OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF TEAMSTERS LOCAL 728 • ATLANTA, GEORGIA
SPRING-SUMMER 2015
TEAMSTERS
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Marchers Honor
Bravery and Sacrifice
of “Bloody Sunday”
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INSIDE
President’s Report ...............................Pg. 2
First Student Victory ...........................Pg. 3
UPS Member’s Heroism ......................Pg. 3
$10,000 Hoffa Scholarship Winner .....Pg. 4
Remembering “Bloody Sunday” ..........Pg. 5
Victory for Republic Teamsters ..........Pg. 6
Local 728 Divisional Reports ...............Pg. 7
Contract Updates .................................Pg. 8
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Teamsters Are
Stronger Together
By Randy Brown
E
Office (404) 622-0521
Fax (404) 627-2045
EXECUTIVE BOARD
President
Randy Brown
Secretary Treasurer
Scott Webber
Vice President
Chuck Stiles
Recording Secretary
Jim Higginbotham
Union Trustees
Rachad Fitzpatrick
Billy Brannen
J.W. Bugg
AGENTS & STAFF
Vickie Beavers
Grady Burrell
Mike Dollar
Matt Higdon
Jim Higginbotham
Tony Lefebvre
Mikal McKenzie
Sandy Stimpson
Eric Thornton
Wes Turner
Scott Webber
Eric Robertson, B.A. and
Political Director
Ben Speight,
Organizing Director
Fighting As One for A Common Goal
Workers are stronger when they come together as
one voice to build a better life. It’s a simple premise
really, but often in life the simplest ideas have the
greatest impact.
Unity not only provides
us collective strength, it
empowers member with
the personal morale to keep
pushing harder to improve
their overall quality of life.
Local 728 members demonstrate the power of unity
everyday and we are all better
because of it. As illustrated
by our members at Republic
Services (page 6) and Iron
Mountain and Mayfield (page
8), Local 728 members are
winning because of their unity
and persistence to fight back.
Standing up for what we believe in and having the
resources to carry out our objectives are two vital ways a
union changes the workplace. Working men and women
who try to take on a company by themselves as individuals face an employer with an endless amount of resources at their disposal, an army of lawyers to assist them
and, in many instances a legal system skewed against
workers and in favor of big business. Workers who take
the “rugged individualism” approach to justice soon find
out that the system designed to protect the people is
really out to safeguard big corporations. When the system won’t work on its own, labor unions help make sure
there is a level playing field to win proper justice.
Sure, employers may have money and political connections to push their agenda. However, what they don’t
TEAMSTERSLOCAL728@WORK
“
have is people. No matter how much money they throw
around or how many lawyers they hire to try and weaken our rights, when workers unite they can overcome
insurmountable odds. The Teamsters Union has done
this for more than 100 years because we are committed
to getting workers the respect they deserve, the wages
and benefits they earn and the power they need.
Georgia Workers Deserve More
Whether it is facing down a company during contract talks, fighting unjust laws in the streets and at the
capitol, knocking on doors and pooling our resources
to defeat our political enemies and elect our friends,
or organizing new workers to join our Teamster family,
unions succeed where no other organization can. Our
power lies in our ability to unite and take appropriate
actions together. This is what has made the Teamsters
union the strongest union in history. This is what will
continue guiding Local 728 as we carry on the fight.
Today, we face an onslaught by forces determined to
erode our contracts, weaken
our bargaining, divide our
ranks and destroy our union.
If you believe I am exaggerating take a look at the news or
browse the internet for any of
the hundreds of newspaper
and television stories chronicling union busting.
We have the people who
can defeat the companies and
their political puppets, but
only if we band together. This
means all of us stepping up to
strengthen our union and our
ability to negotiate stronger
contracts, beat back corporate
attacks and win for working people in Georgia.
The bottom line is we need MORE:
Workers are
stronger when
they come together
as one voice to build
a better life.
“
Published by
Teamsters Local 728
2540 Lakewood Ave. SW
Atlanta, GA 30315
ach and every day, Local 728 protects the
jobs, benefits and working conditions negotiated in over a dozen collective bargaining
agreements. We also strive to extend those
same benefits and protections to other working men and
women who do not currently enjoy a Teamster contract.
This is a responsibility we take seriously as we maintain
our position as a leading voice for Georgia workers.
This is not easy, especially in light of the challenges we
face. Despite the obstacles thrown at us by aggressive
employers and hostile politicians determined to destroy
us, Local 728 members continue making impressive
contract gains and improvements in benefits and job
security. Our success and strength have not gone unnoticed by workers who want expanded opportunities,
greater democracy and more security.
• MORE members stepping up to enforce our contracts
and ensure that their worksite is 100% Teamster.
• MORE members assisting our organizing campaign
and speaking to workers they meet so we can build
Local 728 power in all our industries.
• MORE members engaging our political leaders and
speaking out about issues important to members at
the capitol and in the streets.
None of this is easy. However, standing shoulder-toshoulder to strengthen our union is our best chance at
improving our lives today while ensuring a secure and
prosperous future for our children tomorrow. Join us!
SPRING-SUMMER 2015 • PAGE 2
Local 728 Members In Action
Savannah School Bus Drivers Win
Summer Pay Thanks to Local 728
I
t was a tough battle, but this spring
Local 728 successfully negotiated a
historic new agreement with First
Student that provides pay for school bus workers during the summer months. The contract,
ratified by an overwhelming 96% margin, covers 500 members at three First Student yards
in Chatham County.
“First Student members use to receive
unemployment in the summer, but they lost
those benefits through legislation passed by
the General Assembly in 2014,” Local 728
President Randy Brown said. “We worked
to address our members’ concerns regarding
summer pay in light of that action.”
Contract Offers Valuable Summer
Pay for School Bus Drivers
Summer pay for bus drivers and monitors is
a major topic across the industry. Many states
are passing legislation that makes bus drivers
that work for private contractors ineligible
for unemployment benefits when they are laid
off over the summer. Georgia passed such a
law in 2014 that took effect this year despite a
strong campaign to stop it.
“Summer pay is very important, especially
since we lost unemployment,” said driver
Leslie Jenkins. “This contract will help us take
better care of our families.”
In addition to summer pay, the contract
provides wage increases, language to address
Local 728 secured a new agreement for First Student school bus drivers that
includes summer pay. Members voted by a margin of 96% to ratify the contract.
payroll errors (including penalty pay) and
joint labor-management training to create
improved employee/employer relations. The
contract also provides for workers to be paid
during spring break and the Christmas holiday
beginning next school year.
As previously scheduled, the contract providing bus services for Chatham County went out
for bid in March. Even though First Student
did not win that contract, MV Transportation,
the successful bidder, has agreed to assume the
UPS Member David Bryant’s
Heroism Saves A Choking Woman
Teamsters Local 728 UPS driver
David Bryant delivers the gift of life.
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UPS driver David Bryant, a U.S. Marine
veteran, may not call himself a hero, but
his selfless efforts to save a stranger have
rightly earned him that title.
Bryant was driving his route through
John’s Creek recently when he came upon
a car on the side of the road. He saw an
elderly woman on the ground choking while
her daughter was frantically trying to help.
He quickly jumped out of his truck and
began administering the Heimlich maneuver while the woman’s daughter called 911.
He successfully dislodged the food and
paramedics took her to a local hospital.
“I did what anyone else would have done,”
he said modestly. “I was shaken up after
the fact. It’s a pretty heavy burden to know
that somebody’s counting on you to do the
right thing. I was just at the right place at
the right time.”
terms of the new First Student contract including summer pay for its workers.
“School bus drivers are essential members
of the American public education team,“
President Brown said. “These hard-working
Teamsters transport the most valuable cargo,
our children. This contract provides income
security for members during summer breaks
and holidays — a first for any Teamster bus
contract in the U.S.”
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SPRING-SUMMER 2015 • PAGE 3
Annual Bass Tournament
Local 728’s 2015
Bass Tournament
UPS Member’s Daughter
Wins $10,000 Hoffa
Memorial Scholarship
The weather was perfect and the
fishing fantastic
as Local 728 held
its 37th Annual
Fishing Tournament
at West Point Lake on
Saturday, May 2nd.
Participants from
30 boats baited their
hooks and cast their
lures in this year’s
spring fishing event.
Recent UPS retiree Darrel Akins was the
First Place winner with an impressive
22 pounds and winner of the Big Fish
contest with a 6.72 pound bass... and no,
this has not been photoshopped.
UPS Business Agent
Wes Turner and
Bookkeeper Makisha
McCrary did a fantastic job of organizing
this year’s event.
In addition, member
Arnette Grey cooked a
terrific lunch for those
who joined.
Congratulations to Cecilie Redding (left) on winning a $10,000
scholarship from the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Cecilie, daughter of UPS Fulton Center member Michael Redding,
Cecilie
Redding,
daughter
of UPS
Fulton
Center
is
the latest
child
of a Local
728
member
to member
receive Michael
an award
Redding was awarded a $10,000 college scholarship from the James
from
theMemorial
Fund. Scholarships
are presented
annually
to children
R. Hoffa
Scholarship Fund.
Cecilie is the
most recent
of
several
Local 728of
members’
children
who have
scholarships
or
dependents
Teamsters
to help
pay received
for a college
education.
from the fund in recent years. Scholarships are awarded yearly
to childreninterested
or financialin
dependents
members
helpshould
Members
applying of
forTeamster
a scholarship
in to
2016
them attain their goals in higher education. If you are interested
speak
withfor
their
Business Agent
or contact
Local
in applying
a scholarship
next year
speak with
your728.
Business
Agent or contact Local 728.
Local 728 D.R.I.V.E. Leadership
UPS
Steward
Quentin
Bighon
is proud
to support
Local 728’s
D.R.I.V.E.
program.
Local 728 member activists and staff, along with IBT D.R.I.V.E.
representatives, visited worksites in Atlanta and Savannah to enlist
members into the Teamsters’ political action committee. Dozens of new
members signed up for the first time while others renewed their support.
Voluntary contributions to D.R.I.V.E. is an important way for us to ensure working families
have a voice at the local, state, and federal levels on issues that impact our jobs, our
families, our communities and our futures.
We thank the following members who helped
with our D.R.I.V.E. recruitment campaign:
Karen Baker, Quentin Bighon,
James Butler, Rachad Fitzpatrick,
Sharon Gregory, Tom Jones,
Spencer Richardson, David Roberts,
Ernest Spencer, Chester Witchett
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SPRING-SUMMER 2015 • PAGE 4
An Eyewitness to History
Local 728 Joins the 50th Anniversary
Commemoration of “Bloody Sunday”
T
eamsters have been on the front lines
of many history-making moments
over the course of our 100+ years
history. We fought for the rights of workers to
organize, enduring long and bitter battles. We
have been front and center in the battles for
women’s rights and the rights of workers of
color and the poor. And we fought sweatshops
to expand the rights of workers at home and
abroad. Whenever history has needed us,
Teamsters have responded.
Another important struggle that Teamsters
supported strongly was the civil rights movement. Teamsters President James R. Hoffa
and Teamster members across the country
stood in solidarity with Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and the civil rights movement.
Teamsters proudly joined the fight for civil
rights and equality and we continue working to
make Dr. King’s dream a reality today
across the South and nationwide.
On March 7th, Local 728 President Randy
Brown and other members joined with the
Teamsters Human Rights Commission and
Diversity Team in Selma, Alabama to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Bloody
Sunday,” a day which changed the debate over
civil rights and hastened passage of the 1965
Voting Rights Act. Thousands met on the
Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to honor the
sacrifice and bravery of the men and women
who bled on that pavement 50 years earlier.
Marchers assemble at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 2015 remember “Bloody Sunday.”
Living Lessons of History
“Television images of protestors who were
viciously beaten and tear-gassed by Alabama
State Troopers as they stood together for equality and the right to vote will never be forgotten,” said Local 728 President Randy Brown.
“Today, as we did 50 years ago, people of
conscience must work together for true equal
rights and democracy for every American.”
Brown added that Selma’s message is that the
battle for equality is never over.
“It’s important for each of us to remember
that the civil rights successes which many
people take for granted didn’t occur by
accident,” he said. “They came about through
dedication, hard work and, sometimes, bloody
conflict. This is exactly how the Teamsters
Union got to where it is today. Nobody gave us
our freedoms and security, ordinary men and
women fought to get them and will continue
fighting to preserve them.”
Local 728 member Renee Call of the Human
Rights Commission and Vickie Beavers of the
Georgia TNBC did a fantastic job coordinating
Teamster participation in this year’s march.
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Thousands peacefully rallied to send a powerful message that the civil rights lessons of U.S. history
continue guiding today’s campaign for equality and justice.
Local 728 President
Randy Brown with
the Teamsters Human
Rights Commission.
Also pictured is
IBT International
Vice President,
and TNBC National
President, Al Mixon
(left) and Delores
Huerta (center),
co-founder of the
United Farmworkers Union and 2011
Medal of Freedom
recipient.
SPRING-SUMMER 2015 • PAGE 5
Winning for Local 728 Members
Republic
Teamsters
Fight Back
and Win
New Union
Contract
P
ersistence and teamwork paid off at Republic Service where,
after nearly ten months of intense bargaining members employed at both the Atlanta South (Bankhead) and transfer
stations have ratified new contracts.
Local 728 President Randy Brown said that the new agreements
contains wage increases that include lump sums in each year to offset
potential health care increases. They also contain crucial language
enhancements concerning the Company’s attendance policy, seniority
and increased protections for discipline arising from accidents. Another major factor is ending the two-tier pay structure and bringing
all current workers up to the top pay rate during the contract.
“Rank-and-file members sent an undeniable message to Republic
that they would not back down,” Brown said. “Eventually, management heard and listened to our not-so-subtle point and decided it
would be much better for them to settle than persist in dragging this
out for several more weeks or months.
Unity Demonstrations were used effectively during this process to
showcase the members’ fighting spirit. These included circulating
Vickie Beavers Joins
Local 728 Staff
petitions; sponsoring
sticker days; displaying car
signs in the Company parking
lot; putting pressure on major
stakeholder customers; and
conducting a near-unanimous
strike vote. Moreover, the
support that Local 728
received from the IBT’s Waste
Division and other Teamster
locals across the country
established a hard-to-miss
national spirit of solidarity and brotherhood.
“Even though Local 728 members are the winners in this battle,
the ultimate victory is one that is truly shared by our entire Union,”
Brown said. “On behalf of Local 728 I thank everyone, locally and
from across the country, who gave time and effort to help us secure
this new contract.
Welcome New Members
L
ocal 728 is pleased to announce that
Vickie (Bagby) Beavers has joined
our union’s staff.
Vickie is a proud 24-year Teamster experienced in
the Freight Division. She served many years as a Steward after
working her way up through the ranks at Jones Truck Lines, Roadway
and YRC. She also worked as an IBT Organizer utilizing her passion
for the Teamsters Union to encourage non-union workers to sign up.
Vickie is an active Local 728 member who goes out of her way to
support her Teamster Sisters and Brothers locally and nationally.
“I am proud to become a member of a dynamic Local 728 team lead
by President Randy Brown,” Vicki said. “I admire and respect what
Local 728 has done to help working families throughout Georgia. I look
forward to adding my voice to the discussions about how our union can
enhance and improve the quality of life for workers.”
Vickie added that members who have a question or a concern are free
to contact her at the union hall anytime.
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Local 728 President Brown issued the oath of
membership to several new members from Dekalb
County Sanitation, the Movie Industry and UPS
during a recent general membership meeting.
WELCOME TO THE TEAMSTERS!
SPRING-SUMMER 2015 • PAGE 6
Local 728 Divisional Reports
UPS DIVISION
FREIGHT DIVISION
By B.A. Jim Higginbotham
By B.A. Mike Dollar
ur UPS members continue to perform
a valuable function which has helped
keep the company competitive and
earning record profits. All of our UPS members
deserve a great deal of respect for their commitment to service and regardless of whether you are
a part-time or full-time UPS member, you all do a
remarkable job.
Here are a few pointers to remember as you go about your daily
routine either in a center or on the road:
hrough intense review of YRC’s
subcontracting of terminal-to-terminal
freight through the use of purchase
transportation, our Business Agents identified
claims for Local 728 members. As a result, we
aggressively pursued grievances resulting in
over $30,000 in pay. The contract provides
protections when the company’s use of purchase transportation impacts
Local 728 members.
At both YRC and Holland, we challenged the company’s interpretation of the attendance policy resulting from the MOU addendum.
Local 728 has successfully fought unfair discipline concerning the enforcement of the attendance policy.
Local 728 is pushing back against ABF’s attempted unilateral
implementation of a new appearance policy. We did not file the
grievance because we believe employee appearance is unimportant.
Our grievance is focused on making sure our member’s concerns are
addressed on this very important issue.
O
• To be relieved of excessive overtime, all members are encouraged
to file 9/5 grievances under Article 37 and 63. The new contract
language has been enhanced to provide greater protections.
• Look for part-time to full-time bid sheets at your centers.
Sign one of the bid sheets as they go up ten days prior to each quarter.
Remember, the bid sheets are posted for a period of 10 days.
• I encourage all UPS members to attend their craft meetings,
review their contract book, and stay informed of what is going on
within the union when meetings resume in fall. You can do so by
checking our website or signing up to receive text alerts to your phone
from the union.
• All UPS members who have gained seniority prior to August 31, 2013
will receive a general wage increase of 70 cents/hour on August 1st.
Remember YOU ARE THE UNION. All members have a role to
play in making sure that the contract is enforced and our workplace
rights are protected. Stay informed by reading your contract. If you
have any questions contact your Steward or Business Agent.
MOTION PICTURE DIVISION
By B.A. Tony Lefebvre
L
ocal 728 members were privileged to
provide all daily transportation on the
set of the Academy Award winning
film Selma. We were honored to participate
in this film, just as we have been committed to
standing behind ongoing efforts to protect and
enforce civil rights for all Americans.
Given the strength of the movie industry in Georgia now, the motion
picture industry has responded by launching construction of three new
film studios around the Metro-Atlanta area. This is outstanding news
for our economy and for those workers who rely on the good-paying jobs
provided by the film and television industry.
There are currently several productions ongoing. These include the
television show Sleepy Hollow, Captain America, Barbershop 3 and
season six of the hit AMC cable show the Walking Dead. The City of
Savannah is also increasing its reputation as a hub of film and television
activity and three films are scheduled so far for 2015.
Finally, if you are a Motion Picture Division member who would like
hands-on training in the safe operation of a forklift, Local 728 will be
conducting forklift training sessions. Contact us for more information.
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T
Anti-Union Discrimination
Case Settled at Coca-Cola
Greg Guice, a former employee
of Coca-Cola’s bottling facility
in College Park, Georgia,
recently received $42,500
from the company to settle his
complaint against them for
“anti-union discrimination.”
Guice, a former bulk delivery
driver at the Coke facility, was
dismissed in 2012. He had
begun an organizing effort in 2010 and even spoke at Coke’s annual
shareholder’s meeting about the subject that year. Soon afterward,
he was directed by management to take union logos off his uniform
and in 2012 was issued a “disciplinary warning” after management
had questions about his union organizing talks with other employees.
“Coke knew that they were violating my rights when they discriminated against me for organizing a union in Atlanta,” said Guice, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article. “I hope that Coke
employees see this settlement as a victory for us all in our efforts to
win a voice on the job and a Teamster contract.”
Organizing Expands Power!
As of June 1, 2015, Local 728 has a total of
8,230 members. Since publication of our last
newsletter, we have grown our Union by over
300 new members and we are not done yet.
SPRING-SUMMER 2015 • PAGE 7
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Presorted First Class
U.S. Postage Paid
Atlanta GA
Permit #4009
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Atlanta, GA 30315
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CONTRACT UPDATES
IRON MOUNTAIN
SHRED & HARD COPY
I
ron Mountain drivers in Atlanta
voted to ratify two collective
bargaining agreements in March.
The contract includes improvements in
wages, benefits and workplace rights.
One contract for the company’s Shredding Division is a first contract for workers who
securely transport and shred documents in metro Atlanta.
Together, we can change our worksites and our employers. We can successfully organize
the south and make our economy work for working people.
MAYFIELD MILK
DRIVERS WIN
NEW GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURE
L
ocal 728 is currently
negotiating a first contract
for Mayfield Dairy drivers in
Marietta and Decatur Georgia.
At press time, we had reached agreement on several non-economic articles, including a
grievance procedure. As a result, the new contract will give workers an effective structure
for presenting and settling workplace disputes, an important gain for the more than 90
Mayfield drivers seeking improved working conditions.
“Having a grievance procedure to handle issues at work is going to make a big difference,” said Marietta route sales driver Tim Stone. “Now, we will no longer ask management for ‘favors’ but will insist they respect our rights in our contract.”
Local 728 President Randy Brown said that solidarity from Teamsters across the country
has been key to helping Local 728 make progress in bargaining with Dean Foods/Mayfield
Dairy in Atlanta.
“The strength displayed by other Teamster local unions, combined with outstanding
assistance from IBT Dairy Conference officials Rome Aloise and Ricky Maxwell, have
been pivotal to our success,” Brown said. “We still have a lot of work ahead and we intend
to do whatever it takes to help these courageous workers secure a fair first contract.”
In addition to milk delivery, Georgia Teamsters at Mayfield are involved in the delivery
and sale of yogurt, ice cream, buttermilk, sour cream, eggnog and other popular Dean
Foods products.
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