Teamsters Local 355

Local and National News

Tell your Senators - Protect our pensions now!
Mar. 2, 2021 | For years we’ve fought for a solution to the looming pension crisis. Thanks to the continued efforts by Teamster members, retirees, and families, last week, the House passed the COVID relief bill with a solution to save our pensions. Now we need to push a little bit more: The Senate is scheduled to vote this week, and President Biden has pledged to sign the bill. Take two minutes and send a message to your Senator and help us deliver on the promise to Build Back Stronger.

Teamsters say they’re organizing an Amazon union in Iowa
Mar. 2, 2021 | A unionization effort is underway among employees of Amazon.com's Iowa warehouses, with organizers threatening a strike. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 238 Organizing Director Buzz Malone said Friday that he has been recruiting workers to organize since November. He said the union has approached "400 to 500" current or former employees, primarily tied to Amazon's distribution centers in Grimes and Iowa City… Continue reading

Union pleased by House approval of stimulus bill containing pension reforms
Feb. 28, 2021 | The Teamsters are applauding the House’s passage of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill today that includes language granting relief to hundreds of endangered multiemployer pension plans that would protect the hard-earned retirements of more than 1 million American retirees and workers. Under the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 language inserted into the legislation, more than 50 Teamster pension plans – including its largest, the Central States Pension Fund – will be eligible for assistance at the outset of the bill’s enactment, with more of the union’s plans becoming eligible in 2022…. Continue reading

One step closer: The House is voting on our pensions solutions!
Feb. 25, 2021 | The full House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a bill that includes a solution to protect our pensions. We have an opportunity to ensure that the pensions we earned are there for us in our golden years. The Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act of 2021 is included in the broader COVID relief bill. Our votes elected pro-worker champions to Congress. Our voices made pension relief a priority. Now, our actions will ensure that this critical bill moves through Capitol Hill. As America’s strongest union, we can make it happen. Take two minutes and send a message to your member of Congress and demand that they vote to secure our pensions and pass critical relief for all working people. 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

President Biden Delivers Remarks to Workers

Mar. 1, 2021 | WORKERS’ RIGHTS | Workers in Alabama – and all across America – are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. It’s a vitally important choice – one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers. President Joe Biden yesterday released a statement voicing support for workers voting to form a union...

Here’s Why 2021 Could Be a Big Year for Labor

Mar. 1, 2021 | U.S. LABOR | Rarely has the chasm between rank-and-file-workers and the extremely wealthy been this wide. While millions of people have lost jobs, gone hungry and struggled to pay for their basic needs, billionaires' wealth soared to new heights in 2020. And although the pandemic made things worse, America's wealth gap has largely been expanding since the 1980s. Among the many contributing factors: Far fewer jobholders have a seat at the table in negotiating with upper management than they did decades earlier… CNN Business

Weekly News Wrap-Up: 2/26/2021

• ‘We deserve more’
• 28 ways you can celebrate Black History month
• Teamsters donate drinking water to Texas families
• Why Virginia is Organized Labor’s next big battleground
• Civil Rights & the Labor Movement: An historical overview
• How many Americans are out of work? More than 10 million
• Amazon offers $2,000 “resignation bonuses” to bust AL union drive
• Corporations, lawmakers collude in new multi-state 'right-to-work’ offensive

So Much Rich History to Discover

Feb. 26, 2021 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH | Black History Month may be drawing to a close for 2021, but the exploration and learning does not have to stop (and should not) on February 28. There are so many books, videos, programs, exhibits and oral histories out there you need much more than a month to experience it all. Take advantage of all these resources. Black History Month is more than a “month” of awareness. It’s part of who we were, who we strive to be … Teamsters

The State of American Workers a Year Into COVID-19 Shutdown

Feb. 25, 2021 | ANALYSIS | Stress is still high as we approach the one-year mark of the Covid-19 shutdown. With so many uncertainties, the need for mental health support in the workplace has never been greater. In many cases, boundaries around the work/life balance have become severely blurred. Many employees who work remotely are feeling disconnected, isolated, and depressed. Families with children and parents learning and working remotely are left struggling to find a healthy balance between their personal and public lives. Although the problems of Covid-19 are global, the pandemic is impacting people differently. Research from The Center for American Progress reveals… Labor Press