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FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - 2010

1. The Employee Free Choice Act
2. Health Care Reform
3. Pension Reform
4. FAA Reauthorization Protection Provision

To read an December 2009 update on Teamster priorities at the federal level, click here. 

STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - 2010

1. Public records
2. Workers' compensation
3. DOC priorities

FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - 2010

1.  Support the Employee Free Choice Act

The Employee Free Choice Act was designed to level the playing field between the some 42 million workers who want to join unions and their employers who, under the current system, have the upper hand. 

Each year, employers use their advantage to illegally fire or discriminate against more than 20,000 workers for attempting to organize. The Employee Free Choice Act would allow workers to stand up to unscrupulous employers and union-busting consulting firms that strip workers of those basic rights. 

The Employee Free Choice Act does three things to strengthen the rights of employees to organize at their workplace: 

• Establishes majority sign-up, meaning that if a majority of the employees sign union authorization cards, validated by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a company must recognize the union;
• Strengthens penalties for companies that illegally coerce or intimidate employees in an effort to prevent them from forming a union;
• Brings in a neutral third party to settle a contract when a company and a newly certified union cannot agree on a contract after three months;

If enacted, the Employee Free Choice Act would help more workers earn family wages and decent benefits, including affordable health care and retirement. It would restore the basic right of workers to organize freely, and in doing so, allow more working families to achieve the American dream.

Read Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Tracey Thompson's letter to the editors of the Seattle Times in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

2. Take Action on Health Care!

There are 47 million people in this country with no health care coverage, including 8.7 million children. Millions more live in fear of losing coverage due to skyrocketing costs. Meanwhile, insurance and drug companies are making soaring profits. 

Contact the offices of Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and tell them to pass health care reform for America that provides affordable coverage for all, and that does not tax so-called "high cost" insurance plans.

3. Pension Reform

Local 117's Teamster pension, established by the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan in 1955, is in good condition and is well-funded.  It is the largest area-wide multi-employer pension plan in the country, covering more than 230,000 active participants.

Other Union pension plans, however, are in need of assistance. Pension legislation, if enacted, would save jobs and stabilize pension plans by allowing defined benefit plans more time to recover from their financial losses in the 2008 stock market collapse.  This would alleviate financial pressure to meet funding requirements under the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

4.  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization

The Teamsters Union supports legislation that would close a key loophole allowing the FedEx Corp. to misclassify thousands of workers.

Package delivery workers in other companies are classified under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), while FedEx workers are classified under the Railway Labor Act (RLA). This loophole has allowed FedEx to have an unfair competitive advantage and deprived its workers of the right to secure union representation.

The U.S. Senate needs to hear from you! Please ask Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell for their support of the Express Carrier provision and that they make sure it is included in the final FAA Reauthorization bill. 

STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - 2010

1.  Public Records 

Your Local Union is taking steps to ensure that Public Records Act (PRA) and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) legislation is written in such a way that protects the privacy of Teamsters in the public sector.  To achieve this goal, Teamsters Local 117 Government Relations Coordinator, Anna Jancewicz, is serving on the Open Government Task Force, an entity that is responsible for making recommendations regarding the PRA and OPMA. Ms. Jancewicz is the only representative of organized labor on the Task Force.

2. Workers’ Compensation 

Washington State’s workers’ compensation system has been dubbed “one of the best in the country” with relatively high benefits paid to workers and low cost for employers, yet big business is lobbying to change the current system by cutting injured workers' benefits.  Teamsters Local 117 opposes the proposed three-way industrial insurance, which would allow the private insurance industry into the state’s industrial insurance market.

STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES – DOC

DOC – Recent Lobbying Victory!

In October 2009, Teamsters Local 117 helped effectuate a change in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) that defines “assault” for purposes of the assault benefits that can be claimed by DOC employees. Your Local Union persuaded representatives from DOC to amend the code to eliminate the requirement that an offender’s actions must be “intentional” under the definition of assault.

1.  Save Jobs 

Your Local Union is fighting to minimize layoffs at DOC that may occur as a result of the Office of Financial Management feasibility report that recommends the elimination of beds. To learn more about the report and about your Local Union’s efforts to prevent layoffs, click here.

2.  Collective Bargaining Reform

Teamsters Local 117 is working to achieve collective bargaining law reform for State employees that would move the State’s October 1 contract ratification deadline to coincide with more accurate, later budget forecasts.  Local 117 is one of the principle members of a coalition of unions working to achieve this goal. 

3.  Teamsters Pension

Teamsters Local 117's pension is the largest area-wide multi-employer pension plan in the country, covering more than 230,000 active participants.  The plan is in good condition and is well-funded. Your Local Union is fighting to include the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension in the DOC contract as a deferred benefit.

4.  Sentencing 

In the 2010 legislative session, your Local Union will monitor legislation that deals with sentencing guidelines and the reduction of inmate populations that could lead to layoffs at DOC.

5.  Government Reform

Teamsters Local 117 will monitor the impact government reform may have on Teamsters at DOC.

For more information on these and other legislative issues, talk to your Local Union Business Representative, or call Teamsters Local 117 Government Relations Coordinator, Anna Jancewicz at 206-441-4860.