Teamsters Local 355

Local and National News

New on the Teamsters Podcast: Pension reform fight progresses
Feb. 24, 2021 | Listen to the latest edition of the Teamsters Podcast and hear how Congress is nearing a vote on legislation that would boost faltering multiemployer pensions, saving the retirements of more than 1 million hardworking Americans. Plus, learn how one Atlanta-based USF Holland trucker has set a standard for safety on the streets. Listen here.

Deadline is March 1 for James R. Hoffa Memorial Fund Scholarship
Feb. 19, 2021 | The deadline to apply for an academic or vocational/training program scholarship from the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund is March 1, 2021. The college and vocational scholarship programs are available only for the sons, daughters, and financial dependents of active and retired Teamsters. Visit the scholarship fund's website here for information on who is eligible to apply and how to apply.

Honoring the Union’s diverse history and membership
Feb. 17, 2021 | As we reflect upon all of the progress our country and our union have made for racial equality, we are reminded that our work is far from finished. “The history of our union and the history of the civil rights movement are deeply intertwined, just as the work we do today for racial and economic justice is deeply intertwined. In 1917, the Teamsters won a clause in a contract for women laundry workers that required equal pay regardless of race – the first such “color blind” contract clause of its kind. Today… Teamsters

Baltimore Sun Media poised to be acquired by Maryland nonprofit
Feb. 17, 2021 | Returning The Baltimore Sun to Maryland hands, the state’s largest newspaper and its affiliates are poised to be acquired by a nonprofit formed by businessman and philanthropist Stewart Bainum Jr. that would operate the media organization for the benefit of the community… As part of the acquisition, the nonprofit Sunlight for All Institute would acquire The Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette papers in Annapolis, the Carroll County Times, and several other Baltimore-area weeklies and magazines, as well as the affiliated online properties. The Sun deal is contingent on the Alden-Tribune deal going forward [with] the approval of Tribune Publishing’s shareholders.… Full story at Baltimore Sun [Note: Local 355 represents Baltimore Sun drivers and pressmen.]

A shot in the arm
Feb. 16, 2021 | At the UPS center in Baltimore on a cold morning in mid-December, Local 355 member John Guilta prepared to start his work day with a box of the vaccine on board, headed to a warehouse belonging to The Johns Hopkins Hospital...“It just feels good to be doing my part,” Guilta said. “I’m just proud being a UPS Teamster, helping this get to those who need it and helping people’s lives and the economy back on track.” Read more about Local 355 members Guilta, Don Harme, Malik Gordon, and Joe Schwabline Sr., and other Teamsters from around the nation who are doing their part to help get the vaccine to people who need to receive it... Teamsters Previous coverage at 355 News

Local and National News Archives

A Note to Our Members:
As Covid-19 cases continue to surge in our region, 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 in March 2020 remain in full effect. 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.

Elsewhere in the News

Amazon, Union Organizers at Odds Over ‘Pay to wait’ Bonus

Feb. 23, 2021 | LABOR | […] Officials for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union say Amazon workers in Bessemer received notification this past weekend that they were eligible for bonuses of $1,000 or more if they quit their jobs. RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said the bonus application deadline ends only a few days before the union vote is scheduled to be counted. “It demonstrates how terrified Amazon is of its workers getting a voice in the workplace,” he said. “I think what’s really significant about this offer is they’re seeking to remove the workers who don’t want to accept what’s going on at Amazon and want something different. These are the people who would be most likely to vote for the union, and they wouldn’t be counted if they quit.” The union and others… AL.com

Four Influential Leaders in Labor History

Feb. 22, 2021 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH | Black History Month goes hand in hand with labor history. Some of the most influential people in black history were also giants within the labor movement. Profiled here are four of the many who walked alongside the American worker in pursuit of a better future… Labor 411

Weekly News Wrap-Up: 2/19/2021

• Covid-19 news update for Feb. 19
• Congress closes in on multiemployer pension fix
• Can this man save the Baltimore Sun?
• Maryland residents: Covid-19 vaccine questions answered
• Md. lawmakers debate legislation that would protect essential workers
• “Together we fight, together we will win”
• Black History Month is American History Month
• Why the Alabama Amazon struggle matters to workers everywhere
• Panel to Congress: Transportation workers at higher risk of coronavirus
• From Amazon to Google, tech workers seek unions and a voice
• Hoffa: Federal agencies should back scientists’ recommendations for safer jobs

Union Power in a Pandemic

Feb. 19, 2021 | UNIONS | […] The misery of the last few months has affected all (well, most) of us, but unionized workers are generally in a far better position to endure an economic crisis than their nonunion counterparts, enjoying higher wages, greater access to paid sick leave and employer-sponsored health insurance, and more power in the workplace. Even though only about 1 in 10 essential workers is represented by a union, unionized workers have managed to secure significantly better treatment during the coronavirus pandemic than their nonunionized peers. Last year, unionized workers were less likely to lose their jobs. [They] have not only enjoyed greater job security, but have also fought for and won higher wages, bonus checks, paid leave, implementation of safety measures, and access to personal protective gear… On Labor

The Labor Movement Has a Card to Play – And We Need to Play It

Feb. 18, 2021 | UNIONS | Card check, also called “majority sign-up” (because it requires a simple majority of the workers involved to agree to move forward), has been a thing since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935. But as it currently stands in the United States, employers have the option to either recognize the newly formed union or force an additional step: a formal election. Those elections are put on by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); both sides present a case, and then the workers vote... Forcing employers to recognize unions formed by card check without an election has long been a priority for labor… In These Times