ABF Central Region Teamsters Overwhelmingly Decline To Authorize A Strike At ABF

October 29, 2013 –

IBT Statement- “In a vote with 77 percent turnout, a majority of the membership covered by the Central Region Local Cartage Supplement has overwhelmingly (70% to 30%) chosen not to authorize a strike at ABF.

Consequently, in accordance with the IBT Constitution, TNFINC is going to poll the ABF Master Negotiating Committee within the next 24 hours to determine whether to accept ABF’s final offer on the last remaining open supplement.”

ABF Statement- “ABF Freight System, Inc.^® has been notified by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that union employees covered by the Central Region Local Cartage supplement to the ABF National Master Freight Agreement have voted overwhelmingly to reject a strike authorization.

Based upon this outcome, there will be no strike by employees in the affected region or anywhere else in the ABF^® nationwide system. Less-than-truckload carrier ABF Freight is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS) and a premier provider of high-quality service to customers across the United States.

Next steps toward finalization of the national agreement will be determined shortly. The five-year ABF NMFA is the first such agreement that the company has negotiated on its own behalf. A majority of Teamster employees ratified the national agreement in June, and 26 of 27 supplements were ratified by mid-October.

After receiving the company’s last, best and final offer on their supplement, Central Region Local Cartage employees received strike authorization ballots in early October. Turnout was strong, with 77 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot.

ABF wishes to thank our customers for their patience and commitment to ABF during this long and complicated process, as many people on both sides of the table worked to ensure a stronger future for our company and our employees in a very competitive marketplace. The company also recognizes and appreciates the sacrifices from our union and our non-union employees to put ABF on a better path to sustained profitability for years to come.”