Photos by IBT photographer Fred Nye
By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(June 4, 2008) Yesterday, June 3rd, members of the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Union Negotiating Committee met with representatives of the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Company at the Joint Council 28 Headquarters Building in Tukwila. It was the 17th meeting of the subcommittee attempting to resolve these stalled negotiations short of a Strike. The subcommittee meetings are in addition to six months of bargaining by the whole Committee. The bargaining began in August of 2007. The contract expired in October 2007.
After the formal meeting on June 3rd had concluded, once again and as usual with the Company representatives not agreeing to anything, the Union Negotiators went on a valuable morale-boosting outing.
Led by IBT Freight Division Director Tyson Johnson,who has become deeply involved in these talks, the Negotiators visited Oak Harbor Freight Lines members at the Auburn facility and OHFL's Corporate Office.
The slide show above — featuring pictures taken by IBT photographer Fred Nye — shows Johnson, who is wearing the bright yellow shirt, and other Bargaining Team members meeting with OHFL workers.
The Solidarity shown by the beleaguered Oak Harbor Teamster members has been impressive, and it is getting stronger as they get more and more angry at their Employer.
Freight Division Director Tyson Johnson decided at the unsatisfying June 3rd meeting to escalate IBT activities to get the stubborn Company's owners' undivided attention. This visit to the Auburn facility was one of many indicators of the IBT's determination to communicate to the public, OHFL Employees, and their Employer that the Oak Harbor Company is mistreating its Teamster employees and resorting to reprehensible anti-union behavior.
