TEAMSTERS ADDRESS MISCLASSIFICATION BEFORE PENNSYLVANIA TASK FORCE

Last week, representatives from the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters addressed the Pennsylvania Joint Task Force on Misclassification of Employees. The bipartisan, legislatively-referred task force began in 2021 and was charged with assessing the impacts of worker misclassification in the state and coming up with recommendations for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to address the issue.

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In March 2022, the task force presented its initial findings, which correctly identified many of the harms misclassification brings to workers, communities and businesses. Based on state data, the report found that more than 49,000 Pennsylvania employers currently misclassify at least one worker. Additionally, up to $124 million in state revenue has been lost due to misclassification, and workers lost more than $176 million due to injury and illness without workers compensation insurance (which employers avoid through misclassification).

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Teamsters Local 776 Business Agent Dave Licht, Teamsters State Legislative Director John Mataya and Teamsters International Attorney Willie Burden all presented before the task force. They spoke to new forms of misclassification that the preliminary report did not address, especially at employers like Amazon.

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“Misclassification robs workers, hollows out communities, erodes tax bases, and punishes employers who do the right thing,” said Licht. “By allowing employers to get away with misclassification, lawmakers are creating a race to the bottom.”

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“The task force’s recommendations are a great starting point – a strong ABC test, appropriate penalties like stop work orders, and properly funding investigative staff, to name a few,” said Mataya. “However, there are forms of misclassification that the report overlooks, including Amazon’s DSP [Delivery Service Provider] model.”

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Burden walked the task force through how Amazon uses subcontracting companies to shift liability to others through subcontracting with so-called DSP companies that employ the vast majority of Amazon’s delivery drivers. However, while a worker may be employed by a DSP on paper, Amazon exercises near-total control of the workers – mandating they operate Amazon vans, wear Amazon uniforms, drive Amazon-directed routes, and follow other Amazon directives.

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“We hope that when the General Assembly receives the final misclassification report, they take swift action to address these abuses,” said William Hamilton, President of the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters and International Vice President. “Pennsylvania lawmakers will soon have the choice to stand either with workers or with corporations taking advantage of communities and taxpayers.”

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“The days of billion-dollar companies like Amazon abusing and misclassifying workers are coming to an end,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Workers and taxpayers have been left holding the bag for too long and the Teamsters will continue to support meaningful reform.”

Sean M. O’Brien Sworn in as the 11th General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; General Executive Board Meets to Plan for the Future

(WASHINGTON) – Sean M. O’Brien was sworn in today as the new General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman and the newly-elected General Executive Board also took the oath of office. Following a swearing-in ceremony, O’Brien and his team went straight to work, holding their first board meeting to discuss the priorities of the new administration.

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“We have a lot of work ahead of us, but our team is tested and ready to lead this great International into the future. It’s a new day for the Teamsters Union,” O’Brien said. “Under this administration, we will be a bigger, faster, stronger union.”

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A fourth-generation Teamster from Boston, O’Brien will bring a more militant, grassroots approach to taking on employers and will prioritize mobilizing rank-and-file members to get involved in the union.

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“By uniting Teamsters across the country, we will be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to organizing workers, negotiating strong contracts and fighting back against those who seek to take away our hard-won rights,” said Zuckerman of Louisville, Ky. “We are ready to get to work.”   

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The O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United Slate was elected by the membership on Nov. 19, 2021, by an overwhelming 2-1 margin. The election was certified on Dec. 7 by the union’s Election Administrator.

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The union is already preparing for negotiations and a member-driven contract campaign at United Parcel Service (UPS). The current, five-year agreement expires on July 31, 2023. The national contract covers more than 350,000 Teamsters at the company—the largest private collective bargaining agreement in the country.

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An inauguration celebration open to all members will take place this summer at Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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The 2022-2027 General Executive Board members are as follows:

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International Vice Presidents At-Large: Juan Campos, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 705, Chicago, Ill.; Joan Corey, Business Agent, Local 25, Boston, Mass.; Greg Floyd, President, Local 237, New York, N.Y.; Chris Griswold, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 986, Los Angeles, Calif.; Tony Jones, President, Local 413, Columbus, Ohio; John Palmer, Local 657, San Antonio, Texas; James Wright, President, Local 822, Norfolk, Va.

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Western Region Vice Presidents: Mark Davison, President, Local 162, Portland, Ore.; Lindsay Dougherty, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 399, Hollywood, Calif.; Peter Finn, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 856, San Bruno, Calif.; Rick Hicks, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 174, Tukwila, Wash.

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Central Region Vice Presidents: Danny Avelyn, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 554, Omaha, Neb.; Tom Erickson, President, Local 120, Minneapolis, Minn.; Avral Thompson, President, Local 89, Louisville, Ky.

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Eastern Region Vice Presidents: Rocco Calo, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 1150, Stratford, Conn.; Bill Hamilton, President, Local 107, Philadelphia, Pa.; Matt Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 251, Providence, R.I.

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Southern Region Vice Presidents: Thor Johnson, Vice President, Local 79, Tampa, Fla.; Brent Taylor, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 745, Dallas, Texas.

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International Trustees: Willie Ford, President, Local 71, Charlotte, N.C.; Dan Kane Jr., President, Local 202, New York, N.Y.; Vinnie Perrone, President, Local 804, New York, N.Y.

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International Vice Presidents Canada Region: François Laporte, President, Teamsters Canada, Laval, Quebec; Stan Hennessy, President, Local 31, Delta, British Columbia; Craig McInnes, President, Local 938, Mississauga, Ontario. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Yellow Corporation is opening its 17th Commercial Driver’s License Driving Academy next week in Middlesex Township. Yellow Corporation subsidiaries include national carrier YRC Freight, and regional carrier New Penn. This is Yellow Corp.’s first training school in Pennsylvania. The Yellow CDL Driving Academy will offer apprentice drivers four weeks of classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training with an instructor. The academy is tuition-free and students are paid to earn while they learn. Yellow is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Labor as part of its apprenticeship program “You actually have a job while you’re going through the program,” Yellow Corp. CEO Darren Hawkins said.

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United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, PA Gov. Tom Wolf, officials from Yellow Corp., and Local 776 President Ed Thompson were on hand Tuesday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new facility in front of two tractor-trailers: Local 776’s and one from the American Trucking Association.

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Anyone interested in finding out more about the training program can contact the driving academy hotline at 833-475-8201 to apply and learn more about enrollment.

Recent winter weather took a toll on the U.S. At one point, approximately 75% of the country was snow covered. Extreme cold covered Texas and the south. Texas remained in the frigid grip of winter storms as an arctic blast deepened an electricity supply crisis that has forced millions to endure days without power and heat. Pipes froze and burst across the state, and icicles hung from kitchen faucets in Houston, as Texas utilities struggled to restore power to millions of residents affected by the brutal winter weather, officials were scrambling to provide clean water as well. Cities and counties across the state, including Houston, San Antonio and Austin, had issued boil water notices stemming from concerns about contamination and low water pressure as frigid temperatures froze pipes, leaving some households with little to no running water. The boil water notices compounded the frustrations of some residents who stated that they do not have the power or electricity to boil water or are without water completely.

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During the height of the crisis in Texas Local 776 received a call from the IBT. The International had a truckload of bottled water marked for delivery to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and needed someone to deliver it. Without hesitation, President Ed Thompson offered the Local’s truck and drivers to make the delivery. Two Local 776 members, both road drivers and Union Stewards from ABF Freight, Chalmer Edgin and Garry Teter Jr., jumped at the chance to deliver the much-needed water and were soon on the way, dropping the water off at the headquarters of Local 178 Operating Engineers Dallas/Ft. Worth. Once again, the Local’s motto “People Helping People” is put to the test and we delivered. 

Hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are working on the front line in the fight against COVID-19. We are treating patients, delivering essential goods, working in food processing and in warehouses to keep grocery store shelves stocked, and so much more. We are putting our lives at risk so that others remain safe and healthy.

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The House Democrats recently passed legislation that protects workers with enforceable OSHA health and safety standards, whistleblower protections and funds to support state efforts to broadly test and trace infection.  Now, the Senate must take action to protect workers!

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Click HERE to send an email message to your Senator demanding that the Senate pass The Every Worker Protection Act -  S. 3677 which requires OSHA to issue enforceable worker safety standards. While we continue to do our essential jobs, we need to call on Congress to do its job to keep us safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrKZrxMdLLo 

Pennsylvania House rejects bill targeting unions' political activity

An article appearing in The Morning Call (c) online news expained in the article that no veto was needed after enough moderate Republicans sided with Democrats to defeat the measure. The bill was favored by the GOP’s vast conservative majority and by two influential lobbying groups, the Commonwealth Foundation, which advocates against unions and for businesses; and the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, which raises campaign money for conservative pro-business candidates.

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The article further statedthat, after the vote, two GOP supporters moved for a new vote before the legislative session expires next November. To view and read entite article click here THE MORNING CALL

Find Your PA Legislator click below

"We all know why Republicans want "paycheck protection" and have couched the issue in Orwellian terms: Unions tend to strongly support their opponents.

But this is not needed legislation.

And as many taxpaying voters in the commonwealth have asked this week, don't legislators have more important things to do right now - such as property tax reform, pension reform and getting the state budget under control?" as quoted in the editorial.

READ ENTIRE EDITORIAL HERE

WAKE UP UNION MEMBERS

LOOK WHAT HAPPENED IN WEST VIRGINIA & KENTUCKY

It doesn’t matter if you are a registered Democrat, Republican or Independent. What matters is that you vote and only vote for those representatives that stand with you and issues that are important to you. If your elected officals voted or votes in favor of “Right-to-Work” legislation they are obviously not with you.  It is time to send a a strong message to our elected officials that those choosing to vote against their hard working constituents will no longer have your support. Please ask your family and friends to support you by also voting against them.

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Right-to-work is wrong.

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It could more aptly be called "right-to-poverty."

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Many of our  fathers, grandfathers, relatives and ancestors fought and died helping workers achieve better wages, working conditions and safety in the work place by forming unions.

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Unions have always helped strike a balance between the employee and the employer. 

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Our lawmakers promised to create good paying jobs in this state yet some are entertaining legislation that will force many of us into lower paying jobs by instituting such laws.

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By lowering wages, elected officials would hurt the tax base and drive many more constituents into a life of low wages and welfare benefits to feed their families and make ends meet.

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This will only add more stress on a system that is already overburdened. Even The Wall Street Journal recently published an article stating that wages in Right-to-Work states are much lower.

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The cleverly worded title to the Folmer bill is "The Freedom of Employment Act." But it is nothing more than a bill designed to destroy unions and good-paying jobs and has nothing to do whatsoever with freedom in the workplace.

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Lawmakers and the public shouldn't be fooled.

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Link to Patriot News© to view above Op-Ed

Owner of Yuengling Beer, Dick Yuengling, is pushing for

Right to Work legislation in Pennsylvania

Boycott Yuengling Beer Products.

A Child’s Christmas Dream…

The PA Conference was proud to be a part of her dream

     Brielle was born October 16^th 2008 and at only 6 days old it was discovered that her small intestine had twisted and died and had to be removed. She needed a transplant desperately and spent her first Christmas in the hospital with a line infection…the first of many.  On October 5^th2012 the family thought their prayers were answered and Brielle received her new intestines. She had her first of three rejections on October 17^th and spent the next 55 days in the hospital.

     After being re-admitted to the hospital in early December with what seemed to be the flu or another line infection a scope on January 23^rd revealed the tumor in her new bowel and on the 25^th they had to remove her new intestine. As if this tragic ordeal were not enough for Brielle and her family a routine ct scan prior to discharge revealed over a dozen small B Cell Lymphoma in her brain and liver.  This child has spent 1/3 of her life in the hospital, undergone 32 surgeries and is currently taking chemo for the Lymphoma.

     On a sad note, Brielle passed away in June 2014. The horses that pulled her princess carriage to Hotel Hershey in late November escorted her coffin to the gravesite. We offer our sincere condolences to Brielle’s family and may Brielle, the strong and courageous little fighter, rest in peace.

http://jamiesdreamteam.myfastsite.net/

Below is a picture of the 1992 PA Conference of Teamsters “Conference Report” showing a building located at 814 North 2^nd Street in Harrisburg, PA that will become the official headquarters for the PA Conference of Teamsters. Also shown below are the actual designs used to construct the PA Conference of Teamsters Crest that, still today, adorns the headquarters. To view more unique, rare and historic Teamster item go to our Nostalgia page 1 and Nostalgia page 2.

 Tractor-Trailer photograph©  courtesy of Teamsters Local 830