Corporations Take, Take, Take While Workers Pay The Bill

October 30, 2013

What do mega-corporations like communications giant Verizon and big pharma drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb have in common, besides their billions in earnings? They both paid an effective tax rate of zero percent over the past year.

A recent USA Today report shows that more than 10 percent of the nation’s largest 500 companies were able to work the system so that they paid little to nothing in taxes. This comes despite the fact that many of them complain bitterly about the nation’s 35 percent federal corporate tax rate. A Government Accountability Office study earlier this year showed businesses with assets of $10 million or more paid just 12.6 percent effective tax rate in 2010.

How does it happen? These corporate titans of greed take advantage of shadiness in the tax code by using gimmicks like accounting rules and offshore transfer payments to depress the amount of their profits that can be taxed. The result is some even end up paying negative tax rates on their earnings.

“Investors hope company management is doing everything they can to generate profit, legally,” Gradient Analytics’ Nick Yee told USA Today. “But the tax code is gray, and there’s often no set guidance.”

In all, 57 companies listed on the S&P 500 paid a zero rate during the past year. Other notables on the list include MetLife, Public Storage and News Corp.  It is estimated that tax dodging costs the U.S. about $300 billion a year.

Another big business that has been successful at not paying up is Federal Express, which it was revealed earlier this year has paid only a 4.2 percent tax rate on the $9 billion in profits it’s made over the past five years. Anti-union FedEx is one of 32 companies behind the Reforming America’s Tax Equitably Coalition. Evidently it believes the pittance it is paying is still too much.

FedEx is also a leader when it comes to misclassification, where it falsely identifies its ground drivers as independent contractors to minimize its tax liabilities.

Of course, all this faux pain-and-suffering for corporate bosses comes as real hard-working Americans and the less fortunate are truly experiencing the brunt of what the economy has wrought. They work, pay their taxes and do the best they can to get by while paying their full tax bill. But they are also covering the tax shortfall that these billion-dollar businesses are pushing off on them.

It’s beyond the pale that families are struggling to keep a roof over their head and food on the table while many corporations are busy counting their ill-gotten gains. It’s time for big business to pay their fair share.

Western Region, Local 177 Health Care Concerns Addressed

Your local supplement or rider was voted down, at least in part because members currently in the UPS Company health plan had concerns about changing health care providers.

When negotiations began, UPS demanded major concessions in health care. UPS Teamsters have fought for years to maintain excellent health insurance benefits and your negotiating team rejected UPS’s proposal. We came out of negotiations with an alternative that allowed UPS Teamsters covered under the Western Supplement and Local 177 Supplement to create a new health care plan. We are proud to announce that new health care plan – Teamsters Western Region and Local 177 Health Care Plan.

The Teamsters Western Region and Local 177 Health Care Plan is an independent health care plan that will cover all UPS Teamsters covered under the Western Supplement and the Local 177 Supplement who are currently in the UPS Company Plan. It is an independent fund created to serve more than 32,000 UPS Teamsters and their dependents in 11 western states as well as Local 177 in New Jersey. The plan will maintain contracts with the very same hospitals, physicians, pharmacies and other providers that participate in the UPS Company Plan.

Members who are in their own Local Union health care plan or in the Kaiser Permanente Network will see no changes to their health care benefits as a result of this contract.

You will be receiving information in the mail regarding your specific health care plan. For more information on the Teamsters Western Region and Local 177 Health Care Plan go to www.WR177HealthCare.com or call 1-855-215-2039.

Below Are Flyers from the WR177Healthcare website:

Click Here to Read the "Plan For UPS Members" Flyer

Click Here to Read the "What to Expect" Flyer

Click Here to Read the "Welcome Brochure"

Health care was contained in the national agreement, which was approved by a majority of Teamsters. The upcoming vote on your supplement or rider does not impact health care.

Ballots Mailed Soon for Second Vote on Your Supplement or Rider

Ballots are hitting homes soon for members to vote on their tentative, five-year supplement, and in some cases rider, with UPS. The UPS National Master Agreement was approved in June by a majority of UPS Teamsters. A “yes” vote on your supplement and rider will clear the way for you to receive the benefits of that agreement, including a 70-cent per-hour wage increase.

“The UPS National Master Agreement is a strong agreement that addresses the priorities that UPS Teamsters made clear they wanted,” said General Secretary-Treasurer and Package Division Director Ken Hall. “To lock in and begin to receive the benefits of this contract, I urge all Teamsters to vote ‘yes’ on their supplements and riders as soon as possible.”

Your Teamster Supplement and Rider Negotiating Teams have been working diligently to renegotiate and strengthen your area agreements. Ballots must be received by 10 a.m. Eastern (EST) on Tuesday, December 10. Ballots will start being counted on December 10.

Wage Increases, Contract Improvements Delayed Pending Passage of Area Agreements

You have probably noticed that the wage increases in the National Master Agreement scheduled for August 1, 2013 have not been reflected in your paychecks yet.

That is because the national agreement does not take effect until all regional supplements and riders have been approved. Seventeen supplements and riders were rejected on the first vote. Since then, seven supplements and riders have passed: TCI Supplement; Local 243 Rider; Local 804 Supplement; Central Region Supplement; Metro Philadelphia Supplement; Michigan Rider; and Upstate New York Supplement. Negotiations are continuing on the remaining supplements and riders.

Once all supplements and riders are approved, wage and pension increases will be paid retroactive to August 1.

The 2013 Master Agreement delivers:

• WAGES – full- and part-time Teamsters will receive $3.90 in raises over the term of the contract. And the start rate for part time will increase by $1.50. Based on a 46-hour work week, a full-time driver will earn $25,000 more under this contract than the last.

• HARASSMENT – new language was added to deal with the underlying issues of harassment due to misuse of technology to discipline people, understaffing, 9.5 rights and grievance filing.

• NEW JOBS – the contract provides for an additional 2,350 full-time jobs during the first three years and protects current 22.3 jobs.

• HEALTH CARE – at a time when the vast majority of Americans are struggling with rising health care bills and the uncertainty of the Affordable Care Act, this contract provides some of the country’s highest quality and lowest cost health benefits.

Click Here to Read about the Part Time Wage Increases and Progressions in National Master Contract

Below are related Flyers Available for Download

National Master ABF Negotiating Committee Accepts ABF’s Final Offer for Central Region Local Cartage Supplement

October 30, 2013

In a conference call today, the ABF Master Negotiating Committee voted that in light of the overwhelming vote against authorizing a strike, the company’s last proposal for the Central Region Local Cartage Agreement would be accepted. As a result, the ABF-NMFA is now fully ratified. 

Earlier this year, the National Master portion of the ABF-NMFA and 27 out of 28 area supplements were approved by the affected membership during balloting conducted over the summer and through mid-October. The lone supplement that had not been ratified by the membership was the Central Region Local Cartage Supplement covering nearly 1,900 drivers, dock workers and other local cartage employees throughout the Midwest. 

After proceeding through the process outlined in the IBT Constitution, a strike authorization vote was conducted among the members covered by the unapproved supplement. The ballots were counted yesterday and there was a 77 percent turnout by the affected membership regarding the strike authorization vote. About 70 percent of those voting declined to authorize a strike at ABF. In such situations, the IBT Constitution provides that the Master Negotiating Committee has the authority to accept the company’s final offer.

The Master Negotiating Committee did not come to this decision lightly. As national negotiating committee co-chairman Gordon Sweeton stated, “We have now arrived at a point where, simply put, there is nothing left to negotiate with this employer and no desire for a strike in the Central Region based on the vote we received yesterday from the affected membership. The responsible course of action is to finalize the agreement.”

The agreement will be implemented in the next few days. It contains a 7 percent wage reduction that will become effective on Sunday, Nov. 3. The reduction, however, will be recouped over the life of the agreement with incremental annual wage increases. The agreement also contains provisions to provide for bonuses in the event the company reaches certain national operating performance standards. The agreement does require the company to continue to participate in the same health, welfare and pension programs and provides for contribution increases in order to maintain benefit levels retroactive to Aug. 1.

“We believe that this agreement helps protect our members’ health, welfare and pension benefits and will also give the company the ability to compete in a very tough trucking environment, which is good for ABF and the long-term job security of our members. I would like to thank our ABF members for their patience and support during this difficult process,” Sweeton said.

The new ABF Master Agreement expires on March 31, 2018.

For more ABF Updates, Click Here.

UPS TEAMSTER CONFERENCE CALL

There will be a conference call for UPS Teamsters who are in locals that fall under just the Western Supplement, Local 177 Supplement, Southwest Automotive Rider and Southwest Package and Sort Riders.

The call will take place on Saturday, November 2nd at 12:00 noon Mountain Standard Time. The call will be to discuss the timeline for the new vote. A representative from Teamsters Western Region and Local 177 Health Care Plan will also be on the call to discuss plan benefits and answer questions.

Click Here For More Info

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.”

There are Open Enrolment Meetings scheduled for Friday November 8^th, 2013 at 9 am and 2 pm and representatives from NWA, Presbyterian, and Lovelace will be there. Click Here for more info.

Teamsters Local 492 would like to thank everyone who attended the first ever Membership Appreciation Cookout held on Oct 18^th & 19^th, 2013. Click Here to see all photos. An estimated 300 Members and their families came to the event during the 2 day period from a wide variety of crafts and companies which included (in alphabetical order) ABF, AmeriPride Linen, Creamland, LANS, Penske, Sysco, TDI, UPS, UPS Freight, Western Refinery, and YRC. There were many Teamster Retirees that also attended as well as New Mexico Attorney General Gary King. The current Executive Board and Business Agents were there and enjoyed meeting and talking to the Members in this social atmosphere which also gave the Members a chance to have quality time to ask questions and get to know the 492 E-Board & BA’s better. 

Teamster Members and their families were treated to Hamburgers & Hotdogs, Teamster T-shirts that commemorated the event, along with Teamster Local 492 key chains, pens, Frisbees and balls for the kids. Attendees were also able to get an up-close look at the Teamster Joint Council #3 Tractor/Trailer which was brought down from Colorado by Retired Vice President of Local 455, Jim Adams.

There was a small car show where the participants had a chance to win a die cast model replica of the beautiful Teamster Joint Council #3 Tractor/Trailer. The Friday winner was Retiree Dean Van Dorn of YRC who had the Oldsmobile Holiday, and the Saturday winner was Retiree Tom Elmhorst of YRC who had a Dodge & Plymouth enterered. Others that entered cars (in alphabetical order) were Retiree Ruben Barreras of ABF, Retiree Johnny Benavidez of ABF, Brother John Chavez of ABF, Brother David Morrow of ABF, Brother Danny Muller of ABF, Retiree Billy Sanchez of ABF, and a special thanks to Brother John Wegrzynek of UPS for helping with the car show set up along with entering his car.

There was also a periodic daily raffle for a Teamster Local 492 Jacket that will have the winners name embroidered on it. The winners were (in alphabetical order) Brother Paul Andrews of UPS, Brother Mark Ayers of ABF, Retiree Johnny Benavidez of ABF, Brother John Chavez of ABF, Brother Mike Larranaga of Western Refining, Retiree Dean Van Dorn of YRC and Brother Jim Willis of ABF.  Congratulations to our 7 winners!

We would like to thank Brother David Snow who is a Union Steward at Creamland for donating his time and jumper for the kids to play in on Saturday. As you can see from some of the photos, the kids had a great time.

Finally, Teamsters Local 492 would like to thank the volunteers that helped make the first ever 492 Membership Appreciation event possible and so successful, which include Brother Joseph Carrillo of ABF & Brother Scott Rhodes of ABF and special thanks goes out to Brother Kevin Pohl and Brother Moises Ortega for organizing the event.   

Thank you to all who participated and attended this event, we truly enjoyed seeing all of you and meeting your families and we hope to be able to do this again next year. On behalf the Teamsters Local 492 staff, Business Agents and Executive Board, we truly appreciate the Members of this Local Union and everything you do to make this Union great, and all the hard working Union Stewards that do such a great job helping their fellow Members, Thank you Teamster Brothers & Sisters.

The Curry County Detention Center Officers in Clovis New Mexico have overwhelmingly elected to be represented by Teamsters Local 492. On October 1, 2013 the CCDC officers sent a loud message to Curry County Manager by a 24-1 vote to have Teamsters Local 492 represent the guards at the Clovis facility.

This organizing campaign took 10 months; the guards were seriously concerned for their safety and working conditions. Up next will be negotiations to get them a great Teamster contract.

Congratulations to Local 492’s newest members and to everyone that helped with this campaign.  

Members and their families are invited to your Local Union Hall to enjoy Hamburgers and Hotdogs and conversation with your Executive Board and other Members.

Member Appreciation starts each day at 11:00 am and ends at 7:00pm on the following dates, October 18^th and 19^th, 2013. This will coincide with the General Membership Meeting which has been moved to Saturday October, 19^th at 10:30 am.

Don’t miss Teamsters Local 492’s, first annual event, our members will be showing their custom and antique cars along with a door prize on each day. If you are interested in showing your car, please be at the Union Hall before 9am on each day.

Click Here to download the flyer.

We would also like to invite all 492 Teamster Members to attend the General Membership Meeting being held in Santa Fe, New Mexico this Saturday, September 21st, 2013. Click Here for more details.

Finally, Local 492 would like to call your attention to the James R. Hoffa Scholarship Fund Essay Contest that awards 50 students $1000. Click Here for more info and an application.