By Jeff Padellaro and David W. Laughton
Teamsters Local 633 has had an incredibly busy 2009 year to date. We have been heavily involved in a wide variety of activities.
Interstate Brands Corporation
Secretary/Treasurer David W. Laughton co-chaired the Interstate Brands Corporation contract negotiation that allowed the company to successfully exit from bankruptcy.
Laughton said, "It was really touch and go for quite a while, but the unity and solidarity of our Teamster members could not be shaken. Our members hung in there and made the decision that was best for them and their families, but also put this Company in a position to exit bankruptcy with the best chance to prosper."
The newly ratified contract protects all of the Teamster work, and also insures that our members will continue to enjoy the great health benefits that they enjoy through Northern New England Benefit Trust. It also protects their pensions, which is what really sets this contract aside from most any other agreement with a weak company.
First Student Employees
During the year, Local 633 has organized hundreds of First Student Employees at the Exeter, Hillsboro, and Swanzey New Hampshire terminals.
We are pleased to report that two of the three groups are already under contract and enjoying their strong Teamster contracts. While the third group is currently in the end stages of negotiations and will most certainly enjoy their holidays with the comfort of a Teamster collective bargaining agreement to protect them.
It is a particularly proud moment to report that for the first time many of these employees have available health care, and it is actually affordable.
Secretary/Treasurer David W Laughton said, "Local 633 is absolutely committed to driving up the standards in the student transportation industry.
"It is unfathomable to think that in this day and age, the people who are responsible for transporting America's future, our children, did not have access to good, and affordable benefits, but they do now. Teamsters Local 633 welcomes all of our new bus drivers to the Local 633 family."
Coca-Cola – Northern New England
Our members at Coca Cola Northern New England recently ratified a solid three-year agreement, which was overwhelmingly ratified by the membership.
Lead Negotiator Jeff Padellaro stated, "I would like to extend a sincere thanks to our negotiating committee. Chief Steward Lenny Redmond, and Stewards Tim Thibeault, Steve Antonaidis, and Charlie Vitti all did a great job of keeping the company in check.
"I would also like to extend a word of thanks to David W Laughton, as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Brewery and Soft-Drink Conference, his national team provided beneficial information and advice that certainly kept our negotiations on track."
The new contract gives the membership significant improvements in job and wage security, and provides generous wage increases.
Protecting Members' Health Care
On the health care front, we recently had a member lose her health coverage because her ex-husband remarried. She works for the City of Manchester and had taken the healthcare buyout. When she tried to get her insurance coverage back, she was told by the city's H.R. Director that she could not enroll again until open enrollment.
That left her with two choices, go without health care or pay her COBRA payments for the next ten months. The first option was unacceptable and the second option was unaffordable.
On her behalf, we contacted the H.R. Director to work out a deal so that she could repay the buyout and get her insurance reinstated. At first the answer was a firm, "No." Then we used all the tools at our disposal and started making phone calls to the Aldermen we have supported with our DRIVE contributions. We were assured that at the next Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting we would have a public forum to air our issue.
With that pressure applied, we were able to get the member back her coverage before the next Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.
In a different health care case, another member was hurt off the job and could not continue to work. His coverage was to extend for 30 days. The company only paid until the end of the month. We of course told the company that 30 days brought it into the next month and they needed to pay for the next full month. So, instead of his health care ending in the month he was hurt, he received another full month of coverage.
Court Security Officers
After almost two full years of meetings and litigation, Spring of 2009 saw the first of its kind organizing effort when the Court Security Officers in the State of New Hampshire filed for Teamster representation using the newly signed legislation providing for a written majority authorization.
Secretary/Treasurer David W. Laughton said, "Teamster Local 633 has the largest labor driven political action committee in the state and we are flexing our muscle like never before. We will support any candidate, regardless of party affiliation, provided that they support a pro-labor agenda. I would like to commend Local 633's Legislative Coordinator Dennis Caza for a job well done.
As reported earlier, Principal Officer David Laughton and Dennis Caza attended Governor Lynch's signing of this bill.
The Court Security Officers were recognized by the Public Employees Labor Relations Board and began negotiations in June 2009. We are pleased to report that the contract was ratified in late September and is currently awaiting legislative approval.
The new two year deal, that was negotiated by Business Agent Jeff Padellaro, provides job protection, wage increases, and a stability that did not exist for these brave men and women before they joined the Teamsters.
Jeff Padellaro stated, "I would like to thank the negotiating committee of Bruce Burnham, Art St. Laurent, Lance Walton, and Bob Levesque, if not for them this job would most certainly been much more difficult."