The Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee (TNFINC) met with TForce Freight the week of May 22-26 in Chicago to continue negotiations for a new national agreement to succeed the current agreement that is set to expire on July 31.   

Spirited discussions were had across the table on many subjects, including the company’s subcontracting and excessive rail usage.  

The union also introduced a work preservation agreement to address certain concerns about the diversion of unit work away from bargaining unit members and to promote job security.  

Some progress was made on various open articles such as protections against the company seeking to go back years to recover overpayments in wages, enhancing penalties against the company for untimely payments, and FMLA leave.  

In terms of economics, the parties exchanged detailed proposals but remain far apart.  

The parties will resume bargaining on June 12 in Dallas. TNFINC would like to thank the members for their continued support as we work together to achieve the best possible contract.

The Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee meets with TForce representatives. The fourth person from the right is Local 776 President Ed Thompson.

On behalf of the Officers, Business Agents, Staff, and myself, I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day. As you spend the day with family and friends at a picnic, the beach, a backyard cookout, or just relaxing at home please take a moment to remember the service men and women who gave their lives protecting the freedoms, rights, and liberty that we all enjoy in our great country. Also please keep a place in your heart for our service men and women who so proudly serve to preserve the rights and liberties that others made the ultimate sacrifice for.

Fraternally,

Ed Thompson,

President, Teamsters Local 776

Are you coming to the local 776 picnic at Knoebels? Great! We’re looking forward to seeing you. Did you take a moment and register for the picnic? We need to have an accurate head count so Knoebels can plan for enough food and treats. If you haven’t yet registered please take a moment to do so by calling the Union Hall during normal business hours.

The cut-off for registration is Friday, May 26, 2023, at 3:00 PM. Full details concerning the picnic can be found below:

Local 776 Business Agent Dave Wolf and the Negotiating Committee of Americold Members have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. Details can be found below:

Teamsters Local 776 is proud to announce our scholarship finalists for 2023:

Mitchell Barnes: Son of Andy Barnes, who works at Piedmont Airlines

Olivia Butler: Daughter of Tina Butler, who works at Penn State Hershey Medical Center

Ashlee Hess: Daughter of Daniel Hess, who works at YRC

Teryn Huff: Stepdaughter of Richard Stover Jr., who works at T-Force Freight

This year, due to the continuing support of the Scholarship Fund by the Members, Local 776 was able to increase the number of scholarships from three to four.

Congratulations to this year’s finalists and best of luck as you continue your education. For more information on these and other scholarship opportunities for qualifying dependents of Teamsters Local 776 Members please go to the scholarships page under Member Resources.

It’s that time of the year again; the snow shovels have been put away, the days are getting longer, and summer is not far off. Again this year Local 776 will be having our Family Picnic at Knoebels Amusement Park! See below for full details to help make the day a success!

The International Union has launched a national training program to prepare rank-and-file members to win the strongest contract in UPS history. The Members are trained in the tools they need to build effective Contract Action Teams in their respective local. In conjunction with the contract awareness training being offered by the IBT a regional training session was held at the Harrisburg Union Hall on Sunday, April 30, 2023. Sunday’s training was one of dozens of contract action team training sessions being held all over the country. Teamster trainers and organizers fan out to cities in every region as part of this national training program. The training is preparing thousands of UPS Teamsters to get organized and take action for higher wages, improved benefits, and stronger rights

Rank-and-file UPS Teamsters from across the state and Maryland spent Sunday in Harrisburg learning to build contract action teams and mobilize members for a strong contract. The training featured information about the bargaining process and resources that will help participants build effective communication networks among workers. The participants heard from organizers and trainers about the bargaining process. They learned strategies for mobilizing their co-workers, how to map their workplace and build communications networks.

Winning the contract the Members deserve is not a spectator sport. Every member must be engaged, educated, and motivated in this fight.  To make UPS deliver on the members’ demands, we need Teamsters in every UPS local nationwide who are ready to take action with their brothers and sisters.

IBT training personnel had everyone's attention during the meeting

From Teamsters headquarters in D.C. to union halls in Louisville, Dallas, and Atlanta, to the streets of New York and through virtual hookups in central California, Teamsters are prepping, coordinating, bargaining, and demanding a better contract for up to 360,000 full-and part-time UPSers.

Grievance and disciplinary protections, more holidays, less forced overtime, and more money in workers’ pockets -these issues and so many more are on the table against a giant corporation that doesn’t want to give anything up. This is despite record profits in 2022 and projections to haul in more than $97 billion this year.

But the Teamsters cannot be broken, or shaken, or deterred. We strategize, we organize, and we pulverize. And our hats go off to every member of the supplemental and national negotiating teams putting in the hours to get the job done.

Never question the resolve of a Teamster. Working people have earned the rewards that corporate executives want to claim for themselves. At UPS, hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are fighting for what’s fair; and are resolved to get it.

Please see below for important information from the IBT pertaining to the re-opening of the Yellow NMFA to negotiate modifications for a new agreement.