Winter 2013 Vol. 1 No. 3

Winter 2013
Vol 1 / No 3
Teamsters Report
OUR AGENDA: ELECTIONS,
BARGAINING AND INTEGRATION
RON
HOLZGEN
SECRETARY-TREASURER
[email protected]
PROUDLY SERVING TEAMSTERS
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE
OF MICHIGAN
The votes are in – and I want to thank
you for your confidence in returning the
entire Executive Board of Local 406 for
another three years in office starting Jan. 1,
2014.
Returning officers are:
• Ron Holzgen, Secretary-Treasurer
• George Sorenson, President
• Robert Kokx, Vice President
• Terry Hoogerhyde, Recording
Secretary
ORGANIZED LABOR
• John Goodin, Trustee
REMAINS UNDER FIRE FROM
BUSINESSES, LEGISLATORS
• Brian Groeneveld, Trustee
AND OTHER OPPONENTS.
• Terry Szczepanski, Trustee
We face some daunting challenges in the years ahead. The middle class continues to struggle to hold
ground when it comes to wages and benefits. Organized labor remains under fire from businesses, legislators
and other opponents. The economy continues to improve, but not at a pace that any of us are comfortable with.
Going forward, our focus will be three-fold:
• Our top priority is the election cycle of 2014. It is absolutely vital that we elect legislators who will support Labor’s agenda and roll back the right-wing anti-union legislation that we have seen enacted since
2010. Local 406 is going to spend some resources – and a tremendous amount of energy – in educating
our membership about candidates and issues in advance of the upcoming elections. We will rely heavily on member-to-member communication to make certain we are victorious.
• We plan to rededicate our energies to bargaining strong contracts that provide a good living for
middle-class men and women. The middle class has always been the backbone of our country. You
work hard and deserve a fair day’s wages, good healthcare coverage and other benefits in exchange for
your labor. Local 406 is going to make sure you get just that.
• We also want to focus on the synergies we have seen with the integration of Local 486 into Local 406.
Over the past year, I have been spending a lot of time visiting our offices in Saginaw, Traverse City and
Escanaba – and I intend to do even more of that in the coming months.
Thanks again for your support this past year. My best wishes to all for a wonderful set of holidays and the
happiest of new years.
LOCAL 406
KEY TO SUCCESS
OF UPS VOTE
agents gathered questions from 406 members across the state, which were answered
on the floor by our Team Care representative, Al Nelson.
The result? The Central Region
Supplement, along with the Michigan Rider
and Local 243 Rider, passed. The Metro
Philadelphia Supplement and Local 804
Supplement also passed. Michigan had a
higher turnout for the second vote, which
is unprecedented – typically, fewer people
vote the second time. We also increased the
PRESIDENT
number of “yes” votes in this new round of
[email protected]
voting and decreased the number of “no”
votes.
Local 406 is being heralded as the
Michigan did it – and Local 406 was a
ones who took Michigan over the top.
key part of the success.
Earlier this fall, Teamsters from across Jimmy Hoffa himself called Ron Holzgen
to acknowledge the great turnout and the
Michigan overwhelmingly approved the
Central Region Supplement and all the
leadership demonstrated by Local 406.
Michigan riders for the UPS contract. Lo- Michigan did what it was asked to do by
cal 406 was called on to help get out the
the IBT – and by this local. Local 406
vote – and, with your support, we did.
members more than stepped up to the plate
Under the direction of Ron Holzgen,
– we knocked it out of the park.
principal officer for Local 406, all of our
By the time this newsletter reaches
you, know that the remainder of the
business agents visited all the UPS locasupplements and riders are being aggrestions we represent to hear the concerns of
our members. Our team talked with and
sively worked on. We hope the parties
listened to our UPS members and answered connected with these remaining issues
their questions.
will be reasonable in their expectations. A
We also set up a Team Care meeting
continued delay will be harmful not only
focused on healthcare at the Local 406 Hall to our members but to the customers on
in Grand Rapids. Our outlying business
whom we depend to maintain our higher
standards.
GEORGE
SORENSON
We look for the remaining supplements and riders to be voted on and passed
by the early part of 2014.
This UPS contract is truly unsurpassed
in the industry. It was negotiated to the
benefit of our members and should be
applauded by our members. Ken Hall and
Jimmy Hoffa did a fantastic job, especially
given the state of our recovering economy.
In these somewhat challenging days and
times, the Teamsters continue to move
forward with good contracts that provide
excellent wages and benefits to our members.
Great job, UPS members of Local 406
– and thanks!
406
REPORT
EXECUTIVE BOARD
RON HOLZGEN / SECRETARY - TREASURER
GEORGE SORENSON / PRESIDENT
ROBERT KOKX / VICE PRESIDENT
TERRY HOOGERHYDE / RECORDING SECRETARY AND
POLITICAL COORDINATOR
JOHN GOODIN / TRUSTEE
BRIAN GROENEVELD / TRUSTEE
TERRY SZCZEPANSKI / TRUSTEE
LOCAL 406 BUSINESS AGENTS
KIRK ALEXANDER / [email protected]
JIM CHASE / [email protected]
DAVE DUMOND / [email protected]
DAVE GOLLER / [email protected]
RON HOLZGEN / [email protected]
KEVIN KEVENEY / [email protected]
LARRY RODABAUGH / [email protected]
MIKE SANDER / [email protected]
GEORGE SORENSON / [email protected]
ELLIS WOOD / [email protected]
GRAND RAPIDS OFFICE
( 616 ) 452-1551 OR 1-800-626-6211
FAX 616 452-6364
2
TEAMWORK WILL WIN IN 2014
It’s time we start sticking up for the middle class and poor in Michigan.
There are fewer than 365 days until the next general election. Politicians in Lansing
are working for special interest groups to dole out corporate welfare and leaving nothing
for anyone else. Bills coming out of Lansing are blatantly anti-middle class and poisonous
to poor. The recent government shutdown – the Senate’s attempt to defund the Affordable
Care Act – is another attempt to eradicate the working class.
Right now, the working middle class and poor have no representation in Lansing.
At this time, the Teamsters have endorsed two candidates for the 2014 election who will
speak on our behalf. Gary Peters is running for U.S. Senate and Mark Shauer is running
for governor of Michigan.
When we endorse a candidate, we don’t ask for any favors, nor do we expect to control any of their decisions. Before we publicly support candidates though, we do ask them
RECORDING SECRETARY
to make a promise to truly act in the best interest of those they represent.
[email protected]
On Nov. 22, we invited Gary Peters and Mark Shauer, along with other elected
officials, pastors of predominantly African-American churches and other African-American community leaders to visit the union hall
in Grand Rapids for lunch. This was an opportunity for the community to question the candidates and find out who they are, what
they stand for and what they hope to accomplish when they are elected.
No one can win an election on his or her own, but by forming a coalition of support, we can be successful in winning representation for the working class and poor.
TERRY
HOOGERHYDE
Get Involved:
Food Trucks in West Michigan
On the afternoon of Oct. 29, Teamsters Local 406, along with eight other area
unions, hosted the first in what will be a series of monthly food truck deliveries to
provide meals for families in underserved areas of West Michigan.
The inaugural delivery took place at South End Community Outreach Ministries at
1545 Buchanan Ave. SW in Grand Rapids. More than 20 volunteers shared their time to
make the delivery possible.
“We are getting back to grassroots,” Local 406 Political Coordinator Terry
Hoogerhyde said. “Bills are being passed in Lansing to eradicate the middle class and
poor. More than ever we need to come together to support communities, family, faith and
social justice. It’s not just about us, it’s about our community as a whole.”
Each food truck delivery contains enough food to feed 100 families for four days.
Deliveries are specifically targeting areas that demonstrate an extreme need for support.
“We’re working on a map of where food trucks currently are,” Hoogerhyde said.
“We’re getting a lay of the land and trying to pick other sites. We want to reach out to
those who are less fortunate that really need the help.”
Donations to help continue the success of the program can be made by check to the
Kent-Ionia Central Labor Council. Include “Food Trucks - Agency No. 00191” in the
check memo. If you would like to volunteer for a future delivery, contact Hoogerhyde at
616.452.1551 or via e-mail [email protected].
A UNION MEMBER LENDS A
HAND AT THE FIRST MONTHLY
FOOD TRUCK DELIVERY
3
406
DIVISION
REPORTS
New Contracts,
Negotiations in
Grand Rapids
Negotiations and
Ratifications
Press on in Escanaba
[email protected]
[email protected]
KEVIN KEVENEY, ESCANABA
JIM CHASE, GRAND RAPIDS
Fall was a busy time from an organizing perspective (see related article on page 6), but that didn’t keep the Grand Rapids office from bargaining and finalizing contracts for current members.
Local 406 recently ratified a new contract with Central
Michigan Paper, an Ada-based distributor of paper products and
school supplies. The three-year deal covered members in both the
warehouse and transportation who saw improvements in wages
and benefits.
We are continuing contract negotiations with National Nail
Corp., which is based in Wyoming. The company, which provides nails, screws, fasteners and other types of building materials, has faced some lean years since 2008 as the national housing
market sputtered. Our proposed one-year agreement with them
recognizes the difficult conditions that the housing market still
faces. Going forward, we hope to be able to bargain longer contracts with better terms as the economy improves.
As we look to the start of the new year, we will begin negotiations with Verplank Trucking in Ferrysburg and RTI Transport
in Grand Rapids.
LEAVING
YOUR JOB?
Request a withdrawal
card when being laid
off, going on leave of
absence, sick leave or terminating your
employment. Getting a withdrawal card
keeps you in good standing while you are
not working and keeps you from having to
pay back dues or re-initiation upon returning to work.
It is your responsibility to obtain a withdrawal card. Make your request as soon as
possible to ensure you are not obligated to
pay additional dues.
4
We have seen a lot of movement on current negotiations and
have recently ratified many contracts in the Upper Peninsula.
In the private sector, mechanics at Copper County Ford dealership in Houghton ratified a three-year contract that included a
comparable health care plan to past contracts and wage increases
for all three years.
Additionally, after initially receiving a two-year contract
proposal, followed by long negotiations, nine members ratified a
three-year contract with Escanaba-based Anthony & Company,
which provides advertising specialty items. The contract includes
a wage increase all three years and will keep healthcare costs
in check.
Negotiations with Bacco Construction in Iron Mountain will
begin before year-end for six members. These negotiations will be
tied in with the recently passed master agreement. In December,
we will begin negotiations with Little Bay Concrete in Gladstone
for 4 full-time employees.
In the public sector, we are in negotiations for wage and
insurance reopeners for nine employees of Sawyer Airport in
Marquette and 64 members in the Escanaba School District.
We are currently negotiating with:
• Marquette Medical Facility in Ishpeming for 26 licensed
practical nurses and registered nurses.
• The City of Hancock public works department for a
three-year contract for 10 members.
• The City of Manistique for eight members in the public
safety officers unit and two members in a supervisory
unit.
• Delta Area Transit Authority for 19 bus drivers, dispatchers, mechanics and office personnel.
MAIL FORM TO: TEAMSTERS LOCAL 406
3315 EASTERN AVENUE SE
GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49508
INCLUDE 50 CENTS FOR PROCESSING
WITHDRAWAL
CARDREQUEST
NAME
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
PHONE NUMBER
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
COMPANY
LAST DAY OF WORK
REASON FOR REQUEST ( IE. QUIT, LAID OFF, TERMINATED, ETC. )
SIGNATURE
DATE
Meijer Greed
May Again Cost
Teamster Jobs
ELLIS WOOD, TRAVERSE CITY
[email protected]
First it was Liberty Dairy in Evart, MI. Now, a recent decision made by Meijer, the largest customer of Perfection Associates, LLC may cause an additional 120 Teamsters to lose their
jobs. Meijer is systematically targeting distribution and transportation as areas where it can cut costs. The company plans to
phase out supply-chain and in-store services that Perfection has
historically provided to Meijer.
For Meijer’s own brand bread, the company plans to strip
route sales representatives of the responsibility of ordering, stocking, rotating and removing out of code product from shelves.
Then, for Aunt Millie’s brands, Meijer plans to bid out to different
companies the distribution and service that Perfection Associates,
LLC has provided for years.
Merchandisers from Serve U Success, a wholly owned
merchandising and food broker subsidiary of Meijer, would begin
to provide these services instead of Local 406 members. Serve U
Success merchandiser labor costs are believed to much lower than
any unionized worker in Michigan or Indiana, due to low wages
and health care and retirement benefits that are, at best, limited
and at worst, non-existent.
On top of this blow to unionized labor, Meijer has refused to
agree to even a single-year formal supply agreement with Perfection and has threatened to take all its business elsewhere within
six months.
As a result of this breach of agreement, each Teamster Local
prepared a separate grievance, which included specific violations
and demanded full compensatory remedies including restoring
jobs, contractual wages, commissions and benefits and any other
remedial measure that may affect each bargaining unit.
MIKE SANDER, SAGINAW
Healthcare
Reform Prompts
Contract
Reopeners
[email protected]
Between organizing, negotiations and contact reopeners, it’s
been a busy fall in Mid-Michigan.
Our members have recently ratified new contracts with:
• Better Made Snack Foods: Our warehouse and transport
drivers reached a new three-year contract with the Bay
City-based snack food maker.
• Pepsi Beverages: We ratified three separate contracts
for workers in Saginaw, Mt. Pleasant and Petoskey that
provide increases in wages and pension benefits.
• Wirt Transport: We ratified a two-year contract for
drivers in Saginaw.
• Fisher Contracting: Our members approved a two-year
contract with the Midland-based contracting
services company
• Fisher Sand & Gravel: Our members reached a two-year
contract with the Midland-based operation.
We are currently in negotiations for route drivers with Perfection Bakery in Bay City, which makes Aunt Millie’s bread and
other bakery goods. We are also ready to start talks with Airgas in
Lansing. Their drivers transport industrial, medical and specialty
gases to hospitals, welders and other locations in Michigan.
We are also wrapping up negotiations for a three-year
contract with Cinderella Inc. in Saginaw, which is a distributor
of swimming pool and spa supplies. One of the issues raised in
these talks is the impact that the Affordable Care Act will have on
their health insurance plans.
Federal healthcare reform has prompted a few contract
reopeners, including one with Scientific Brake and Equipment in
Saginaw, which specializes in sales and rental of various truck
trailers and equipment. The company requested that we meet and
discuss health insurance costs related to the new plan.
After the first of the year, contract negotiations will begin
with Huron Distributors, Inc., a beer distributor in Indian River,
for the drivers and warehousemen whose contract expires March
31, 2014. We also have a wage reopener with drivers in Saginaw
for National Wine and Spirits, which is large distributor of wine
and liquor in Michigan.
We would like to sincerely thank all of our stewards and
bargaining committee members for all of their assistance this
past year.
5
TEAMSTERS HELPING TEAMSTERS:
MARK AND ALYN MEEK
While Alyn and Mark Meek won’t share the secrets behind
their delicious recipes, they don’t hide their passion for helping
families in need.
Mark has been a Teamster and Spartan Stores warehouseman
for 29 years, first as a hi-lo driver and now as a porter. Since
1987, he has served continuously as a union steward or alternate
steward. His wife, Alyn, is a supply chain assistant and has been
with Spartan stores for 36 years.
For almost 10 years, the Meeks have been sharing their passion, time and talent to benefit Teamsters who have fallen on hard
times. They have held events at Teamsters Local 406 to benefit
member families who have been impacted by injury, illness, death
or other misfortune.
The Meeks not only organize the events’ logistics, they also do
all the cooking, sometimes starting more than a week in advance.
In the past, they have served pulled pork sandwiches, smoked by
Mark in his own back yard.
More recently they have been throwing spaghetti dinners. Alyn
won’t share exactly how she embellishes Spartan spaghetti sauce
to make it her own, except that some ingredients include hamburger infused with garlic, olive oil, Italian seasonings and grated
parmesan cheese. And just one more thing, according to Alyn,:
“We put a lot of love into it.”
Many of the benefits Mark and Alyn have coordinated have
been for Spartan Store employees, but they don’t pass up an opportunity to support other Teamster members of Local 406.
In 2012, employees of Grand Rapids Gravel went on a strike that
lasted for months – and the Meeks were there to help.
“Jim Chase asked if we’d help do a benefit for the guys who
were on strike,” said Mark. “They had been out of work for so
long. A lot of our guys showed up to support our fellow brothers.”
Together, Alyn and Mark have seven children. Their oldest and
youngest sons, as well as a son-in-law, are Teamsters. In addition to their pride in being involved with the Teamsters union, the
Meeks have also passed on their caring spirit and “eye” for spotting people who could use a helping hand.
Recently, their youngest son, Jake Scott, approached them
about a young man who could use some help. The young man had
been ill, but had benefitted from initial treatments and was able
to return to work for a short time. Jake knew, however, that more
treatments were on the horizon, and the young man was worried
about caring for his five children. Together, they planned a spaghetti dinner benefit that was held at Local 406 on Oct. 5.
“We’re glad the kids have shown an interest in continuing the
tradition,” said Alyn. “Our son has asked how do we do it, so
we’re showing him the ropes. He’s seen Mark and me cooking
together at the house, he knows everything we do. Hopefully he
will follow in our footsteps. Since we’re retiring in three years,
what better way to pass it on?”
Mark and Alyn looked at each other and said “If Ron would
call we would be there in a heartbeat.”
Organizing: It starts with a call
JIM CHASE, GRAND RAPIDS
It often starts with a phone call.
Typically, the caller is nervous or
frightened and won’t leave a name or place of employment. But
the caller is upset enough over exploitation by management that
he dials. The most common complaints?
• Wages
• Benefits, including health insurance and pension
• Safety violations, such as driving more hours than legally
allowed
• Favoritism
• Work rules, which govern employee behavior on the job
It’s not uncommon to hear story after story. The worries are
often the same: What if my boss finds out I’m talking with you?
What if the company tries to fire me?
We explain that it’s against the law for a company to demote,
harass, fire or otherwise retaliate against an employee for trying to
organize a workforce. That doesn’t mean companies won’t stoop
to intimidation and simply call it something else. But when you
are working without a contract, that’s the chance you take.
[email protected]
6
Once we establish a level of trust, the next step is to set up a
small group meeting to see who’s truly interested. The group will
expand from there to others who are interested in improving their
workplace lives.
As word gets out to management, organizers face any number
of scare tactics, including:
• Threatening to move or close the business
• Spreading rumors that immigration will come in
• Reprimanding, demoting or even firing the lead organizers
• Holding mandatory all-employee meetings
Some employers try the “honey” approach, such as increasing
pay, holding pizza parties and promising to improve work conditions. While this may slow an organizing campaign in the short
term, virtually all employers return to their original ways in under
six months.
And then the calls start again.
If you know someone who faces exploitation in the workplace, encourage them to call us toll-free at 1.800.626.6211 and
start the conversation.
WEST MICHIGAN LABOR FEST 2013
7
GENERAL TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 406
3315 EASTERN AVENUE, SE
GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49508
616 452 1551
PROUDLY SERVING TEAMSTERS
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE
STATE OF MICHIGAN
Escanaba Office Move
Steward Seminar Schedule
In order to better serve members, our Escanaba office has
moved to a newer, larger and more centrally located office.
Local 406 has saved more than $10,000 by signing a five-year
lease on the new office, which is located at 2013 1st Ave. North in
downtown Escanaba. The new office features:
• Reception area
• Larger meeting rooms and conference space
• Kitchen area
• Bathrooms for men and women
• Better parking
“We are very pleased to have identified a much better location
for our Escanaba office,” said Ron Holzgen, principal officer of
Local 406. “Not only is this a much more inviting space for our
members, we are saving substantially on rent over the life of the
lease. We would encourage all our members to stop by and take a
look when they’re in town.”
Several steward seminars have been scheduled across the
state. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a
Teamsters Local 406 Union steward, please contact your local
business agent. Upcoming seminar dates and locations include:
• Saturday, Feb. 8. in Escanaba
• Saturday, March 8 in Grand Rapids
• Saturday, March 15 in Saginaw
• Sunday, March 16 in Traverse City
Escanaba Local 406
2013 1st Ave. North
Escanaba, Michigan 49829
Phone: 906.786.2743
Fax: 906.786.2801
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