Teamsters Local 355

Local and National News

Hoffa: Don’t blame workers for delivery delays this season
Dec. 1, 2021 | This holiday season, there are many things for which we should be grateful. But the state of the U.S. supply chain is not one of them…There is understandable frustration out there about where things stand. Policymakers, moved by the public’s anger, are looking for solutions to the problem. Many have settled on a lack of truckers as the answer, but they are failing to see the forest through the trees. And that message is one the trucking industry is likely to continue to push in order to get what it wants – cheaper labor. First, let me just clear up this fallacy – there is no shortage of experienced truckers. However, there is a problem… Continued

Contracts ratified at Leonard Paper, others
Nov. 30, 2021 | Members employed at Leonard Paper ratified a lucrative package that includes substantial wage increases, an increase to the Christmas bonus, pension contributions, an increase in the shoe allowance, and maintenance of Health & Welfare. First Transit/BWI members overwhelmingly ratified this month a three-year contract providing wage increases; an additional holiday; increases in the uniform, plus boot, safety glasses, and tool allowances; short-term disability insurance; and employer 401k contribution. Improvement gains are also achieved in seniority language and vacation benefits. Baker's Express drivers and warehouse workers ratified... Continued

Teamsters United slate elected to 5-year term to lead union
Nov. 19, 2021 | The O’Brien-Zuckerman Teamsters United slate has been elected to lead the international union for the next five years. The candidates for General President, General Secretary-Treasurer, International Vice Presidents At-Large, International Trustees and International Vice Presidents in the Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Regions were elected Thursday night in the 2021 Election of International Union Officers, according to unofficial results provided by the Office of the Election Supervisor. The term of office begins in March 2022… Continued

Older articles here.

Elsewhere in the News

3 Major Wins for Workers in Infrastructure Package

Nov. 30, 2021 | JOBS | The United States urgently needs more high-quality jobs. While the tight labor market is pushing employers to increase wages across the private sector and unionized workers are increasingly leveraging their collective power to demand better work, these temporary pressures are not enough to overcome decades of wage stagnation and worsening work conditions. Recent analysis from the Economic Policy Institute finds that while net productivity grew by nearly 62 percent over the past four decades, average hourly pay for the typical worker increased by just 17.5 percent…While the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's job quality standards will provide immediate benefits to American workers across the construction and manufacturing industries, further action is needed to improve the lives of workers in fast-growing sectors outside the construction industry. The Build Back Better Act is an essential complement to the infrastructure package. The legislation will... American Progress

Labor Board Official Orders Amazon to Redo Alabama Union Vote

Nov. 29, 2021 | WORKERS' RIGHTS | A regional director for the U.S. National Labor Relations Board on Monday called for a rerun of a union election at an Amazon.com facility in Alabama, setting the stage for another high-profile organizing battle at the world's largest online retailer. Workers at the warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, rejected forming a union by a more than 2-to-1 margin in April after an organizing drive that garnered support from U.S. lawmakers and President Joe Biden. In August, an NLRB hearing officer said the company's conduct around the previous vote had interfered with the election. The decision for a redo adds pressure on Amazon, which has recently faced union campaigns in New York and Canada. Worker groups view organizing the company as a landmark goal that would invigorate the U.S. labor movement… Reuters “Today’s decision confirms what we were saying all along – that Amazon’s intimidation and interference prevented workers from having a fair say in whether they wanted a union in their workplace.” Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) statement

If Workers Want to Lock in Good Jobs, We Need Unions

Nov. 29, 2021 | OPINION | […] How do we create good jobs and improve the quality of existing ones? It starts with revamping our labor laws so that no matter their job or industry, all working people can join together in unions to bargain for a better future. There's plenty of evidence, historical and modern, showing that union jobs are better jobs and that they improve public health, drive business and economic growth, and strengthen democracy. The public agrees…The problem is that it's simply too hard for workers to join a union—unions represent just 6.3% of the private workforce in the U.S. That's why we must prioritize eliminating the systemic barriers workers face in joining unions, from outdated labor laws to rampant union-busting… Business Insider

Teamsters: Consider Wages & Safety in Supply Chain Issue

Nov. 23, 2021 | ECONOMY | The Teamsters said [Friday] that lawmakers must push companies to improve wages and working conditions for truck drivers as they seek solutions to upgrade the movement of goods across the country instead of considering industry proposals like allowing teenagers to drive big rigs that would only endanger motorists nationwide. In response to a hearing held Wednesday by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee looking at the state of the U.S. supply chain, the union is demanding that lawmakers consider the root of the problem – poor pay and treatment by trucking companies. The shipment of goods nationwide will continue to be hindered until the government addresses such things as the misclassification of drivers. "Truckers continue to be taken for granted by big business even after all the work they did to keep America running during the most difficult days of the coronavirus pandemic," Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said. "Opening up the industry to inexperienced teenage drivers will allow companies to take advantage of them while also making traveling more unsafe." ucommblog.com

A Note to Our Members:

We continue to do what we can to protect the health of our members and staff while providing you service and support. Safety procedures instituted at the beginning of the pandemic remain in effect until further notice. Click here for important notices regarding COVID-19 policies regarding our office and credit union hours of operation.
If you need to see your business agent or have questions or concerns, give us a call at
410-566-5700.