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(WASHINGTON) – Twenty-four drivers, pump fillers, and loaders represented by Teamsters Local 283 in Ferndale, Mich., have won their arbitration case against Airgas after the company illegally locked them out for nearly a year. An arbitrator ruled that the members must be reinstated with full back pay and benefits. “These dedicated Teamsters endured hardship for almost a full year as Airgas tried to wear them down, but not once did they even think about crossing the picket line,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Their solidarity, determination, and resolve cannot be understated. The arbitration victory sends a clear message that employers who violate workers’ rights will be held accountable and the Teamsters Union will never stop fighting to protect our members in every industry and every state.” The arbitration win comes amid a strike that Airgas Teamsters have been forced to undergo for over a year following multiple unfair labor practices (ULPs) committed by the company. These include unlawful threats, lockouts, discharge, and retaliation against workers for exercising their legal rights, as well as failing to provide notice or an opportunity to bargain. Airgas, a subsidiary of French multinational Air Liquide, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases. “Airgas thought it could retaliate against our members and get away with it,” said Juan Campos, Director of the Teamsters Tankhaul Division and Teamsters International Vice President At-Large. “The company broke the law, targeted its own workers, and dragged this fight out for nearly a year. Now our members are going back to work with full back pay and benefits, and Airgas is finally being forced to answer for its disgusting behavior.” Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. ### The post Airgas Teamsters Win Reinstatement, Back Pay After Year-Long Lock Out appeared first on International Brotherhood of Teamsters.Continue reading→

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – Teamsters are celebrating the passage of S2504A/H7364A, the Rhode Island Warehouse Worker Protection Act, out of the General Assembly. The legislation will prevent companies like Amazon from abusing their workforce by regulating the use and disclosure of warehouse quotas. “Amazon and other bad actors who make up the worst employers in our state have been wreaking havoc on workers’ livelihoods and physical well-being for far too long, but we’re putting a stop to in Rhode Island,” said Matt Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 251 in East Providence. Gov. McKee has already said he will sign the bill into law. Rhode Island will become the seventh state to enact the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, following California, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Washington, and most recently Connecticut. “Far too many people who work in warehousing go to work every day and put themselves in harm’s way because of strain or exhaustion, and even then, are told they’re still not abiding by an unknown production standard,” Taibi said. “By working with our allies in the legislature, particularly Rep. Evan Shanley and Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone, we’ve leveled the playing field by increasing something that isn’t measured enough: corporate accountability.” The warehouse bill is the latest legislative success for Rhode Island Teamsters — last session, the union successfully got laws passed to enhance school bus safety and prevent mandatory attendance at anti-union propaganda meetings. Teamsters Local 251 represents over 6,200 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. For more information, go to teamsters251.org. The post Rhode Island Lawmakers Pass Teamsters-Supported Warehouse Worker Protection Act appeared first on International Brotherhood of Teamsters.Continue reading→

(WASHINGTON) – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced today that 100,000 workers have joined the union since March 2022, marking one of the most successful organizing periods in modern labor history and underscoring the growing demand for strong union representation across the U.S. and Canada. The milestone is the result of an aggressive organizing strategy led by Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman, who made union growth a top priority and invested heavily in organizing, bargaining, and contract enforcement. "If anyone is still questioning whether the Teamsters are breaking through, they're not paying attention. We're negotiating record contracts, building powerful bipartisan coalitions, and organizing more than 100,000 new members,” O’Brien said. “The old complacent guard that ran this union before us spent a decade organizing 50,000 workers, and we've doubled that in just four years. You don't see this kind of growth, energy, or militancy anywhere else in the labor movement. The Teamsters are coming for what our members deserve — so get out of our way.” The Teamsters’ growth has extended far beyond traditional industries. While the union continues to expand in freight, warehousing, delivery, and logistics, tens of thousands of new members have organized in sectors including health care, public services, cannabis, and Amazon. The union is also expanding through internal organizing in Southern “right to work” states, and negotiating neutrality agreements at employers including DHL, American Red Cross, and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “There’s no stronger union in North America than the Teamsters. If workers want the best contracts, the highest wages, the most reliable benefits and protections on the job, they need to become Teamsters today and join the 100,000 new members we’ve organized in just four years,” Zuckerman said. “We are protecting one another and holding corrupt, greedy corporations accountable. This is the just the beginning of a brighter future for this organization.” The organizing surge includes victories at major companies throughout North America, including UPS, DHL, Costco, Sysco, UNFI, the American Red Cross, and hundreds of smaller employers. It also reflects the Teamsters’ continued success organizing younger workers who are driving a new generation of rank-and-file militancy across nearly every industry. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. The post 100,000 New Members. Four Years. Teamsters Growing Rapidly. appeared first on International Brotherhood of Teamsters.Continue reading→

(WASHINGTON) – Teamsters Local 455 in Fort Morgan, Colo., has filed unfair labor practice charges against Cargill after the company cut off workers' access to pay and benefits. The charges come as the company continues to keep over 1,700 Teamsters locked out of the Fort Morgan beef processing facility. “Cargill is hurting working families in Fort Morgan by illegally cutting benefits and refusing to pay its own workforce after now locking them out for multiple weeks,” said Dean Modecker, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 455. “These charges make clear that Cargill cannot ignore the law. It’s time for the company to stop stalling and return to the bargaining table.” Cargill has recently faced scrutiny, including antitrust lawsuits involving some of the nation’s largest meat companies. In a recent beef price-fixing case, Cargill agreed to pay $32.5 million to settle claims that it conspired with other processors to keep beef prices high, while simultaneously denying any wrongdoing. The Teamsters Food Processing Division is looking into possible antitrust issues tied to the company’s conduct. It is one more sign that Cargill is putting profits ahead of people. “The beef cartel, comprised of Cargill, Tysons, and a couple other companies, have already been sued for violating antitrust laws for price fixing and ripping off consumers,” said Jesse Case, Director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division. “Now they’re conspiring to fix labor rates. These large meat packers are monopolies that need to be broken up if they can’t recommit to the communities that helped make them successful.” Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. ### The post Teamsters File Unfair Labor Practice Charges Against Cargill appeared first on International Brotherhood of Teamsters.Continue reading→