Local #174 Teamster News

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White House Proclamation
March is Irish-American Heritage Month

ShamrocksThe White House, Office of the Press Secretary

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

From long before American independence to today, countless individuals have reached our shores, bringing vibrant cultures and diverse roots, and immeasurably enriching our Nation. This month, we honor the contributions made by the tens of millions of Americans who trace their heritage to the Emerald Isle.

Irish Americans fought for our independence, and their signatures adorn our founding documents. When famine ravaged Ireland in the 1840s and 1850s, many Irish men and women sought a new beginning in the United States. Though they faced poverty and discrimination, these immigrants transformed our cities, served in our Armed Forces, and settled the frontiers of our young Nation. Their children, and succeeding generations of Irish Americans, have preserved their culture's values while becoming leaders in every facet of American life.

During this year's Irish-American Heritage Month, we also celebrate an extraordinary Irishman: Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Throughout his career in public service, Senator Kennedy worked tirelessly to create opportunity for all Americans. His legacy lives on in the legislation he championed, which will bolster and protect the health, education, and civil rights of Americans for generations to come.

Across the Atlantic, the people of Ireland continue to confront their own challenges with resolve and determination. In the face of violence perpetuated by some -- testing a hard-earned peace -- the people of Northern Ireland have responded heroically. Undaunted, they and their leaders persist on the road to peace and prosperity enshrined over a decade ago in the Good Friday Agreement. The United States remains committed to supporting the political process and the work of those who have shown leadership in pursuit of a lasting peace.

Today, the sons and daughters of Erin can look back with pride on their many contributions to the civic and cultural life of America. Like so many of our Nation's ethnic communities, Irish Americans are a people whose hard work and resilience have brought them great opportunity and success, and whose service to our Nation has left it a better place.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States do hereby proclaim March 2010 as Irish-American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by celebrating the contributions of Irish American to our Nation with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

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Ban Became Effective January 27, 2010
New Fines Up to $2,720 for Texting While Driving

All Teamster members who drive vehicles as part of their job need to know that a ban on texting while driving has gone into affect. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a regulatory guidance (49 CFR Part 390.17) that prohibits commercial drivers from using electronic devices to prepare or review text messages while operating a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.  The ban became affective January 27, 2010.

Drivers who are convicted of texting while driving a commercial motor vehicle may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,720.  The Teamsters Safety and Health Department issued a memorandum on this topic, which is available for download.

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Local 174 update:
Hazardous Materials Instructor Training (HMIT)

By Tom George, Business Agent
The Teamsters Apprenticeship and Training Trust is offering a FREE class called Hazardous Materials Instructor Training (HMIT). And right now because so many are not working or are working reduced hours this is a perfect time to upgrade your skills and abilities. Through a grant from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters the Trust is offering this class to everyone who works around the transportation of hazardous materials. So whether you’re a driver, dock worker, dispatcher or office staff this is the class for you. AGAIN, THIS TRAINING IS FREE!

This class is designed to teach people to become teachers of hazardous materials regulations. Anyone whose work includes or may include the transportation of hazardous (placarded) materials can become qualified to instruct co-workers and others so that the regulations are better known and better applied in the workplace.

In addition by learning to teach others you will develop leadership skills that will help you become better Shop Stewards, Activists and all around better Teamsters.

WHAT: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INSTRUCTOR TRAINING (HMIT)
WHEN: SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2010 AND MONDAY – FRIDAY APRIL 5TH – 9TH
WHAT: 8 HOUR DOT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION WORKER CLASS FOLLOWED BY A 40 HOUR INSTRUCTOR TRAINING CLASS
WHERE: TEAMSTERS LOCAL 174, 14675 INTERURBAN AVE S SUITE 303, TUKWILA, WA 98168
TO SIGN UP: CALL (509) 545-8297, (888) 600-8297, OR E-MAIL: wactjtc@yahoo.com

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Local 174 update:
Freight Update
Oak Harbor tractor
By Brian Davis, Business Agent
In the white paper freight division the Oak Harbor saga continues. While our members are back to work and the NLRB has ruled that many of our charges have merit, resolution to these charges still could take a while. At time of print, the NLRB is scheduled to have their day in court with Oak Harbor, on our behalf, in late June. The company may come to Local 174 and try to settle some of the outstanding issues before June, but we do not anticipate that being the case.

The bad economy has probably hit Peninsula Truck Lines as hard, if not harder, than any company Local 174 represents. The members have made some hard decisions and some huge sacrifices to help keep this company going. Hopefully, 2010 brings the company additional freight volumes and revenue that keeps this company moving forward.

The members at Reddaway have faced similar challenges that other freight companies have faced over the last 2 years. Decreased volumes and a pricing war that has never been seen. It also hasn’t helped that during contract negotiations the parent company (YRC) has stated over and over that they have needed equal sacrifice from all employees to survive and has proposed that the Reddaway members under the NW agreement take more of a sacrifice than any other Reddaway employee. That offer was voted down and then the company proposed moving Union work to a non-union facility. The dates proposed by the company to make that move came and went without the movement taking place. This was only after discussions where the Union and Company agreed that that work would stay Union.

** Update** The Company submitted a proposal to the Unions on March 1, 2010 and it was voted at the Teamsters Building and throughout the NW on the weekend of March 6 & 7, 2010. The results were counted on March 8, 2010 and the offer was overwhelmingly rejected by the bargaining unit. **

The members at United Warehouse and Herche Transfer seem to be getting their hours and keeping the company moving forward. With the bad economy the company isn’t putting as much volume on trucks as they have in the past, but they still seem to be busy enough for overtime and plenty of hours. This is good news for our members as in the last round of negotiations; S/T Hicks achieved a huge victory in getting language that increased their annual maximum pension hours from 2080 to 2150.  

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Teamsters Training Center
DOT Hazardous Materials Training Offered this April

There are two different sessions available:

TTCDOT Hazardous Materials Transportation 8 Hour
Anyone that is involved in the transportation of hazardous materials including Supervisors, Dock Workers, Warehouse Workers, Shipping Clerks, and Drivers should attend this course.

Topics include: Shipping Papers, Driver Pocketbook, Placards and Labels, Segregation, ERG, and Transportation. This meets the DOT requirements
for General Awareness Training and Hazmat Security Training.

When: Saturday April 3, 2010 @ 7:00
Where: Teamsters Local 174, Tukwila, WA


DOT Hazardous Materials 40 Hour Instructor - DOT HMIT
Participants will learn how to become instructors for the Hazardous Materials Transportation Training. The pre-requisite for this course is the 8 Hour class.

Eligible participants include anyone that has the potential to train hazmat employees. This includes Teamster workers, supervisors, and safety personnel. Teamster workers may be eligible for lost wages.

Trainers are provided with a training manual that includes 1S modules regarding Hazmat Transportation. Each module is designed to be taught stand alone. This means the trainer can return to work and instruct a module as part of a safety meeting. Training modules can be combined to make anywhere from a 1 hour to an 8 hour training session.

When: Monday - Friday, April 5- 9,2010 @·7:00
Where: Teamsters Local 174, Tukwila, WA

There is no charge for participating however space is limited! Call today to register: 1-509-545-8297. You can visit the Teamsters Training Center on line at www.teamsterstraining.org

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Teamsters Training Center
NCCCO Crane Certification Small Telescopic Test Preparation
This 2 day Teamsters Training Center seminar, scheduled for April 1st - 2nd, is designed to prepare the participant to take the NCCCO 90 question core exam and the 26 question Small Telescopic specialty exam. Participants should be familiar with Small Telescopic Cranes and should have the ability to pass the Small Telescopic Practical exam at a later date. You can download the Registration Form here

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Local 174 Invitation Reminder:
NEW LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM KICKOFF FEBRUARY 27th
COME JOIN US AS WE LAUNCH 174’S REVAMPED SHOP STEWARDS AND ACTIVISTS PROGRAM

By RICK HICKS, Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer

Teamsters Leadership Development Program pin
The new Local 174 Leadership Development Program will be launched February 27 at the Teamster Building in Tukwila in the Main Meeting Hall. It is a Multi-Year Program, with a set curriculum, designed to review for 174 Stewards and Activists what, said Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks, they “need to know in order to be successful in the daily challenges they meet on the shop floor.” (February 1, 2010) The BIG DAY is near. We have retooled our old Stewards and Activists Training Program. We wanted a more dynamic and comprehensive Program for our members. The new Leadership Development Program — or LDP — will be launched February 27, 2010. It features a Multi-Year Program, with a set curriculum, divided into four modules per year — intended to cover the full spectrum of what we believe our Stewards and Activists need to know in order to be successful in the daily challenges they meet on the shop floor.

(February 1, 2010) Each module builds on the others, covering the grievance handling and negotiations preparation, interspersed with internal organizing — which is the foundation for external organizing — as well as spreading the Local’s influence in the community as a whole. But then we take it a step further — tying each module into the one that went before it and preparing the attendees for modules that will follow.

We are also creating a more advanced curriculum in the second year for those who complete the First Year’s Training and so on throughout the Three-Year Program. There will also be an additional participatory component not seen in previous Trainings whereby participants will be expected to volunteer for a couple of coordinated outside activities.

In years past we added the category of Activist to our Steward’s Training Program, recognizing that you can only have so many Stewards, so why limit the training to only Stewards? We now want to take the next step in this ongoing process — and try to involve those members who have never been involved before. Our goal is not just to continue with the usual “how to” training and information sessions. Rather we want to identify, develop and nurture the future leaders of Local 174.

We believe by assisting our members in meeting their individual goals we strengthen our Local and assert our influence throughout our Community for the benefit of our Local’s membership. We’ll keep everyone informed as the LDP evolves in 2010 and beyond.

Our first Class February 27th will be entitled “The Ethical Steward” and will feature presentations on these subjects:

I hope to see everyone there! It’s free, and open to all Local 174 members. Our chief instructor will be our Senior Business Agent and Education Director Tim Allen. Many of our staff members will be assisting Tim, and we’ll have some interesting guest speakers.

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Troublesome Old Issue Resurfaces:
TEAMSTERS SEEK REVERSAL OF BUSH ERA HOURS-OF-SERVICE RULE
IBT OPPOSES 34-HOUR “RESTART” AS THREAT TO DRIVER HEALTH, PUBLIC SAFETY

(January 28, 2010) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Teamsters Union urged federal regulators at a hearing last week to reverse a Bush Era midnight regulation that increased the number of hours truckers can drive.The Teamsters have been fighting the regulation since it was first issued in 2003. It raised the number of hours truck drivers can spend behind the wheel from 10 to 11 consecutive hours each shift, and from 60 to 77 hours of driving each week. The rule cut off-duty rest and recovery time at the work week’s end from 50 or more hours off duty to as little as 34 hours off duty.

Lamont Byrd
According to LaMont Byrd, above, Director of the Teamsters’ Health and Safety Department, “The current rules regarding hours of service, the 34-hour restart provision and the sleeper berth provision must be changed.”

“We must protect our truck drivers’ health and safety,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “Study after study shows that more time behind the wheel is dangerous for truckers and for the driving public.” 

LaMont Byrd, Director of the Teamsters’ Health and Safety Department, commented publicly during the first of four listening sessions held by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The agency is preparing a proposal for new hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers. He noted: 

“The agency issued a rule that favors increasing driver productivity and increasing the profits of motor carriers over driver health and safety. The current rules regarding hours of service, the 34-hour restart provision and the sleeper berth provision must be changed.”

Byrd said the Union opposes the provision that allows drivers to return to work after only 34 hours off duty. “We negotiated language into our collective bargaining agreements that prohibits the use of restart, except in rare situations, and those runs are negotiated with the employer on a case-by-case basis,” he said. 

Despite legal challenges, the Bush Administration in November 2008 issued the regulation allowing longer driving time. The Teamsters — along with Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Truck Safety Coalition — challenged the rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. In October 2009, the Teamsters agreed to put the lawsuit on hold in exchange for an agreement with FMCSA that it would revise the hours-of-service rule. 

The percentage of fatal crashes that result from driver fatigue rose 20 percent from 2004 to 2005, the first year in which the longer hours of driving were allowed. Roughly one-third of the Teamsters’ 1.4 million workers are commercial drivers covered by the hours of service regulation. 

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Coke Bargaining Postponed
(January 25, 2010) As you know, bargaining between Coke and the multi- Local coalition of the Teamsters Union was originally scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. Coke has informed the Union that they have not yet designated someone to Chair negotiations. As a result, bargaining with the Company has been postponed until further notice. Stay informed by talking to your Shop Steward and Business Representative and checking for updates at your Local Union’s website.

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OSHA 7600 16 hour•Saturday: 8:00 am—5:00 pm
•Sunday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

•Instructor: Sandy Winter, Training Coordinator, International Union of Operating Engineers

•Instructor: Cindy Gaudio, Instructor, Carpenters Training Trust

•Instructor: Carolina Taylor, Ironworkers Local 86

•Instructor: Melina Harris, Carpenters local 1797

• Speaker: Ben Emam, Construction Manager for the Link Light Rail project, Sound Transit

• Speaker: Green River Valley Flood Robin Friedman, Director, King County Office of Emergency Management .

Sisters In The Building Trades
Disaster Site Clean Up Training

(January 25, 2010) This CERT, Community Emergency Response Training, is in anticipation of the Green River Valley Flood and is designed to prepare you for Disaster Clean Up Work. OSHA 10 is a prerequisite for this training, which is coming up March 6 and March 7.

Why you should take the Training:

For more information on this issue:

Please R.S.V.P. for this training by e-mailing ShyeShye@gmail.com or calling 253-850-1458

Download a printable flyer about this event here.
Download a PowerPoint Presentation here. (Size = 5.4MB)

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