Drivers in Louisiana, Houston, TX, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and St Louis Missouri, your area was certified into the UE on December 12, 2018. This means that you all now have the rights and protections under the UE contract. For a copy of this contract, please email jburger@ueunion.org or call (312) 574-0733.
Welcome to the UE all new drivers. We still have much work to do. The bargaining committee which was elected in September of 2018, met with Hallcon officials on January 29 and 30, 2019 in Chicago. Hallcon officials agree, new UE drivers have now been added to the existing UE and will be receiving all of the benefits outlined in the contract.
The Union committee put a substantial wage package to the boss. After a couple of passes, the Employer left our committee with an agreement that they will pay retro active wages to the first day of the first pay period following September 30, 2018. Their last wage proposal with across the board raises as follows: Year 1-$.21, Year 2-$.20, Year 3-$.20 and, Year 4 $.25. The Union is still substantially higher.
The UE committee is not very happy with these wage offers. “We expected they would start low as we are high, but we are gonna have a fight on our hands if these rates don’t come up”, said Alisa Mastenbrook, a bargaining committee member from Belen New Mexico.
The Company’s position is not final. “We owe them a response, and we will do that. In the meantime we are going to meet with the members and let them know that now is the time to fight for higher wages”, said Kevin Moore, bargaining committee member from Princeton Indiana.
“They low balled us the first day. They improved the offer the second day. We are by no means done” said Nandell Baines, bargaining committee member from Houston TX. “Now is the time for drivers to organize and get in the fight for higher wages”, she added.
The Union and the Company will continue bargaining over wage increases, PTO and other items on February 27, 28 and March 1st. Bargaining committee members and staff will be holding meetings in the coming weeks to explain the contract and the fight ahead for wages.
Calling all potential stewards
Want to increase power on the jobs? Want to stop dispatch or your supervisor from cherry picking trips or playing favorites between drivers? Then maybe you should consider being a UE steward. Please call (312) 574-0733 to get the steward petition today. If you have completed the petition, please call to set up a training.
