6/22/2019 - As most of you at Sysco NM know, there was a great turnout of Sysco members tonight who unanimously voted to authorize a strike.

The message tonight was very, very, loud and clear, the Sysco Teamsters are not willing to put up with substandard contracts and are ready to walk the picket line in order to let the company know that they are serious! The Teamster negotiating committee heard the workers voices and we will be carrying that message to the negotiation table on Tuesday when we meet with the company again. 

After the vote tonight,  the  Sysco workers Teamster negotiation committee met for about 90 minutes with the IBT and formulated a plan for the possible strike and events leading up to it. Hopefully the company will give these Sysco Teamster workers the best contract possible, but if they don't, tonight's unanimous vote gives the negotiating committee the mandate needed to do what's necessary. 

Thank you to everybody who came out, especially those members who live hundreds of miles away. Thank you for all of the overwhelming support that we have received from this great Teamster unit. Tonight's meeting was the largest one yet since we started this negotiation process in January. Sysco Teamsters should be very proud of the unity amongst this group that was shown tonight. We have no doubt that the Sysco Teamsters will show their overwhelming unity and solidarity on the picket line as well. 

We will keep the Sysco Teamsters updated as events occur, so make sure your Sysco coworkers are receiving emails and/or texts. Communication is key moving forward as things may happen very quickly (one way or the other) and everyone needs to know what's going on. Knowledge is power!!!

ABF Teamster Donald Wood has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for his bravery during a blinding snowstorm when he helped an elderly man whose vehicle had gone off the road.

On January 12, 2019, Brother Wood notice some headlights in the snow around 100 yards in the distance while he waited out a bad snowstorm in Liberal Kansas. He noticed the vehicle was not moving. “I knew something was wrong,” said Donald Wood. So he walked in the blizzard towards the headlights and found a small pickup & camper trailer stuck in a snowdrift with a man and dog by a playground slide. “He was so happy to see me,” recalled Brother Wood. “He said he didn’t know where he was and he was afraid he would freeze to death out there. I told him I would stay with him and get him out.”

Donald had a broken shovel he had found at the motel which he used to dig the man out which took over an hour. The elderly man was then able to wait out the storm after moving his vehicle to the motel parking lot. When the man tried to pay Brother Wood for his bravery and help, but Donald did not accept. “It’s hard to see someone stuck in those kinds of conditions,” said Brother Wood. “I just wanted to help him. As a truck driver, the people we meet along the way are all potential customers for the trucking industry. It’s important for us to show up as a positive role model and help where we can.”

TDC 2019 was another good year for the Teamster drivers that participated. There were five Teamsters that took home 1st place trophies; Donald Wood, Ricky Lucas, Kirk Weis, & Joseph Carrillo from ABF and Mike Johnson from YRC. These skilled Teamsters from New Mexico are all headed to the 2019 National Truck Driving Championships in Pittsburg Pennsylvania. Best of Luck and Skill in Pennsylvania! Congratulations to everyone! Thanks for representing yourselves, your company and your Union so well again this year and we look forward to 2020! View Photos Here

There were only 3 Teamster represented Companies that participated at this year's New Mexico Truck Driving Championships, ABF, TeamOne, and YRC, which included 26 Teamster drivers out of 118 participants, where 10 Teamster Drivers took home 14 awards, competing against non-union companies like FedEx (FedEx had 67 participants), Groendyke, Old Dominion, UPT and XPO.

The 26 Teamster participants sorted by Class: 3 Axle Class: Randall Amberman from ABF Freight, and; Stanley Aragon, Javier Cruz, Jose Hernandez, & Mike Johnson from YRC Freight.  4 Axle Class: Cameron Misner & Brian Thias from TeamOne UPS Logistics, and; Donald Wood from ABF Freight.  5 Axle Class: Robert Delgado & Joey Padilla from ABF Freight. Flatbed Class: Gerald Benavidez from ABF Freight.  Sleeper Class: Ralph Garcia & Ricky Lucas from ABF Freight, and; Michael McAfee of YRC Freight. Straight Truck Class: Kirk Weis from ABF Freight. Tanker Class: David Logan & Robert Zamora from ABF Freight, and; Richard Cruz from YRC Freight. Twin Trailers Class: Joseph Carrillo, Justin Gallant, Fernando Gonzalez, Steven Kelly Russell, & Chad Sullins from ABF Freight, and; David Martinez, Samuel Soto, Joseph Wright from YRC Freight.

ABF had 15 participants and lots of family and supporters at this year’s championships which also included ABF Freight Regional VP Andy Upchurch, West Regional Director Ed Myers, ABF Local Management and employees from the shop, dock, line haul, and office.  ABF won the Best NMTDC Team award and a Fleet safety Award, the over 5,000,000 mile safety award and Line Haul Manager Randy Archer of ABF received the 2019 Volunteer of the Year award.

The individual awards for ABF drivers; Donald Wood won 1st place in the 4 axel class (Donald Wood also won Highway Angel Award, Driver of the Quarter, & Driver of the Year Award), Joey Padilla won 2nd place in 5 axel class, Gerald Benavidez won 3rd place in the Flatbed class, Kirk Weis won 1st place in the Straight Truck class, Ricky Lucus won 1st place in the Sleeper class & Ralph Garcia won 2nd place in the Sleeper class, Robert Zamora won 3rd place in the Tanker class, and finally Joseph Carrillo not only won 1st place in Twin Trailer class, Joseph also won Grand Champion! Congratulations to Brother Carrillo, who is also a Teamster Local 492 Executive Board Trustee and the annual NM Teamster Appreciation Day Lead Event Coordinator.

TeamOne UPS Logistics had fantastic family support for their 2 tough competitors. Brian Thias won 3rd place in the 4 Axle Class, TeamOne also took home a Fleet Safety Award for 1,000,000 to 5,000,000 safe miles.

YRC had tons of family and supporters for their 9 competitors from Line Haul and City operations. Mike Johnson won his spot at the 2019 National Truck Driving Championships in Pittsburg Pa. by taking home a 1st place Award in the 3 Axle Class.

Click Here to view all 2019 the scores.

Go down memory lane below:

2017 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2016 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2015 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2014 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2013 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2012 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2011 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2010 New Mexico Truck Driving Championships

2019TruckRodeoResults.pdf

One of 27 Supplements Rejected, Agreement Not In Effect Until Approved

Teamster-represented workers at YRC Freight, Holland and New Penn have voted to approve the national master portion of the new YRCW National Master Freight Agreement that raises wages, restores a week of vacation and protects benefits.

The national master portion of the agreement, which covers about 25,000 workers, was ratified by a 60 percent to 40 percent margin. However, all but one of the 27 regional supplemental contracts (Joint Council 40) also passed. The national contract will not go into effect until the Joint Council 40 supplement is resolved. The parties currently have an extension agreement in effect. Employees should report to work as usual.

“Over the past decade our members have sacrificed so much to keep the YRCW companies operating, and this contract restores the week of vacation and provides $4 in wage increases, among other improvements,” said Ernie Soehl, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division.

“This contract should improve the livelihoods of our YRCW Teamsters for the next five years,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “Freight is the backbone of our great union and this contract recognizes our members for their hard work.”

The improvements include:

• $4.00 in wage increases over five years for the vast majority of workers (an 18% increase for most drivers and dockworkers) including a $1.00 wage increase retroactive to April 1, 2019 (a 4.5% increase for most drivers and dockworkers);
• Significant increases for dock-only, clerical, maintenance employees, janitors and porters hired after February 2014 including a minimum of an immediate $1.00 wage increase retroactive to April 1, 2019;
• Restoration of the week of vacation that was given up years ago, effective April 1, 2019;
• Protection of health and welfare benefits with no employee premium co-pays. Up to $0.50 per hour increases each year for most funds. The company agreed to provide other funds with fixed guaranteed amounts to maintain benefits;
• Improved language to curb excessive executive bonuses; and
• Prohibitions against using driverless trucks.

Everyone needs to be signed up to the website because emails through the website are going to be our primary mode of communication over the next few months. ***If you know an YRC member of Local 492 who is not receiving email updates from Local 492, forward this email to them and tell them to CLICK HERE to sign up or call Trey White at 505-344-1925 ex 15***

Visit the 492 YRC Freight Negotiations 2019 Page