September 14, 2016

Workers Want Decent, Affordable Health Care and Retirement Security

(Washington, D.C.) – Drivers at XPO Logistics in Aurora, Ill. filed for Teamster representation today, the latest action by workers across the United States who are banding together to fight for fair treatment at one of the largest transportation and logistics companies in the world.

The 72 drivers at the former Con-way Freight are planning to join workers in Miami; Laredo, Texas; and Vernon, Calif. who have already formed their union with the Teamsters.

“The XPO workers’ fight for justice and a more secure future continues to gain momentum,” said Tyson Johnson, Director of the Teamsters Freight Division. “The freight workers at XPO in Aurora are united and strong and are focused on improving their lives.”

“The workers reached out to us because they are tired of being mistreated by this multinational corporation that puts profits over its hardworking employees,” said Tom Flynn, President of Local 179 in Joliet, Ill. “We look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these workers to help them improve their lives and to get the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Port, freight and warehouse workers at XPO are coming together across the country in their fight for a more secure future. The Aurora workers are seeking affordable and decent health care, retirement security, better working conditions and respect and dignity on the job. XPO is the second-largest freight brokerage provider and second-largest less-than-truckload carrier in North America.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.teamster.org.

September 9, 2016

Today, Teamsters Local Union No. 179 met with School Districts 201 and 111.  The Districts’ so-called leaders, including Superintendant Kris Monn and Assistant Superintendant John Troy, and their attorneys, refused to meet the Union committee face-to-face.  Nevertheless, the Union made every effort, through a mediator, to reach a fair contract for the Districts’ bus drivers and aides and to end the near ten-month-long labor dispute. 

The Union proposed a contract that would provide critical contractual protections for the workers, but would cost the Districts and their taxpayers almost nothing.  The Union proposed a wage freeze for drivers and a modest wage increase for aides in exchange for basic contract rights, such as just cause for discipline and an anti-free rider clause.  (Most aides, who care for students with disabilities and other special needs, make only about $11.50 per hour and have not had a wage increase for nearly 8 years.)

The Districts rejected the Union’s offer without any reasonable justification and conditioned any increases on the Union abandoning fundamental workplace rights, further indicating that the Districts’ intend to avoid reaching a fair agreement.  (The Union has filed unfair labor practice charges with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board protesting the Districts’ bad faith bargaining.)

The Union also proposed that the Districts proceed with the long-overdue wage increases for aides, while the parties continued to negotiate.  The Districts rejected this offer too.  Instead, the Districts chose to withhold the small wage increase for the aides, who care for the Districts’ most vulnerable students, unless the Union gave up the basic contract terms that are vital to well being of all workers. 

To top off its disrespect for workers, the Districts abruptly ended negotiations and threatened unspecified reprisal against workers on the Union’s negotiation committee, if they did not return to work.  The workers did return to work to ensure that students were timely transported home, but after learning that the Districts had failed to plan for the absence of the Union’s negotiation committee members.

This obstinacy by the Districts is not just an attack on workers, it is an affront to the taxpayers.  The Districts could quickly reach a contract with the Union that costs the taxpayers almost nothing.  Instead, the Districts have chosen to pay thousands of dollars in needless attorneys’ fees.  A freedom of information act request revealed that, through July 2016, the Districts paid more than $30,000 to the law firm of Scariano, Himes and Petrarca to bust the Union.

This waste of taxpayer money has surely increased substantially over August and will only continue to balloon as the Districts continue to pay the lawyers to bust the Union.

The Districts’ conduct in these negotiations is nothing less than shameful and has, unfortunately, increased the likelihood of further disruption to bus services. 

Enough is enough.

We urge parents and other community members to contact the Districts’ management and Board members and demand that they end the Union busting now.

Superintendant Kris Monn:  email: kmonn@min201.org, Phone: 815-467-6121 Ext. #1, Fax: 815-467-9544

Assistant Superintendant John Troy: email: jtroy@mchs.net, Phone 815-467-2557, Fax 815-467-9733

Minooka Community High School District #111 Board Members: http://mchs.net/schoolboard/schoolboard.php

Minooka Community Consolidated School District #201 Board Members:  http://www.min201.org/?page_id=2697

ATTENTION DISTRICT 111 AND 201 EMPLOYEES

Teamsters Local 179 met for several hours with District management in contract negotiations August 24.   It has become patently clear that the Districts have no intention of reaching any kind of agreement for the bus drivers, let alone a fair agreement.  District management has engaged in classic bad faith bargaining tactics designed to avoid an agreement rather than reach an agreement. 

To avoid further conflict and end the strike, the Union even proposed to allow disputed provisions in the contract to be resolved by an arbitrator.   The Districts refused, apparently satisfied with cutting students’ class time and requiring kids to spend excessive time on hot over-crowded busses.  

 The Union will be addressing the Districts’ bad faith in the proper legal forum.  District management will, once again, cost the tax payers of the Districts thousands and thousands in legal fees and keep the children and parents of the community in a state of uncertainty as to the stability of their school transportation.

This legal process is not only going to be very expensive but also very long and complicated.  Given these circumstances, it would be an extreme and unfair burden on the Districts’ Teamster employees, students, and community for the Teamster employees to continue their strike at this time.  As a result, the Teamsters are suspending the strike and directing their supporters to return to work immediately, pending the outcome of the legal process and/or when a resumption of the strike is necessary.  

It appears that Minooka School Districts 111 and 201 are in violation of the Illinois State Board of Education School Bus Driver Curriculum Handbook.

The pages, taken from the administrator's copy of the handbook, would indicate as such:  #12 of page 15 reads:  "After any repairs are made, the school bus mechanic performing the repairs/adjustments must sign and date the School Bus Driver's Pre-trip Inspection Form."  NOTE:  Local 179 has proposed that this language be incorporated into the contract, however the districts refuse to agree.

#3 of page 19 reads:  "School buses can transport three to a seat if passengers are in grades 1 through 5, and two per seat in grades 9-12.  For students in grades 6 through 8, school districts should vary the capacity of the bus depending on the size of the students.  This ensures every student the safety factor of compartmentalization."    NOTE:  The photo below was sent to Local 179 today, August 22.  Here, the district appears to be in clear violation.

On Friday, August 19, Teamsters Local 179 filed an unfair labor practice charge against Minooka School District 201.

The issue is the district's solicitation of teachers and teacher's aides to use district vehicles to transport special needs students to and from school.  This is yet another safety issue by the district to put untrained personnel in vehicles to transport students in an attempt to thwart the drivers' efforts to form their union.

Local 179 President Tom Flynn said, "I am outraged at the district's casual attitude toward safety and we will push this labor relations issue as far as the law allows."

Teamsters Local 179 will resume contract negotiations with Minooka School Districts 111 and 201 at noon on Wednesday, August 24.

At 5:30 a.m. this morning, Teamsters Local 179 took the drivers and aides at Minooka School Districts 111 and 201 out on strike.

At issue is union security, safety, maintenance of standards and a host of other matters.

We ask that you SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS AND AIDES!

To:  All Teamsters Local 179 Members, Especially Drivers and Aides From Minooka School Districts 111 and 201

From:  Tom Flynn, President, Teamsters Local 179

Today, August 2, 2016, negotiations between Local 179 and Minooka School Districts 111 and 201 officially broke down.  The districts were quick to email all of the parents in the districts to try to place the blame on the "greedy" Teamsters.  Normally I leave the details of negotiations at the table, but since the district decided to stoop to a level I have never before seen and try to "win" public opinion through social media, I feel I must respond.

In late 2015, Local 179 gained the right to represent the drivers and aides through a petition filed with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board.  After being certified by the Labor Board, the district would not meet with us for two months citing, "We are putting our committee together."  It wasn't until we threatened the district with labor board charges that they agreed to meet.  From February through May both sides met between six and eight times, but always for only two hours at a time because the attorney for the district is "a very busy man" and two hours was all the time he could spare for us.

Let me take a moment to explain a few things.  When Local 179 gets recognition from the Labor Board, we notify the company (or in this case, the district), immediately and meet within 30 days of recognition.  When we meet, we meet all day, anywhere from six to ten hours at a time to exchange proposals and ideas and bargain hard for our members.  Normally we can negotiate an agreement within a few months.  By May, when we had only agreed on a few small things, Local 179 requested mediation.  We have met with the mediator three times and have agreed on one issue.  Until today, we have not discussed economics at the bargaining table.  All of this time we have been discussing non-economic issues.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), represents approximately 50,000 school bus drivers and aides across the country and Local 179 represents approximately 1,000 drivers and aides in the school bus, public transportation, and paratransit industry.  The issues we have been demanding are standard school bus language that is in all of our school bus contracts.  Let's look at a few examples:  progressive discipline and discharge, seniority, leave of absence, child ride along, the right of a driver to refuse to take an unsafe bus on the road, bidding, protecting our work, definition of work, and charter rotation just to name a few.  The district rejected them all.

The drivers and aides transport the most precious cargo of all, our children.  From home to school and from school to home is the most vulnerable time for our children and you are in charge of them.  It is your job to protect them and it is the job of Local 179 to protect you.  Don't believe the half-truths the district is telling you.  We have mailed all of the Minooka School Districts 111 and 201 drivers and aides a meeting notice flier.  I urge you to attend.

In his newsletter dated April 4, 2016, Illinois State Senator Pat McGuire (D-Joliet) states in part that, "Governor Bruce Rauner doesn't know beans about unions.  Yet he has made eliminating unions in Illinois the heart of his governorship."

Teamsters Local 179 could not agree more.  Thank you, Senator McGuire for acknowledging and supporting organized labor.

Teamsters Local 179 Recording Secretary Jim Babcock reported that a grievance filed on behalf of a terminated Stepan Company employee was upheld before an arbitrator on March 28, 2016.

The union was successful in its argument that the company's treatment of the grievant was excessive and lacked just cause.  The grievant has been reinstated to his former position with all seniority, awarded back pay of lost wages in excess of $102,000 and is to be made whole for all benefits and rights under the collective bargaining agreement.

Teamsters Local 179 President Tom Flynn would like to thank Recording Secretary Jim Babcock and union stewards Ken Wruk and Gary Washington for their hard work and tireless dedication in this case.

On Wednesday, May 11th, Minooka school bus drivers and aides from Districts #111 and #201, voted overwhelmingly to approve strike authorization.  At issue is respect in the workplace, maintenance of standards, wages and benefits. 

President Tom Flynn said that, "Rarely have I seen such unity in the workforce and we are very impressed with the hugely overwhelming vote to authorize a strike."

Director of Organizing Bob Conners stated that, "It is time for the districts to get serious about negotiations and stop the surface bargaining."

Local 179 would like to thank the negotiating committee for their hard work and dedication during these negotiations.

BIG NEWS! U.S. Treasury just announced it has rejected the Central States’ proposal for massive cuts to retirees’ pensions! This is a huge victory in the fight to save the hard-earned retirement benefits of thousands of Teamsters. Read more here: http://ibt.io/cspf-rej
With today’s decision, it’s clear that the voices of retirees’ have been heard. But this victory does not mean the fight to stop pension cuts is over. We need to keep fighting to reverse the damage the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act has inflicted on Teamsters’ retirement security. Click here to take action: http://ibt.io/5-6pnsn

Upwards of 3,000 Central States Pension Fund retirees and their families attended a Capitol Hill rally to tell the Treasury Department to reject a proposal that would slash their retirement savings and called on Congress to come up with a solution to protect seniors’ nest eggs. Read more, here: https://teamster.org/blog/2016/04/central-states-teamsters-demand-action-pensions

Watch Senator Elizabeth Warren speak to Teamsters on Capitol Hill, here:  https://teamster.org/videos/2016/04/sen-elizabeth-warren-speaks-teamsters-capitol-hill-dc

Contact Teamsters Local 179 organizer Bob Conners at (815) 741-2200.  All calls are strictly confidential.

A big THANK YOU to all of the Local 179 members who made donations so that the local could purchase items on the wish list of the children of the Lamb's Fold Center for Women and Children in Joliet.

This year over $1,000 was collected and the local was able to purchase toys for the children along with gift cards to Burlington Coat Factory so that the center can purchase winter coats for them as well.

"Our members always come through and help the center out this time of year.  We are happy to be able to help make Christmas brighter for the children," said President Tom Flynn.

Toys were delivered to the center on December 10 so that center staff could wrap them.  Members continued to make donations at the General Membership meeting on Sunday, December 20 and President Flynn delivered the gift cards to the center on Monday, December 21.

The Lamb's Fold Center for Women and Children is a not-for-profit agency dedicated to providing service for women and children in our community.  They offer encouragement, tolerance, care and compassion to women (and their children) who have found themselves in a homeless situation due to an untimely pregnancy, fleeing an abusive situation, or a financial crisis.  The program goal is to help women become self-sufficient.

We have added a Right-To-Work Facts Page tab in the menu bar at the top of this page.  Check back frequently for articles and photos.  Learn just how wrong Right-to-Work is for Illinois workers!

Local 179 is launching a Job Listings tab! 

We are currently in the process of compiling job listing information from employers who are signatory to Local 179 and are currently hiring. 

In the future, any Local 179 signatory employers who would like job listing(s) information included on our Job Listings tab, can contact President Tom Flynn at the Local 179 office at (815) 741-2200 with the pertinent information.

If you are interested in organizing your workplace, contact Teamsters Local 179 organizer Bob Conners at (815) 741-2200 or complete the Organize Today form in the right column of the home page.  All conversations are kept strictly confidential.

An important reminder to our members who are on the Teamsters Local 179 Referral List:  In order to remain on the list, you must renew your registration, by mail, ninety (90) days from the date of your last registration.  Failure to renew will result in your name being removed from the list until such time that you renew your registration. 

If you have any questions or to inquire your position on the referral list, please feel free to contact our office at (815) 741-2200.

Just a reminder to keep all of your pertinent  information updated with the Local 179 union office.  If you have a change of address, phone number or employer, please notify the union office as soon as possible so that the information on file is accurate. 

Also, If you are a registered user on this website, please make sure your registered user information is updated as well.  Thank you!