WASHINGTON — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is getting ready to “fight like hell” in upcoming national negotiations on new collective bargaining agreements with TForce Freight and ABF Freight. The outcome will affect more than 15,000 Teamsters who drive for the companies.
The current ABF agreement expires June 30, and the TForce agreement expires July 31.
“Our freight members are one of the Teamsters’ biggest priorities, and we are ready to fight like hell at the table to get the very best contracts at TForce and ABF,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “The day our administration took office was the day concessions to the freight industry ended. We’re eager to get to work on negotiating contracts that raise standards and rebuild this industry for workers.”
TForce Freight is a subsidiary of Canadian-based TFI international which purchased UPS Freight for approximately $800 million.
The sale caught the Teamsters by surprise, leaving many concerned for their future. Pensions earned so far are protected by law and the current contract. TForce Freight is responsible for making contributions for the life of the contract. Teamsters are concerned because future accruals and benefits will be on the table during the negotiations, with the possibility they could be frozen or reduced.
Another concern for the Teamsters is the company’s national base wage and national wage increases. Teamsters said they are concerned about CEO Alain Bedard’s comments about regionalizing wage rates, turning away from the current regional model.
“If you compare the base salary versus the other two unionized carriers TForce has the most expensive salary,” Bedard said. “But, what I see though, is that in some markets our base salaries are too low and other markets they are too high. This is because it’s a kind of national grid that we have that done because the last negotiation was done mostly by UPS people.”
Bédard noted on Feb. 6 that TFI International is also interested in operational combinations with the U.S.-based less-than-truckload carrier ArcBest Corp, which owns ABF.
The Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee met in Washington, D.C., yesterday to review the union’s proposals for upcoming contract negotiations with TForce Freight.
“We are ready, we are militant, and we will win strong national contracts for Teamster members at TForce and ABF this year,” said Teamsters Freight Division Director John A. Murphy. “Our negotiating team isn’t going to back down. We have a plan and a vision focused entirely on getting our freight members what they deserve.”
O’Brien and Murphy will chair national negotiations. The negotiating committees will be made up of leaders from around the country as well as rank-and-file members.
The Teamsters Freight Division also will enter national negotiations with YRC Freight in 2024.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I really wish they would start fighting for the truck drivers again this job is starting to go to hell it was a lot better in the 80s
They definitely need to get this sh-t straight! TFI pays more but they really wanted to come in lower but they couldn’t attract new drivers so they had to kick up the rate! I was at the Kennesaw Georgia terminal and it was horrible! So bad they didn’t have a union shop steward. The Atlanta terminal is just as raggedy, building and all! ABF starting pay was last I checked $22.00 hr. Yellow was $21.00hr. And these are union jobs? The same local 728? Hell, FedEx Freight pays more & tops out faster above $30.00 & time & a half after 8hrs and they’re it even union! A friend of minds has been trying to get me to come to ABF for a while now but I can’t start at $22.00 hr & on top of that I’ll have to work some weird schedule! What’s my motivation here? He just told me ABF is building a new 53 dock terminal in Austell Georgia which is much closer to me that the Atlanta terminal but if the pay still sucks it’s still not worth my time & effort! Hopefully they get this sh-t together because I sick of the “right to work state sh-t” here in the south! Companies don’t wanna pay you overtime, hell naw!
And one more thing! There’s a company named “Dayton Freight” that’s fairly new in Georgia & they’re starting pay is $31.20 or $31.50 I think but never the less they still stepped in the game paying over $31.00hr &they don’t pull doubles either! The only thing is they’re located in Calhoun Georgia & it’s kinda out of the way for most local drivers I’m thinking! It’s around 60 miles one way for me from where I’m at but don’t think I haven’t crunched the numbers on how to make that daily commute work for me! It would be nice if they had a terminal closer to Atlanta but then the pay may go down because of this term these executives like to use & it’s “MARKET VALUE”! I hate that term on so many levels because one, when you look at me a black man & say your going according to my “Market Value”, it reminds me of when we were sold at on the auction block back in the day! Secondly it tells me that your not gonna pay me according to my skill set! I’m 31yrs Professional safe driving with all my endorsements plus TWIC & Smith System certified along with Defensive driving certification & Skills test certification & Vehicle inspection tests certificate. Along with multiple safety awards & a former owner operator from 2007 to 2021 with a clean CSA & clean MVR & you wanna pay me $22.00 hr? Or pay me all straight time? Hell naw man that’s an insult to me & all the Professional (not flip flop wearers) drivers out here risking their lives on the daily to do this damn job! You see who kept America moving when COVID had this camp shut down right? Or when that toilet paper & shelves were damn near bare right? It was us, The AMERICAN TRUCK DRIVER!!!!
Shout out to all the courier drivers too because we (Semi Trucks) may have brought it to the docks & warehouses during COVID but y’all brought it to our doors & Lord Knows y’all came through in fine style & y’all definitely need a big pay increase because I know I can drive my a** off in a 18 wheeler but that courier delivery ain’t for the slightly fat fine man like myself LMAO! Dawg gonnit, pay these people!!!