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Local Union Officers Unopposed - Re-Elected

Teamsters Local Union No. 988 held nominations for 2009 Local Union Officers Election on September 5, 2009.

Present officers of Local Union 988 were unopposed at the regular designated nominations meeting.

Per Article XXII, Section 4 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Constitution, there shall be no necessity for the election of the nominees as all present officers were declared duly elected at the nominations meeting."); varTextData[27] = new Array("

2009 Legislative Priorities

Pension Relief: The Teamsters Union applauds the passage of legislation that provides short-term relief for multi-employer pension plans, the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-458). However, given the uncertain economic conditions, long-term relief is needed for multi-employer pension plans, to ensure the solvency for future retirees. The Teamsters Union supports further changes in the law that would allow for long-term relief for plans decimated by the decline in the stock market.
Employee Free Choice Act: The Teamsters support the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers to choose whether they want to form a union by simply signing their name on a card with a majority of their coworkers.
Worker Misclassification: In many industries, employers have wrongly classified employees as \"independent contractors\". This classification deprives workers of much-needed benefits and security, such as health insurance, retirement and unemployment. The Teamsters Union supports legislation that closes the current loophole that allows employers to mis-classify workers as independent contractors.
Outsourcing Aircraft Maintenance: Far too often, the airline industry relies on foreign repair stations for aircraft maintenance. This raises serious safety and security concerns, and the Federal Aviation Administration at present does not adequately oversee foreign repair stations. The industry's reliance on outsourcing aircraft maintenance has grown from 34 percent in 2003 to 71 percent in 2007. The Teamsters Union supports legislation that would impose a moratorium on outsourcing and/or contracting out to foreign maintenance and repair stations of all aircraft maintenance and repair work.
Equal Application of Labor Laws: FedEx drivers and package handlers are classified under the Railway Labor Act (as opposed to the National Labor Relations Act), giving them less opportunity to unionize. The Teamsters Union supports legislation to provide uniformity among express delivery companies in the application of the nation's labor laws. A change would allow employees to unionize on a location-by-location basis rather than nationwide, as current law dictates.
Mexican Truck Pilot Program: Our most critical issue related to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and one that continues to pose a danger on our nation's roadways, is the Mexican truck pilot program, which grants up to 100 Mexican carriers operating authority beyond the currently permitted border commercial zones. Mexican trucks and drivers do not even meet U.S. safety standards, yet despite disapproval from Congress, this program has been allowed to run. The Teamsters support the immediate termination of this pilot program. The U.S. House of Representatives have voted to shut down the program. The Senate must still vote to shut down the program for the ban to take effect.
Fair Trade: Our trade policy is broken and must be fixed. We need trade policies that will ensure the implementation and enforcement of the International Labor Organization's Core Labor Standards and Conventions and that provide incentives for jobs to stay in the U.S. and not shipped overseas. The Teamsters Union supports strong enforcement and strengthening of our trade laws and existing trade agreements. We also support a new model on trade to ensure that living standards are raised and jobs are created here at home and abroad.

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Building and Property Referendum Vote Results

The Rerun vote on whether to keep or sell the Local 988 Building and Property was administered by mail referendum ballot under the supervision and certification of American Arbitration Association. The vote was conducted among eligible members of Local 988 with the following results:

Total - Keep Building:          673
Total - Sell Building:              79
Total - Voided Ballots:             2
Total - Number of Ballots:   753

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Building and Property Referendum Revisited

A second vote on whether to keep or sell the Local 988 Building and Property is being conducted by mail referendum ballot under the supervision of American Arbitration Association.

Ballots will be mailed to all active members on February 3, 2009. All ballots must be received at the designated Post Office Box by 9:00 a.m. on March 2, 2009.

The ballot count will begin at or about 10:30 a.m. on March 2, 2009 at Teamsters Local Union No. 988 Meeting Hall, 4303 N. Sam Houston Parkway East, Houston, Texas 77032.

Only eligible ballots returned by U.S. Mail to the Local Union No. 988 Building Mail Referndum Vote P.O. Box by 9:00 a.m. March 2, 2009 will be counted.

An official ballot, a secret ballot envelope and a return addressed stamped envelope will be mailed out on February 3, 2009. To be eligible to vote you MUST have your dues paid through February, 2009.

You should receive your ballot package by February 8, 2009. If you have not received a ballot by then, or if you make a mistake on your ballot or lose your ballot, or need any materials which accompanied your ballot, You May Request A Duplicate By Contacting:

Charity Smith
American Arbitration Association
1331 Lamar Street #1180
Houston, Texas 77010
Phone: (713) 739-1302

Instructions for completing your vote will accompany your ballot. It is very important that you do not remove, deface or cover your name and mailing information on the return envelope. This identifying information must be visible to determine your eligibility to vote.

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UPDATE: Building and Property Referendum

As previously mentioned Local 988 used American Arbitration Association to conduct the vote in order to ensure the handling of the mail out and the returned ballots by a third party. The vote was counted and found to be overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the building - 561 to 63.

However, it was discovered that a substantial number of members may not have had an opportunity to vote. The American Arbitration Association official certification of the election states that approximately 3211 ballots were mailed. Over 4600 members were eligible to vote and should have been mailed a ballot.

In upholding the standards of a free and fair election, an immediate investigation is being conducted into how this ocurred. A report to the membership will be forthcoming upon the conclusion of the investigation.

The Local will immediately make plans to rerun the referendum vote, after January 1, 2009, so that every member is allowed to participate and maintain the standards that protect the membership of Local 988.

"); varTextData[23] = new Array("

Building and Property Referendum

A vote on whether to keep or sell the Local 988 Building and Property is being conducted by mail referendum ballot under the supervision of American Arbitration Association.

Ballots will be mailed to all active members on November 17, 2008. All ballots must be received at the designated Post Office Box by 9:00 a.m. on December 12, 2008.

The ballot count will begin at or about 10:30 a.m. on December 12, 2008 at Teamsters Local Union No. 988 Meeting Hall, 4303 N. Sam Houston Parkway East, Houston, Texas 77032.

Only eligible ballots returned by U.S. Mail to the Local Union No. 988 Building Mail Referndum Vote P.O. Box by 9:00 a.m. December 12, 2008 will be counted.

An official ballot, a secret ballot envelope and a return addressed stamped envelope will be mailed out on November 17, 2008. To be eligible to vote you MUST have your dues paid through November, 2008.

You should receive your ballot package by November 24, 2008. If you have not received a ballot by then, or if you make a mistake on your ballot or lose your ballot, or need any materials which accompanied your ballot, You May Request A Duplicate By Contacting:

Charity Smith
American Arbitration Association
1331 Lamar Street #1180
Houston, Texas 77010
Phone: (713) 739-1302

Instructions for completing your vote will accompany your ballot. It is very important that you do not remove, deface or cover your name and mailing information on the return envelope. This identifying information must be visible to determine your eligibility to vote.

"); varTextData[22] = new Array("

Crawley Appeal Rejected

It has been reported that...

July 2, 2008: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit June 27 rejected an appeal of the conviction and sentencing of Charles 'Chuck' Crawley, the former president of the Houston-based International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 988 (United States. v. Crawley, 5th Cir., No. 07-20461, 6/27/08).

In May 2007, Crawley was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to a 78-month prison sentence and ordered to pay penalties of $121,478 on charges of union election fraud, embezzlement, and mail fraud (104 DLR A-2, 5/31/07).

A jury convicted Crawley in December 2006 of mail fraud related to the union's 2002 election, embezzling union funds through election fraud, accepting a $20,000 cash kickback from a telephone system vendor, and making false entries into the union records (238 DLR A-10, 12/12/06).

Crawley served as president of Local 988 from 1997 until his ouster by Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa in October 2003. Crawley was permanently barred from the union in September 2004.

Crawley was convicted for devising a scheme to defraud union members by placing 362 phony ballots marked in his favor for union president into false return envelopes representing members of Local 988 whom Crawley thought would not be voting in the election.

Crawley also was convicted of trying to ensure his re-election as union president by secretly increasing the number of votes registered on his behalf, thereby not entitling him to his salary as president beginning in January 2003. Crawley's conviction on embezzling union property arose from his use of the union's computer system to generate the fraudulent ballots, according to U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle.

Crawley's Appeal

Crawley's appeal to the Fifth Circuit was based largely on a two challenges to his sentence. Crawley maintained it was an error for the district court to use his pension and salary both as a measure of 'dollar loss' for its increasing his offense level and as a basis for restitution.

A pre-sentence investigation report determined Crawley's base offense level to be six under sentencing guidelines. It further determined the intended loss to be $1.01 million, which was his salary and pension for 2000 to 2005 with the $20,000 kickback. The loss amount increased the base offense 16 levels.

Crawley argued that the dollar loss should only be the kickback. He contended the intended loss was zero because he intended only to deprive Local 988 of the right to elect their officials in an election free of voter fraud, but not to deprive them of the salary and pension he would receive.

'This contention, however, is inconsistent with the offenses with which Crawley was charged,' Judge Rhesa H. Barksdale wrote for the panel of appeals court judges. She was joined by Chief Judge Edith H. Jones and Judge Carl E. Stewart.

The indictment given to the jury stated that Crawley 'intended to obtain Local 988 property consisting of a designated salary for the president of Local 988 and associated benefits for the period of January 2003 until January 2006.' The court noted the indictment also stated that Crawley 'intended to deprive Local 988 and its members of their intangible right to [Crawley's] honest services.'

'Although we cannot know which of these theories (if not both) was the basis for Crawley's conviction, each provides a sufficient basis for the district court's determining the intended loss constituted Crawley's salary and pension,' the judge wrote.

Defense Attorney's Response

Houston attorney Richard Kuniansky, who represented Crawley, said he was 'stunned' by the 3-0 court decision. 'I thought we had an excellent case,' Kuniansky said.

Kuniansky said he argued that Crawley should have received 'some credit' for the work he did for the union, and that it was not fair to take an entire year's worth of salary and pension from his client.

'[Local 988] will get paid back even though they had a president,' Kuniansky said. 'They're having a windfall.'

Kuniansky said he urged the court to apportion the restitution, but the judges could not determine 'what part was used for corruption' and asked for his advice.

'I said, 'I don't know, but I do know you don't just tag him for the whole amount,' ' Kuniansky said.

Kuniansky said he is unlikely to appeal to the court for an en banc hearing or to the U.S. Supreme Court, but that he has not made a final decision.

Crawley currently is serving his time in the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex in Louisiana and is expected to be released in August 2012.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

February 12, 2008

TO: ALL LOCAL 988 BARGAINING UNIT MEMBERS

RE: SECURITY BREACH

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Local 988 experienced a break in over the weekend during which a number of Local 988 computers and laptops were stolen.

The stolen computers and laptops MAY have contained seniority lists maintained by prior administration(s), and this information MAY have included addresses and/or social security numbers. For your protection, we are advising you so that you can take necessary precautions.

Fraternally,
TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 988
Robert Mele
President/Business Manager

"); varTextData[20] = new Array("

NMFA Vote Count Results

The vote count figures below are preliminary and unofficial. Some numbers will be adjusted in the final, official tally.

Cumulative - National Agreement
	Yes	No
Total	25,947	12,866
%	67	33

Southern Region
Southern Over-the-Road

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
79	3	4	3	4
217	12	3	11	4
327	0	0	0	0
385	24	8	23	8
402	4	2	4	2
480	290	139	292	136
512	1	0	1	0
519	36	20	37	18
523	4	0	4	0
528	32	12	35	9
549	17	14	22	8
568	1	1	1	1
577	3	0	3	0
612	10	10	9	10
657	9	0	10	0
667	200	192	210	186
728	207	251	266	192
745	549	117	547	116
769	4	7	3	8
878	128	35	129	33
886	84	22	88	17
891	186	68	188	66
968	0	0	0	0
988	34	26	36	23
991	1	0	1	0
Total	1,839	931	1,923	841

Southern Local Pickup & Delivery

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
5	30	3	28	4
79	86	50	82	52
217	29	2	28	3
270	33	7	34	7
373	12	5	13	4
385	104	24	104	27
402	62	13	63	12
480	280	240	275	238
512	50	9	51	9
519	93	19	93	19
523	43	11	42	12
528	223	85	219	89
549	15	4	14	5
568	30	6	31	6
577	23	2	23	2
612	87	25	85	26
657	249	9	244	12
667	225	132	221	134
728	288	356	300	343
745	838	76	828	78
769	143	82	143	84
878	131	46	131	47
886	83	22	79	26
891	118	59	111	67
988	201	67	202	69
991	48	13	49	12
Total	3,524	1,367	3,493	1,387

Southern Garage

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
79	0	0	0	0
270	0	0	0	0
373	1	0	1	0
480	32	24	32	24
512	1	0	1	0
519	0	0	0	0
528	10	3	10	3
667	23	10	20	13
728	29	24	28	24
745	63	13	63	14
769	1	1	1	1
878	42	12	43	11
886	2	1	2	1
891	42	6	40	8
988	11	1	11	1
Total	257	95	252	100

Southern Office Clerical

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
5	0	0	0	0
19	1	1	1	1
79	3	0	3	0
217	1	0	1	0
270	0	0	0	0
373	0	0	0	0
385	4	0	4	0
480	21	6	21	6
512	2	1	2	1
519	1	0	1	0
523	2	3	2	3
528	4	0	4	0
568	1	1	1	0
577	3	0	3	0
612	4	0	4	0
657	31	1	31	1
667	36	2	33	5
728	45	8	49	9
745	57	2	57	1
878	5	0	5	0
886	7	2	7	2
891	7	1	7	1
988	15	1	15	1
Total	250	29	251	26

Eastern Region Results
Carolina Freight Council City Cartage

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
61	30	1	28	2
71	186	206	174	213
391	327	127	324	127
509	171	67	171	69
Total	714	401	697	411

Carolina Freight Council Over-the-Road

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
61	15	4	16	4
71	166	96	157	108
391	161	56	159	58
509	35	25	40	20
Total	377	181	372	190

Carolina Freight Council Automotive Maintenance

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
61	6	0	6	0
71	15	26	3	39
391	52	22	50	24
509	2	2	3	2
Total	75	50	62	65

Joint Council 40 (Western Penn.)

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
30	6	4	8	2
110	67	15	63	19
249	81	83	90	74
261	0	1	0	1
397	63	27	64	26
538	50	21	52	15
585	1	0	1	0
926	0	0	1	0
Total	268	151	279	137

Maryland-DC

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
355	153	138	171	123
453	10	0	9	0
639	39	14	37	14
992	85	45	78	54
Total	287	197	295	191

New England

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
25	430	72	427	72
42	1	0	1	0
170	64	73	64	71
191	41	2	39	4
251	147	57	149	53
404	81	50	86	46
443	27	2	27	3
493	12	2	12	2
653	75	34	77	31
671	126	25	123	25
677	91	27	91	27
Total	1,095	344	1,096	334

New Jersey-New York General Trucking

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
282	5	0	5	0
445	29	5	31	4
560	224	90	219	96
641	158	402	242	321
707	413	274	321	267
807	82	15	79	18
Total	911	786	972	706

Local 701

Local	Master		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
701	97	18	101	14

Northern New England
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
340 68 14 66 15
597 40 16 41 16
633 55 12 53 14
Total 163 42 160 45

Philadelphia
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
107 159 196 191 163
312 36 6 33 9
326 59 29 58 27
384 46 32 43 33
470 50 10 46 12
500 10 0 10 0
676 16 6 15 7
Total
376
279
396
251

New York State
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
118 66 9 67 8
182 8 2 6 2
264 9 7 8 7
294 128 23 129 21
317 86 30 83 31
375 266 108 243 130
449 184 37 190 30
529 14 1 14 1
687 12 1 12 1
693 14 4 15 4
Total 787
222
767
235

Virginia
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
22 5 0 5 0
29 80 29 79 31
171 88 12 90 10
592 68 13 61 20
822 24 10 22 11
Total
265
64
257
72

West Virginia
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
175 57 17 54 20
505 25 26 26 24
697 0 1 0 1
Total
82
44
80
45

Central Pennsylvania
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
229 146 209 148 207
401 27 13 24 16
429 75 57 66 66
764 35 26 38 23
771 132 256 145 239
773 39 85 42 78
776 600 512 846 359
Total 1,153 1,158
1,309
988

Central Region
Central Over-the-Road
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
7 17 13 19 11
20 66 49 71 44
24 140 68 146 61
26 15 5 14 6
40 20 15 22 13
41 375 160 372 160
64 86 44 88 43
89 37 17 40 14
100 95 136 105 124
120 107 17 105 17
135 205 131 216 120
142 9 0 9 0
160 20 3 20 3
164 25 5 24 5
179 43 12 42 13
200 35 67 40 60
238 19 6 20 5
245 65 11 64 11
247 2 0 2 0
299 34 67 32 69
301 6 4 6 4
325 32 31 33 30
364 86 44 88 43
371 57 29 57 29
377 19 34 26 27
406 113 41 116 35
407 133 244 158 217
413 183 91 185 89
414 68 15 66 17
421 14 1 14 1
486 8 13 8 12
554 66 8 66 8
563 24 14 22 14
600 286 86 288 80
614 27 14 26 15
627 1 0 1 0
651 17 8 17 9
662 2 1 2 1
673 10 13 11 12
695 53 8 54 6
710 559 279 588 253
722 1 0 1 0
749 8 0 8 0
751 17 8 17 9
795 9 0 9 0
823 15 1 15 1
833 0 6 3 3
916 48 16 47 17
957 245 126 244 128
Total 3,448
1,922 3,550 1,801

Central Local Cartage
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
7 49 41 45 45
20 165 45 158 52
24 208 104 205 106
26 39 12 38 12
40 37 3 36 4
41 263 230 241 239
43 5 3 6 2
50 10 6 11 5
89 116 104 114 105
92 16 4 15 5
100 184 252 168 268
120 442 62 415 84
135 362 191 347 200
142 2 1 2 1
160 28 1 27 2
164 33 22 33 20
200 202 274 202 272
215 63 24 64 23
236 14 1 14 1
238 105 39 102 41
245 135 6 135 6
279 14 2 13 3
299 172 229 165 233
301 15 11 16 11
325 79 101 82 99
332 71 12 68 16
337 21 0 20 1
339 5 4 5 4
346 12 0 12 0
364 166 45 163 45
371 147 83 140 92
377 14 28 17 25
406 205 91 188 106
407 212 330 204 335
413 204 59 201 60
414 122 19 118 22
421 11 4 11 4
486 70 34 66 38
554 155 23 154 24
563 67 20 63 25
579 4 0 3 0
580 9 6 9 6
600 353 196 347 200
614 52 38 46 42
618 23 3 23 3
627 24 5 24 5
637 10 5 10 5
638 5 0 5 0
651 63 21 63 22
662 80 8 74 13
682 4 2 5 1
688 49 7 0 0
695 71 20 67 23
696 20 2 20 2
714 1 0 1 0
722 11 8 11 8
749 24 7 24 7
795 51 11 49 13
823 64 14 62 16
833 16 11 16 11
908 18 2 18 2
916 46 5 46 5
955 6 3 6 3
957 173 76 169 78
964 10 27 12 24
Total 5,386 2,997
5,172 3,125

Michigan Office Workers Supplement
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
7 10 0 9 0
20 22 3 22 2
24 10 0 10 0
26 4 1 4 1
41 27 4 23 5
50 0 0 0 0
89 6 3 5 3
100 6 3 5 4
120 23 3 23 3
135 20 1 18 1
160 0 0 0 0
164 5 1 5 1
200 11 8 11 8
238 0 0 0 0
245 0 0 0 0
299 24 8 23 8
301 4 1 4 0
325 16 5 16 5
364 0 0 0 0
371 13 1 13 1
406 7 1 7 0
407 12 15 12 16
413 1 0 1 0
414 12 0 11 0
421 1 0 1 0
486 0 0 0 0
554 9 0 8 1
563 4 0 4 0
600 4 0 4 0
614 5 3 5 3
651 1 0 1 0
749 113 6 101 8
777 0 0 0 0
795 1 0 1 0
823 4 0 4 0
957 0 4 3 1
Total 375
71
354
71

Western Region
Western Over-the-Road
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
2 3 1 3 1
17 28 3 28 3
63 170 81 173 75
81 64 55 56 63
87 2 0 2 0
104 88 9 85 12
137 11 6 11 6
150 27 12 27 12
162 3 1 3 1
190 1 0 1 0
222 122 34 123 32
231 2 0 2 0
381 0 0 0 0
431 9 2 9 2
439 1 0 1 0
483 2 0 2 0
490 1 0 1 0
492 288 36 288 36
533 9 2 8 3
589 2 0 2 0
630 12 0 11 1
670 21 3 20 4
690 6 0 6 0
961 68 23 72 18
962 3 0 3 0
Total 942
268
936
269

Western Pick-up & Delivery, Local Cartage, and Dock
Local Master Suplement
Yes No Yes No
2 18 1 18 1
17 270 101 267 101
38 1 0 1 0
58 2 0 2 0
63 586 191 574 197
81 163 195 161 197
87 5 0 5 0
104 223 50 220 52
137 5 3 5 3
150 132 30 125 34
155 6 2 6 2
166 9 2 10 1
174 129 197 97 229
186 22 2 22 2
190 13 3 12 4
206 6 15 16 5
222 239 19 230 24
231 26 5 24 7
252 5 0 5 0
313 42 15 40 17
324 7 2 6 3
381 7 0 7 0
386 2 0 2 0
431 40 14 39 14
439 76 73 80 68
483 22 1 20 2
492 109 16 107 17
533 48 15 48 15
542 90 17 93 15
589 1 0 1 0
631 67 12 63 12
690 32 4 32 4
760 12 2 12 2
839 10 0 10 0
848 148 19 146 22
952 91 36 91 36
962 3 2 3 2
983 3 0 3 0
986 3 0 3 0
996 4 0 4 0
Total 2,677 1,044 2,610 1,089

Western Automotive Shop Truck Servicing
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
63 31 7 24 16
81 7 8 8 8
104 2 0 2 0
222 14 3 14 3
231 2 0 2 0
313 0 0 0 0
439 4 0 3 1
492 21 1 24 1
495 3 2 3 2
631 0 0 0 0
760 0 0 0 0
763 1 3 1 3
961 10 2 10 2
Total
95
26
91
36

Western Office
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
63 111 6 110 7
81 0 0 0 0
104 26 0 24 0
150 13 1 13 1
186 0 0 0 0
222 23 0 23 0
223 6 3 6 3
252 0 0 0 0
381 0 0 0 0
431 6 0 6 0
439 3 0 3 0
483 0 0 0 0
542 10 0 10 0
630 0 0 0 0
760 0 0 0 0
763 14 2 14 2
848 39 0 38 1
952 13 0 13 0
961 16 0 15 1
995 6 0 6 0
Total
286
12
281
15

Joint Council 7
Local Master Supplement
Yes No Yes No
70 139 66 115 92
85 16 45 16 45
287 30 31 11 50
315 5 8 3 10
490 9 6 6 9
624 9 8 3 14
665 0 0 0 0
890 10 0 10 0
912 0 3 0 3
Total
218
167
164
223

"); varTextData[19] = new Array("
Employment Termination - Marcelino Cantu III,

   Following allegations and an investigation regarding failure to follow Trade Show referral rules and policies, Local 988 was forced to terminate the employment of Marcelino Cantu III (Secretary-Treasurer and Business Agent). Upon receipt of member complaints, President Mele immediately notified the IBT, Local 988 Monitor W.C. 'Willie' Smith and the Executive Board. Due to the serious nature of the allegations, President Mele requested that the IBT send an impartial investigator to investigate the allegations immediately.

   The IBT sent Investigator Tom Schatz who conducted as investigation January 14th through 16th, 2008. Based on Tom Schatz's investigation and findings, the Executive Board had no alternative but to terminate the employment of Brother Cantu. Brother Cantu later resigned his position as Secretary-Treasurer.

   This Executive Board took an oath to uphold the International Constitution, Local 988 By-Laws and the integrity of the local union and its members. This Executive Board remains true to their promises and will ensure that ALL members are represented EQUALLY, with fairness, dignity and respect.

   Pursuant to Article 15, Section 4(G) of the Local 988 By-Laws and in the manner as provided in Article XXII, Section 9 of the International Constitution, \"When an office has been determined to be vacant, the Executive Board shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the entire remainder of the unexpired term.\"

   The Executive Board officers voted unanimously to appoint elected trustee Robert F. DeLeon to the position of Secretary-Treasurer. The appointment of Brother DeLeon to fulfill the Secretary-Treasurer position left an open Trustee seat. The Executive Board officers voted unanimously to appoint Dan Morris of Yellow Transportation to the open Trustee position. Both accepted their appointment and were sworn in Monday, January 28, 2008. Brothers DeLeon and Morris will fulfill their Executive Board obligations for the remainder of the subsequent term.

   Local 988 has hired Ronald Vasquez as an additional Business Agent to handle UPS - Beaumont, Port Arthur, Downtown, IAH and Mykawa, and Texas Hobby Auto Auction. Brother Vasquez is an eighteen (18) year UPS Teamster and we feel he will be a great asset to this local union and its members.

   If you should have any questions in regards to any of the information in this letter, we advise you to please attend the next scheduled General Membership meeting on Sunday, February 17, 2008.

Fraternally,
Teamsters Local Union No. 988
Executive Board

"); varTextData[18] = new Array("

UPS Vote Count Results

The vote count figures below are preliminary and unofficial. Some numbers will be adjusted in the final, official tally.

Cumulative - National Agreement
	Yes	No
Total	48337	26120
%	65	35

Southern Supplement Results

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
79	987	348	974	358
217	74	50	72	51
270	274	281	274	283
373	182	96	183	94
385	664	99	653	107
402	77	41	78	40
480	398	187	367	219
512	429	107	423	114
516	188	149	183	152
519	287	383	270	399
568	127	57	125	58
577	212	15	206	19
612	456	37	456	37
657	469	192	451	207
667	254	96	242	105
728	857	518	836	532
745	52	37	49	41
767	1139	275	1105	302
769	870	101	778	138
878	249	73	246	74
886	244	146	236	153
891	477	110	474	112
988	740	291	726	300
991	310	36	310	36
TOTAL	10,016	3,725	9,815	3,931

Western Supplement Results

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
2	184	60	188	56
38	51	18	51	18
58	107	15	109	13
63	766	433	771	426
104	868	59	868	59
162	416	205	437	183
174	468	398	499	368
186	133	17	133	16
190	109	20	108	20
206	33	71	48	56
222	479	53	481	47
231	65	16	68	12
252	50	16	52	13
313	58	17	58	17
324	66	28	69	25
381	78	4	77	5
396	1255	678	1267	657
455	906	97	903	99
481	27	4	26	5
483	124	29	123	30
492	305	60	300	64
495	45	17	44	18
542	453	75	453	74
572	192	10	193	11
589	67	5	69	3
631	176	69	168	65
670	56	19	56	18
690	188	45	197	35
760	79	5	80	5
839	35	6	38	4
952	459	75	458	74
959	88	23	-	-
962	171	30	176	25
983	52	1	52	1
996	71	34	-	-
TOTAL	8,680	2,712	8,620	2,522

Northern California Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
70	152	93	154	87
87	44	8	43	9
137	164	14	163	16
150	314	275	330	258
278	103	508	96	514
287	160	97	156	101
315	150	236	148	235
386	48	31	48	31
431	127	18	128	18
439	105	27	105	27
490	20	59	22	56
533	231	26	215	19
624	120	49	120	49
665	9	17	9	17
856	66	10	60	10
890	19	58	20	57
912	17	36	16	36
948	49	8	48	8
TOTAL	1,898	1,570	1,881	1,547

Central Pennsylvania Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
229	75	80	69	86
401	145	66	151	60
429	95	72	93	76
764	152	92	152	92
771	189	78	193	73
773	99	220	102	220
776	230	665	234	662
TOTAL	985	1,273	994	1,269

Local 177 Supplement (New Jersey)

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
177	1,955	1,072	1,945	1,057
Mechanics	76	27	76	27

Local 804 Supplement (Metro New York)

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
804	802	2,307	895	2,203

Atlantic Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
22	164	37	163	37
29	199	56	187	61
61	220	188	215	194
71	371	135	373	143
171	167	128	160	134
175	291	92	287	95
322	209	134	199	143
355	386	282	375	288
391	905	297	890	311
453	22	26	22	26
505	72	10	71	10
509	651	170	635	187
639	248	737	246	738
697	34	10	34	10
822	120	47	119	48
992	196	60	190	65
TOTAL	4,255	2,409	4,166	2,490

Local 623 Supplement (Philadelphia)

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
623	655	366	649	360

Metro Philly Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
326	112	81	123	63
331	63	23	63	22
384	458	368	464	358
676	358	124	356	126
TOTAL	991	596	1,006	569

New England Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
25	880	320	871	317
42	90	42	94	38
59	86	97	87	95
170	137	398	143	392
191	205	99	202	98
251	230	191	236	184
340	378	91	352	117
404	139	76	135	76
443	60	62	62	60
493	86	52	88	50
597	139	95	115	118
633	386	157	392	148
653	119	82	129	75
671	261	217	268	208
677	125	181	143	162
TOTAL	3,321	2,160	3,317	2,138

Upstate New York Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
118	213	40	210	42
182	55	20	53	22
264	39	13	41	11
294	335	153	333	156
317	136	392	182	345
449	265	149	267	146
529	34	9	38	5
687	78	39	79	36
693	68	47	67	47
TOTAL	1,223	862	1,270	810

Western Pennsylvania Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
30	207	634	167	674
110	224	51	222	51
249	311	156	308	154
261	59	53	60	61
397	45	32	44	34
491	41	6	41	6
538	92	33	87	37
585	51	7	50	8
TOTAL	1,030	972	979	1,025

Local 926 Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
926	3	15	9	9

Central Region Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
7	176	32	172	36
17	524	94	511	106
20	379	177	366	189
40	64	29	66	27
41	424	500	420	501
89	-	-	-	-
90	256	134	256	133
92	131	55	98	87
100	244	351	251	346
120	82	42	83	41
135	490	433	485	438
164	37	34	39	32
200	8	2	7	3
215	30	47	30	47
236	15	75	15	79
238	347	99	342	103
243	788	268	799	260
245	175	14	172	17
332	82	10	83	9
339	61	5	61	5
344	1,273	599	1,272	594
346	139	13	131	17
348	146	45	143	48
377	103	28	103	28
406	448	84	441	92
407	499	265	498	265
413	438	191	431	196
421	37	18	39	16
486	268	41	266	43
554	412	419	412	419
580	130	12	131	12
618	1	0	1	0
637	121	16	120	17
638	1,403	244	1,409	237
651	290	212	273	225
688	640	958	644	954
696	300	22	297	25
749	301	39	30	38
795	171	55	172	54
823	66	7	65	8
908	86	16	88	14
957	172	142	172	143
964	35	17	35	17
TOTAL	11,792	5,844	11,429	5,921

Local 901 Supplement (Puerto Rico)

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
901	65	46	65	46

UPS Cartage Services, Inc. Supplement

Local	National Agreement		Supplement
	Yes	No	Yes	No
17	14	2	14	2
25	17	4	17	4
41	8	0	8	0
70	7	0	7	0
71	16	0	16	0
117	4	12	3	13
135	12	1	12	1
162	16	0	16	0
222	12	0	12	0
229	1	0	1	0
294	9	0	9	0
295	34	1	34	1
317	4	0	4	0
340	15	0	15	0
344	9	1	9	1
385	27	1	28	1
391	10	0	10	0
406	10	0	10	0
407	15	2	14	3
413	8	0	8	0
470	6	12	6	12
480	34	19	33	21
500	14	3	14	3
509	6	0	6	0
519	2	0	2	0
542	9	1	9	1
549	2	0	2	0
560	18	4	18	4
597	2	0	2	0
600	4	0	4	0
638	17	1	17	1
657	16	0	16	0
667	6	0	6	0
670	0	0	0	0
671	7	0	7	0
688	3	0	3	0
710	11	2	11	2
728	6	35	5	37
745	79	2	78	3
769	2	5	2	5
776	4	12	4	12
822	1	0	1	0
851	17	1	17	1
901	1	0	1	0
957	9	0	9	0
986	54	40	54	40
988	12	3	1	4
TOTAL	590	164	585	172

"); varTextData[17] = new Array("Not Dead Yet
Central States Pension Plan shows significant increase in assets despite reports of underfunding.

   The Central States Pension Plan may be down -- but it's far from being out. The question now is whether the old retirement dynamo still has enough power in its punch to go the distance in the contract battle between the Teamsters and UPS.
   The plan reported an estimated $700 million increase in assets through the first six months of the year, according to the June Central States Funds Financial and Analytical Information report presented to the fund's trustees on July 17 and released shortly after to the Teamsters for a Democratic Union, a dissident group within the Teamsters.
   Central States' total assets -- about $21.4 billion -- would represent a significant increase over the 18.7 billion reported by the fund in 2005, the latest year for which public information is available.
   The TDU says the total could tally $22 billion by year's end.
   The report also reveals that the ratio of active Teamsters to retirees has almost stabilized. There are 212,000 retirees and 146,00 active (full-time) Teamsters, numbers very similar to last year.
   Detractors of the fund pointed out that, with a reported 2005 liability of $39 billion, the fund was woefully underfunded and the right move for both UPS and the Teamsters would be to pull out of the multi-employer pension. Total liabilities for the first half of this year are not publicly available.
   But pension experts say such multi-employer funds usually run in cycles between being underfunded and sometimes even over-funded. Stock market busts and other financial hiccups cause a disparate underfunding ratio for pension funds such as Central States, they said.
   'Ten years ago, the funds were in much better shape.' said Micheal Caguina, managing director of the Global Institutional Group of SEI, which manages $199 billion in assets for 490 clients, including multi-employer plans. 'They're working their way back.'
   Central States is a case in point. About seven years ago, the plan had a much stronger funding ratio of assets to liabilities --- about $20 billion in assets to about $28 billion in liabilities, for example. The mid part of the decade proved to be a financially rough road for the plan.
   Central States financial cures have come at a cost, said Paff. Some funds have been diverted from health care to pension benefits, which means some Teamsters are working longer, cutting down on the number of retirees drawing a pension.
   'In one year the ratio of benefits paid to employer contributions fell from 197 percent to 177 percent.' Paff said. 'This is falling fast. It will fall again next year, etc. This isn't cyclical. That is a key figure, as that comes down, they will be applying more and more of the return on assets to lower the underfunding figure.'
   As of Aug. 1, the fund is now taking in even more money, because a 70 cents-per-hour benefit increase at many Teamster companies was split 40 cents to pension 30 cents to health and welfare.
   As UPS and the Teamsters started national contract negotiations, the fund became a major talking point. The two sides took a break to get more information about the pension. The Teamsters said UPS had agreed in principle to pull out of the plan, but the company called the assertion untrue.
   If UPS withdraws from the fund, some Teamsters worry they will lose long-term power in dealing with the company.
   'At the very least,' says Ken Paff of the TDU, 'it will weaken the union.'
   Caguina agrees that a withdrawal of the major company from a multi-employer plan will do just that. 'It would take away from the union's voice --- the workers' voice.' he said.
   Paff argues the pension plan is worth saving. He's afraid, though, that the Teamsters may be willing to give it up to get UPS freight employees, who are not unionized, into the Teamsters fold.
   However, the Teamsters say they have no intention of pursuing that strategy.
   'It would be ludicrous for us to even consider trading away something in a 240,000 member contract in exchange for us getting 15,000 new members.' said Ken Hall, co-chairman of the Teamsters UPS National Negotiating Committee and director of the Teamsters Parcel and Small Package Division.
   'While we are certainly interested in organizing UPS Freight, our objective is to negotiate two separate agreements that provide strong wages and benefits.' Hall said. 'We continue to evaluate UPS's proposal, but the Negotiating Committee will not accept a new contract that does not protect the retirement and health benefits of our members, whether they are employed by UPS or by the many other companies that participate in the Central States Fund.'
   It is the Teamsters' pension --- and particularly the multi-employer plan --- that gives the union much of its draw and power, industry observers say.
   Wages at nonunion competitors are comparable. It's the promise of longterm security, they say, that will get and keep union members.

By Michael Fabay
August 20, 2007 Traffic World

Central States financial report

"); varTextData[16] = new Array(" Ex-union local chief gets 6½-year term

By CINDY GEORGE
(excerpts from three articles)
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Charles 'Chuck' Crawley will spend 6½ years in federal prison for his schemes to control Houston's largest Teamsters union local and to enrich himself.

The former Local 988 president was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon, who gave him the most time allowed under sentencing guidelines. Parole is not available in the federal system.

Crawley, 57, was convicted in December of arranging a $20,000 kickback from a vendor and rigging the local's 2002 election by marking 362 phony ballots for himself. A jury found him guilty of mail fraud, falsifying union records and two embezzlement counts.

Before being sentenced, Crawley, who has maintained that he is innocent, begged for leniency. He told Harmon that he had never been in trouble before, but prosecutors said he simply was never caught. They noted his permanent ban from the Teamsters in 2004.

'His conduct was as bad as any union official I've ever investigated, short of murder,' Ed Stier, a New Jersey lawyer who investigated Local 988 for the international union, said by phone.

Defense attorney Richard Kuniansky argued with prosecutors Michael Wright and Vincent Falvo about the union's loss, which determined the length of Crawley's sentence. The judge agreed with prosecutors that Crawley's schemes cost the union $1,091,244.10.

The figure accounts for the $20,000 kickback and for Crawley's salary and pension payments over six years. That period includes his years in office after rigging the 2002 election, for which he was convicted, and three years as president after the 1999 vote, about which revelations of ballot theft emerged in the trial.

'This is a very, very, very serious crime that flies in the face of what a president of a union is supposed to be about,' Harmon said. 'Not only did he get in there fraudulently, but he was fraudulently getting money.'

Kuniansky argued there was no loss, because Crawley worked as the local's president. Under that scenario, the sentence would have been about two years.

'During his tenure, he dramatically improved the finances of the local Teamsters union as well as their labor contracts, yet he was sentenced for allegedly defrauding the Teamsters of over $1 million of his salary and benefits,' Kuniansky said. 'He defrauded them of neither, and that is going to be a serious issue on appeal.'

The local's budget comes from the dues of its estimated 4,000 Houston-area members. UPS workers make up the majority of the membership, mostly drivers and truckers who haul everything from packages and computers to groceries and pharmaceuticals.

The man known as 'King Kong Chuck' also was ordered to pay $121,478 restitution: a year's pay as president and the $20,000 kickback.

The path leading to this point can be traced back more than 30 years, to Crawley's failed effort to help an aspiring Teamsters president in Indianapolis. Along the way, former union brothers accused him of filing retaliatory lawsuits, stealing at least two elections in Houston and punishing rivals to win those Local 988 presidencies.

He started out trying to be a kingmaker, not a king. In the early 1970s, Crawley accused John M. 'Jack' Murphy of drawing a gun on him before the Indianapolis election. Murphy was a top aide to the union president, and Crawley supported challenger Richard Spurgeon.

The incumbent won. Murphy, acquitted on the gun charge, sued Crawley and Spurgeon for malicious prosecution and was awarded $10,000. His lawyer says Murphy sued to restore his reputation and never collected a dime.

Some later schemes succeeded after Crawley began hauling freight in Texas and set his sights on running 988, Houston's largest Teamsters local.

He styled himself as a reformer to win a disputed election for president in 1997, two years after the international union ousted Richard Hammond from the post. Hammond spent four years in federal prison after a 1998 conviction for embezzling union funds.

In 1999, the international union hired former federal prosecutor Ed Stier to investigate corruption. His report in 2003 accused Crawley of rigging union raffles, inflating prices for party supplies and giving raises to union officers and employees on the condition that they return a portion for Crawley's personal use.

Critics also decried a $1.7 million union hall built with nonunion labor.

'He was a ruthless, vindictive guy who, if he found out anybody was criticizing him, would retaliate severely,' Stier said in a recent interview.

It was shameful, he added, because unions offer security to everyday working people in the form of contracts, health benefits, pensions and representation.

The reign of 'King Kong Chuck' ended in 2003 after probes by Stier's anti-corruption group and the FBI. Crawley was barred permanently from the Teamsters after the federal Independent Review Board, which monitors union corruption, held hearings in 2004. He was arrested last June.

Testimony and evidence about the 2002 election-rigging scheme for which Crawley was convicted pointed to 362 phony ballots marked for him.

Crawley eliminated opponents by making sure they weren't Teamsters by election time, two of his challengers said. And by heading the union side of a grievance panel that decided whether a member in trouble should keep his job, he had the means to do it.

"); varTextData[15] = new Array(" The new guy in charge
Teamsters Local 988 President Robert Mele has plenty of plans for getting things back up and running after a string of scandals.

Jan. 20, 2007
By L.M. SIXEL
Houston Chronicle

As allegations of corruption swirled around Teamsters Local 988 in 2003, the union's international office booted its leaders from office and took over the local.

Now, more than three years later, James P. Hoffa, Teamsters general president, has lifted that oversight, allowing its largest local in Houston to get back to negotiating its own contracts, handling worker grievances and recruiting members.

At the helm is the new president, Robert Mele, who was elected by Local 988's 4,200 members this fall, making it the first time a UPS employee is the local's principal officer.

In addition to UPS workers, Local 988 represents drivers, mechanics and clerical employees who work for several transportation companies, including Yellow Transportation, Roadway Express and ABF.

Since taking over, Mele, who has driven a UPS truck since 1981, has launched a series of financial controls and reforms that he and officials in the international headquarters office believe are long overdue.

The man he succeeds as president is Chuck Crawley, who was convicted by a federal jury in December in connection with rigging a union election and accepting a kickback from a vendor, and is awaiting sentencing.

Crawley's predecessor, Richard Hammond, was sentenced to four years in federal prison after a jury convicted him in 1998 of embezzling union funds.

'We feel Robert has a good perspective on how things will change here — to have an effective 988 in Houston,' said Bret Caldwell, communications director for the Teamsters in Washington. 'He brings closure to this latest episode.'

One of the first things to change was the election process, which was run completely by the American Arbitration Association, meaning no union official touched a ballot.

Mele, who brings about a decade of financial experience as a board member of two credit unions as well as 15 years as a UPS union steward, immediately implemented several new financial controls.

One prohibits executive board members from working for the local as business agents or in other jobs.

That, he said, will increase the independence of board members because they won't be relying on the local for a paycheck. In the past, as many as six of the seven members of the executive board worked for the union.

'We want checks and balances,' Mele said. 'We want independent thinkers.'

Board members also will be expected to examine bids from vendors who want to do business with the local to ensure the union is paying a fair price.

But not all are pleased with Mele's election.

Harry Bowers III, a former member of Teamster Local 988 who urged Hoffa's office to investigate Crawley, is one who'd have rather seen someone else take power.

'I don't think he has enough experience,' Bowers said. 'I would have preferred a fresher face.'

Mele said he did support Crawley when he ran for president — one of the reasons Bowers is concerned about Mele's election — but the relationship ended there.

As for a lack of experience, Mele said he realizes he needs some help and has asked the international union to monitor the local for the next year to make sure proper procedures are in place.

Another issue Mele has had to deal with is the union's relatively new $1.7 million hall, which has been the center of controversy since its opening in 2002. The reason: Local 988's leadership back then decided union contractors cost too much, so it was built with nonunion labor.

To this day, some Teamsters refuse to enter the building, Mele said.

He plans to form a committee to come up with ideas on what to do to get back into the good graces of union loyalists and then put the ideas up for a vote.

Mele suggested some options could range from selling the building to donating a piece of property to the building trades to making a financial contribution to the building trades' apprenticeship programs.

'There is no reason to get rid of the property,' said E. Dale Wortham, president of the Harris County AFL-CIO.

'I never once blamed the members of 988,' said Wortham, calling the use of nonunion labor 'a poor decision.'

Wortham suggested the new officers visit with the building trades and forge a new relationship. For example, if the hall needs some plumbing or electrical work, the local should call a union contractor.

The local could also reaffiliate with the Harris County AFL-CIO after dropping out a few years ago, Wortham said.

'That shows a willingness to get back to the labor movement in Harris County,' he said.

"); varTextData[14] = new Array("2007 Legislative Priorities

Retirement Security
We must ensure that all Americans are provided with retirement security and work to reverse the decline in defined benefit pension plans. More than 40 percent of working families are in danger of not having enough retirement funds.

Health Care
Now is the time to make universal health care a reality. Despite a 7.7 percent rise in costs over the last year, benefits are being reduced. Close to 16 percent of all Americans do not have any health insurance. Eighty percent of the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans are from working families. Quality, affordable health care for all Americans must be a priority for this Congress.

Minimum Wage
The minimum wage has not been increased in 10 years, and its real value has plummeted to a 50-year low. Teamster members generally make more than the minimum wage, but all workers should have an opportunity to earn a living wage from their hard work. The Teamsters will support “clean” bills that would raise the minimum hourly pay to $7.25 per hour over two years. Such a change would affect nearly 5.6 million workers currently earning the minimum, and could raise the pay of another 9.2 million who earn just above the minimum. Workers in 26 states already have a higher minimum wage than the federal $5.15 an hour.

Overtime Pay for Drivers
The Teamsters have blocked several attempts by FedEx and UPS to reverse a change in SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users) that allows drivers of vehicles 10,000 pounds or less to be paid overtime. This change in last year’s highway bill removed this class of vehicle from the authority of the Transportation Department secretary, and consequently removed drivers of these vehicles from the Motor Carrier Exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act. It is estimated that close to 1 million workers are now eligible for overtime pay. This issue is sure to come up again in the new Congress, and the Teamsters will continue to fight a reversal of this law.

Employee Free Choice Act
The Teamsters will continue to fight for passage of this important bill. A bipartisan coalition reintroduced the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress in April 2005 (S. 842 and H.R. 1696). The act would strengthen protections for workers to choose to form a union. It would require employers to recognize the workers’ union after a majority sign cards authorizing representation. It also would provide for mediation and arbitration of first-contract disputes, and would authorize stronger penalties for violation of the law.

Background Check Uniformity/Redundancy
The Teamsters Union has been in the forefront of protecting workers’ rights and privacy, and limiting offenses that disqualify them since Congress enacted additional background checks after 9/11. Improvements were made in limiting disqualifying offenses for drivers who haul hazmat, giving them rights for appeal and limiting look-back periods. While the Transportation Security Administration followed the hazmat model to some degree for port workers, additional improvements were made in limiting disqualifying offenses. That model is the basis for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). Final regulations implementing TWIC have now been released, and the Teamsters will continue to push the Bush administration and Congress to make worker background checks uniform and less intrusive across the transportation modes. The Teamsters will also work to ensure that workers do not have to bear the burden or expense of undergoing multiple background checks to satisfy security requirements in various sectors of the industry.

Commercial Driver Licenses/Personal Vehicle Violation Relief
Teamsters who incur certain serious traffic offenses while driving personal vehicles face suspension or revocation of their commercial driver license (CDL) driving privileges. This provision was part of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act that passed the Congress and was signed into law in 1999. The Teamsters Union fought these changes in Congress and in the regulatory arena, filing a Petition for Reconsideration with the Transportation Department. Some improvements were made as a result of this action, but some Teamsters are facing suspensions/revocations of their CDLs and possible termination from employment because of these laws. Hardship and temporary “work only” licenses have been eliminated. The Teamsters Union is urging Congress to review this law and will continue to work to ease these onerous restrictions.

NAFTA Superhighway
The Teamsters Union is educating members of Congress about the Bush administration’s plans to construct a NAFTA superhighway. This highway is intended to ease the movement of imported goods from Mexican ports into the United States to a major distribution point in Kansas City. It would allow global conglomerates to exploit cheap labor and nonexistent work rules, and to avoid potential security enhancements at U.S. ports. If the Bush administration succeeds, American drivers and their families will be forced to share the roads with unsafe, uninsured trucks, and millions more good paying American jobs will be lost. One weapon of mass destruction in an unchecked container will be too many.

Mexican Truck Pilot Program
The Teamsters will continue to fight to keep our borders closed to unsafe Mexican trucks. Transportation Department officials have indicated they intend to implement a pilot program to initially allow 100 Mexican carriers that they deem as meeting U.S. safety requirements access to the United States beyond the currently permitted commercial zones. Mexican trucks and drivers have not met all safety requirements, especially hours of service, drug and alcohol, and hazmat background checks.

Immigration
The Teamsters will continue to work for comprehensive immigration reform that includes smart border security measures and earned legalization for undocumented workers who have contributed to our communities. The Teamsters will oppose legislation containing a guest worker program.

Food Safety
The Teamsters Union is pushing Congress to examine the causes of the recent E. coli contamination of our nation’s food supply. The Teamsters represent the largest number of workers in fruit and vegetable processing in the nation, and is providing information on sanitation practices, enforcement and the kinds of protections workers need to report violations without fear of reprisal.

Rail Safety and Security
Any rail security bill must provide for secure infrastructure and equipment, address hazardous material storage, transport, monitoring and secure rail yards, and enact procedures for reporting security breaches and suspicious activities. The Teamsters also are fighting for the following issues to be included: remote control, whistle blower protections, infrastructure improvements, rules covering switches on non-signaled track, increasing the number of railroad police, access to passenger and freight yards, nuclear waste shipments, public access to equipment and train movements, and train car integrity. Increased funding also will be necessary to ensure safety.

Amtrak
The nation’s passenger railroad continues to be starved for cash and has received only enough funding to fail for more than a decade, forcing the carrier to defer capital maintenance to an unacceptable extent. The White House has stocked the Amtrak Board with ideologues whose goal is the dismantling and privatization of the system. Because of chronic underfunding, contract negotiations have been at a standstill and the vast majority of Amtrak workers have not had a general wage increase since 1999. The Teamsters Rail Conference and all of rail labor are committed to securing full funding for Amtrak to address all deferred issues and to provide a base for growth in the 21st century.

A New Fast Track Model
Fast-track presidential trading authority sunsets on June 30, 2007. The current model has not worked and does not have sufficient support in the new Democrat-controlled Congress. The Teamsters will work to change the model, including how trade agreements are negotiated, what criteria are met to ensure benefits for American workers and businesses, and require Congress to vote before trade pacts can be signed and finalized with other countries.

Peru and Colombia Free Trade Agreements
These free trade agreements are almost identical in every way to previous agreements that follow the flawed NAFTA/CAFTA model. There are no labor or environmental protections, and both agreements would permit foreign governments to take control of vital infrastructure assets. The Teamsters will fight these agreements and push for worker protections, to stop the flow of jobs overseas and to stop undermining U.S. domestic regulations.

Federal Prison Industry Reform
Federal prison industries continue to unfairly compete with the private sector by using cheap prison labor and limiting competition for federal contracts. The Teamsters will continue to support and work for passage of legislation that removes these barriers and allows the private sector to compete on a level playing field.

Kentucky River Decision
The National Labor Relations Board recently ruled that some workers with minor authority over other workers were supervisors and should not be able to belong to a union. This new definition of supervisor could affect more than 8 million workers, and the Teamsters Union, along with all of organized labor, is committed to reversing this decision.

"); varTextData[13] = new Array("Federal jury convicts ex-Teamsters leader
December 8, 2006
By HARVEY RICE
Houston Chronicle

A federal jury convicted on Friday a former president of Houston's largest Teamsters local on all counts alleging that he rigged a union election and accepted a kickback from a vendor.

Charles 'Chuck' Crawley was taken from the downtown courtroom immediately after the verdict was announced.

U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon scheduled a March 23 hearing, when Crawley could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison.

'I think he's in shock,' defense attorney Ned Barnett said.

He added that his client 'was convicted on testimony of witnesses who have told a lot of lies in the past,' referring to union officials who were given immunity in return for testimony.

Jurors had heard four days of testimony in Crawley's trial on one count of mail fraud, two counts of embezzlement and one count of falsifying records. He is the fourth Teamsters president in Houston to be convicted on federal charges since 1992, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Gallagher said.

Crawley was elected as a reformer in 1997 after his predecessor, Richard Hammond, was removed by a trustee from the international union in 1995. Hammond was sentenced to four years in federal prison in 1998 after his conviction for embezzling union funds.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wright said Friday that Crawley betrayed union members' trust for his own gain.

The verdict came after a prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments that Crawley had assured a union vendor that he would have the winning bid in return for a $20,000 kickback.

Justice Department trial attorney Vincent Falvo said Crawley told the vendor who installed the telephone system in a new union hall, 'There will be no other bids. This is my union hall.'

By convicting Crawley of accepting the kickback and rigging a 2002 union election, 'You will tell Mr. Crawley, 'No, it is the members' union,' ' Falvo told jurors.

Barnett countered that prosecutors unfairly targeted his client and that prosecution witnesses lied to save themselves or because they feared the government.

'They wanted Mr. Crawley. They had their minds made up' before evidence was gathered, Barnett said. 'He's the prize. He's the trophy.'

Wright called that allegation absurd.

Crawley, 56, was indicted in June after a three-year probe into allegations that he rigged the 2002 election to stay in office.

An investigation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters led to his ouster in 2003 as head of Local 988.

That same year, he gained national attention by using non-union labor to build the local's $1.7 million union hall, causing international President James P. Hoffa to cancel his appearance at the opening.

Crawley was accused of mailing 362 phony absentee ballots in the names of union members he thought would not vote.

But 36 did vote, raising suspicions that led to an investigation, prosecutors said.

Falvo said an FBI lab found Crawley's fingerprints on one of the phony ballots, and another union official testified that he helped Crawley stuff the phony ballots into envelopes.

A vendor testified that he offered to sell the union a phone system for $32,000, but Crawley asked him to add $20,000.

"); varTextData[12] = new Array("NATIONAL ELECTION RESULTS

Total Votes: 272,820
Turnout: 19%

Hoffa Slate: 174,963 Votes--64%
Leedham Slate: 92,444 Votes--34%
--------------------

HOW LOCAL 988 VOTED

Total Votes: 748
Turnout: 17%

Hoffa Slate: 365 Votes--49%
Leedham Slate: 383 Votes--51%

FINAL COUNT

"); varTextData[11] = new Array("Aug. 5, 2006, 12:11AM
Youth may win in pension plan
Legislation could please Wall Street, not older workers

By JIM ABRAMS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Young workers, Wall Street, two airlines and U.S. taxpayers could come out as winners in the pension changes made by Congress.

Some older employees, as well as truck drivers and construction workers hoping to retire early, might not fare as well.

The legislation passed by the Senate late Thursday and sent to President Bush will, if successful, prod companies to fund their pension plans properly and ensure that workers get the retirement benefits they deserve. Bush said he planned to sign the bill into law soon.

But the bill also reflects the reality that the traditional defined-benefit pension plan system is in decline, and the transition to new defined-contribution-style savings plans won't be easy.

Here's how some of the major players may be affected:

Employers
The 30,000 defined-benefit plans run by employers are now underfunded by $450 billion, and the bill requires plans to reach 100 percent funding levels in seven years. Seriously underfunded \"at-risk\" companies must contribute at an accelerated rate.

The American Benefits Council, which represents companies with traditional pension plans, said the bill was a \"mixed bag\" that promotes saving but could make funding requirements more unpredictable, giving plan sponsors thinking of freezing their plans another reason for doing so.

The council's vice president, Lynn Dudley, said the bill shifts responsibility to the individual by promoting 401(k) and other defined-contribution plans.

\"Defined-benefit plans were sacrificed in the process and for that we are disappointed.\"

Two companies pleased about the legislation are Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, which have filed for bankruptcy and have frozen their defined-benefit pension plans. On Friday, Delta asked a bankruptcy court to terminate its pilots' pension plan, as expected.

Delta had lobbied hard for the bill, arguing it was essential to help it avoid terminating the pension covering its ground workers and flight attendants.

Concerned that Delta and Northwest would dump their plans on the government, lawmakers gave them an extra 10 years beyond the seven years that other companies get to catch up.

Fort Worth-based American and Houston-based Continental are the only major airlines with active defined-benefit plans. Unless they freeze their plans, entitling them to the full 10-year extension, they will get three years on top of the seven-year payback time. Lawmakers from Texas said Congress shouldn't give advantages to one company over another.

Workers
The bill, while stabilizing a shaky system, does not ensure there will be a defined-benefit plan in a worker's retirement future. Half the workers in private industry have no pensions, and the legislation \"doesn't do anything for that,\" said Karen Friedman, policy director of the Pension Rights Center.

AARP said workers get shortchanged in a provision that adds legal certainty to cash-balance plans, \"hybrids\" currently in legal limbo because of a lawsuit against IBM filed by employees claiming age discrimination. The bill, said the AARP's David Sloane, \"may lead to discriminatory plan designs that stop or reduce benefits for older workers.\"

The Teamsters were also protesting \"red zone\" provisions that would reduce early retirement benefits for workers in seriously underfunded multiemployer plans. Critics say cutting already promised benefits is unprecedented, but UPS and some construction trade unions argue that they need more flexibility to restore health to these joint employer-union plans.

Experts agree that young workers in particular will be big winners from provisions promoting automatic enrollment into 401(k) programs. Research by the Investment Company Institute and the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 401(k) participation rates among low-income workers would more than double, from 42 percent to 91 percent, under automatic enrollment plans.

The typical worker doesn't start saving through a company retirement plan until age 41, said Peter Orszag, director of the Retirement Security Project. Automatic enrollment, he said, \"helps close the retirement savings gap.\"

The bill also encourages savings by making permanent a 2001 law allowing for increased annual contribution limits to individual retirement accounts, or IRAs. This would mainly benefit higher-income households.

All this will be a boon to Wall Street firms, which will see a rise in investors.

Taxpayers
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the federal agency that insures pension plans, has racked up deficits of $22.8 billion, mainly from taking over defunct steel and airline plans. The PBGC now operates on premiums and interest earnings, but the concern is that a rash of terminations could result in a massive taxpayer bailout.

But most experts discount comparisons to the bailout for the savings and loan industry in the 1980s, noting that PBGC liabilities can be stretched out over 30 or 40 years.

If the legislation just keeps the airline pensions afloat, the PBGC, and the taxpayer, come out winners.

See How They Voted:
Senate
House of Representatives

"); varTextData[10] = new Array("Valid Ballots Counted-1089
Totally Void Ballots-37

[Slate Votes]
(Non-Slate Votes)
<Total Votes>

The Members Slate [155]
  Joe Bustos (77) <232>
  Anthony Bruno (68) <223>
  Virginia Manuel (52) <207>
  Daniel 'Danny' Vela (84) <239>
  Chuck Hong (87) <242>
  Mathew J. Booher (63) <218>

Unity Slate [29]
  Marcelino Cantu (86) <115>
  Oscar Madrid (75) <104>

New Directions 988 [169]
  Robert Alvarez (77) <246>
  Dennis Bashinski (51) <220>
  Melissa Elenbaas (71) <240>
  Tim Pagel (62) <231>
  Clifford Case (43) <212>
  Wayne Seale (78) <247>
  Hank Steger (72) <241>

988 Delegates
Qualified to Increase
& Protect Our Pension [508]
  Glen Redding (74) <582>
  Robert DeLeon (73) <581>
  Chester Morris (58) <566>
  Claude Horton (38) <546>
  Darren Spates (55) <563>
  Calvin Williams (74) <582>
  Tina Wicks (69) <577>
  Kevin Adams (82) <590>

Idependent Delegate Candidate[1]
  Tom Hubbell (70) <71>

"); varTextData[9] = new Array("Ex-leader of union local is arrested
June 10, 2006, 3:52AM
By HARVEY RICE
Houston Chronicle

Following a three-year investigation, the former president of Houston's largest Teamsters local was arrested Friday on charges of rigging a union election and accepting a $20,000 kickback from a union vendor.

Chuck Crawley, 56, who lost control of Local 988 in 2003 after an investigation into corruption allegations by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was released on a $100,000 bond after posting a $5,000 cash bail.

Crawley gained national attention that year when it was learned he used nonunion labor to build the local's $1.7 million union hall, causing international President James P. Hoffa to cancel his appearance at the opening.

An indictment unsealed Friday accuses Crawley of using the mail to cast 362 phony ballots in the name of union members he thought would not be voting in a 2002 union election.

He also is accused of rigging the vote to get himself re-elected, using the union's computer system to generate fraudulent ballots, of accepting a $20,000 kickback from the company that installed the union's telephone system, and making false entries in union records about the telephone installation.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years on one count of wire fraud, five years on each of two counts of embezzlement, and fines of $250,000 on each of the three counts.

Neither Crawley nor his attorney could be reached for comment.

Retired union member Johnny Johnson, who was instrumental in bringing the complaints that finally led to Crawley's ouster, said the indictment was too long in coming.

'We expected this a long time ago, but I'm glad it finally happened,' Johnson said. 'That man ain't nothing but a big old crook.'

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Smith scheduled Crawley's next hearing for Tuesday.

Accusations of corruption by union members caused Hoffa to suspend Crawley as president Oct. 16, 2003, and impose a temporary emergency trusteeship pending an internal investigation by an independent review board.

Disgruntled union members also went to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which began an inquiry that led to the indictment.

Crawley, who earned the nickname 'King Kong Chuck' for his heavy-handed ways, was elected local president as a reformer in 1997 after his predecessor, Richard Hammond, was ousted by a trustee from the international union in 1995.

Hammond was sentenced to four years in federal prison following his April 1998 conviction for embezzling funds from the local.

Disaffected union members, chaffing at extravagances, such as expensive bulletproof windows for Crawley's office, formed COOL 988, an acronym for Corruption Out Of Local 988.

Crawley sued two COOL 988 members, alleging defamation, after he learned that they had complained to the FBI, the review committee and the international union.

After the international union completed its own investigation, Hoffa ordered the local to stop using union money to pay for the defamation lawsuit or to pay for the legal defense of any officer accused of misusing union funds.

The independent review board recommended on Oct. 9, 2003, that the union take action against Crawley and then Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Bankhead on accusations of embezzlement.

The FBI also investigated Bankhead.

Officials from the international union changed the locks at the local headquarters a week later and turned control over to a trustee from Jackson, Miss.

http://www.chron.com/disp/~
story.mpl/business/~
3956097.html "); varTextData[8] = new Array("Ex-Teamsters leader in Houston indicted
June 9, 2006, 5:21PM
Houston Chronicle

Charles 'Chuck' Crawley, 56, the former president of Houston's Teamsters Local Union 988, has been indicted for mail fraud and embezzlement, U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.

Crawley was local president from 1997 until his ouster in October 2003.

Crawley was taken into federal custody this morning was to appear before a judge today.

Crawley, indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday, is accused of devising a scheme to defraud by mail during the October 2002 union election by allegedly forging 362 ballots.

Among other charges, the indictment also accuses Crawley of arranging and accepting a $20,000 kickback from the installer of a telephone system into the union's hall.

Crawley was suspended as president of the local in October 2003. Crawley was permanently barred from the union in September 2004.

Local 988 is the largest Teamsters Union in Houston, representing more than 4,000 long-haul truckers as well as local cargo truckers including United Parcel Service, Yellow Freight, Roadway, and a number of bakery and car hauling companies.

If convicted on all counts, he could receive as many as 31 years in prison, and as much as $525,000 in fines.

http://www.chron.com/disp/~
story.mpl/business/~
3955678.html "); varTextData[7] = new Array("PENSION PROPOSAL WOULD HURT WORKERS IN 'UNION' PLANS

  If you are counting on getting an early-out pension from a 'union' pension plan, you need to know that your promised benefits could be cut in half by a proposal now being considered by Congress.
  An all-out lobbying effort is underway to convince Congress to pass a law that would allow certain 'underfunded' multiemployer pension plans to wipe out one of the most important worker protections in our federal pension and tax laws.
  Current law: If your pension plan’s rules are changed to eliminate the 'early-out benefit' (also called 'subsidized early retirement benefit'), the portion of the benefit you have earned at the time of the rule change is fully protected. As long as you meet the requirements for this benefit later on, the plan’s trustees must pay you this benefit.
  Example: If you have worked 28 years at the time your plan trustees decide that they no longer want to offer a '30-and-out benefit', you still will get 28/30ths of your promised pension if you continue to work in jobs covered by the plan for 30 years.
  Current law prohibits employers and collective bargaining parties from breaking the promises to pay the early out benefit. The only way you can lose your benefit is if the plan goes broke and the government’s pension insurance program takes over the plan. Then, your promised benefits can be reduced to very low 'guaranteed levels'.
  Proposed changes in the law: The proposal says that if a plan’s payout commitments are a lot more than the money in the plan plus expected earnings on investments, the plan rules can be changed so that protected special early retirement benefits will no longer be paid.
  Example: If your plan is less than 65% funded and it looks as if it could remain seriously underfunded for another 4 years, the plan trustees can recommend elimination of your early-out benefits. If this is approved in collective bargaining, your 'subsidized' benefit will be wiped out. All that will be protected will be your 'normal retirement benefit', which could be one-half the amount you had counted on getting (or less!).
  Who would be affected by this proposal: Employees in certain 'underfunded' multi-employer plans who have earned 'early-out benefits' (or expect to earn these type of benefits), and now work, or have been retired for less than a year, could be affected. This includes hundreds of thousands of long-service carpenters, iron workers, laborers, pipefitters, truck drivers, dock workers, hospital employees, and janitors, as well as employees in grocery stores, entertainment, and many other jobs, and their widows.
  Who supports this proposal: A powerful coalition of companies, unions and plan trustees is lobbying for this provision, as well as others that would break other promises. These cutback provisions are part of a package of reforms that aim to improve the finances of multi-employer plans.
  The business-labor lobbying coalition contends that the freedom to break early retirement promises is necessary if the plans are to have enough money to survive. Although Coalition representatives acknowledge that most of these plans were very well funded only a few years ago, they point out that this was before the recent drop in the stock and bond markets. They also note that when plans were doing well, some were compelled to make benefit improvements that they can no longer afford, and that the proportion of retirees is increasing as the number of unionized employers is decreasing.
  The coalition members take the position that their primary obligation is to ensure the long-term survival of multi-employer plans, and that this is more important than protecting the promised early-out pensions of the hundreds of thousands of older workers who will be retiring in the short-term.
  Who opposes this proposal: Workers all across the country are protesting this 'broken promise' proposal. Some have met with congressional staff in Washington. Others are meeting with their Senators and Representatives in their home states. In addition, they are talking to reporters, preparing flyers and sending e-mails to alert other affected workers that their pensions could be in jeopardy. They are pointing out that:
* This proposal is unfair. Workers have earned their early-out pensions, and have planned their futures counting on them.
* The proposal is unprecedented. Congress has never before licensed plans to cut legally protected benefits.
* Allowing plans to break promises will destroy confidence in them, ending their effectiveness as an organizing tool.
* Permitting employers to cut costs to end early-out benefits will ultimately make it easier for employers to pull out of plans.
* Most important, there is no data showing that these benefit cuts would be needed if the other parts of the coalition’s 'package of reforms' were adopted.
  What you can do: If the proposal could reduce your expected pension benefits, or those of someone you know, you should immediately call, e-mail or fax as many members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (Senate HELP Committee) as possible. For links to contact information see http://help.senate.gov/ committee_ members.html. You should also contact your own Senators. See www.senate.gov.
  You may also want to contact your local union officials. They may not know about the devastating impact this proposal could have on members – or even their own retirement. Although some union officials are covered by one or more other plans, so are not dependent on their multi-employer plans for an adequate retirement income, others do not have additional plans.
  What you can say: Tell Senate HELP Committee members and your Senators how long you have worked under your plan, how old you are, the age you plan to retire, and how much you are counting on getting at that age. Also tell them the kind of work you do, and what it would mean to you and your family if Congress were to allow your plan to break its long-standing commitment to pay you your hard-earned early-out retirement pension. Members of Congress are often very responsive to the concerns of their constituents – if they hear from them!

Source: http://pensionrights.org/ pages/policy _multiemployer.html"); varTextData[6] = new Array("CENTRAL STATES PENSION CUTS LOCKED IN PLACE FOR YEARS

  December 1, 2005. The Union Trustees of the Central States Pension Fund have announced an agreement with employers and the IRS that will lock the 2003 pension cuts in place for years to come. This deal could usher in more healthcare reductions and lower wage increases when contracts are renegotiated.

  At a November 8 meeting of union officials International Vice President and Trustee Chairman Fred Gegare told stunned officials that union trustees have put their stamp of approval on new attacks on our pensions and benefits. Specifically, the trustees agreed:

* to maintain a long term freeze in the cuts to the Central States pension accrual rate
* to NOT restore 25- and 30-and-out, which have been eliminated for younger Teamsters, and
* to divert health and welfare money for 2007 to the pension fund, which will mean more cuts in medical benefits for Teamsters and retirees.

  In addition, the Fund will require that all future contracts will have to include an increase in pension contributions of 7 percent in each year of the contract. Negotiating these hikes in pension contributions will divert money from wage increases and medical benefits, but Teamster members will see no pension improvements in return because our trustees have agreed not to increase the pension multiplier or restore 25-and 30-and-out benefits!

  No members were allowed to attend the officials' only meeting where these terms were announced. Members still have not received any information on these decisions concerning our fund and our benefits.

Roots of the Crisis

  The latest crisis at Central States is rooted in the Hoffa administration's failure to bargain enough employer contributions into the fund in the last UPS, freight and carhaul negotiations. Fund documents that were obtained by going to court prove that Hoffa knew that cuts were on the horizon.

  But instead of leveling with the members and fighting for higher contributions, Hoffa hid the facts and promised, in writing, that all our pension and medical benefits would be protected for the life of those contracts.

  Without the needed contributions, the fund's credit balance continued to deteriorate. In 2003, the credit balance was approaching the point where the IRS would require employers to increase their contributions to the plan. That's when the employers sought sharp cuts in pension accruals and the virtual elimination of retiree health coverage.

  Both our union and the employers had an interest in taking steps to improve the Fund's credit balance. But the employers had a special interest, because they faced the threat of IRS-imposed penalties and increased contributions. That threat gave our union trustees bargaining power.

  Our union trustees could have used that leverage to insist on a union-sponsored study and bargain for the best possible outcome for Teamster members. Instead our union trustees just went along with the employers' demands for cuts without any fight-effectively surrendering control of our fund to the employers.

  Now the Hoffa administration has gone a step further and turned decision-making power over our benefits to the IRS. In exchange for an IRS extension of the period allowing for amortizing the Fund's unfunded liabilities, the Trustees agreed to lock in the pension cuts and usher in more healthcare cuts.

  The employers and IRS got what they wanted and Teamster members got the shaft. Our Union Trustees are supposed to represent our interests. Under the Hoffa administration, they have failed miserably. It's time for them to go-and to be replaced with trustees who will fight for Teamster members.

No Accountability Is the Problem

  The Hoffa administration keeps dragging out the same, tired excuses, over and over. The stock market declined in 2000-2001, retirees live longer now, and there are more retirees than active members. Is any of this big news? These are well-known facts. The reason we have Trustees is to manage these challenges-not to use them to justify cuts in our benefits.

  TDU commissioned a comparison with other Teamster Funds, which showed that funds with the same demographic have weathered the 'perfect storm' much better. It's time to fire the Trustees who are destroying our Central States benefits.

  Amid the lies and cover-ups, you never hear one word about a positive plan to build up our Fund. Do they plan to bring some 50,000 UPS Part-Timers into the Central States Fund in the next contract? They are in the Teamster Funds in the West, in New England and in Upstate New York. Why not Central States?

  Is there a plan to organize UPS-Overnite and bring many thousands more into the Fund? The Hoffa administration doesn't have a plan to build up our fund-just plans to cut our benefits. That's exactly what UPS and other employers want-cuts that will undermine our good union benefits and drive a wedge between members and our union.

  Teamster members and leaders fought for years to win good pension and medical benefits. Sometimes we took light wage increases to make it happen. We fought to win early retirement benefits so we could get out of these hard jobs with our health intact. We fought together to win them, now Fred Gegare and the Hoffa Administration destroy them and tell us we should be glad we don't work at Enron.

  Those characters need to be replaced. If our trustees won't step down, then we need to put them into retirement by electing new leadership in the 2006 International Union election.

Source: Teamsters for a Democratic Union WebSite"); varTextData[5] = new Array("Dear Local 988 Members,

  I am happy to report that the improvements at Local 988 in 2004 are continuing full speed ahead in 2005. We will continue to improve the representation of our members and the financial stability of Local 988.
  Local 988's financial recovery is continuing strong in 2005. In 2004, we increased Local 988's treasury (our net cash value assets) by $159,812, to $621,506. In January 2004, we paid off all of Local 988's short-term debt, and we built our total assets to $2,869,324 as of December 31, 2004.
  As 2004 began, and continuing today, our Business Agents and staff members were committed and are committed to reducing our debt and overhead costs, and building the treasury of Local 988 to improve the future financial stability of members and retirees.
  We have begun in-plant organizing committees, such as DHL, Waste Management and UPS. In fact, we have increased out membership at UPS by more than 200 members with the assistance of our Business Agents and stewards.
  Last June, Local 988 won a decertification election at Texas Hobby Auto Auction, overcoming past problems with a renewed focus on providing the best representation. We then negotiated a strong contract at Texas Hobby, as well as strong contracts at Nabisco and Clean Harbors.
  We also started education seminars for our stewards for 2004, and they will be continuing this year. A program for UPS stewards took place in February, and it will be followed by separate seminars for our freight and carhaul stewards, and for our stewards at miscellaneous employers.
  We got involved in the community this past year, donating $1,000 from Local 988's treasury and volunteering hours serving a children's charity.
  Regarding the continuing legal investigation of the prior administration, a U.S. federal grand jury and the FBI continue to investigate. At the conclusion of the government's investigation, we will provide a full report to the Local 988 membership.
  Last year, I announced that in July 2004 the Trustees of the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund resolved an extremely difficult dispute involving UPS pensions. The bottom line is that the agreement significantly improves the retirement benefits of teamsters who accrued credits under both the UPS plan while working part time and under the Central States plan when they became full time.
  We're not stopping there. General President Jim Hoffa is calling for an 'all hands on deck' for the pension fight. At the top of the Teamsters legislative agenda for this year is passing legislation that will provide meaningful relief to multi-employer pension plans. Last year, Congress passed a temporary fix for single-employer plans but failed to provide any real help for multi-employer pensions.
  This year's fight began as soon as Congress went back into session. The first week in January, the Government Affairs Department sent Pension Relief Action Kits to every Teamster Local Union and Joint Council. The packets contained a call to action from General President Hoffa, background information, and talking points. Our newly elected member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Houston), who received strong backing from our members and retirees, will be speaking in support of our pension-protection initiative during a future membership meeting.
  A recent step in the Teamsters' effort to pass pension legislation occurred in February, when General President Hoffa put out a call for the Teamsters' Lobby Day in Washington, DC. Participants marched from the Teamsters' Headquarters to Capitol Hill.
  If you would like to join the Teamsters' fight to secure the future of our pensions, or if you would like more information on the issue, please log onto www.teamster.org and click on the 'Take Action' button.
  Finally, I urge every member of Local 988 to attend the general membership meetings, which are held the third Sunday of the month at 10 a.m. at Local 988's Union Hall.
  Since becoming Trustee, our Business Agents and staff members have worked very hard to increase the unity with the membership within Local 988. With the members and retirees continued support, the changes we have put in place at Local 988 and our plans for the future will continue to build strong unity. Together, we will always make a difference.

In solidarity,

W.C. 'Willie' Smith
Trustee, Teamsters Local 988"); varTextData[4] = new Array("Multi-Employer Pension Plans

The Need for Relief

What are Multi-Employer Pension Plans?
• Multi-employer pension plans are maintained pursuant to collective bargaining agreements between unrelated employers--generally within the same industry-- and unions.
• Multi-employer plans enable small employers to sponsor defined benefit plans for their employees, and provide mobile employees with 'portatability' to earn continuous benefits as they go from job to job within the same industry.
• There are approximately 1,650 multi-employer plans, in which 9.5 million workers and retirees participate. Teamster members participate in about 200 different multi-employer pension plans.
• Approximately 60,000 - 65,000 employers participate in multi-employer plans, many of which are small businesses. Three-quarters of those have fewer than 100 employees.
• Multi-employer plans rely less on government insurance provided by the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC), because the participating companies insure each other.

Why Are Multi-Employer Plans Seeking Assistance?
• Multi-employer plans have a long history of sound, conservative funding and have never been a problem for the PBGC, but the unprecedented decline in the stock market in the three years of 2000-2002 have caused many multi-employer defined benefit plans to face a technical funding deficiency in the near future.
• Improved investment returns in the past two years have helped slightly, but many plans still face significant funding problems because assets have fallen so far and because recent gains will not be fully recognized for several years due to actuarial practices mandated under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974.
• Plans facing near-term funding problems have already begun to significantly reduce benefits and increase contributions on a going forward basis, are limited by ERISA and can only affect future accruals. As a result, the burden falls disproportionately on the active employees, and with only the limited current options many plans risk catastrophic deficiencies.
• Without funding relief, the companies that contribute to these plans could face significant excise tax penalties plus mandatory pension contributions on top of the contributions agreed to through collective bargaining. This could force many employers into bankruptcy.

How Can Congress Help?
• Last year, Congress considered-but did not pass-meaningful funding relief for multi-employer pension plans.
• Since this pension crisis is ongoing and the temporary relief provided to single plans will expire this year, Congress will again consider helping both single and multi-employer pension plans in this upcoming session of Congress.
• This assistance may take the form of outright funding relief, or it may be combined with pension reform proposals that give plan trustees additional tools to utilize to avoid the catastrophic effect of a technical funding deficiency.

Teamster Principles for Multi-Employer Pension Protection
• Oppose any changes in law that increase financial burden on pension plans and increase the risk that they become insolvent.
• Support changes in law that provide relief from technical funding deficiency rules where multi-employer plans demonstrate that they have taken fiscally responsible steps to balance income and expenditures.
• Support expanding the options available to pension fund trustees to deal with financial difficulties, giving pension funds the ability, in well-defined circumstances, to exercise some of he tools that were available before the 1984 ERISA amendments and that are now available to the PBGC only after a fund has experienced a technical funding deficiency and the PBGC has assumed control over the fund.
• Support modernizing accounting rules so that investment gains and losses are weighed more evenly when calculating the fiscal health of a pension fund, without creating volatility.
• Support protecting the pension benefits of all workers and retirees, including those who are no longer plan participants."); varTextData[3] = new Array("From: IRB Report 81-Section 5C

Chuck Crawley, Dennis Bankhead and Marie Espinosa - Local 988, Houston, Texas
  We have previously informed you that General President Hoffa filed charges against Local 988 President and Business Manager Chuck Crawley, Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Bankhead and Member Marie Espinosa. Mr. Crawley allegedly engaged in a scheme for his own profit in which he caused the Local to pay $20,000 more than was nesessary for the telephone installation at the new union hall. Mr. Crawley also allegedly caused the Local to issue checks to a vendor for the purchase of t-shirts and stickers when he knew the items were purchased from other vendors for less.
  Also, Mr. Crawley and Mr. Bankhead allegedly brought reproach upon the IBT, embezzled and converted union property to their own use by taking Local mobile barbecue pits. They also allegedly embezzled and converted union funds to the use of another by paying approximately $2,467 for Ms. Espinosa's legal fees in connection with her dealings with the Local. Lastly, Mr. Crawley and Mr. Bankhead allegedly assisted Ms. Espinosa in embezzling money from Local 988.
  After filing the charges, Mr. Hoffa referred the charges back to the IRB for a hearing. The IRB held a hearing on March 29-31,2004. In its September 9,2004 decision, the IRB found the evidence established that Mr. Crawley brought reproach upon the IBT, violated the IBT Constitution and the Consent Decree by embezzlements involving the telephone installation at the union hall and purchases of t-shirts and stickers. On charges of embezzlements by Mr. Crawley and Mr. Bankhead involving the barbecue pits, aiding and abetting Ms. Espinosa to embezzle money from the union, and by payment of legal fees for Ms. Espinosa, the charges were not proved by a preponderance of the evidence.
   On the charges which were proved, Mr. Crawley was permanently barred from holding membership in or any position with the IBT or any IBT-affiliated entity and may not hereafter obtain employment, consulting or other work, directly or indirectly, with the IBT or any IBT-affiliated entity. The decision has been forwarded to United States District Judge Preska for a ruling.

Source: Teamster Magazine Nov. 2004") varTextData[2] = new Array("Panel excludes union head

Fraud findings get leader banned from Teamsters

By L.M. SIXEL
Houston Chronicle

Suspended local Teamsters President Chuck Crawley, who was the focus of a corruption hearing in March, has been permanently barred from the union, pending the review of a federal judge.

The Independent Review Board, a panel created a decade ago by the U.S. Justice Department to investigate corruption in the union, said its examination of the allegations against Crawley produced enough evidence to warrant his permanent ouster.

James P. Hoffa, international president of the Teamsters, suspended Crawley and secretary-treasurer Dennis Bankhead from their positions with the Local 988 last year after the board's investigators reported the alleged corruption to him.

Crawley, who was accused of embezzling union funds, accepting kickbacks and pilfering barbecue pits from the local's new union hall, was cleared by the panel of all allegations except two:

•that he pocketed $20,000 when the union installed a new telephone system
•that he knowingly paid inflated prices for T-shirts and stickers handed out to celebrate the opening of the local's new union hall so he could get a kickback.

The local's former Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Bankhead, who was also suspended and accused of misusing union funds, was exonerated. The panel said it didn't have enough evidence to ban him.

Calls for comment

Nor did it have enough evidence against Marie Espinosa, a union employee, who was alleged to have inflated invoices for beer and soda for a three-day grand opening gala of the hall.

"What we did find was inexcusable sloppiness and supervision in the management of refreshments for the grand opening," according to the panel's decision. "That is not, however, an offense within the jurisdiction of the Independent Review Board."

Robert Baptiste, a lawyer in Washington, D.C., represents Crawley, Bankhead and Espinosa. He did not return a telephone call for comment.

When reached Friday, Espinosa said she did not want to comment. Bankhead said he hasn't received a copy of the decision, so he couldn't comment. Crawley could not be reached for comment.

Plan for future

In its report issued Thursday, the Independent Review Board also said it did not find enough evidence that Crawley and Bankhead took union-owned barbecue pits for their own use.

The board did not find adequate evidence to prove Crawley and Bankhead improperly used union funds to pay the legal fees for Espinosa, nor did they assist her in efforts to overcharge for refreshments.

The board sent its decision to U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska for review. Preska has been overseeing a 1989 consent degree between the Teamsters and the Justice Department.

"The decision by the Independent Review Board barring former Local 988 President Chuck Crawley from the union ends a dark chapter in the history of Local 988 and also marks a new beginning for the members of this local union," Hoffa said in a prepared statement.

"Since the International Union placed Local 988 in trusteeship last year, the local has been run exclusively for the benefit of the membership. It is now a vibrant and active local union that is representing its members and reaching out to organize new workers into the Teamster family."

He added that once all of the appeals are exhausted, the trustee of the local will announce a timetable for election of new officers and restore full autonomy to the union.

Harry Bowers, a former business representative for Local 988, was one of two union members who complained to the panel, the FBI and the Teamsters' anti-corruption program.

"I'm pleased to see that the IRB ruled in the members' favor and has barred Crawley from Teamster membership for life," said Bowers."); varTextData[1] = new Array("Dear Local 988 Members,

  As many of you know, I was appointed by General President Jim Hoffa to be Trustee of Teamsters Local 988 on October 20, 2003 to run the day-to-day affairs and lead the Local Union until new elections are conducted. Since my appointment, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you, and look forward to more opportunities to say hello in the future.
  Local 988 had obviously experienced difficult times that caused the International Union to take control of the Local. The Independent Review Board (IRB), a three-member government-appointed panel charged with fighting corruption within the Union, continues to review evidence against former Local 988 President Chuck Crawley, ex-Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Bankhead and a former staff member. As you likely know, they have been removed from office, and face possible banishment from the union, pending the panel's review of testimony gathered in late April. They are accused of kickback schemes and embezzlement of union money.
  Since the trusteeship began,I have taken numerous steps to improve accountability and representation at Local 988.
  To begin with, I have turned around the Local's financial situation since my appointment last fall. Shortly after I arrived in October, the Local had more than $110,000 in short-term debt. We now have no outstanding debt, and we continue to increase assets. This past April alone, we increased the Local's assets by nearly $22,500. Since I became Trustee, I've increased the Local's cash-on-hand to more than $535,000, and increased our total assets to more than $2.8 million.
Other steps I have taken to rebuild Local 988 include:
  *Hiring two new Busines Agents to represent UPS workers, and assigning each to a separate hub building in Houston. Both Robert Mele from the Stafford Hub and Allen Polk from the Sweetwater Hub visit those hubs and other UPS centers to better serve the membership;
  *Signing up 160 new UPS members who previously had not been members, which is 16 percent of the potential new membership of part-time UPS workers. We will continue the UPS membership sign-ups throughout the year, and out goal is to sugn up more than 500 members;
  *Directing the Local's three other Business Agents to visit their workplaces on a more regular basis, which has improved member representation;
  *Conducting a seminar attended by 84 elected UPS shop stewards. It was the first such seminar at the Local in more than four years, and more education programs are planned, including a program for Freight stewards and Carhaul stewards, and for miscellaneous contracts;
  *Purchasing eight new computers for the Local to better serve members;
  *Conducting organizing campaigns. We presently are involved with the CINTAS campaign, and we will pursue others;
  *Changing a bylaw that reduced the amount of the Local Union's initiation fee. Members made the change through a secret ballot election.
  I will make sure that Local 988 continues to make improvements so that you have the best representation. You deserve nothing less. I urge each of you to contact your Steward, Business Agent or even myself if you have any concerns or questions.
  Since becoming Trustee, I haved worked hard to unify the membership. With your continued support, we will build on that unity. Together, we will make a difference.

In solidarity,

W.C. 'Willie' Smith
Trustee, Teamsters Local 988"); varTextData[0] = new Array("To: All Teamsters Local Union #988 Members

From: W.C. "Willie" Smith,Trustee
October 22, 2003

Subject: Introduction of International Trustee to Teamsters Local Union #988

I want to take this opportunity to inform the membership of my role as the International Trustee assigned by General President James P. Hoffa to oversee the administrative duties of Teamsters Local Union 988. A hearing will be held in the future to evaluate the charges by the IRB that have been leveled against certain officers and employees of this Local Union. If after those hearings, there is a finding of fault, I may well be assigned to continue to work with you and on your behalf. I am however not involved in the processes of the IRB charges or hearings.

It is my goal as Trustee to make this assignment as seamless as possible for all members. We have in place the mechanisms to continue to represent all of our members. In addition plans are already underway to enhance that representation.

In my role as Trustee, I have felt the need to make some personnel changes and assignments immediately in order to effectuate the needs of the Trusteeship. As with all elements of change there are concerns, fears, and other emotions involved. Some may even have expectations that will create impatience on their part as they view the changes taking place. I can assure you that change is in progress. I can assure you positive change for the membership is the focal point.

The Local Union offices are open, functioning, and are responsive to the needs of the membership. The Local Union membership meetings will be held on the same dates as in the past, and as Trustee I will be making a comprehensive report on our present changes and future goals. I invite all of the members to come together to work collectively for Teamster unity and strength during this process.

As new changes are implemented, I will inform the membership, and feel free to contact any of the business agents should you have issues regarding representation. As I resolve some immediate issues and move forward into the future, I will be out to meet you in your workplaces to better understand your needs. Until then I would like to ask you to support your Teamsters Union and to ignore the rumors that inevitably evolve from times like these. Together we can change this challenge into positive results.

Looking forward to working with you for a stronger Union!");