Penn State Football is just around the corner. Back by popular demand will be Organized Labor Ticket Promotions. All Teamsters, including their families and friends, will be able to purchase promotional rate tickets to the Idaho, Buffalo, Purdue, and Rutgers games. For additional information including pricing, parking and discounted hotel accommodations follow the link below:

www.gopsusports.com/teamsters

As is the custom at Local 776 events, tickets were sold throughout the day for a 50-50 drawing to benefit the Local Union’s scholarship fund. Michael Hess, who works at Amsted Rail, won first prize and was awarded 50% of the money collected. Tim Clark, who works at Bimbo Bakery, won a cooler and a Yeti, and Donnie Borden, a YRC retiree, won a Local 776 sweatshirt. In support of the scholarship fund Michael and Karen donated a portion of their winnings back to the scholarship fund. Thanks to everyone who bought tickets in support of the Local 776 scholarship fund!

Local 776 Secretary-Treasurer Ron Hicks (Left) congratulates Karen and Michael Hess, winners of the 50-50 drawing conducted at the picnic in support of the Local 776 scholarship fund.

Local 776 has added more photos from the Family Picnic at Knoebels to the Photo Gallery. Maybe we caught you at the picnic, follow the link below to be taken to the Photo Gallery.

Knoebels Picnic

Knoebels is a big place and there were so many Teamsters and their families there our photographers couldn't capture everybody so lets open it up to all the members out there! Everybody has a phone so everybody has a camera and probably took some pictures of family and friends enjoying the Picnic. E-mail you photos to us and we'll include them in a special Photo Gallery titled "Members Knoebels Photos". E-mail your photos in medium size or resolution to:

info @teamsterslocal776.org

No need to send any identifying information, just your photos of everyone having a good time at the pavillions eating with family and friends, in the park on the rides, or by the pool and water slides. It was a big crowd so there should be plenty of good photos out there!

Local 776 held their Family Picnic on Sunday June 9, 2019 at Knoebels Amusement Park. What a way to kick off the unofficial start of summer! Schools out, the weather cooperated; a sunny sky with just a slight breeze to keep it comfortable, and Knoebels! Over 5,000 members, spouses, kids, grand-kids, and retirees had registered for the picnic, making it one of Local 776 largest member events. With food being served from noon until 3 PM and the rides open until 9 PM there was plenty of time to get checked in, get your tickets for the rides and activities in the park, and let the day unfold. Local 776 Officers, Agents, and Staff handled check-in and kept the lines to a short wait time. Once inside the park judging by the number of Teamster hats, T-shirts, and sweat shirts seen there was a steady stream of Teamster Members on the roller coasters, the Ferris wheel, the kiddies’ ride area, and around the pool and water slides!

Commented Local 776 President Ed Thompson “Words can’t describe the feeling of seeing my Brothers and Sisters, along with their families and friends, together as one united group enjoying each other, the day and the park. I’m proud of this turnout; it’s you, the members, supporting your Local Union, who fuel that sense of pride. I’d like to thank EVERYONE from Local 776 who put so much time and effort into making the picnic a success. Without your support this event could not happen”.

Come on in!!!!!

Plenty of help with registration kept the lines moving!

The T-shirt says it all!!!!

The park takes on a different atmosphere after dark!

To view more photos from the Family Picnic at Knoebels please visit the Photo Gallery

The Teamsters Local 776 Hershey Medical Center Negotiating Committe has reached a tentative agreement with the Medical Center on a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the current agreement which expires June 30, 2019. Details of the tentative agreement and scheduled dates for meetings for the membership to review the agreement before voting can be found below:

Please plan to attend one of these important scheduled meetings to be fully informed on the tentative agreement before voting.

The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) held their annual state truck driving championship on Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8^th, 2019 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in York PA. Drivers from across the state showed off their skills in various categories including 4-axle, 5-axle, flatbed, sleeper and twins. Local 776 was well represented at the championship with drivers from ABF, UPS, UPS Freight, and YRC on hand to show their skills. Unfortunately none of our drivers captured a state championship but they took pride in being in the company of the best of the best for two days of tough competition. Congratulations to all of the drivers who made it to the state championship event!

Local 776 ABF Member  Mike Boruta, center, poses with other ABF drivers from across the State. Local 776 ABF Member Jeff Keller aslo competed in the competition but was not available when the photo was taken.

Local 776 UPS Members  Leonard Monette, 2nd from Left, and Nate Moore, 3rd from Left, were on hand displaying their skills. The UPS drivers on either end were from New Stanton, PA.

UPS Freight drivers from ascross the state were on hand to display their driving prowess. Local 776 UPSF BA Spencer Dearth was on hand, supporting his drivers as they competed. Local 776 UPSF members included: 4th from Left: Kevin Werner, 5th from Left: Bill Bennett, 6th from Left: Jimmy Campbell, and 7th from Left: Dan Bailey.

Last but not least YRC drivers were at the championship showing their stuff. Left-Right: Roy Costello, 3rd from Left: John Brownawell, 4th from Left: Clarence Parks, and 5th from Left: Sheldon Kenny along with his wife who came out to support her husband!

Congratulations to all of the Local 776 Drivers who gave it their best displaying what they do day in and day out.

The following is an update on the back pay owed to UPS members:

The company expects the back pay to be issued the first pay period of July. This contract was the richest in Teamster history and the back pay just for the nine months between August 1, 2018 and April 29, 2019 is approximately $660 million.

The company is currently calculating back pay for 250,000 employees with various hours worked, multiple classifications and pay rates. Many employees work more than one classification with different pay rates in one week or even within one day. Any time a member works in more than one job in any one day, it triggers a calculation requiring someone to manually calculate the pay rate figures.

The company estimates that there will be over 200,000 manual calculations required to ensure that the back pay is accurate and they will be working on this through June. UPS is keeping us informed and is working to make this happen as quickly as possible.

Rercently Local 776 mailed the Spring 2019 Issue of the Local 776 Review to the membership. Did yours get lost in the mail? did the dog get his teeth on it again? If you did not recieve your copy you may download, view, and print the latest issue along with past issues by going to the "Downloads" page under Member resources.

All kidding aside, if you did not receive the newsletter because you have recently moved please contact the Local Union Office during normal business hours to update your address so that the newsletter and other important mailings from the Local Union as well as the IBT can be delivered to you.

The Teamsters Local 776 Negotiating Committee completed a second round of contract talks with Hershey Medical Center on May 30, 2019. For full details on the negotiations follow the link below:

HMC Contract Update

In May 2018, a secret ballot election was held for representation of Lower Swatara Township’s full and part-time police officers by Teamsters Local 776. All but one of the eligible employees voted in favor of representation from Local 776, and Local 776 was certified as the officers’ collective bargaining representative. Previously the Lower Swatara Township police officers had been represented by the Lower Swatara Township Police Civic Association

Lower Swatara Township officials filed an objection to the certification with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, with The Board rejecting the township’s argument. The Township then appealed the decision to the PA. Commonwealth Court. On May 2, 2019 the court upheld the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board’s decision, ending the lengthy standoff. For more information on this important organizing decision and commentary by Local 776 Attorney Irwin Aronson follow the link below:

Local 776 court case