the concessions that in fact benefited the company prior to the termination.
◦TNFINC would have significant rights to participate in the restructuring/recapitalization discussions.
◦In deciding whether to give its approval to a restructuring/recapitalization, TNFINC could demand on behalf of Teamster represented employees of the company's subsidiaries additional compensation if negotiated performance triggers are met, equity participation, specified terms in the restructuring, specified indebtedness levels resulting from the transactions, governance rights and financial viability criteria.
◦The company is required to enter into definitive agreements to effect the restructuring/ recapitalization by December 31, 2010 and close those transactions by March 31, 2011, or in each case, such later date as TNFINC would agree and, in each case, on terms and conditions that TNFINC approves.
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