November 23, 2009

Teamsters Local 767 Membership

Re: Election results and concerns

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We want to take this time to thank each and every person who supports our efforts. We are very proud of those who took the time to get involved and vote (even if it wasn’t for us). We feel as though we ran a good, clean and effective campaign with the utmost integrity in keeping all issues focused on improving the overall mechanics of our great Local.

With the official results being posted around various worksites, many members are completely confounded as to the election outcome. It is very hard to unseat an incumbent. Every aspect of the election — from dates, times, notifications, election service providers, and ballot collection etc. — is stacked in their favor. We knew this going into the campaign and stand by our commitment to see it all the way through. While many theories are circulating regarding just how we lost, we want to assure everybody involved of our determination.

The general membership meeting was held on November 21, 2009. Secretary-Treasurer John Shorts, Sr., stated that 16 pre-election protests were filed as well as an unknown number of post-election protests. We, as members of an organized group, are following the protocol afforded to us through our Local Union By-laws, IBT Constitution and Federal Law. The appeal process can sometimes be viewed as a long and somewhat slow process. However, we can assure you the pace is set up as such to yield the truest decision based upon the circumstances available at the time. Please make no mistake: the slate members are still communicating daily with each other concerning the next steps that are to be taken.

In the mean time, we ask that you consider all the candidates of the Members First Slate (Billy Smith, Carlos Rios, Scott Wallace, David Varela, Jimmy Lyon, Bill Bagwell, and Brandon Santana) as viable choices in any future election.

In solidarity,

The Members First Slate

I answered a comment in the entry below this one with most of the following information and POV:

Anyone who has concerns relating to the election should notify: Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) at (972) 850-2500. This is an easy phone call that any member can place.

Members who want to get in touch with the Dept. of Labor at the above number to express concern regarding this election are likely justified. In the last election, which was the 2006 delegate vote, a labor protest was won by member Eric King against the local and Wesley Jenkins’ executive official who supervised the election. Because of the difficulties this local has experienced in the past with True Ballot, members and candidates wanted a different third party involved this time to ensure a fair ballot count as many members were NOT even afforded the opportunity to vote in the 2006 instance. However, the rules governing our delegate elections (in which the executive board does NOT have complete control over the decision regarding who handles the election) and the rules governing our executive board elections differ. We were essentially forced into dealing with, as members, who Wesley Jenkins and the current executive board selected to handle the election. The company they chose, True Ballot, is over a thousand miles away, thus making it impossible for members to observe or monitor all aspects of the electoral process. Why would Jenkins want that when he could have hired a more neutral, reputable ballot-counting company in north Texas that has never been named in an upheld labor protest against the local?

I agree, the duplicate ballot situation is definitely weird. Who was stopping anyone from re-ordering MY ballot by calling True Ballot, requesting a new ballot for me because of whatever reason or another, and then changing my vote and returning the ballot, thus making my legitimate ballot completely invalid? For that oversight alone, we should be afforded a fair rerun.

The local ALSO was in possession of the P.O. Box key for FIVE days before it was presented to the other slates to be sealed in an envelope, signed by witnesses, and then locked in the safe. Why was the local’s secretary-treasurer, a candidate in this election, allowed to obtain this key alone? Why was he allowed to rent the P.O. Box using his name only and with no witnesses? Why would he not have asked the witnesses and candidates, who have always accompanied him in the past when the secretary-treasurer secures the official P.O. Box for the ballots, to observe this time? Because of this suspect behavior, the P.O. Box for this particular election had to be sealed in the presence of slates by the USPS. That is ridiculously sloppy.

Members, some of whom voted for Members First and alerted the slate of the following issue, were called by 767 business agents and executive officers who currently work at the local. These workers were coerced to send in ballots marked for the Experienced Slate. Some were advised to re-order them through True Ballot’s recorded system as well. In fact, some stewards were acting on behalf of the union officials from the Experienced Slate by unethically requesting and harassing co-workers to resubmit and change their votes. This, in itself, is not illegal, but it IS a major labor department issue if the local generated any calling lists from its TITAN system that were not made available to the other candidates who were not given hard copies of this incredible advantage. As a former employee of the local, I can’t imagine how some of these agents would just happen to have the phone numbers of certain members who they don’t know from Adam, but I CAN imagine how it would take about five minutes for them to have a list printed in the hall — during office hours, even, and possibly by unsuspecting office staff, as the agents don’t generally know how to generate specific lists, while we were paying them to work and NOT campaign. I believe there is a way for such information to be retrieved from TITAN, as well, but would imagine it would have to be requested in writing from the IBT itself. This would all have to be verified, naturally, before one could make a valid assertion.

Any agent or executive officer, etc., who phone banked with a list of numbers gathered from the local in any way violated DOL election laws by utilizing an unfair advantage over other slates who were not given or allowed the same materials.

The only way to ensure fairness in our future elections is for members to band together and eliminate all possibilities of the voting process that are not completely reputable. We should not be expected to settle for anything that lends itself to potential fraud. All men and women who are members in good standing have the right to run for office and should be able to do so without reproach or neglect.

Even in light of this matter, I encourage every member, regardless of views on this topic, to continue to work together in a cohesive manner representative of our duties defined by the Brotherhood. We are Brothers and Sisters and, thus, obligated to put matters of labor advocacy first and foremost as that is the main objective as Teamsters.

MEMBERS FIRST: Billy Smith, Scott Wallace, Carlos Rios, David Varela, Jimmy Lyon, Bill Bagwell, Brandon Santana.

Let’s stand together, not divided. The future of our local is in the hands of every member.

Bilingual members: Please explain any voting queries to your Spanish-speaking 767 brothers and sisters since there may be some confusion reading the English instructions from True Ballot. Members First wants every member to be included regardless of primary language. Many thanks.

Carlos immediately responded, “Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry. When would be a better time for us to come back? I hate to barge in on you like this.”

“You’re fine. There couldn’t be a better time,” she insisted before disappearing into the hallway. We listened as she told her husband, who was half-asleep from his long day at the warehouse, “The Teamsters are here. They want to talk to you about what’s going on at work.” Five seconds later, he joined us in the living room hoping that, during his obviously difficult time at both home and his job, we could somehow help. His wife was dying from cancer, and complications from her illness were beginning to manifest themselves into struggles within his workplace.

Back then, I really didn’t know anything about Carlos Rios other than the basic facts: He’s an aggressive, successful steward for the Arlington center who is incredibly organized and cares about labor issues. However, as I watched him discuss working conditions with the Americold employee that afternoon, I realized Carlos also has a heart deeply rooted with compassion for our great cause. Working alongside him in that organizing campaign, it was easy to see with every visit, with each door we knocked on, and during every call we made that Carlos was genuinely excited about getting assistance to these future Teamsters; he wanted them to have what we have and told them as much every opportunity he got.

When we got back into his vehicle after that visit, Carlos told me, “I really hate seeing people suffering like that, but I hate it even more when the company takes advantage of its employees in such dire times. I wish I could help that family today, you know?”

I agreed, yes, and so that’s when I first admired Carlos’s significant ambition as one of a truly selfless nature — an attribute which lifts all limits for charitable service.

Last fall, Carlos’s efforts, in conjunction with the leadership of Sandra Jimenez, the IBT, and a handful of other volunteers, paid off. Americold voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionization, but Carlos didn’t want to stop there. He says, “I’ve dedicated myself to being a strong union member. I attended organizing meetings. I worked on organizing campaigns. I signed up members in my center. I wanted to help other people become Teamsters. I think one of the best ways to do this is to make our members proud to be Teamsters, proud to pay dues, proud to sign up their co-workers.” For his commitment to the advocacy of improving labor issues, Carlos was recognized by the current officers and even offered an interview for a position at the local. However, Carlos was put off by some of the requirements.

“One of the first things I was asked was if I could be trusted to be ‘loyal’ to the president. I didn’t see how that fit in with what we’re trying to accomplish here. My loyalty is with our fellow members. My loyalty is with the Teamsters. My loyalty is with my brothers and sisters — not one guy, see. It just didn’t sit well with me, and I began to seriously consider and investigate ways I could change that particular work ethic, so that we’d all benefit as a local. I felt like I didn’t have a choice, except to run for office with others whom I felt would reflect and share the same views I’ve got, and I am incredibly glad I’ve made the decision to run with Members First. It all goes back to remembering that as an elected official your job is to serve the members. That is why I am proud to associate with people who want to hold themselves accountable to the rank and file.”

Rios, who is a second generation union member, knows it’s very important for workers to see their business agents in the buildings on a consistent basis. “Yes, our local covers a large area, and we were told at the debate that complete coverage was ‘just unrealistic.’ I still have not seen anything we are trying to do as ‘unrealistic.’ I believe when the members see how much we care, they will be confident in our agenda. Still, I am glad to see that the Experienced Slate is proving us right, though. It’s like a member told me, ‘If those guys had worked as hard to protect our jobs as they are now working to try and save theirs, we wouldn’t have all the problems we do now.’ When Wesley and six business agents showed up in Arlington, drivers were in the locker room trying to see who could name the most of them. This is after they have been in office since 1998! That’s unacceptable.”

Even though Rios has been entrusted by the current leadership to serve as a union representative at his work facility in addition to being allowed to organize internally and externally on behalf of the local, fliers from the Experienced slate’s campaigns deem him suddenly unqualified to serve the membership now that he’s running against them. You’re probably wondering about this terrible offense, right?

Carlos explains with an exhausted grin in his voice, “I was a part-time supervisor for UPS, but, in 2001, I went full-time and became a package car driver in Arlington. I quickly found myself trying to stand up for other drivers when I saw their rights were being violated. Soon, the members of our center held an election in the parking lot and voted me in as a steward. It took lots of work, but with the help of other good members like David Varela, we cleared up a lot of problems in our hub — so much so, a visiting center manager told me he had never seen a building where management was held accountable like they are in Arlington. I don’t know why that bothers Wesley so much. You’d think he’d appreciate the effort I’ve put into helping the local. After all, he himself has hired full-fledged, former UPS management to serve the membership during this past term.”

Through Carlos’s work with the local and along the campaign trail, he’s spent a lot of time listening to the needs of all of the members in not only the major UPS hubs, but also at the extended UPS centers and Weber, AWG, Allied, and Americold. He’s very irritated by the growing level of neglect to every contract as well as with the lack of assistance at all for Americold workers: “As a member, it might be easier to sit back and not worry about what is happening at other buildings or other companies, but when we signed that union card, we agreed to not think of ourselves as individuals. We owe it to our brothers and sisters to stand up for them. Our slate is committed to representing every member at every building. When I talk to a brother or sister at AWG, and he or she tells me they all feel lack of representation is due to our local solely taking care of the UPS contract, they’re shocked to hear we are having the same problems they are: lack of visibility, backlogged grievances, settlements below what contracts call for, etc. How can we not stand up and make a difference?”

Last week, I followed Carlos Rios along with volunteers and fellow candidates from his Members First slate, Billy Smith and Scott Wallace, to Gainesville, TX, where Weber Aircraft is located. As employees left their shifts, Carlos introduced himself in the parking lot and reassured them, “I’d like for you to vote for us so that we can serve the membership and bring you better representation.”

One woman took me aside: ”Are these the guys who are in office now?”

“No,” I told her.

“Oh, good, so that guy we have now won’t be coming back around here then if I vote for them?”

“You mean the current Vice President, your agent?” I asked her.

“Is he also the vice president?!” She was rightfully confused since Weber has sadly been without reliable representation in the last couple of years.

“Yes, but Carlos Rios over there is running for the vice presidential position with the Members First slate.”

She wrote it down on an envelope on her dash, “He was very sincere when we spoke. Carlos … okay, Members First. Got it. You tell him he’s got my vote.”

Done.

Carlos Rios stands for strong stewards, organizers, and members who are assets to our union, not political threats. It’s your time to make a difference, to quit settling for anything less than what your contract allows, to see your agent return to your workplace. Vote for Carlos Rios and the Members First slate.

For more about Carlos, including his contact information and bio, please visit the official Members First website here.

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.

Teamsters Local Union 767 paid the entire bill.

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.

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 billiards, anyone?

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.

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.

“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.

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”?

A: (laughing) Look, I want to thank you for thinking to ask me these questions. I have seen the flier and know it says I won’t give any direct answers, so I’m just happy to publicly dismiss that myth. The other slate may be running because of its experience, but we’re running because of the membership. This slate was put together by the members — many members — for the members. You can have all the experience and knowledge in the world, but it does you no good if you’re not representing.

Q: I agree. The current “Experienced Officers,” almost half of whom are brand new to President Jenkins’ current slate, eluded in their message that you have “never settled a grievance” and never “presented a grievance before the grievance committee.” Is that true?

A: No, because I’ve been to the grievance committee twice with this local. As far as presenting grievances before the panel, etc., I’ve never known this local to require stewards to perform the duties of our agents before the SRAPGC. I settle grievances in house frequently, so I’m uncertain what the implication is that I haven’t. My record stands for itself. Did the current officers present grievances before the committee prior to their elected positions? I think you know the answer to that.

Q: What about the accusation that you haven’t learned the contract?

A: I have the contracts for Weber, Allied, and AWG, in addition to the UPS agreement, and am familiarizing myself with them. Do I have every word memorized? No, of course not, but I can paraphrase the language for  members and show them where to go within the book. I’ll have business agents who will be well-versed in our contractual language as well.

Q: I have to quiz you then.

A: (laughing) Alright, go ahead.

Q: I’ll start off easy. How about Article 17 in the UPS language?

A: (laughing more) Who is messing with your pay? Let’s get you a green check.

Q: What if I already asked for one, but it came two weeks late?

A: Well, looks like we’ll have to sit down and figure out your penalty pay then. Look, we can have a quiz about the contract for the next hour, but I want you to know I am committed to solving whichever issues come up regardless of whether or not I have the exact language memorized. I’ve been a steward long enough to know people don’t want to hear you recite something verbatim. They want you to show it to them in black and white.

Q: A minute ago you mentioned your business agents. Who are they? The flier says you’re going to tell me you “don’t know yet.”

A: That’s partly true. We weren’t officially a slate until October 10th, and we don’t want to promise jobs to anyone during the campaign phase because (a) we don’t want to “buy” votes, and (b) we don’t want to owe anyone. We have begun interviewing candidates for agent positions, and I can tell you there are three capable individuals whom I’ve already decided upon. In fact, we have spoken to some current BAs, who we believe are proficient enough to continue working for the local if they are still interested. In order to have a clear idea, we must interview all of the candidates before we can make an educated decision. I won’t jump into that lightly.

Billy Smith addresses the membership.

Q: Why did you say it was your time to run for president?

A: Now, see, that’s a perfect example of when words are twisted to confuse people. This office belongs to the membership — that’s you and me and everybody else who works hard to pay dues. I said it was my time to run for office because I knew I could correct the problems our local is having. All I want here is to help my brothers and sisters. Things have gotten too far out of hand, and the time has come for me to set the course of this leadership straight.

Q: So what are the specific changes you’d like to implement as future President of Teamsters Local 767?

A: Without saying, some of the greatest ideas come directly from the membership itself. I am accessible to anyone who has a suggestion for improving this local. Now, if you go to the IBT’s website, you’ll see one of the main duties of any local is to organize. In order to do that successfully, we have to get our current membership unified. I want to walk through the work sites knowing that every employee I see is a proud Teamster. Our local has really slacked off on its internal organizing efforts, and I want people to know we stand together. No Teamster is alone. Ever. In order to create unity within the work environment, we must train our stewards INSIDE the buildings as well as at the hall. Too many stewards don’t have the local backing them with representation at the facilities and become overwhelmed and unable to properly perform duties. That ends when I am elected. Our stewards will be able to confidently approach management with not only the support of the membership, but also with that of their BA and executive board’s reinforcement. Also, the extended work sites and centers will receive visits again. They can expect to see not only their agents, but also their president. We will be involved in the buildings. We will be there to investigate problems before they become grievances. Have you seen an updated bulletin board in your center? No? That’s going to change as well. I am tired of looking at outdated bulletin boards with information from years ago. Members will have different articles posted weekly because before this is all over, I want every Teamster to know the contract  – not just the agent or the steward. I’ll tell you something else, when Members First is elected, we will put Teamsters back into the community. We will host fundraiser events, not funded solely by dues money, as well as charity events such as group efforts to volunteer at places that cater to helping end homelessness and hunger. These are issues that Teamsters fight against, and our local will become a force again within our communities. Not only that, but we will recognize our veterans and their families with the respect they deserve. I want to work with our brothers and sisters at 745 and collaborate efforts. We are all Teamsters, and it’s a shame our current leadership has allowed us to stand divided.

Q: Wow. I think you have covered it pretty specifically, but if there’s anything else you’d like to add, go for it.

A: Alright, I want people to know I understand the office of president belongs to the membership; the representatives belong to us all. If you elect me, I’ll make sure it is your office. The members organized this slate. Most of us didn’t know each other until ten weeks ago, and we’ve been led together by Teamsters from all over the map. The seven of us come from Tyler, Denton, Mesquite, Dallas, DFW, and Arlington facilities, and we have spent a lot of time already reaching out to folks in the extended centers as well as at Allied, AWG, and Weber. I look forward to working more with the people from Americold as well, who we’ve also wanted to share our message with here. We are the largest local in Texas. We can be even larger. We’re going to get in there and protect the members with their money. I have put myself out there. If the other candidates claim I’m being indirect, it’s because I don’t need to address them since they’ve made it perfectly clear they’re not voting for the members. They can read my position here if they’re truly interested. My website is up. My phone number is posted. I welcome all workers to contact me and my slate any time. That’s what we’re here for — to serve them.

Q: Thanks, Billy. Best of luck to you and the Members First team.

A: Anytime. My pleasure and take care.

For contact information, Billy’s blog, Q&A, events, photos, and more about Members First 2009, visit here. To follow the guys on Twitter, click here. Ballots will be mailed October 19th, 2009, so be sure to mark the MEMBERS FIRST slate (in the middle!) and return your ballot as soon as possible. Make tomorrow count.

In 2006, UPS violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it refused to allow Brent Camp, a longtime Marine and high seniority, part-time UPS ramp employee, to come back to work after his second deployment to Iraq expired. After months of requesting assistance from Teamsters Local 767, Brent turned to his Judge Advocate General (JAG) for military legal enforcement of the labor law. As it turned out, there was a simple mix-up in paperwork, and the matter was cleared up shortly after he contacted military counsel. It was the last thing Brent needed after having dedicated many years of his life to serving our country and American way of life, which includes UPS’s freedom to operate in a capitalist economy as well as workers’ rights to choose unionization. Sadly, our local initially failed Brent in its lax approach to resolving the violation, but he’s not letting that stop him. Brent wants to make sure his Teamster brothers and sisters who are veterans and families of Teamster veterans are not forgotten.

When Billy Smith and candidates from the Members First slate learned about Brent’s story, they were shocked. Billy stressed, “That is exactly the sort of thing that reinforces my decision to head this slate. My family has heavily decorated military personnel in its history, and I would never do anything to disservice an individual who served our country — regardless of anything. The women and men who serve in our military are extended family, as far as I am concerned, whether they are Teamsters or not.”

When the Members First slate takes office, look for your opportunity to participate in the Veteran Appreciation Committee. This is your chance to make a difference within the community and to interact with those who have risked their lives so that we can carry the Teamster torch at home. Brent Camp will be heading up volunteer programs to show support to troops overseas as well as those returning home. He will also need your help in various programs to send packages to troops and their families. Please contact Brent directly so that he can add you to the list of supporters:   brent.camp[at]sbcglobal.net    (replace “[at]” with @). You can also contact Billy, Scott, Carlos, and the rest of the Members First 2009 slate here.

The time is now to show these men and women, as well as their families, that Teamsters Local Union 767 stands in solidarity and support of all they do for us. We want to see pages like this on our official Teamsters website! We want people of our local to understand the important military history of our Teamsters. With nationwide Teamster programs like Helmets to Hardhats, there is no doubt of the heavy relationship between the American servicemen and servicewomen and the American workers.

Teamsters Local 767 Election Tracker is taking YOU on the campaign trail with the Members First Slate. Follow the latest news via text on your cell phone wherever you are. Check in for daily tweets and up-to-the-minute notifications, photos, and more. You never know what will happen, but you KNOW you don’t want to miss it.

Check out the new Twitter page here.