The International works daily to protect our members and the labor movement in general by focusing on legislative priorities that will ensure workers receive those basic protections to which they're entitled – decent wages, good benefits, safety in the workplace, and the freedom to join a union, just to name a few.
In an effort to keep everyone informed of these legislative priorities and how we're working to achieve them, a monthly update will be posted on the Teamsters website. The first one is already up, so we encourage you to take a look and tell others to do the same.
Employee Free Choice Act
Over the past eight years, we have seen the middle class deteriorate as Big Business and their lobbyists were given free rein on George W. Bush's watch. Workers’ rights were thrown out the window and companies did their best to intimidate or terminate any employees who even uttered the word "union.” The Employee Free Choice Act is the legislation that can turn the system around.
Don't believe the lies of Big Business. Corporate America wants you to believe the Employee Free Choice Act will do away with the secret ballot. Not true. What the legislation does is to put that decision back in the hands of workers. The Employee Free Choice Act would level the playing field and ensure that workers' freedom to choose whether to join a union is protected by doing the following:
- Allowing workers to form a union if a majority of them sign cards.
- Providing for first contract mediation and arbitration so that workers get their first collective bargaining agreement in a timely manner, free from stalling and delay tactics by employers.
- Providing stiffer penalties for employers that violate workers' rights and retaliate against those who are trying to form unions.
Studies have shown that more than 60 million workers across the country would join a union if they could do so free from intimidation. Unions allow workers to collectively bargain for those things that every worker deserves – decent wages, affordable health care, and safety in the workplace. In fact, workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than non-union workers and are 63 percent more likely to have employer-provided health care. It is time that American workers truly have a voice at work and that freedom of choice in the workplace is protected.
The Teamsters are working hard to pass this legislation. Teamsters across the country have been writing letters, making phone calls, and participating in rallies, press conferences, and worksite visits to spread the word and let Congress, especially the Senate, know we need the Employee Free Choice Act. We urge you to join in the fight to pass the Employee Free Choice Act because every working American should have the right to become part of a union. To send a letter to your Senators urging them to support this important legislation, click here.
Express Carrier Employee Protection Provision
On May 21, the House overwhelmingly passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill by a vote of 277-136. The bill includes a key labor provision that the Teamsters heavily advocated – the Express Carrier Employee Protection provision. This provision would close a loophole that has allowed FedEx to have an unfair cost advantage in the package delivery industry and deprive its workers of the right to secure union representation.
In 1996, FedEx Express manipulated the system. The company got a special deal that misclassifies the majority of FedEx Express workers, which has resulted in limiting workers’ freedom of association and their right to form a union. Most of the workers at FedEx Express have little or nothing to do with aircraft operations, but these workers have been unfairly classified under the Railway Labor Act. The Railway Labor Act (RLA) is for rail and airline employees. This group of misclassified workers includes truck drivers, truck mechanics, package handlers, couriers and all other non-FAA-licensed employees at FedEx Express – all working classes that should be under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Because those employed under the RLA are only allowed to form a union on the national level, FedEx employees who should be able to organize on a worksite by worksite basis (as is possible under the NLRA) are unable to become a part of a union. In addition, the special deal allotted to FedEx has created an unfair cost advantage in the package delivery industry. The Teamsters are working to level the playing field in the package delivery industry and ensure working Americans across the country are afforded the right to form a union.
The Teamsters applaud the House for passage of this crucial piece of legislation and will continue to advocate for its passage in the Senate. We urge you to reach out to your Senator and let them know the importance of supporting the Express Carrier provision in the FAA Reauthorization Bill. To send an email to your Senators, click here.
Mexican Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program
The Teamsters have been opposed to the Bush administration’s Mexican cross-border trucking pilot program since its inception. We cannot allow unsafe trucks and drivers who are not held to U.S. safety and security standards to travel on our nation’s highways. In March, Congress made it abundantly clear that this would not be allowed and voted to shut down the program. In retaliation, Mexico announced that they would be raising tariffs on 90 different U.S. exports. “The right response from Mexico would be to make sure its drivers and trucks are safe enough to use our highway without endangering our drivers. The border must stay closed until Mexico holds up its end of the bargain,” said General President Hoffa.
The Teamsters hope that any proposal for a new cross-border program ensures that Mexico will have to hold up its end of the bargain. For example, there must be hours of service enforcement and proper drug and alcohol testing collection procedures and facilities for Mexican drivers. Trucks that emit dirty diesel fumes or have balding tires cannot be allowed to cross the border. Until Mexico’s standards are brought up to our own, we will continue to oppose allowing these dangerous trucks onto our nation’s highways.
Workplace Safety & Health
On April 23, the Protecting America’s Workers Act of 2009 was introduced. This legislation would increase civil and criminal penalties for companies that violate workplace safety and health laws, make it possible for some employers to be charged with a felony, improve whistleblower protections for employees that report violations, and give more rights to injured workers, their family members, and family members of workers killed on the job.
On April 27, the Corporate Injury, Illness, and Fatality Reporting Act of 2009 was introduced. The bill requires America’s largest employers to accurately report to the Department of Labor on the numbers and rates of work-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses at all of their worksites, as well as compliance data on inspections and citations at any of their worksites. Because OSHA is not currently required to conduct nationwide investigations into large companies with multiple establishments, repeat offenders can avoid detection and avoid making their workplace as safe as possible.
Also introduced in April was the Protecting Workers from Imminent Dangers Act of 2009. The bill grants OSHA the power to halt work at a place of employment that puts its workers under imminent danger. The Teamsters support all three of these bills.