By Jonathan S. Reiskin, Associate News Editor This story appears in the Aug. 15 print edition of Transport Topics.
Teamsters union members working in the U.S. car-haul industry approved a new contract that will last more than four years, the union said from its national headquarters in Washington, D.C.
After counting votes in Cheverly, Md., the Teamsters union said on Aug. 5 that its membership ratified the new national contract by a ratio of 72% to 28%. The deal runs through the end of August 2015 and is retroactive to June 1.
“This contract reverses some of the difficult sacrifices our members have made, and we are hopeful the industry continues to turn around. In addition to protecting members’ health care and retirement, the agreement provides for annual wage increases and a cost-of-living adjustment,” said Teamsters President James Hoffa in the statement.
The new contract for transporting finished automobiles was agreed upon by management and a labor negotiating committee in June (6-6, p. 3). The labor committee recommended to the rank and file that they vote in favor of the new pact to replace the old 3-year contract that expired at the end of May.
The deal covers 4,500 active workers at companies such as Jack Cooper Transport, Kansas City, Mo., and Cassens Transport, Edwardsville, Ill. The ratified package includes a national master agreement and three regional supplements.
Representatives of Jack Cooper and Cassens and the management negotiator were not available for comment by press time.
The union said the new contract runs for four years and three months, and during that time it will increase the wage rate by $1.35 an hour, in addition to raises for miles driven. There is also a cost-of-living provision that will boost the wage rate by an additional 10 cents an hour should inflation top 3% a year.
The union also said preserving health care and pension benefits was the top priority for members.
“Our car-haul members clearly recognized that this agreement maintains their health and pension benefits, which were two top priorities. Going into negotiations, we were determined to protect our members’ existing health care and retirement benefits and this agreement reflects that,” said Fred Zuckerman, director of the union’s carhaul division.
