Teamsters Replace Their UPS Negotiator Before Contract Talks
September 07 2017 - 5:30PM
Dow Jones News
By Paul Ziobro
The Teamsters union replaced its lead negotiator representing
United Parcel Service Inc. workers ahead of contract talks to begin
in October, exposing a rift within the powerful labor group.
Its general president, James P. Hoffa, removed Sean O'Brien, who
as director of the Teamsters package division represented more than
250,000 UPS workers and led negotiations on what the union calls
the largest collective bargaining agreement in the U.S.
Mr. O'Brien was replaced by Denis Taylor, an elected Teamsters
trustee who the union said "has the experience, commitment and
knowledge to lead the upcoming negotiations."
The switch comes as the two sides are putting together their
proposals for the next contract, which is set to expire July
31.
Mr. O'Brien, a Teamsters regional vice president who has held
the position since February, said he would continue to support the
negotiations but criticized the abrupt change. "By making this bold
decision on the eve of the biggest collective bargaining agreement
sends a bad message to our members but also puts the person in
charge at a disadvantage," he said.
Teamsters spokesman Bret Caldwell said the leadership change was
made in the best interest of members.
"This is not a political decision, as it is being inaccurately
portrayed, " Mr. Caldwell said. "Our focus has been and remains on
the day-to-day work on behalf of our members."
Mr. Hoffa, the son of the famous labor leader with the same
name, narrowly secured re-election as the Teamsters general
president last year. Mr. O'Brien ran on Mr. Hoffa's slate and won a
regional vice president position. But during his preparations for
the UPS negotiations, he sought support from local union leaders
who opposed Mr. Hoffa, including seeking a role on the negotiating
committee for Fred Zuckerman, Mr. Hoffa's re-election opponent.
Mr. O'Brien had signaled that he would take an aggressive stance
with UPS in contract talks. In a letter earlier this month, he said
the union was strongly opposed to a plan to hire more seasonal
drivers who would use their own cars instead of UPS vehicles to
make deliveries.
In response, UPS President Alan Gudim said in a letter reviewed
by The Wall Street Journal that the company never made a formal
proposal for such a role. A UPS spokesman added that the company
has hired seasonal drivers during the holidays who occasionally
used personal vehicles and were reimbursed. It was too early to
predict how many such workers would be hired this holiday season,
he said.
In a statement Thursday, UPS said it looks forward to working
with Mr. Taylor "toward the shared interest of continuing to make
UPS successful by providing reliable customer service, rewarding
our employees for their contributions, while also recognizing the
competitive dynamics of our industry."
Write to Paul Ziobro at Paul.Ziobro@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 07, 2017 17:15 ET (21:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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