(WASHINGTON) – Hertz Teamsters at 20 local unions have voted overwhelming to strike if a new agreement is not reached by Monday, September 30. These nearly 3,000 Teamsters are covered by a Western Regional Master Agreement with Hertz and represented by locals in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
“When we began negotiations with Hertz more than a month ago, we made it abundantly clear that Teamsters would not be working beyond the expiration date of this agreement,” said Rocco Calo, Director of Teamsters Industrial Trades Division. “Teamsters at Hertz are instrumental to operations of several major airports and deserve to be treated as such. Striking is always a last resort, but Hertz Teamsters are ready to fight for what they are owed.”
Teamsters at Hertz work in a variety of roles at several major airports in the Western United States, including Albuquerque International Airport, Eugene Airport, Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
“Hertz has repeatedly offered us workers insulting contract proposals that fail to address workers’ needs,” said Ron Scott, a 34-year Hertz mechanic and member of Teamsters Local 481 in San Diego. “Throughout negotiations, the company has advocated for their bottom line more than they have for us. It’s unacceptable that Hertz is refusing to pay us a living wage, while also trying insert language into this agreement that would create a two-tier system. We will not stand for it.”
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 Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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