UPS Teamsters across the country by the thousands are signing contract unity pledge cards to build bargaining power at UPS and Local 776 is no exception. Business Agents Dave Licht and Jason Kraft, along with  Stewards Justin Seitz and Jim Weaber, spent the day Monday with members at UPS Carlisle and EZR hubs getting pledge cards signed. If you haven’t signed a Contract Unity Pledge card yet, take a few seconds to stop and fill out a card when you see your Business Agents, Dave Licht, and Jason Kraft, or your Union Stewards at the gate or parking lot in the coming weeks

(L-R) Business Agents Jason Kraft, and Dave Licht explain the importance of signing the cards to the Members

It was a steady stream of Local 776 UPS Members signing cards as they came and went about their day

A line formed as Members waited their turn to let their support  for a new contract be known

The International Union has launched a Contract Unity Pledge Drive to build our bargaining power at UPS. Volunteers are talking Teamster-to-Teamster with the goal of getting tens of thousands of UPSers to take the pledge. Rank and file members are signing pledge cards in the thousands. UPS Teamsters are showing historic unity. If you haven’t signed a Contract Unity Pledge card yet, take a few seconds to stop and fill out a card when you see your Business Agents, Dave Licht, and Jason Kraft, or your Union Stewards at the gate in the coming weeks

Management needs to see that members are informed, involved, and united behind our bargaining demands and our negotiating committee for us to win the contract we deserve. The Company will look for every opportunity to divide our members! We need every UPS Teamster, full-timer, part-timer, and all classifications to pledge their commitment to standing united!

Local 776 UPS Members are United for a Strong Contract!

Friday, February 24, 2023, was Jim Palm’s last day at the Springettsbury Township Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). Jim worked at the plant for 24 years, all as a treatment plant operator. Jim had previously done this type of work, being state licensed as a plant operator since 1990. Jim was married to his late wife Bonnie for 47 years; they had two sons and a daughter, and they're also two grandsons that will be vying for more of Jim’s attention now that he has retired. Jim is looking forward to spending more time with the grandchildren and becoming a bigger part of their lives. Jim is also a farmer; he raises hay and beef cattle. Retirement will give him more time to devote to his hobby of restoring and showing antique farm tractors. Jim’s oldest tractor is a 1938 John Deere that he has restored to its original condition. These machines are not just pretty show things, this past year Jim used the 1938 Deere to drag logs out of the woods that he was cutting for firewood!

Looking back at his time as a Teamster Jim remarked that it was a good experience at work; he made a lot of great friends while there with whom he will remain in contact with. He remarked his Business Agent, Bill Olmeda, “was awesome, he’s always been great”, making sure that the Township paid for the continuing education training that Jim and the other operators had to complete to keep their state plant operator license.

From everyone at Local 776, enjoy your retirement, Jim!

Local 776 BA Bill Olmeda, (L) congratulates Jim and presents him with his retirement watch!

Please see below for important information concerning a Cost of Living Adjustment per the 2019 – 2024 YRC National Master Freight Agreement:

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, a second strike  Preparation and Picket Line Training Seminar was held at the York Union Hall for members employed at Americold and the City of York. The message was clear: If the employer is unwilling to engage in good faith bargaining, the Union has no choice but to organize an unfair labor practice strike if we believe our cause is truly important.

The purpose of this training was to educate our members in the event a strike is called and to prepare our members on what to expect after the strike has been called and the picket line established.

Local 776 Business Agents Mark Cicak, and Spencer Dearth, along with Trustee Patrick Hollinghead, spoke on different types of strikes and ways members can prepare themselves and their families. Also discussed in the seminar were the signs that a strike may be called,  what to expect after the strike has been called, preparations that must be made before a strike, and conduct on a picket line.

(L-R) Americold BA Dave Wolf, Trustee Parick Hollingshead, BA Mark Cicak, and York City BA Spencer Dearth presented information to the members in attendance

The presenters had the member's attention as they provided valuable information in the event of a strike.

National UPS Teamsters Stewards Call - Sunday, February 5

General President Sean M. O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman will be holding a National UPS Teamsters Call with shop stewards this Sunday to announce the launch of the UPS Teamsters Contract Unity Pledge campaign.

We urge all stewards to register for this call and participate to hear important updates from O’Brien, Zuckerman, and other leaders from the International.

To register for the call follow the link below:

UPS Stewards Call-In

Workers’ Memorial Day is observed in York and Adams Counties on April 28^th to remember workers who lost their lives on their job. The York-Adams Counties Central Labor Council AFL-CIO; York, Pennsylvania sponsors The Richard L. Boyd Workers’ Memorial Day Essay Contest, offering a scholarship to eligible High School Seniors Details can be found below:

Teamsters at UPS face weekly issues with payroll problems. Full-time or part-time, combination jobs, article 22 jobs, and air driver jobs, to name a few, all seem to keep the payroll dept in a state of confusion.

The International has launched a new feature on the UPS Teamsters app. The Payroll Calculator helps you keep track of your hours and pay, giving UPS drivers, inside workers, in all classifications a tool to fight back when management shortchanges our members. Don’t let the company steal your time. Keeping your own records helps build a stronger case when you need to file a grievance.

The UPS Teamsters app is available for Android and Apple devices by following the links below:

Android UPS Teamsters app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mosaiclearning.teamstersapp&pli=1

Apple UPS Teamster app:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ups-teamsters/id1567440290

Log in to the app and be sure to refresh by hitting the yellow “update button” on the bottom of your screen to install the latest feature. Tap the Payroll Calculator button. From week to week, you can calculate straight time, time and a half, and double time on any given day at any rate you input, giving you your gross pay for the week. Tap the yellow “Add Shift” button at the bottom to add a shift to the same day at a different rate, if needed. You can go back to previous weeks to see all of your entries.

If you haven’t already done so register for the Local 776 website and Mobile App. Registered users of the website and app get email alerts and app notifications when information concerning events, information, and news about Local 776 are posted. To register for the website and app follow the registration links on the website’s home page. Your email address is not shared with anyone; it is only used by Local 776 to stay in contact with you.

On January 9, 2023, General President Sean M. O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman opened a meeting of the UPS National Screening Committee in Washington, DC, where representatives from dozens of UPS locals gathered to review proposals for National Master Agreement negotiations. Local 776 UPS Business Agent Dave Licht, a member of the Teamsters National Negotiating Committee, was in attendance representing Local 776 UPS Members.

“We’re going into these negotiations with a clear message to UPS that we’re not going past August 1,” O’Brien said in his remarks to the committee. “We have to deal with 22.4s, PVDs, subcontracting, part-time wages, and other issues that we’re taking a hard line on with the company.” 

“Sean is going to pick a fight with this company, and that fight is to get the very best contract we can get for our members,” Zuckerman added. “This contract is going to be unlike the contracts of the past 25 years where UPS comes in and says they want a cost-neutral contract. It’s not going to be a cost-neutral contract. We’re going to take from them what our members deserve.” 

Members of the committee reviewed more than 4,000 pages of national proposals submitted by locals to the Package Division. In total, the Division received more than 11,000 Master Agreement proposals, which were sorted and compiled for the screening meeting. 

Five screening subcommittees met as well to review proposals on safety and health, 9.5/Article 37, Premium Services, Air, and technology. The screening of proposals will determine what will ultimately be put forth to the company when National Master Agreement negotiations begin.

Supplemental committees will review supplemental proposals separately in preparation for supplemental negotiations which begin in February.

IBT General President Sean O'Brien makes a point to the screening committee

Please see below for the dates of Local 776 Monthly Membership meetings, Stewards Meetings, and Local 776 events for 2023. Additional information on the picnic, golf tournament, and Children’s Christmas Party will be distributed as the events are finalized. The dates will also be included on the website calendar. Registered users of the website will receive an email alert prior to the meetings and events.