On the night before he died, Martin Luther King gave a speech about the dignity of labor. It still rings true. He was in Memphis, Tenn., supporting sanitation workers' rights to respect and a decent wage. He said: “Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth.”

Dr. King's spirit lives on, especially in the hearts of 32,000 Teamsters solid waste workers who've been able to better their lives with a Teamsters contract. And it lives on in the workers who today are fighting the growing attacks from corporations that want to lower wages through right-to-work (for LESS) laws. Dr. King had this to say about "right to work:"

"In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right-to-work.' It provides no 'rights' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining…. We demand this fraud be stopped."

Dr. King believed that the civil rights movement and the labor movement together would have the greatest impact in the struggle for human dignity. The Teamsters shared that view. Early Teamsters leaders were strongly against separate unions for African-Americans. In 1919 the union adopted the slogan, "Equal Pay for Equal Work," signaling their strong support for all their members.

Teamsters General President James R. Hoffa opposed segregation and chose to forfeit prospective members because of it. "We don't need 'em," he said. "Their way is not the Teamster way." 

Teamsters in 1961 gave food and clothing to African-American families who were punished for registering to vote in the 1960 presidential election. Teamsters marched with Dr. King in Chicago in 1966.

In 1963, scores of Teamsters joined the historic March on Washington. Buses carrying Teamsters arrived from near and far, some driving through the night to join the activities on time. Locals that were especially involved included Locals 810 and 239 of New York City, Local 875 of Flushing, New York, Local 20 of Toledo, Local 688 of St. Louis and Local 743 of Chicago.

In 1968 Teamsters leaders and rank-and-file members marched in Dr. King's funeral procession.

Today, the Teamsters are honoring the memory of Dr. King both in words and in the battle to lift up workers to a better life.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa had this to say: “Even in death, Martin Luther King Jr. continues to inspire and guide us. His legacy lives on in every union member, every labor activist, and every American who has stood up in the name of justice, equality, peace and compassion.”

TEAMSTERS: SPENDING BILL OFFERS RELIEF, BUT PASSES THE BUCK ON LARGER PENSION FIX

‘Cadillac Tax’ Repeal on Health Plans is Big Victory for Union Workers

(WASHINGTON) – The fiscal year 2020 omnibus spending bill approved by Congress this week provides resources for many critical investments that better the lives of working Americans, but also misses the mark by not including a broad fix for the nation’s faltering multiemployer pension plans.

While the repeal of a 40 percent excise tax on high-quality health benefits held by many Teamsters and others has long been sought by the union, the Teamsters are deeply disappointed that Congress did not include the House-passed Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act – also known as the Butch Lewis Act – in the final version of the spending deal.

“While we recognize the precarious position of the mineworkers’ pension and health funds which the spending package addresses, they are not alone,” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said. “Through no fault of their own, the earned pension benefits of millions of retirees and workers – Teamsters, ironworkers, bakery & confectionery workers, musicians, among others – are being threatened due to the pending insolvency of a number of other multiemployer pension plans.

“These retirees and families should not have to live with this uncertainty and continue to have their lives turned upside down,” he continued. “The Teamsters Union will continue to fight vigorously for passage of the Butch Lewis Act in the new year.”

The bipartisan legislation, thanks in large part to the hard work of Reps. Richard Neal of Massachusetts and Peter King of New York, passed the House on a 264-169 vote and was sent to the Senate on July 25. The Butch Lewis Act aims at financially supporting critical and declining pension plans so they don’t fail. The measure ensures that retirees and workers receive the benefits they have earned through decades of hard work.

On the “Cadillac Tax” repeal, Congress’ approval of the language marks the culmination of a 10-year effort led by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) to strip the needlessly punitive provision that would have hit hardworking Americans hard, Hoffa said.

“It is a huge win not only for our Teamster families, but for all middle-class families who were facing this misguided tax on their hard-won health care benefits,” he said. “With working families facing the hollowing out of health care benefits and increasing out-of-pocket costs, it is past time to reverse this misguided policy.”

Additionally, the omnibus spending bill:

• Restores the steep funding cut proposed for the National Labor Board which protects a worker’s right to organize and bargain collectively;
   
• Provides increased funds to the Labor Department’s Wage & Hour Division and OSHA to ensure that workers receive the wages and overtime pay they have earned, and that they have a safe and healthy workplace;
   
• Increases funding for grants to improve countries’ capacity to enforce labor rights agreed to under U.S. trade agreements and trade preference programs by providing resources for additional monitoring and enforcement staff, including at critical U.S. embassies for monitoring and labor compliance; and
   
• Continues a vigorous effort to combat the scourge of the opioid epidemic faced by far too many communities and families, including Teamster families.

The application process for the 2020 year is now open. 

To access the JRHMSF application process (administered by ISTS), go to: https://aim.applyists.net

Please use JRHMSF for the "Key"

Eligibility:  For the sons, daughters and financial dependents of Teamster members (including the BMWED, BLET, GCC and TCRC). Academic scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for high school seniors planning to attend a four-year college or university and Training/Vocational program awards of up to $2,000 for use at community colleges and trade schools. For more details, Click Here.

• Application Open: November 30, 2019

• DEADLINE: March 31, 2020 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time Zone

• Membership Verification Deadline: March 31, 2020

• Notification of Selection Results: June 2020

• Funds Disbursed: August 2020

For general questions about the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund, please call 855-670-ISTS (4787) or Email: contactus@applyISTS.com

College Tuition Discount Network

As a Teamster member, there is a college tuition discount program that is available to you and members of your family. The ISTS Tuition Discount Network (TDN) is a list of For-Profit and Non-Profit colleges and universities that offer reduced tuition. The amount of the reduction can varies by school and can sometimes be as specific as major. Make sure you identify yourself as a Teamster when applying.

The link to the TDN is http://www.applyists.com/tuition-discount-network/. Click on the school's logo to view the discount. 

About James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund

James R. Hoffa became a Teamster member in 1934 and served as General President for 14 years, and, in recognition of his tireless service to the union and its members, was honored as General President Emeritus for life. At the November 1999 General Executive Board meeting, then-General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel presented a resolution to establish the new scholarship fund. This site describes the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund (JRHMSF) and outlines eligibility requirements and application procedures. Please click here.

The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund is an independent organization established and registered as a tax-exempt entity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund is established solely to provide scholarships to the child or dependent of a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and contributions to the Fund are deductible as charitable contributions to the extent permitted by law.

492 Movie Teamsters Reach(lift) For The Sky!

Teamsters Local 492 held forklift classes on November 15th and 16th. These classes were first come, first serve and filled up fast. There were a total of 40 attendees that were certified or re-certified over the 2 day period, which maxed out the class size limits for 2 instructors. (OSHA will only allow 10 people per instructor per day when they are certifying skills on an actual Forklift.) The “safety” (non-skill) certification classes that were previously offered, often had many more people in attendance, but these “Safety-Only” classes do not have Forklifts to test skills on and only give you a safety certification. However, the certification that was given this weekend was for the operation of forklifts including Class 4 & 5 and also a Reach Lift (petti-bone Class 7), which was also on site. (See All The Pics Here!) 

Local 492 is holding these “Hands-on” forklift classes because more production companies, like Netflix, are requiring this type of certification and we want our 492 Teamsters to be able to get that next job. Hopefully, we will be having more of these classes in the near future and we are also looking into having an all-day Petti-bone (Class 7) class for those in the Movie Industry that need such certification. Local 492 served a delicious free lunch, catered by Sadie’s and we also gave the attendees a free Teamster Local 492 “Forklift Certified” T-Shirt along with their New Teamster 492 Forklift Certification Card. 

A special thanks to 492 Film Dept. Business Agent Melissa Malcom and BA Trey White for taking the time to set up these classes and for donating their weekend again for the members of this great Local!!! Thank you to Leon at United Rentals for supplying the lifts at cost and to Brothers Bill Botos and Dan Morrison from Teamsters Local 631 for teaching the class. 

492 BA Malcom Union Panelist at Film & TV Career Connection

Today, Nov 09, 2019, Teamsters Local 492 Film Department Business Agent Melissa A. Malcom served as a Union Panelist for the Film & Television Career Connection at the South Broadway Cultural Center which was sponsored by the ONE Albuquerque Film Office.

There were about 500 people that attended the event where they received firsthand information from the Albuquerque Film Office, City Leaders, Film and TV Production and Industry Professionals, Film Unions, and Film Education Programs about career opportunities, education, skills, internships, jobs, and networking in the NM Film and Television Industry.  

Sister Malcom first explained that Teamsters in the Film Industry are the drivers of all of the equipment used in productions along with other transportation related jobs like Dispatchers and Mechanics. She also spoke about how all of the animals on set are handled/trained by Teamsters Wranglers. She then explained the CDL requirements needed to work as a Teamster Driver and answered questions about the difference between our waiting list and our overflow list. The waiting list is simply an electronic free-to-sign-up form to let Local 492 know you want to be contacted by the 492 Film Dept. if there is ever a spot open on our overflow “Exhausted” list. The overflow “Exhausted” list is the actual list of qualified Drivers and Wranglers that have turned in all of the required paperwork and have made themselves available through our Electronic Call Board each day. Producers can choose from these available "Exhausted List" Teamsters after the lists of our long term tenured Teamsters have been exhausted.

NM Film BA Malcom then announced the record setting year the NM Film Teamsters had in 2019.  "The number of Teamsters working and the amount of hours they worked this year is the highest in NM 492’s history, which allowed Local 492 to add more New Mexico residents onto our overflow list," she said. Melissa stated we are expecting 2020 to be another busy year.

Melissa also gave the audience some helpful tips and advice on being a successful Teamster which included answering your phone and saying YES when called for work, doing your job and doing it well, and also being friendly and professional.

Teamsters Local 492 would like to thank Sister Malcom for volunteering another of her weekends representing our great Union. Melissa is a great Teamster ambassador and always says YES to our industry and community leaders when asked to serve on these volunteer community outreach & educational programs. Thank you Melissa!!!