2nd. Largest Teamsters union, UPS workers in Chicago vote to strike July 31st. if necessary

Members of IBT Local 705 have voted to strike when contract expires if company does not raise starting wages among other issues at hand.

From WIN Radio (Workers Independent News - 7/22/08):

Big Chicago Teamsters Local Ready To Strike UPS If Necessary - 07/22/08

By Doug Cunningham

Teamsters Local 705 in Chicago – second largest in the nation - has authorized a strike against UPS with a deadline of midnight July 31st. Job security and working conditions are among the issues. Joe Balkis is a Teamsters Local 705 worker.

[Balkis]: “The companies keep on getting’ richer and the working classes keep on getting’ poorer. Enough is enough! It’s time we draw a line in the sand. We can’t take it anymore. The starting pay alone has only been increased once since I’ve been workin’ here for twenty years. We deserve better. Payin’ people $8.50 - $9.50 an hour to start is immoral.”

Juan Campos is Recording Secretary for Local 705.

[Campos]: “This is a company that’s made – since 1997 ‘til today over twenty billion dollars profit. This is not a company that’s crying for money or needs money or needs flexibility or needs concessions. This is a company that needs to get back to the membership.”

Campos says Local 705 doesn’t want to strike but his guts tells him the union may have to.

[Campos]: “I am very hopeful. I’m looking forward to settle this. But my gut tells me their arrogance won’t allow them to address the issues that we need to be addressed.”

I'm usually in the business of pushing UPS along with the US Postal Service and DHL as union delivery options for us union folks, it would be unfortunate if there isn't a raise for starting employees, I recently learned that here in NY new hires take a long time to get past their initial try out before union members, it definitely is a hard working job, I see those guys and girls breaking their asses off in Manhattan every day. Joe Balkis hit the nail on the head, read that again

“The companies keep on getting’ richer and the working classes keep on getting’ poorer. Enough is enough! It’s time we draw a line in the sand. We can’t take it anymore. The starting pay alone has only been increased once since I’ve been workin’ here for twenty years. We deserve better. Payin’ people $8.50 - $9.50 an hour to start is immoral.”

Joe, they would pay us a dirt sandwich if they had their way, its not just UPS, it's all workers worldwide, I know a lot of readers will come here just for the UPS info, but why not take a look around, I have stories about working people from all walks of life just struggling and getting screwed in every direction, from computer programmers to pipefitters to grocery store clerks. The huge corporations are working together to 3rd worlditize our nation and drag the entire planet down to a lowest bidder labor force, even the doctors are finding it hard to make ends meet, unbeknown to many there are many doctors who now belong to unions.

Doctors have recently taken on the health care insurance industry in more ways than one, they are supporting the "single-payer" health bill (United States National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 676), as mentioned in another recent article here, and they have come forward to tell the world how workman's compensation insurance companies have coerced them into mistreat and undertreating injured workers. We as working people must rally behind those that dare to fight the corrupt system that, like I stated wouldn't care if our families, our American families, ate dirt for dinner. Look at Levi's Straus, that American Jean Company, their factories now reside in such high labor standard places as Haiti, where recently they were rioting because of lack of food, and some families are eating dirt just to not hurt from the pain of hunger, and to places like Bangladesh, where even the cops and teachers must wait on lines with thousands of people just to buy government subsidized rice.

Thats what they want for us, thats what they want for the U.S.!

So while you are here, sign the Employee Free Choice Act petition on the upper right hand side of the site, or read about why its necessary first, but do something for yourself, for your children for your friends and neighbors, learn about it and what is important for working Americans, take a step and educate yourself and those you are close to about what the dangers we will face if we don't take action now.

Note about the picture above:

The picture above is from lolcars.com, I noticed a story about how UPS was adding more natural gas powered vehicles to their fleet, it's pretty interesting, especially since the trucks can drive indoors due to the lower emissions, according to Jalopnik (4/4/08):

In a courageous example of marketing, UPS has distributed another 167 compressed natural gas vehicles to its fleets in Texas, Georgia, and California. This brings the total number of CNG vehicles deployed to around 950, and the total green fleet number to 1692 in their army of over 88,000 ground vehicles. While painting this as an integral part of their environmental strategy, the truth is probably more that CNG vehicles are allowed freer reign to operate inside enclosed structures and aren't as often subject to special permits for operation inside of factories and warehouses like gasoline or diesel trucks.

There has to be some reasoning why? Usually it's not for the public at large, probably got some tax write offs for doing it. Check out the Jalopnik site, they have some funny comments in that thread.