Workers in Florida and Vermont Seek Union Membership at UPS Freight

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-01-2008/0004747736&EDATE=

An Overwhelming Majority of Workers Plan To Join Locals 79 and 597

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An overwhelming majority
of about 120 workers at the UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation)
terminals in Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida, and in Burlington, Vermont have
signed authorization cards to become Teamsters, bringing the total number
of drivers and dockworkers seeking to join the union to about 3,600 since
January 16, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced.

The Florida workers are seeking to join Local 79 in Tampa, while the
Vermont workers will be joining Local 597 in South Barre, Vermont.

"Our UPS and freight members have done a great job developing a
relationship with the UPS Freight workers, and communicating with them,"
said Ken Wood, President of Teamsters Local 79 and an International Union
Vice President. "Our members who helped out are very excited that their
hard work paid off. I look forward to welcoming the UPS Freight workers to
our local very soon."

The Vermont victory marks the final UPS Freight terminal in New England
where cards have been submitted for certification. On January 16, the union
announced that a majority of workers at seven other locations in New
England had submitted cards.

"With the UPS Freight workers in Vermont taking this step toward a more
secure future, now a majority of all the UPS Freight workers in New England
have taken that step," said Dave Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters
Joint Council 10 who has helped lead the New England campaign.

"These latest worker victories once again are happening thanks to the
efforts of our UPS and our freight members, who continue to do a great job
talking about the benefits of being Teamsters," said Ken Hall, Director of
the Teamsters Package Division and International Union Vice President.

In addition to the Florida and Vermont workers, a majority of UPS
Freight workers in Arizona, Fresno, Atlanta, Newburgh, Farmingdale,
Louisville, Lexington, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Southern California,
Oakland, Seattle, New England, Memphis and Detroit have submitted cards to
become Teamsters.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents
1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and
Puerto Rico.

[classykaren]

1. I live in fla and didnt know this no news in our papers

I know the tampa goup this should be in our media most floridans still think there is no unions in Florida

[Omaha Steve]

2. Happy to know we are spreading the news in local areas that don't get it

Thanks for making my day.