Message from General
President James P. Hoffa

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Teamsters Endorse Gore

The Teamsters General Executive Board September 7 voted unanimously to endorse Vice President Al Gore Jr. for President of the United States, and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman for Vice President.

Although most of organized labor chose Gore last October at the AFL-CIO convention in Los Angeles, the Teamsters waited until the various candidates had fleshed out their positions on issues important to working families, and the party platforms were approved.

The endorsement decision was the culmination of a lengthy process. When the membership was polled last fall, there was no clear preference for a single candidate. Then the union sounded out all of the major candidates, both within and outside of the dominant parties.

Since the Democratic Convention, Gore has been much more responsive to Teamster concerns about issues important to working families. The membership and leadership were polled again. What emerged was a decisive preference for Al Gore over George W. Bush--and proof that the Teamsters' bipartisan approach to politics empowers our members and their families.

"By not endorsing early, we have shown that our members will not be taken for granted," said Government Affairs Director Mike Mathis. "At the end of the day, the Teamsters Union made the right decision."

Gore will attend a formal endorsement announcement at the 21st Century Unity Meeting of union leaders and activists on September 18 in Las Vegas. The 1.5 million-strong Teamsters Union is poised to make a difference in what will be a very close election.

The Democratic and Republican conventions share much in common: people in funny hats, colored balloons and media from across the globe. This year they had one more thing in common: the attendance of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa.

Hoffa attended both conventions to spread the Teamsters message loud and clear: our union supports candidates who support working families.

GOP Honors Hoffa
For the first time in more than twenty years, the Republican National Convention honored an American labor leader. Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson and several GOP members of the House and Senate hosted a reception for Hoffa at their convention in Philadelphia.

"With a Republican majority in the Congress, it is extremely important for us to maintain a working relationship with pro-labor Republicans," said Hoffa.

Pension reform, China trade and the consent decree are just a few of the issues that the Teamsters are getting pro-labor Republicans to address.

Hoffa Participates with Democrats
Hoffa served as a delegate from his home state of Michigan at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. With his status as a super-delegate, Hoffa remained uncommitted to any candidate until the Teamsters made an endorsement decision.

While in Los Angeles, Hoffa did numerous interviews with the national media and met with key Democratic leaders.

"Our presence at the convention was important, not only to thank our friends in the Democratic Party, but also to remind them that we will hold them accountable when they choose to oppose working families," Hoffa said.

Registering Our Positions

As the fall campaign season gets underway, there are many close elections at both the federal and state levels. These elections will determine what kind of future is in store for working families.

The Teamster's political organization, DRIVE (Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education), is spearheading a nationwide effort to get new Teamster voters to the polls. The "Teamsters Election 2000 Voter Registration Drive" is the largest voter registration drive that the union has ever undertaken.

"At a time when politicians of both parties take working families for granted, it is important that we go to the polls and remind these candidates who they really work for," said Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel.

As part of the voter registration drive, Teamster locals are competing to register new voters. The local union that signs up the greatest number of unregistered members, as well as the local with the highest percentage of newly registered voters, will be recognized at the Teamsters Convention in 2001.

"Join the Teamsters"
IBT's Internet-Based Organizing Materials

In the Information Age, workers can surf through cyberspace to shop around for the best representation, just as they might use the Internet to comparison-shop for a new car.

A new section of www.teamster.org provides valuable information for prospective members interested in joining the Teamsters.

This material:

• Educates prospective members about the steps involved in an organizing campaign;
• Answers frequently asked questions about the process;
• Dispels common misconceptions about today's labor movement; and
• Highlights the benefits a union contract provides workers and their families.

With an increasing number of organizing requests received through the International's website, the union is seeking to link prospective members to the nearest Joint Council. That's why it is important for local union offices to develop a web presence, so that organizing information and requests can be handled quickly and seamlessly between the International, the Joint Council, the local union and the prospective member.

The new content will serve as a valuable resource for organizers by providing information that can be accessed and printed quickly.

Make your organizers aware of this new tool. Visit Join the Teamsters at http://www.teamster.org/join/Join.htm

It's Not Too Late!

When the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last spring granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status for Communist China, it turned a deaf ear to the concerns of working families.

Now the U.S. Senate has a chance to correct that injustice. After a summer of shifting schedules, the Senate is finally taking up the measure following its August recess.

"We are doing everything we can to make the Teamsters' voice ring loud and clear in the Senate," said General President James P. Hoffa. "What we need is for every member and every officer to call, write or e-mail their Senator to oppose China PNTR."

China PNTR is Big Business' dream come true. Under the measure, China would be granted full trading rights with the United States on a permanent basis. Currently, China's trading status comes under annual review from the Congress, which examines that country's appalling human and worker rights violations.

If PNTR passes the Senate and President Clinton signs the bill, as he's promised, the corporate bosses will be free to move even more American jobs overseas. Workers in China are paid pennies an hour, and have no right to organize unions or seek better working conditions.

"We have to convince the Senate that working families are more important than corporate profits," Hoffa said.

Project RISE Rolls On

The Teamsters Project RISE Task Force has completed the second draft of the Code of Conduct, and will send it to all Teamster affiliates for review and comment. That input will be used to complete the final draft of the Code, which will go to the General Executive Board for approval.

Below are the current steps in the development of the Code of Conduct:

• Task Force meets to complete second draft of code.
• Project RISE Joint Council Coordinators meet to review second draft.
• Review and comment by Teamster members, officers, agents and staff.
• Task Force meets to review input and finalize third draft of Code.
• GEB approves Code of Conduct.
• Education program implemented.

Check the Teamster website for updates on Project RISE at www.teamster.org. Comments, ideas and suggestions can be e-mailed directly to Project RISE staff at RISE@teamster.org.

The Teamsters Union is leading the national debate about immigration policy in the United States.

"By reasons of poverty, language, culture and training, recently immigrated workers have typically been among the most vulnerable residents of our country," General President James P. Hoffa told members at the Local 890 hall in Salinas, California. "Many of these workers lack any means besides the sale of their labor. They are easy pickings for exploitation."

Hoffa outlined proposals that go beyond an AFL-CIO initiative to strengthen the ability of millions of unauthorized immigrants to win union representation--including:

• Helping immigrant workers visit their home countries and reunite with their families without fear of reprisal;
• Creating good work and training opportunities for the children of documented workers;
• Changing the registry date that determines whether undocumented immigrants become permanent residents;
• Permanently restoring the legal provision permitting sponsorship by employers and close family members;
• Strengthening penalties for employers who knowingly recruit, contract or traffic in illegal immigrants; and
• Educating and guiding local unions to help them organize and represent immigrant workers.

The Teamster move reflects the fact that immigration issues are more complex than just closing the border to illegal immigrants.

Local 890 and its President, Frank Gallegos, are working with the Citizenship Project, which has helped more than 10,000 legal permanent residents apply for U.S. citizenship in just six years, while teaching basic English and computer skills and encouraging political activism.

"It will take more than enforcement to reduce illegal immigration," Hoffa continued. "We need to give undocumented workers the chance to join a union--and, if they so choose, to return home. A major objective here is to de-fang employers--to prevent them from using the threat of deportation to bust union organizing."

Supporting Latino Workers

The California Teamsters Hispanic Caucus saluted three International Vice Presidents for their contributions to Hispanic members and their communities.

At an awards dinner attended by labor leaders, public officials and the business community, General President James P. Hoffa joined more than 400 guests to salute Randy Cammack, Secretary-Treasurer of Local Union 63; Chuck Mack, Secretary-Treasurer of Local Union 70 and President of Joint Council 7; and Jim Santangelo, Secretary-Treasurer of Local Union 848 and President of Joint Council 42.

"The needs of your community are being well-addressed by a leadership that is unmatched in terms of dedication, zeal and creativity," Hoffa told Caucus President Bob Morales.

"I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to honor these three Teamster officials," added Caucus Vice President Mary Lou Salmeron. "Their leadership is phenomenal, and they each do so much for the membership."

The Teamsters Hispanic Caucus is a humanitarian organization whose charitable contributions and activities have supported and comforted families in need, including those struggling with the effects of natural disasters and work stoppages. Its scholarship program has enabled many high school students to pursue higher education.

Hoffa Rallies Strikers
California Workers Continue Battle for Justice

Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa rallied striking California workers in King City and Stockton to demonstrate the International's continuing strong support for their cause and to reach out to immigrant workers.

At a Basic Vegetable plant in King City, workers have been on strike for more than a year following management's demand for unacceptable concessions in exchange for a new contract.

"Basic Vegetable will treat our members fairly," said Hoffa. "Over the course of this strike, our members have been harassed and harangued, but we will not give up the fight. The corporate abuses of BVP make our solidarity stronger. We will win justice for the Teamsters at Basic Vegetable."

The members of Teamsters Local Union 890 in Salinas were forced to strike on July 7, 1999, when management demanded:

• A three-year wage freeze;
• Work week reductions to 37.5 hours for half the workforce;
• $140 per month health insurance co-pay for new hires;
• Contracting out of 30 union jobs; and
• Elimination of the worker pension plan.

The strike continues even though the company has brought in more than 600 replacement workers. Members of Congress and the California State Assembly have signed letters urging mediation, and the California Democratic Party has called for boycotts of companies like Basic Vegetable that attempt to replace striking workers.

A Tough Nut to Crack
Meanwhile, in Stockton, workers have been on strike at Diamond Walnut for more than nine years after management refused to offer a fair contract and then replaced them permanently.

"Make no mistake, the Teamsters will return to Diamond Walnut," Hoffa told strike supporters outside the plant gates. "This fight has been long, but we will do whatever it takes to get justice for our members."

In1985, the company was in dire straits financially, and the workers took pay cuts of 30 percent to help get things back on the right track. Within a few years, profits were booming, but Diamond forgot the workers who made that possible.

When it came time for a new contract in 1991, the company offered a meager 10-cent hourly raise, and increased worker payments for heath care benefits. The workers had no choice but to strike. Since then, the company has permanently replaced every striking worker.

During the nine-year battle, Diamond Walnut has lost every legal battle with the Teamsters. Repeatedly, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued complaints against the company for discriminating against Teamsters in the workplace.

"After nine-and-a-half years, we Teamsters have shown we will do whatever it takes, for however long it takes, to achieve justice at Diamond Walnut," said Lucio Reyes, Secretary-Treasurer of Local Union 601.

A hearing will be convened by an administrative law judge on October 23, 2000, to determine what penalties will be assessed against the company for its flagrant and continued violations of the law.

OVERNITE TEAMSTERS NEED YOUR HELP

For nearly a year, our brothers and sisters at Overnite Transportation have been on an unfair labor practice strike. They need your support.

Call your local union to find out ways to help these brave men and women win a Teamster contract that will better the lives of their families and all of us in the Union.
UNITED, WE WILL WIN!

Overnite Transportation Weakens Company reels from
Teamster battle for contract, recognition

Back on October 24, 1999-when Teamsters went on strike at Overnite Transportation terminals all over the country to protest the company's repeated efforts to thwart a union contract-many people were skeptical.

Teamsters represented 3,600 of the company's 13,000 employees at 37 of its 166 terminals. How, many wondered, could the Teamsters win against those odds?

The most recent negotiations on August 30-31 ended without agreement. Overnite wants to change health care providers, which could increase employee contributions, and doesn't want to pay employees a full day's pay for the day an injury occurs.

Yet it is clear that the company's threats to declare an impasse stem from the heat being applied by the Teamsters.

John Murphy, the IBT's Organizing Director, proudly points to Teamster victories so far in this battle:

• Overnite admits it has lost 20 percent of its freight volume since the strike began.
• The company has spent more than $50 million on strike-related costs.
• And, while the rest of the trucking industry has cashed in on a boom in freight, Overnite stands at "the precipice of collapse."

Those victories come despite Overnite's alleged efforts to discredit the union by paying employees to damage company equipment and blame the vandalism on Teamsters.

According to an August 1 Kansas City Star report, an Overnite driver in Memphis said he'd been paid to tar the Teamsters by vandalizing company property, then point a finger at union members-an effort by Overnite to gain public sympathy that backfired.

Other affidavits obtained by the Teamsters contain similar accusations against Overnite. Workers said they were hired to travel to terminals in New York and Pennsylvania to replace striking workers. Then, they were to target Teamsters and accuse them of damaging company property.

And Overnite has committed other heinous acts, according to law enforcement officials. Police in Memphis traced several bomb threats at the local terminal there to self-described company men.

Message from Organizing Director John Murphy

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

In October 1999, Teamsters working for Overnite Transportation went on strike after five wrenching years of effort to obtain a contract with the company, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Corporation.

Since then, countless employees, volunteers and fellow Teamsters have manned picket lines at Overnite terminals throughout the country. Those pickets are a vital element in this historic battle.

Winning a contract will serve the interests of Overnite employees and their families. And with Master Freight negotiations beginning in the coming months, a victory at Overnite holds implications for all Teamster freight employees.

It's time to increase the public pressure on Overnite, and to help those wearied by a year-long trek along the picket lines. Teamster locals coast-to-coast have developed successful strategies to sustain and invigorate this fight. Perhaps your local has its own approach.

I encourage you to keep up the good work-to create a show of solidarity that will force this egregious labor law violator to reckon fairly with your union brothers and sisters and set a precedent for other companies leading into their own negotiations.

Whether or not you work at Overnite, it's time to recognize the importance of this fight and to band together to win it.

Working Together
Winning the Battle
Here are ways your local union can aid in the battle against Overnite Transportation and win a contract for your Teamster brothers and sisters:

Walk. Establish a picket schedule at your local union for all members to volunteer time on the Overnite picket line nearest you. Their presence stimulates public pressure on Overnite to negotiate fairly with its employees and to allow Teamster representation at other terminals. Plus, Overnite brothers and sisters need the boost in morale after a year on the line.

Enlist retirees. Tap into your local union's retiree chapter for volunteers on the line-and for donations to the cause.

Put business agents on the line. Create a weekly picket rotation for your business agents and send a powerful message to your members about solidarity.

Hire a picket. Some local unions, facing dwindling volunteers, pull members from other employers and pay them for their time on the line. Talk to your regional freight director about how to proceed.

Talk. Emphasize the importance of winning the battle with Overnite to members, friends and neighbors to broaden public support for your Teamster brothers and sisters.