On September 2, 2022, SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Healthcare Pennsylvania nursing home workers went on strike at Priority and Comprehensive nursing homes across PA. In the Harrisburg area, the strike will affect The Gardens at Blue Ridge in the Linglestown area and The Gardens at West Shore in Camp Hill.

The SEIU contract with the nursing homes expired July 31, 2022. The striking members work in the following departments: CNA's, LPN's, Housekeeping, Dietary, Laundry, and Activities. Some of the issues leading to the strike action include safe staffing ratios, higher wages for ancillary staff and the company proposal to change the healthcare plan entirely.

In a show of solidarity Local 776 brought drinks and snacks for the striking workers and walked the picket lines at The Meadows at Blue Ridge in Harrisburg and The Gardens at West Shore in Camp Hill. In attendance from Local 776 were VP Dave Pogue, BA Dave Vrona, BA John Taylor, BA Mark Cicak, and Organizer Ashley Cerzullo.

While you celebrate Labor Day this weekend please keep these courageous individuals in mind as they bravely take a stand for a fair contract.

Local 776 was on hand to support the striking SEIU Members

Local 776 organizer Ashley Cerzullo, BA Dave Vrona, and VP Dave Pogue lead the picket line

“On behalf of the Officers, Agents, staff, and myself I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day. American Labor; it’s what built this great country of ours. America became a world leader thanks to the men and women who built it. No matter where you work or what you do your effort is part of the big picture; shaping your and your families' lives so that our children, our future leaders, can use what we provided them to better themselves, and so on for the next generation. That’s what makes our country so great, building the American dream. For the American Worker today is your day, Be proud of what you do, take a moment to reflect on what you do and how it impacts your family and those around you.

Fraternally,

Ed Thompson, President Teamsters Local 776

Recently Local 776 mailed the Summer 2022 issue of the Local 776 Review, our newsletter, to the membership. Did your copy get lost in the mail, or put in the recycle bin before you got a chance to view it? If so all is not lost. The latest Newsletter, along with previous issues, is available for download. The Newsletter can be found on the "Member Resources" page under the "Downloads" section of the website.

On Saturday, August 20, 2022, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was in Philadelphia to support trade unions. The former presidential candidate spoke to a crowd at Independence Mall. Sanders was joined by Teamsters President Sean O'Brien and Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson. Local 776 Officers, Business Agents, and Members were on hand to support the Labor Movement.

 The rally was entitled "The Working Class-Fighting Back Against Corporate Greed." Senator Sanders was there to encourage union solidarity and inspire political action. "If we're going to save the middle class of this county, we're going to grow the trade union movement," Sanders said. "Workers are going to have a voice on the job. They're going to have a voice in Washington and in their state capitals all over this country." 

Sean O'Brien, General President of the Teamsters, stirred the crowd into a frenzy when he spoke on corporate greed while calling out Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and "Colonel" Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks. O’Brien’s message to the attending Union members was “we are ready to take on corporate America and will hold politicians accountable.”

Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants gave an inspirational speech that included how far the working conditions of flight attendants have come through negotiated strong labor agreements.

Senator Sanders said his mission is to bring “workers together, regardless of their political affiliation.” “When you look at the issues facing working people,” Sanders said, “it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or an independent. Can you afford health care? ‘No, I can’t.”

Senator Sanders, sporting a Teamsters cap, addresses the Union Activists

A good crowd was on hand supporting worker's rights to organize

Local 776 was represented by: (L-R) Member Teresa Antal, BA John Taylor, Organizer Ashley Cerzullo (kneeling), BA Dave Vrona, IBT General President Sean O'Brien, Trustee Patrick Hollingshead, BA Spencer Dearth, Trustee Rob Smiley, Members Richard Moore, Justin Seitz, Chris Brassington, and Joe Pironti

Are you looking for something to do as summer starts to wind down? Grab your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, and head out to a Harrisburg Senators or York Revolution Baseball game courtesy of Local 776! Get a couple of friends from work to go together and let the families mingle while you enjoy the game! Tickets are still available for both games; come to the game in a Teamster shirt, ball cap, or whatever Teamster Gear you have and show your Teamster Pride! Full details can be found below:

When Local 776 Business Agent Spencer Dearth found out that TForce Freight failed to recall the single part-time dockworker employed at the Harrisburg terminal, he immediately filed a grievance. Infuriated when the Company stated they didn’t want part-timers anymore, Business Agent Dearth moved the grievance through the grievance procedure and conducted an audit to determine how much time Grievant Perry lost. Before presenting the case at the Eastern Region Panel, the Company agreed to pay the 240 hours the Grievant lost and offered him a full-time position with his seniority restored.

Local 776 BA Spencer Dearth (L) presents multiple checks to Local 776 Member Bernard Perry to cover all the hours he lost due to TForce Freight not recalling him to his part-time position.

On August 1, Local 776 along with other Locals across the country kicked off the 2023 UPS Contract Campaign. The existing contract between UPS and its 360,000 unionized workers expires next July, and the work on the next one has already begun.

Negotiations will start early next year and the stakes are high. Leading the Teamsters union, which represents UPS drivers, package handlers, and warehouse workers is Sean O’Brien, a long-time local union leader in Boston. O’Brien is shaking up the negotiation by bringing rank and file members to the table, shortening the timeframe for the talks, and threatening a strike.

O’Brien’s toughest task may be undoing elements of UPS’ current contract, which went into effect on a technicality, even though members who voted were against it. 

“Walking backwards is difficult,” O’Brien told Insider. “But the one thing we have, we have leverage. We have the ability to strike.”

IBT President Sean O'Brien makes a point.

Here are some of the issues the union could strike over. 

‘Second-class drivers’

Four years ago, to add Saturday service, UPS created a new class of drivers who work Tuesday through Saturday. They start at $20.50 per hour and top out at $30.64, while regular drivers can reach $40.

O’Brien and some regular UPS drivers have said eliminating this position is a top priority. “I hate the fact that I work with somebody that’s doing the exact same job as I’m doing, if not more, because he’s less senior — and he’s getting paid less,” a UPS driver in the Northeast told Insider last year. “That is definitely a strike issue,” O’Brien said.

‘Excessive overtime’                                                                              

Another byproduct of Saturday service has been more requests for regular drivers to work overtime. At lots of hubs, it’s a struggle to find enough volunteers to work Saturday, so managers assign them the shifts. During the pandemic, drivers also reported longer days with a daunting number of stops designed to “sweat the assets.”

“We’re open to finding a solution to the seven-day week delivery because what the competition is doing,” O’Brien said, but the existing staffing solution is not working in his view. 

Personal Vehicle Drivers 

PVDs, as they’re known inside UPS, are a familiar concept in a delivery world increasingly run on gig-economy labor. These temporary workers supplement full-time drivers, delivering packages while driving their own cars. According to the existing contract, UPS can hire PVDs as seasonal laborers as long as it gives priority to union employees. Some drivers see it as the commodification or “uber-ization” of their job.

“When I went to work in the construction industry 32 years ago, I didn’t bring my own truck to work,” O’Brien said when Insider asked about PVDs. The Teamsters’ goal is to eliminate what a spokesperson called “outsourcing” and “subcontracting.” 

“Every worker at UPS should be classified, treated, and paid as an actual employee, protected by a Teamster contract,” the spokesperson said. 

Driver surveillance

Over the last year, UPS has been gradually installing devices on the dashboards of package cars that contain front-facing and driver-facing cameras as well as other sensors. How those units are being used is a point of controversy. 

According to a UPS spokesperson, the devices do not record inward-facing video or audio of the driver. “Inward-facing sensors act like motion detectors, similar to home motion security systems, alerting our drivers to at-risk driving behaviors such as not fastening their seatbelt and repeatedly using a cell phone while driving,” they said. “The data may be used to provide in-person coaching and training.”

 O’Brien called the inward-facing cameras an “invasion of privacy,” and vowed to get them removed in the next contract. “That’s just another tool to increase productivity and hold our members hostage,” he said. 

Part-time pay raise

“The fight for $15 is antiquated now,” O’Brien told Insider. “We’ve got to fight for a $20 starting rate of pay, and then reward long-term part-timers accordingly.”

In addition to higher pay and what it calls “catch-up raises” for part-time package handlers and warehouse workers, the union also wants more opportunities for part-timers to convert to full-time. 

Heat

The death of a 24-year-old UPS driver from heat stroke in June brought the issue of heat-related worker safety to the front of the Teamsters’ priority list. They sent a letter  to UPS leadership in late July requesting detailed information related to the company’s plans to prevent heat-related injuries. The union is still developing a specific ask on the issue, but O’Brien said one way to help would be to “staff up” so drivers aren’t driving 12- to 15-hour routes in the hottest months of the year.

Local 776 UPS Teamsters stand strong!

As is the custom at Local 776 events, a 50/50 drawing was held in support of the Local’s Scholarship Fund.  Members had opportunities throughout the day to try their luck by purchasing tickets before the drawing. This year’s 50/50 Winner was Paul Haut, and the winner of a $500.00 Eagles Crossing Gift Card was Mike Sellers. If you missed the tournament this year we’ll be doing it again next year; keep working on your swing, get your group lined up, and come on out and play! To view additional photos from the tournament please visit the Photo Gallery at teamsterslocal776.org

Let's Play!

Do you see the ball?

This foursome seems to be having a good time!

Local 776 has tickets remaining for Harrisburg Senators and York Revolution Baseball Games. Full details can be found below:

Teamsters Local 776, along with hundreds of other Teamster Locals across the country, began a nationwide call to action on August 1, 2022 with parking lot rallies, leafleting actions and other activities taking place at UPS centers throughout the country. With the current contract expiring in exactly one year, members are mobilizing now for the strongest possible contract in 2023. The kick-off of this historic contract fight also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the successful 1997 UPS Teamsters strike, when 185,000 members struck the company.

“We are sending a message to UPS that the days of concessions and walking all over our members are over,” said General President Sean M. O’Brien, who joined Teamsters Local 25 UPS members at a rally this morning in Boston. “UPS would not have its billion-dollar profits without hardworking Teamster members. Our message to UPS is that it’s time our contract reflects the essential work of our members.” As part of the campaign launch, Teamster local representatives, business agents, and stewards are visiting UPS facilities nationwide and distributing informational resources to members, including materials on bargaining issues and how to download the new UPS Teamsters app.

These actions are only the beginning as UPS Teamster locals and rank-and-file members plan rallies and site visits throughout the coming weeks and months, extending into next summer.

On Monday, Local 776 UPS Business Agent Dave Licht along with other BA’s and volunteers were at the UPS Carlisle, PA Hub engaging the members, raising contract awareness. In addition to being at the Carlisle Hub, Dave and his group have been visiting other UPS facilities throughout the week in the Local’s jurisdiction, building contract awareness.

Local 776 Members standing strong!

The sign says it all!

UPS Members united for a strong contract!