Cincinnati, OH – Workers at DHL’s largest air hub in the United States made history on Monday, August 12. DHL, bowing to months of escalating pressure after a two-year organizing campaign, officially recognized the union formed by over 1300 sort workers at the company’s Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) hub. Now unionized, the sort workers at CVG have joined Teamsters Local 89.

James Lamb, a sort worker at CVG and a new member of Local 89, said in a press statement, “DHL has recognized the strength in our unity and the hard work we put in every day. We‘ve fought hard, and we’re proud to be officially recognized as Teamsters. Our victory is a powerful testament to what we can achieve when we stand together.”

This landmark victory is the culmination of many years of struggle by DHL workers at CVG to form a union. Located in Erlanger, Kentucky, DHL’s global CVG air hub has been the site of contentious battles between labor and management for about two decades.

CVG is an enormous facility that sorts, loads and unloads packages onto airplanes for delivery around the world – including small parcels shipped to U.S. troops stationed abroad. It is comparable in its significance to the giant UPS WorldPortair hub located in Louisville, Kentucky. CVG employs over 2500 workers - most of whom are now represented by the Teamsters.

The CVG hub has two primary operations: the airport and the sort. Workers in the airport, referred to as ramp and tug, number over 1100, while workers in sort total over 1300. Together they constitute the vast majority of the workforce at DHL’s largest air hub in the United States.

The decades-long battle for a union at DHL CVG

DHL is a worldwide logistics monopoly corporation headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It delivers parcels in most countries around the world and ranks among the largest of all international logistics companies. DHL Express reported operating profits of $4.5 billion in 2022 and $4.3 billion in 2023. In Germany, as well as many other countries, all of its workers are represented by a union and collectively bargain.

In the U.S., however, DHL has fought to keep its workers from forming a union and collectively bargaining. Ever conscious of its image, the company presents itself as a generous employer to the public. In actuality, it has made their profits in the U.S. through sub-standard wages, high health insurance premiums and deductibles, and rampant safety violations. At the CVG air hub in particular, workers for decades faced irregular and changing hours, racial discrimination, sexual harassment, threats of intimidation, and more.

Representing 340,000 workers at UPS, the Teamsters have fought to expand their presence in the logistics industry in North America. Industry giants like FedEx, Amazon and DHL have used their power to break attempts by their own workers to form unions and join the Teamsters for decades.

The union made some progress and successfully organized many DHL facilities across the country. Prior to the victories at CVG in 2023 and 2024, some 6000 DHL Express employees in the U.S. were represented by the Teamsters. But previous attempts to organize the crucial CVG air hub ended in defeat, leaving the company’s largest facility non-union.

Organizing DHL in two stages

The most recent union campaign began almost three years ago,when DHL workers from both sort and ramp and tug began organizing with the Teamsters. A decision by the National Labor Relations Board, however, split the bargaining unit into two separate operations. This forced the campaign to adopt a two-stage approach to securing a union for CVG workers – organizing ramp and tug and then organizing sort.

DHL fought against its own workers tooth and nail from the first day it learned about the campaign. The logistics monopoly giant hired union-busting consultants to wage a dirty war against workers on ramp and tug. It resorted to shameful union-busting tactics like harassment, intimidation, surveillance, threats of job loss, unjust discipline and illegal firings to scare workers into submission.

But as the company bared its teeth more, workers fought back. Through the Teamsters, CVG workers filed unfair labor practice (ULP) charges and took collective workplace actions to protest their mistreatment. Ramp and tug workers held public actions, delivered demands from their rank-and-file organizing committee to management, and continued building support among their coworkers.

After reaching majority-support, the workers on ramp and tug marched on the boss and demanded union recognition from DHL. The company refused their demand and responded instead by calling for an NLRB-supervised election.

In the weeks leading up to the election, workers stood tall in the face of heightened repression and union-busting from DHL. When the election finally took place in spring 2023, ramp and tug voted overwhelmingly to form their union. They then joined Teamsters Local 100 based in Cincinnati, Ohio and began a new battle for a first contract.

Bargaining began in July 2023, but by December of the same year, DHL had stonewalled the Teamsters at the table. Worse, DHL continued waging war on the union through retaliation against workers for showing open support. At every turn, the newly formed union filed ULPs challenging the company’s illegal union-busting, gathering statements and collecting evidence to prove their cases.

The Teamsters, DHL and the strike weapon

In early December of 2023, ramp and tug Teamsters at CVG took a crucial strike authorization vote. Their will was clear: 98% of members voted to authorize a strike, empowering their negotiating committee to call a work stoppage if DHL failed to address illegal practices and agree to a decent contract.

This strike authorization vote took place in the context of a renewed, fighting orientation in the Teamsters union. Under the previous Hoffa Jr. administration, Teamster officials would sometimes call for a strike authorization vote during contract negotiations, but they would do so with a wink and a nod to employers, who seldom took the threat seriously.

But in 2021, the Teamsters elected Sean O’Brien as general president of the international union, along with a slate of new leaders who pledged to fight employers at work and at the bargaining table. Since that time, the Teamsters have made greater use of the strike weapon and presented employers with credible strike threats (i.e. preparing the rank-and-file members to actually shut down production). This culminated in victory during the 2023 contract negotiations with logistics giant UPS, in which a credible strike threat brought the employer to its knees and secured major contract gains.

With 98% support for striking, the ramp and tug Teamsters at CVG struck the air hub last December. After taking this courageous step, they quickly learned they were not alone in their struggle. They expanded their picket lines to 15 locations nationwide, including Boston, Indianapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Detroit, San Francisco,and Portland – all cities where DHL workers are already Teamsters. Their Teamster sisters and brothers honored their picket line, refusing to come into work and often joining members from CVG outside their own workplaces. This strike impacted 60% of DHL's domestic network, including both coasts and several Midwest cities, shutting down production during peak season for one of the world’s largest logistics companies.

The strike lasted for 12 days before DHL returned to the bargaining table with the Teamsters. Within a few weeks, the union and the company reached a tentative agreement, which included an immediate $2 per hour raise with a total of $5 per hour raises over the next three years. The agreement also included just cause protections, doubled company contributions towards retirement, established strong workplace safety standards and, crucially, required DHL to pay health insurance premiums for workers. The agreement was approved by DHL Teamsters on ramp and tug by an overwhelming 98% yes vote, resulting in a first contract.

Strikes open the union door to more workers

The heroic DHL strike secured not only a first contract for ramp and tug workers at CVG, but also another significant victory, in the form of a DHL agreement to basic rules for allowing the Teamsters to organize the more than 1300 workers on CVG sort. This deal included union neutrality and site access for Teamster organizers, who could now meet and talk with sort workers in designated common areas at work.

Inspired by the historic win on the ramp, sort workers formed their own organizing committee and began building support for a union among their coworkers. Over the next several months, they used the rights won by the ramp and tug strike to build towards majority support.

Although DHL agreed to remain neutral during this organizing campaign, the company continued illegal union-busting tactics. Through their supervisors and managers, they surveilled, intimidated, demoted, harassed and even terminated workers on sort for showing open support for the union. The Teamsters responded in kind, filing ULPs to defend workers’ rights and calling actions to protest these violations of the union neutrality agreement.

DHL’s union-busting also took another form in this stage of the campaign: attempting to neutralize support and enthusiasm for the union by paying lip-service to their workers’ long-felt demands for better treatment and higher wages. They raised wages on sort by the same $2 per hour that ramp and tug had won and vowed to make health care effectively free.

But sort workers saw through these empty gestures and two-faced promises. Workplace leaders and activists reinforced to coworkers that these gains didn’t come from DHL but from the struggle waged by the ramp and tug Teamsters. Furthermore, these wins were guaranteed for ramp and tug through a legally binding contract. Anything given by DHL to sort could just as easily be taken away in the absence of a contract.

Support for the union among sort workers steadily grew over the next year before reaching a majority of the workplace. Workers signed authorization cards declaring their support for forming a union to the NLRB, and most signed membership applications to become Teamsters.

Illegal DHL layoff seals its fate

In July 2024, DHL announced a sweeping change to their sort operation that negatively impacted thousands of workers. Management moved to eliminate first shift for one of sort’s two largest buildings, as well as a hybrid shift between first and third. This was a mass layoff, which may have violated provisions of the WARN Act that guard against unannounced factory and operation closures.

Giving workers 24 hours’ notice, they presented these workers – many who had worked for the company for several decades – with an ultimatum: They could go from full-time (five-day, 40-hour weeks) to part-time (two-day, 20-hour weeks), or they could sign resignation letters. This was a particularly ugly choice for parents, who would be forced to find alternate child-care arrangements and reorient their whole lives in a single day. Adding insult to injury, DHL provided those who chose to resign with the unemployment office numbers for Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Of course, management knew full well that any worker who did resign would make themself ineligible for unemployment assistance.

The news sparked outrage across the CVG sort. For those workers affected by the layoffs, support for the union skyrocketed among those who chose to stay and fight. Even on second and third shifts, many workers recognized the need for a union as protection from these kinds of cruel, arbitrary changes in working conditions. At other Teamster logistics companies like UPS, for instance, employers have to bargain with the union before making significant changes to their operations.

In the days that followed, CVG sort workers made a dramatic stand in defense of their sisters and brothers on first and hybrid shift. Having reached majority support in the workplace, the organizing committee called for a march on the boss. July 12 saw 100 workers from sort and their fellow Teamsters on ramp and tug come together outside the CVG facility in protest.

The same morning, a giant banner appeared, which was hung from the top of the Amazon parking garage right across the street. Apparently unrelated to the march, the text of the banner nevertheless captured the outrage felt by many sort workers at the news of the mass layoff ultimatum: “WTF DHL. We gave you years. You gave us 24 hours. Stop unfair firings. Teamsters yes!”

With a letter demanding union recognition in hand, the assembled workers marched together in formation to the office of DHL CVG’s Vice President and General Manager Darryl Wettlaufer. Together they notified DHL that a majority of sort workers at CVG had authorized the formation of a union and demanded that the company recognize the union through a process known as card-check. It also called for the company to cease and desist in the implementation of the announced layoffs and come to the bargaining table instead.

Card-check vs. NLRB elections

There are several ways that workers in the U.S. can form unions, but they hinge on union recognition by the employer. This largely gives employers the upper hand – something that is a feature of U.S. labor law in general.

According to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), 30% of workers in a bargaining unit – usually a single workplace – or more can demand recognition and ask to collectively bargain over wages, conditions and more. For legal purposes, this type of support for a union is demonstrated through workers signing either a petition or individual cards that authorize a union to collectively represent them.

Employers rarely choose to recognize a union voluntarily. Under new rules established by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), employers who receive a demand for union recognition have 14 days to file for an NLRB-supervised election. This process usually takes several months, including a period of campaigning followed by a vote overseen by Labor Board officials. If a majority of workers vote yes to form a union, the employer is made to recognize the union.

Since the NLRA was made law, however, employers have taken advantage of the lax rules and low penalties for union-busting in the workplace. They use the period of time before an election to intimidate, threaten, harass and terminate workers who support the union. They sometimes face ULPs and other charges for this, but hearing these charges takes time and the penalties are minimal (i.e. small fines). Workers also have to vote at work in most cases, meaning their boss can see who votes and intimidate them with threats of retaliation. With few real consequences, employers use their dictatorship over the workplace to break their own workers before any vote takes place.

Under new leadership, however, the Teamsters have fought back against these rules that stack the deck in favor of employers. They have led strikes for union recognition in response to ULP charges, and they have also pressured employers into another method of recognition, namely card-check. If an employer agrees to a card-check, the union submits its authorization cards to a third-party arbitrator, who then checks them against a list of current employees. If supporters of the union indeed constitute a majority, the arbitrator reports their findings, and the employer recognizes the union.

The advantages of card-check over an NLRB-supervised election are clear for workers. It weakens the control that employers can exercise over workers trying to organize. Furthermore, it reflects the reality that unions are formed through protracted campaigns rather than single moments in time. When an organizing campaign starts, it’s usually a militant minority of the workers who want to form the union and fight the boss. Over the course of a struggle-oriented campaign, however, that militant minority wins over the majority to forming a union. This gradually growing support can find expression through accumulating authorization cards. In that way, card-check is actually more democratic for workers than the employer-advantaged NLRB election process.

Victory through fighting unionism

The Teamsters and DHL eventually reached an agreement on card-check for sort, though this was not out of the goodness of the employer’s heart. Pressure from the workers on sort and the looming threat of another strike convinced DHL management that they had more to lose by continuing to fight the growing union support.

Thus, on August 12, the Teamsters announced that DHL had recognized the union after having majority support certified through an arbitrator. Sort workers at CVG, like their sisters and brothers on ramp and tug, are now Teamsters. Together, the almost 2500 workers represented by the Teamsters at the CVG air hub join over 6000 DHL Express workers across the United States who are already Teamsters.

Important lessons abound for Teamsters and union workers everywhere. The courage of the ramp and tug workers was met with the solidarity of DHL Teamsters across the country, who honored the picket line of workers most of them would never personally meet. The victory on ramp and tug then opened the door for CVG sort workers to win their own historic union victory less than a year later.

The struggle continues

Having won their union, sort workers are not letting up the pressure on DHL as the focus turns towards collective bargaining.

“We’re ready to take the next step and secure the protection of a strong Teamsters contract,” said Lamb.

Furthermore, the union victory at the CVG air hub shows a way forward for the workers at Amazon’s KCVG air hub, which is right across the street. There, logistics workers doing jobs similar to those at DHL are still fighting for the right to organize. Amazon KCVG has an active organizing campaign underway, which has already included a ULP strike in July of this year. DHL agreeing to card-check stands in contrast to the continued aggressive union-busting tactics employed by fellow monopoly giant Amazon.

Despite Amazon’s relentless efforts to suppress unionization, the Teamsters are building momentum, and the victory at DHL is providing a morale boost for Amazon workers.

As the Teamsters continue to push for better conditions and representation for workers in the logistics industry, the triumph at DHL signifies a significant win for worker power in the United States. It demonstrates that through solidarity, strategic organizing, and use of the strike weapon, workers can successfully challenge even the most powerful corporations and secure the rights and dignity they deserve.

#CincinnatiOH #WorkerPower #LaborRights #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal89 #DHL #Logistics #DHLWorkersUnited #UnionPower #Feature

Cincinnati, OH – Supporters of Rasmea Odeh could be heard chanting from blocks away in downtown Cincinnati, Oct. 14. Bus riders on their way to morning shifts crossed the street to take leaflets, while curious business people were drawn to watch the protesters chant, “Justice for Rasmea! Justice for Rasmea!” and “DOJ, let’s be clear, Rasmea is welcome here!”

The spirited crowd of 120, coming from Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and a dozen other cities, stretched down the block and onto the steps of the Sixth Court of Appeals. The supporters rallied for an hour, lining up for the slow process of security checks, before packing the courtroom for Rasmea Odeh’s appeal hearing.

Rasmea Odeh is a prominent Palestinian American and women’s activist from Chicago who, after living in the U.S. for 20 years, was convicted of a single count of Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization last November. She was then sentenced to 18 months in prison, to be followed by deportation.

At the age of 68, Rasmea Odeh is stoic and strong in the face of U.S. government political repression. Many anti-war and international solidarity groups and a growing list of faith and women’s groups support her.

At Odeh’s trial, her attorneys were not allowed to present important evidence for the defense, including that she was tortured, raped and forced to sign a false confession, while imprisoned by the Israeli military. The presiding judge also ruled that the fact she suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was off limits for testimony and her expert witness was denied.

Inside the appeals court, a three judge panel heard Michael Deutsch, defense attorney for Rasmea Odeh. Deutsch argued that Judge Drain’s rulings in Detroit “denied Ms. Odeh a fair trial.”

Deutsch explained that when Rasmea Odeh attempted to speak about her abuse at the hands of the Israeli military, Judge Drain “admonished her and said she couldn’t speak about her torture.”

After U.S. Prosecutor Jonathan Tukel made his arguments to the three judge panel, Judge Rogers said, “If the testimony is relevant then we have the right to let them speak.”

Judge Rogers later said, “If they want to prove whether she was guilty of fraud, then they have to allow the testimony to find truth.”

After the appeal, defense attorney Deutsch said, “You could see the argument and the questions, but you are never sure exactly how it is going to come out. Based on my experience, I think we have a good chance of getting back to the District Court and having a new hearing before the judge.”

Deutsch ended by saying, “It is a good sign that the judges were engaged and interested.” It will likely take between one and five months for a written ruling.

Rasmea Odeh walked out of the court building to loud cheers and chants of “Rasmea, Rasmea, Rasmea!” She spoke about the growing campaign for justice and the importance of opposing political repression. She said to the big crowd in front of the court, “It because of you and your support that I am able to speak out and seek justice. Together we will win!”

#CincinnatiOH #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

Cincinnati, OH – On Wednesday, October 14, 2015, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, three appellate judges will hear oral arguments in the case of Rasmea Odeh, the prominent Palestinian-American activist from Chicago who was convicted last November in what supporters called a “travesty of justice.” Odeh was found guilty of a single count of Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization, and in March of this year, sentenced to 18 months in prison and deportation from the U.S. Organizers with the Rasmea Defense Committee are mobilizing supporters from Chicago, across the Midwest, and as far away as Florida and Georgia—to pack the appellate courtroom and stand vigil outside. Odeh’s colleagues, friends, family, and supporters made numerous and similar trips to Detroit for pre-trial hearings, the trial, and the sentencing since her arrest in 2013.

“There is no doubt that Rasmea is innocent, and we are confident that she will be exonerated,” says Jess Sundin of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), which along with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), anchors the defense committee. “There is also no doubt that we are bringing hundreds of people from all across the Midwest to stand with her. She is beloved across the country and world.”

The Department of Homeland Security arrested Odeh on October 22, 2013, and charged her for allegedly failing to disclose, in her 2004 application for U.S. citizenship, that she was arrested in Palestine in 1969 and tried in an Israeli military court that convicts 99.74% of Palestinians who come before it. Odeh’s conviction in Palestine in 1970 was based on a confession that was forced in the wake of vicious physical and sexual torture by the Israelis.

Lead defense attorneys Michael Deutsch and Jim Fennerty contend that Odeh suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) because of this torture, which caused her to suppress the horrible recollection of the arrest when she filled out her naturalization application in 2004. They tried to argue this in the trial, but Judge Gershwin Drain disallowed any testimony about the rape and torture. The defense committee wrote in late July 2015 that the “defense argues conclusively that the government ‘never really addresses the basic constitutional deprivations asserted in Ms. Odeh’s opening appellate brief,’ and that Rasmea is ‘entitled to present her complete defense to the jury,’ which can only happen in a new trial.”

After the oral arguments are heard by the three appellate judges on October 14, a decision will be made between two and six months later.

Deutsch added, “We believe that if justice is to prevail, Rasmea must be awarded a new trial. She was denied her fundamental, constitutional right to present her defense.” Deutsch, Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, CSFR’s Sundin, and Brian Taylor of Black Lives Matter Cincinnati will be amongst those speaking in a press conference after the court proceedings.

“So many diverse organizations and voices have stood up in defense of Rasmea,” says Nesreen Hasan of USPCN, “including Black Lives Matter forces all across the country. BLM Cincinnati is our main partner on the ground in Ohio, and the legendary Angela Davis has publicly come out strongly on her behalf. All of these do it because they know this was a politically motivated conviction, and that Rasmea is under attack only because she’s Palestinian and organizes for Palestinian rights.”

See www.justice4rasmea.org for more information.

#CincinnatiOH #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

Cincinnati, Ohio – 450 union workers found themselves out of work at NuTone in Cincinnati, on Sunday, July 17. The manufacturer, NuTone, paid to have letters delivered to United Auto Workers Local 2029 members’ homes announcing the lockout. Workers set up picket lines at three plant gates and held cardboard signs saying, “NuTone locked us OUT!”

Two union workers, Linda Cresie and Judson Barnett, stood vigil at the main gate and expressed worry that their jobs are gone. Ms. Cresie spoke, saying, “This was a big surprise. We have been working under the old contract since June 8 and we are given no reason by NuTone. There are a lot of single parents working here who need these jobs.” Both Cresie and Barnet set up punch press machines and are veteran workers, Cresie for 16 years. Mr. Barnett declared, “I’m afraid I need a good severance package and a new job.”

The workers at NuTone produced parts in Cincinnati that were shipped for assembly to Canada. The central vacuum, door chimes and ventilation fan producer, bought in 1998 by its main competitor Nortek and renamed Broan-NuTone, continued to generate big profits for the owners.

A husband and wife picketing the side gate said, “People depend on this paycheck and the job situation is bad in Cincinnati. The company wants to take away seniority and create a red mark system that disciplines the workers for life. Five marks, for being late or other problems and you are fired. There is no getting out from under it. This is really leaving us hanging!”

When asked what the union is doing, picketers say the UAW Local 2029 leadership is trying to contact NuTone’s lawyers, but the company claims the lawyers are out of the country on vacation. At the same time, NuTone is telling the media that they are hoping to meet with the UAW leaders.

The local union leaders posted pickets immediately. Small groups of workers take shifts standing at the gates in 90-plus degree heat every day. However, a rank-and-file union member frustrated with the situation said, “We have paid our dues to the UAW for years and years, yet we are out here with cardboard signs and markers? This is day four of the lockout. You think the UAW leadership could find a UAW sign for us to hold up and be proud of!”

The local UAW leaders have relief crews bringing water, food and news from the union office to lift the spirits of the locked-out members. The workers sense the situation is serious and are in the mood for action, willing to consider a march and rally, or if necessary, blocking scab replacement workers from taking their jobs. UAW Local 2029 is in a difficult situation, but the union members want to organize and fight back against the lockout.

#CincinnatiOH #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #UnitedAutoWorkersLocal2029 #Lockout

Cincinnati, OH – Police attempt to suppress African American uprising following the police murder of Timothy Thomas, April 7. Thomas was the fourth Black man killed by Cincinnati police since November. Cincinnati police have killed 15 African Americans since 1995.

City authorities declared a state of emergency, which included a dusk to dawn curfew. Police used rubber bullets and gas against demonstrators. As we go to press more than 100 arrests have taken place.

Police terror directed at oppressed nationality communities has reached epidemic proportions, giving rise to mass movements in dozens of cities.

#CincinnatiOH #News #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #murderOfTimothyThomas #CincinnatiPolice

Cincinnati, OH - 300 people protested the Israeli military invasion of Gaza on Saturday, Jan. 3. The protest sent a message that U.S. support for Israel must end. Gathering at Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati, the mostly Palestinian and Arab-American protesters were joined by dozens of social justice and solidarity activists from local communities, including Christian and Muslim peace activists. The Palestinian organizers circulated amongst white and African-American activists, thanking them for their support.

Nearly 60 children lined both sides of the streets with photos and signs saying “Stop the bloodbath,” “Stop the killing,” “Break the silence, we want action!” – demands aimed at both the U.S. government of George Bush and other world leaders. Nearby the top of the plaza stairs, scores of young men gathered around a young Palestinian man making a speech in Arabic. This was followed by loud call and response chanting, “Free, free Palestine!” “Not a nickel, not a dime, U.S. aid is a crime!” and “Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry, Palestine will never die!” This kept the crowd going for over two hours.

Toward the end of the rally, young men and women led a slow march around the new Fountain Square plaza and back to where the children were still lining the streets with their protest signs. The news of the Israeli military starting their invasion on Saturday during the first protest created disbelief and then anger. The chants grew louder as the news spread. Many drivers honked their horns in solidarity with the Palestinian children.

#CincinnatiOH #News #PalestineSolidarity #GazaWar #MiddleEast