Category Archives: Why do I want to vote for Members First?

Growing our Teamster Family for the Future

VOTE NOW MEMBERS FIRST

Scott Wallace, candidate for the local’s Secretary-Treasurer, granted an interview this week. Please be sure to check it out here. He discusses the lack of attention toward financial obligations as well as crude investments practiced by the current administration and outlines his specific suggestions for improvement as well. In addition, Scott shares some of the ideas he has for growing our Teamster membership, turning it into a successful partnership within our communities, and explains what keeps him awake at night.

Also, be sure to check out the new Photos and Media page located here. With all the support Members First has received from workers across the board, there are many faces you’ll recognize along with some we hope you’ll get to meet. Join the team today. Contact Billy Smith and Members First for more info.

For video updates and behind-the-scenes Members First footage, join us on YouTube.

“The one thing that everybody needs to remember about this Teamster presidency is that I’m the same as you and you and YOU. I’m a blue collar worker. You can put me in a pair of Dockers and you can dress me up, but … I’m still a Teamster. The guy we have now has forgotten that.”  Standing ovation. Vote Members First today.

Why are we paying for Wesley Jenkins to stay in anti-union hotels?

Sadly, here is another example of unethical misappropriation of membership funds at Teamsters Local Union 767. When President Jenkins attended the Teamsters Unity Conference a few months ago, he did not book rooms in advance at Bally’s Hotel, which was where the conference was slated months ahead of time. President Jenkins chose to stay at the only non-union hotel on the entire Las Vegas strip, the infamously labor-unfriendly luxurious Venetian Resort owned by well-known billionaire, union buster Sheldon Adelson. In fact, Jenkins was the only member of our executive board who stayed at the anti-union hotel where he booked not one, but TWO suites for four nights, including most of the weekend prior to the conference.

Teamsters Local Union 767 paid the entire bill.

The luxurious Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

The luxurious Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

The Venetian opened in 1999 after Adelson purchased the Sands Hotel, which was union, and then decided to re-open it as a non-union facility. There have been many well-publicized labor marches over the course of the past ten years in front of the Venetian where thousands of union members have been in attendance. Sheldon Adelson is one of organized labor’s most notorious adversaries as well as one of the biggest contributors to funneling money into political campaigns for candidates who share his anti-union views. It does not get worse than this.

As the president of the largest Teamsters local in the state of Texas, there is no excuse for such behavior. Jenkins’ actions are either arrogant or ignorant, both of which are completely unacceptable given his position.

Furthermore, Las Vegas travel reports show plenty of available space for the month of the convention at neighboring union hotels to Bally’s.

Much nicer than the union hall, at least.

Much nicer than the union hall, at least.

As union brothers and sisters, we can stop this misuse of our dues money immediately. I encourage each of you to vote for the Members First slate.

Venetian poker, anyone?

Venetian billiards, anyone?

venetiangaudypaintedceiling

This is how the other half lives.

This is how the other half lives.

Contact Billy Smith and the Members First team for more information on how you can help stop this kind of abuse to our membership.

The Tragedy at Allied Waste

If you want to get anything done at Allied Waste, you have to clear it with some of the toughest Teamsters around. Steward Cesar Lira runs one of the tightest shops in our membership.

Cesar Lira, MLK Parade, Dallas, TX, with the IBT

Cesar Lira, MLK Parade, Dallas, TX

During the past ten years, Allied Waste has torn through several increasingly bad contracts, loss of retirement benefits, two failed decertifications, and numerous human rights and labor violations in the workplace — all of which have gone without quality representation in most cases. These workers refuse to give up no matter how many battles they’ve lost, no matter how many times they’ve been forced to stand against their company alone.

“We are loyal to the Teamsters and the brotherhood here, not the President or any one man or woman. If the President was doing his job right now, he’d have no reason to worry about this election,” Cesar told me in an interview earlier this week. “Everything was good in the beginning, but it didn’t last too long. It all started to change little by little until we were left out in the cold. Now things are not getting fixed, and my people are very upset about that.”

We talked about the long strike Allied Workers faced year before last and the effect it had on Cesar and his fellow union members. He paused, “You know, we lost seven guys during that strike. Some of them were injured when we went out, but when their short-term benefits expired, those seven were told to return to work or they wouldn’t have a job. We knew our jobs were protected, and they couldn’t fire us for refusing to cross a picket line, so those seven stood with us and didn’t cross. The company said they should have come back to work and fired them. All seven of them, gone, and that was it.”

Apparently, the local even went as far as to tell Cesar and his co-workers they had a contract, but then Lira said the Labor Board ruled against it. “We didn’t have a contract. It all boiled down to bad communication between the local, its agents, and the members. Finally, we were back four months or so, and then they dragged us through another de-cert. It was terrible, so much so that they had to call in John Mahoney and Chuck Stiles from the IBT to help clear everything up with the mess from that last contract.”

Unbelievably, Cesar managed to keep his group unified and strong through this last decertification procedure. He knew they weren’t being treated fairly by our local and its leadership, but he stated, “We won’t give up. We believe we are doing something good if we stay together. My people want change.”

When asked about what he’d like to see improved at Allied, Cesar replied, “I am filing grievances we’ve won in the past — the same ones! And now, we’re losing them all the time, and that’s if they get processed. We definitely need protection there. We also have repeatedly asked for our contract books to be printed in Spanish, but the leadership at the local keeps refusing. My guys, most of them understand English, but they have a hard time reading it still. They aren’t sure what their rights are as a result of that, and that’s when violations occur. I have seen contract books from other locals that are printed in English and Spanish for cases like this, but the guys at our local won’t listen to us. I don’t think it’s a lot to ask.”

Cesar said he knew things weren’t going well for the rest of us in other buildings, too. “I remember there was a nice woman named Sheila from UPS who brought us food while we were on the strike line. I saw her not too long ago at a union meeting, and we were talking when John Shorts walked past her and said, ‘F*** you, B****.’ Then he circled around and said it again to her. I couldn’t believe it. It was incredibly rude, and I thought it seemed like a weird thing for him to do. I mean, I felt real bad for her. She said he’d done that because she’d requested a copy of the local’s by-laws, and he must have thought she was planning on running against him. Shelia just wanted to know what was going on; she didn’t want to run for office. Why did he have to lose his temper like that? It wasn’t necessary.”

Lira has met the Members First slate and says they’re definitely good guys. “Billy is serious about making a big change. I asked them for more representation, more involvement, and that’s his biggest point. I also like how they are from all over and not just from one area. I really like them and believe they’ve got what it takes to help lead us in a better direction.”

So what about the other guys? “Yeah, we have seen the BA lately, but that’s just because it’s election time, and we know it. If they come out here, they won’t be received well. I can tell you that. We will keep walking without them.”

Luckily, Allied workers never have to walk alone again. This election process has closed embarrassing gaps within our membership and brought brothers and sisters together with the help of Billy Smith and his Members First slate.

Many thanks to Cesar Lira for standing his ground and granting this interview.

For more information about how to help the Members First slate through volunteer efforts and donations, please contact the candidates here.

The Presidential Billy Smith

Earlier this morning, I dialed the number listed on the Members First website for its presidential candidate Billy Smith. Within about five seconds, Billy was on the other end of the phone asking me what the people in my work area need from his slate once Members First takes office. He stressed, “Every hub, every work place, every member faces different issues. What I would like is for all of our brothers and sisters to begin the communication process as soon as possible so our transition will be smoother in January.” After sharing some concerns relevant to my work assignment, I told him, “…but what I really called about was to ask you to explain this flier for the other slate I picked up at DFW.”

“I know you’ve put together a website, and I’ll be happy to answer your questions, but what I don’t want is a bunch of mud-slinging. Let’s be clear: I want to keep things as friendly as possible so the members won’t have to wade through any more distraction than what they’re already dealing with. I’m running for office, not to disgrace anyone’s personal character, so if you’re looking for a negative reaction about any opposing slate’s flier, I can’t give you that.”

Very presidential. I was definitely impressed.

BAMF

This is what diplomacy looks like.

Last week, I entered a break room at DFW’s UPS just as one of Wesley Jenkins’ business agents was finishing placing campaign information, which supported the current president’s slate, on our tables — a labor violation considering the agent not only used his security pass to gain access into a restricted area that most opposing slate members are prohibited from entering, but also because he was there on official union business, which is paid for by all members. This business agent happens to be the very same individual who willingly showed a group of members another worker’s private grievance form in 2003, thus causing our entire local to pay for yet another very costly re-election process. I was upset to see he was yet again disobeying labor election laws and wanted to have a closer look at whatever this important document was that he was risking his reputation in order to distribute.

Sadly, as I partially expected, it was not campaign literature discussing any of the positive accomplishments our leaders have achieved. Instead, the fliers trashed presidential candidate Brother Smith in a barrage of lies and half-truths in a manner inconsistent with our Oaths of Obligation. Perhaps, it is because of allowing unprofessionalism like this that our president was voted off the Joint Council 80. It certainly didn’t seem brotherly to say the least.

Billy won’t comment on the above topic “out of respect for the other candidates,” but he did take a few moments to answer some of my other questions, which I mostly lifted from the opposing slate’s questionnaire.

Q: First of all, thanks for taking the time to speak with me. The other slate claims they are “running on [their] experience.” What do you think about that, and what’s your slate “running on”?

Read More »

Americold, who?

Last year I was overjoyed when the IBT and Sandra Jimenez, who was then employed as a full-time organizer with TLU767, successfully organized the Fort Worth Americold employees. It was the first such victory for our local in over a decade, and, after having met many of the Americold workers and listening to their unbelievably desperate stories of workplace neglect, I couldn’t wait for their contract to be ratified.

Like I said, that was “last year.” This year, those employees who bravely fought for unionization, American workers’ rights, and our local’s proud legacy are still without a contract. Having participated in negotiation procedures with our local as a member of its past office staff, I remember how tedious such meetings can be. However, our parties were able to cut through every laborious compromise within the matter of a handful of conferences — unlike our brothers and sisters at Americold who have battled their ways to work every day for the past year with the hope that one day they’ll be protected by union language. They are ready and willing to pay dues.

As if that wasn’t enough, Sandra Jimenez — fresh from her Americold win and knee-deep in a second organizing campaign for 767 with fierce assistance from the IBT — was laid off in May, 2009. A junior, part-time employee was allowed to continue working in an organizing capacity with Teamsters Local Union 767, which is in direct violation of the labor agreement between the office staff and the local. Rumors circulated that Sandra was “suspended” for stealing time. As someone who worked side-by-side with Sandra on repeated occasions along with numerous other members from locals nationwide, IBT organizers, volunteers, and campaign leaders, I witnessed her never-ending dedication to unionization, which is why I suspect she was picked up immediately by the Teamsters to continue her efforts in a pressing campaign on the west coast. Nevertheless, Sandra was not given an official reason for termination with our local by its executive officers. Even worse, Sandra Jimenez, was denied to fully vest in her pension with the local, of which she had only a couple of payments left prior to fulfilling. At this time, our local does not have an assigned organizer without agent duties, structured ongoing organizing campaigns in external or internal capacities, or a bilingual field agent. All of these positions are vital to the growth of our great union. Without them, our cause suffers critical paralyzation.

That said, my faith in local leadership was growing thin, and I was questioning whether my silence regarding the dissatisfaction was truly benefitting the membership anymore. My daughter asked me, “Don’t you think the other Teamsters have a right to know, Mom? You always tell me to stand up for what I believe to be fair. That is the only way things ever get better, right?” My own advice came back to haunt me at the time I probably needed to be most reminded.

Something pivotal was around the corner: the E-Board election.

When Billy Smith and Scott Wallace first shared their reasons for wanting change within our local, I drilled them, “What change? What’s your platform specifically? Why would you want to work for the local? Do you know what you’re getting into here, guys?” They gave me a couple of hours of their time — something they’ve done for a lot of us at this point, and I was sold shortly thereafter as I followed them along their pre-campaign trail. Billy swore, “I want to bring representation back into the facilities for everybody — not just UPS, but also the people who are reaching out to us from Allied and AWG and Weber. I want to show the extended centers that we care about them as much as their co-workers in the DFW Metroplex. I am tired of hearing from people who want to get out of the union because they aren’t seeing new members coming into the union. I want to work with our Dallas brothers and sisters in Local 745 and support them in their efforts. Do you want me to go on? I can do this all night.”

And he did. Forever. We discussed issues at Americold, with the Combo workers at DFW, the problems UPS Feeder Drivers are facing again and again. The man spoke with absolute passion about where he expected our local to head and explained his business plan in great detail. I could tell Billy put extensive consideration into his ideas.

Scott Wallace, who is also ostensibly running with the Members First slate pending nomination, told me, “I want to run a positive campaign and focus on my brothers’ and sisters’ needs and what they’re wanting from us, rather than worry about mud-slinging and negativity. I am motivated. Billy is motivated. We have a planned slate full of other motivated individuals with similar goals.” The more Scott spoke, the more I was impressed by his sincerity. Plus, he seemed like a total brainiac. Big bonus, indeed.

I reviewed the credentials of the other possible candidates, crunched some numbers, checked around the circuit, and am pleased: here is a group with 145 combined years of experience working under union contract, a group that — even before its official nomination — is visiting members and collecting information about what all of our membership would like to see for its future well-being, a group that has deep history in promoting charitable events, a group cognizant of the skills necessary for successful small business ownership, a group willing to address both Republican and Democratic elected officials concerning labor issues for the good of the whole, a group supported by active members whom I know and respect.

In a couple of weeks, slates will be nominated, and campaigns will result. We’ll have many choices this time, and so I ask my brothers and sisters to listen carefully to what each candidate has to offer as our future elected officers. Additionally, I urge all members to make sure their addresses are correct with Teamsters Local Union 767 so they can participate and vote without delay or concern.

Please visit the official site for the Members First slate here for contact and event information, and refer back to this blog for future updates from this member’s perspective along the campaign route. Together, we stand in solidarity again.