In collaboration with Capital Blue Cross Local 776 provided lunch for its members working at Pleasant Acres Nursing Home in York on April 22, 2020. The members, who are employed by Pleasant Acres Operating LLC and Lucent Group, totaling 350 members, were treated to a box lunch containing a variety of sandwiches and wraps, potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, cookies, and a bottle of water to wash it all down!

Capital Blue Cross has been working throughout the area to support healthcare workers, workers who are on the front lines battling the virus during the Covid-19 pandemic. A couple of phone calls between Local 776 President Ed Thompson and Local 773 President Dennis Hower got the ball rolling for Local 776. Capital Blue Cross supplied the sandwiches and wraps, and Local 776 manpower did the rest; picking up the sandwiches and wraps at the Capital Blue Cross kitchen facility in Enola, gathering the lunch go-withs and assembling the box lunches at the Union Hall before heading to Pleasant Acres. On hand from Local 776 to make sure every member got a box lunch were President Ed Thompson, Local 776 BA’s George Goodling, Bill Olmeda, Ed Sutton, John Taylor, Pleasant Acres BA Dave Vrona, and Organizer Mark Cicak.

“Our healthcare workers put themselves in harms way daily as they care for our loved ones at Pleasant Acres”, Commented Local 776 President Ed Thompson. “In this time we stand with our members and offer support anyway we can so that they can return home safely to their loved ones.”

The Local 776 garage became an assembly line area for loading the lunch boxes....

The assembly line then moved to Plesant Acres to distribute the lunches

Teamster Pride: A Job Well Done!

Hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are working on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19. We are treating patients, delivering essential goods, keeping grocery store shelves stocked and so much more. We are putting our lives at risk so that others remain safe and healthy.

On Thursday, April 16, 2020, Local 776 Member William Bennett III, a nine-year veteran at UPS Freight, and a member of America’s Road Team (ATA), delivered another load of hand sanitizer to the New York City Police Department in Flushing, NY. In addition to that delivery several cases of sanitizer were given to the NYPD Highway Dept. by UPS as  special thank you for their escort into New York City with these loads of hand sanitizer.

Local 776 Business Agent Spencer Dearth (L) and Trustee/Union Steward Dipan Patel (R) send Bill off on his trip with several bottles of Local 776 hand sanitizer to help keep him safe.

The NYPD provided an escort for Bill to see him safely to his destination. The signs being held read (L-R): "Thank you Brown", From The Brown", and From The Blue".

Local 776 member and UPS Freight driver John McKown; a veteran and former police officer, says he was "honored" to deliver thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer to the hard-hit New York Police Department. McKown said he picked up the load in Pennsylvania and immediately took off for his destination: Flushing, N.Y. "It's a time when we all need to pitch in," he told reporters. "I'm just so happy that I got a chance." "I was honored to meet the guys: The men and women of the NYPD." "My whole career's been about service," he said. "As a military veteran and also as a police officer, we serve the ones that need help all over the country."

I would like to thank John for his selfless service, many people would not want to venture into the New York area where the pandemic is rampant”, commented Local 776 President Ed Thompson. “As John stated it’s all about service. As we have seen again and again over the years when disaster strikes Teamster Members are on the front lines. I would also like to thank all of our members who remain working everyday; either in transportation, as a first responder, in healthcare, law enforcement and corrections, to name a few. It is your dedication to get the job done in spite of adversity that could directly affect you and your loved ones that makes me “Proud to be a Teamster!” To see an interview with John follow the link below:

Teamster Hero

Monthly Membership Meeting for April 2020:

Due to the large amount of Covid-19 information and the frequency in which it is disseminated the Local Union has created a “Covid-19 Resources” page on the website. All of the previously posted information is now located on that page for ease of accessing it. New information concerning the Covid-19 pandemic will now be posted on this page. Holding your mouse over the “Covid-19 Resources” on the main menu page of the website will open a drop down menu with each previously posted article listed in chronological order for ease of access. Selecting the “Covid-19 Resources” page on the menu will open a page displaying each article that can be selected for viewing.

Local 776 members who are registered users of the website will continue to receive E-mail alerts when a new article is posted and by clicking on the link in the email will be taken to the appropriate page on the website for viewing. Members are always encouraged to sign up as a registered user of the website; this insures you receive prompt messages when information concerning the IBT, the Local Union, your employer, and Local Union events becomes available. Your log in information is secure, E-mail addresses are never shared with any entity, and you will never miss an important piece of information from your Union. To register go to the “Member Home” page located under “Member Resources”

During this current crisis we must still take the time to thank all of those who donated money, sent cards or just offered condolences in the loss of two of our Union Brothers.  On Sunday January 5, 2020 Dennis Kehler and Daniel Kepner lost their lives while working for UPS operating a team tractor. The chain reaction crash claimed the lives of three others and injured sixty other people.  We started receiving calls from all over the country wanting to know how to make donations for their families.  We set up a fund and collected $54,000.00 in donations that was split equally and given to the wives of these two members.  Both families are very grateful for the donations and would also like to thank all of those who gave:

On March 7, 2020 Local 776 hosted a “History of the Teamsters” presentation by the IBT. Karin Jones gave an informative presentation about where we came from, and where we are going. In 1903, the Teamsters started as a merger of the two leading team driver associations. The Teamsters are known as the champion of freight drivers and warehouse workers, but have organized workers in virtually every occupation imaginable, both professional and non-professional, private sector and public sector. Today, it would be hard to identify a Teamster on the streets because we are everywhere. The union represents everyone from A to Z - from airline pilots to zookeepers.

Commented Local 776 President Ed Thompson “It’s important to understand how our Union came to be, and how it has expanded to meet the needs of working men and women across the country. Understanding where we came from helps us to move forward into new industries such as Google, Amazon, and others in the cyber technology field”.

If you were unable to attend the presentation and would like to learn more about your Union’s history George Washington University and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have established an educational and research environment to explore the role that the American labor movement in general, and the Teamsters in particular have played in the history of the United States. Follow the link below to be taken to the Teamsters Archives Website:

Teamster Archives

IBT representative Karin Jones stands with Local 776 President ED Thompson (L) and Secretary-Treasurer Ron Hicks by a piece of Local 776 history; The IBT Charter drafted in 1937

A lot of history means a lot of study guides!

Karin makes a point to her "Students"!

Learning is hard work and works up an appetite! Get Smok'd BBQ was om hand at lunch time to make sure no one left hungry!

UPS Freight must pay back wages to potentially thousands of its workers after an arbitrator ruled this week that the company violated an extension agreement that was in place in 2018 before the national contract was ratified later that year. The case involves employees who were not at the top of the wage scale between August 1 and November 12, 2018, but who instead were in “wage progressions.”

It is estimated that the total amount of back wages owed in the case will exceed $2 million. The affected employees will receive differing amounts of back pay based upon each employee’s wage progression status and seniority date during the relevant time period. The specific awards will likely range between a few hundred dollars to upwards of $1,500.

In the March 11, 2020 ruling, the arbitrator held that the company violated the Extension Agreement and ordered the company to make employees in progression whole for the losses they suffered during the period August 1, 2018 to November 12, 2018 due to the company’s failure to implement the retroactivity provision of the Extension Agreement.

“We applaud the arbitrator’s ruling, which will provide our UPS Freight members with the wages they are owed,” said Kris Taylor, Co-Chairman of the Teamsters’ UPS Freight Negotiating Committee. “The company denied that it was required to pay retroactive wage increases for this period, but the arbitrator’s decision clearly shows that these workers are owed these wages. I want to thank our members for standing with us as we fought to win them the justice they deserve.”

Local 776 has tickets remaining for the Shriner Circus in Harrisburg on Sunday March 14, 2020. Local 776 has purchased tickets in support of the Shriners for your benefit! In case you missed the flier full details can be found by following the link below below:

Shrine Circus