Welcome to the Teamsters eDispatch. Stay tuned each week for the latest news from and about Teamster.org.

Teamsters Rally at Hearing on Legality of Cross-Border Trucking
On February 12, the Teamsters held a protest rally and argued in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the Bush administration broke the law when it opened the borders to trucks from Mexico in September. 

View all photos from the rally
 
Read more about the Teamsters' continuous battle to block unsafe trucking.

Members Overwhelmingly Approve New National Master Freight Agreement
By a 2-1 margin, Teamster freight members ratified a new five-year National Master Freight Agreement, which protects existing Teamster jobs, maintains strong wages and benefits and job security.

Teamsters Union, New Era Reach Agreement
New Era Cap Company, the Teamsters Union and the NAACP jointly announced a tentative three-year labor agreement between New Era Cap and Local 991 for employees in New Era's Mobile, Alabama distribution center. 
 

TAKE ACTION
Tell Congress: Hold Mary Peters in Contempt
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is the latest member of the Bush administration to break the law: She is opening our border to unsafe Mexican trucks despite a law passed overwhelmingly by Congress that forbids her from implementing the reckless pilot program. The law was enacted with bipartisan support and signed by President Bush. Contact your legislators and tell them to fire Mary Peters and put an end to this criminal act.

Visit the Fire Mary Peters web site for details. 

BLOGWATCH

Flag, a Hollow Symbol at the NLRB

Though the National Labor Relations Board just passed a decree that the American flag will be displayed at every union representation election, in reality, the NLRB elections bear no resemblance to political elections, and fall alarmingly short of the democratic process Americans envision when we use the term "election."

Revising the Family Medical Leave Act: The Sick-Leave Law Gets Sick    

MORE TEAMSTER NEWS
Hoffa: "We're on a Roll Right Now"
The Teamsters Union added 23,000 members last year and is on pace to add even more this year, General President Jim Hoffa said.

Remembering James R. Hoffa
The Teamsters have produced many good labor leaders in more than a century of service to working families, but none have earned more respect, inspired and uplifted more members or created a more lasting legacy than James R. Hoffa, who was born February 14, 1913.

UPS Freight Workers Seeking Teamster Membership Rises to 5,300
The Teamsters’ campaign to organize UPS Freight workers continues to propel forward as an overwhelming majority of workers at the company’s terminals throughout the country have recently signed authorization cards to unionize. See which workers have now joined the ranks, bringing the total number of UPS Freight drivers and dockworkers joining the Teamsters to more than 5,300 since January 16.

Teamsters, Business Travel Coalition Co-Sponsor Airline Maintenance Outsourcing Summit
Deeply concerned about high risks associated with outsourcing safety and national security-critical airline maintenance without the benefit of FAA oversight standards, the Teamsters and the Business Travel Coalition held a national summit on aircraft maintenance outsourcing on February 11 in Washington, D.C.

TRAINING
TLA on Organizing Slated for March 10-13
Sign up for the Teamsters Leadership Academy (TLA) on Organizing for local union organizers and other designated staff. The program will be held on March 10-13 and hosted by Local 79 in Tampa, Florida.

Teamsters National Black Caucus to Convene August 18-24
The Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) will hold its 33nd Annual Educational Conference and Banquet August 18-24 at the Crowne Plaza Downtown in St. Louis, Missouri.
 

JRH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Have You Signed Up for the Tournaments?
Register early to reserve your spot in the seventh annual Drive for Education Golf Tournament and the third annual All In for Education Texas Hold’Em Poker Tournament, May 19–21, 2008, which will be held in conjunction with the Unity Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

BENEFITS

Teamster Banking Center

Visit the one-stop resource that provides quality banking products and services that suit all your financial needs. Combining the convenience and security of online banking with high yields provides Teamster members and their families a smart banking solution.