Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Teamsters

By Gage Lacharite

A group of truckers hold signs that say, "No Contract, No Mail" outside of 10 Roads Express workplace.

Tampa, FL – Teamsters at 10 Roads Express, who are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have been on strike since February 18. The strike is a national effort which includes over 500 workers across eight states.

10 Roads Express is a trucking company which primarily contracts with the post office to carry mail. 10 Roads Express workers are on strike because they say that the company has refused to bargain in good faith with the union during their ongoing round of contract negotiations.

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By staff

Flight attendants and supporters all hold signs that say, "Ready for Chaos!" and "Ready to Strike!"

Denver, CO – On March 19 at the Denver International Airport, the United Airlines union, the Association of Flight Attendants, held a day of action.

About 50 picketers gathered outside the airport to show support for a new contract for United Airlines flight attendants. Attendees included United flight attendants, United pilots, flight attendants from other airlines, family members and community members from the Teamsters union. There were even travelers who were passing by through the airport who stopped and joined in to support.

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By staff

A row of unused automated tug machines sit in a UPS warehouse facility.

Commerce City, CO – This March, United Parcel Service laid off 70 employees in the Commerce City Hub. Another 20 from one shift were laid off temporarily as a part of their recent efforts to automate buildings across the country.

This is the next step of UPS’s national “Network of the Future” campaign, which sees the displacement of workers from their jobs, the closure of up to 10% of its buildings in 2025, and, consequently, the elimination of a large section of the workforce to meet its automation goals. The recent layoffs came in a more unpredictable way to workers compared to the layoffs in January, with workers getting informed of their layoff dates with less than a week's notice and no cooperation or meetings with Teamsters beforehand. This has left many workers in the building feeling uncertain about their futures.

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By Alexandra Westberry

Panelists sit at a table in front of a mural of an Ofrenda. One panelist wearing a keffiyeh holds a mic and speaks.

Chicago, IL - To honor International Women’s Day, on March 9, Freedom Road Socialist Organization hosted a film screening of Si Se Puede a documentary on the 1985 Watsonville, California strike, followed by a panel discussion with activists in the Black liberation, immigrant rights and labor movements.

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By staff

Arlington, TX— Teamsters of the shop floor committee at the UPS hub in Arlington conducted an anti-harassment workshop, February 2, to highlight the protections afforded to workers under article 37 of the UPS national contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The workshop was led and primarily attended by rank-and-file members, with participants including stewards and union staff.

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By Eliza Schultz and Bill Aiman

Six-sided scanner used by UPS to automate package processing, UPS is looking to have 400 automated hubs by 2028.

Chicago, IL – On Thursday January 30, UPS announced a major cutback in Amazon package deliveries, with the goal of dropping over 50% of the volume from the company’s largest customer by June 2026. In conjunction, UPS is looking to permanently shutter 10% of buildings, shrink their fleet of vehicles and lay off workers.

The plan to close more buildings comes on the heels of the hard fought 2023 Teamsters contract, which resulted in major wage gains for part-timers and the end of the 2-tier system among package car drivers. The credible threat of a strike forced UPS to concede to the union’s demands in contract negotiations and look elsewhere for cost savings. Last year UPS laid off 12,000 corporate employees and announced major investments in the automation of hub operations as part of their “Network of the Future” initiative.

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By staff

LA protest against Trump agenda.

Los Angeles, CA – On January 20, over 200 community members from Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles gathered at Mariachi Plaza for a protest to oppose the incoming Trump administration. The event, organized by Centro Community Service Organization (CSO), brought together residents and local organizations united against Trump’s reactionary anti-immigrant agenda and broader policies that threaten oppressed nationalities like Chicanos and African Americans.

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By Alex Carson

Atlanta labor marches on MLK Day.

Atlanta, GA – On Monday, January 20, the streets of downtown Atlanta were filled with activists, community and youth groups, and a number of labor unions who all marched to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Among the unions present were Teamsters Locals 728 and 396, as well as the IBEW, CWA, SEIU and Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council.

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By staff

UPS Teamsters are fighting job loss due to automation. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Los Angeles, CA – As the holiday peak season wraps up, after workers around the country toiled away for a surge in parcel deliveries, the United Parcel Service (UPS) plans again to shutter large facilities due to automation.

On January 15, the UPS facility in Vernon, California, also known as the Grande Vista hub, will be shutting its doors for a year-long closure. The purpose of the closure is for building renovations and the automation of various classifications, part of UPS’s larger “Network of the Future” project, which aims to automate union jobs to reduce labor costs.

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By Rain Mendoza

Teamsters en la línea de piquetes en el condado de Orange, California.

Anaheim, CA – El 22 de diciembre, alrededor de las 4 de la mañana, cerca de 40 trabajadores de Amazon, algunos de los cuales también son miembros de la Hermandad Internacional de Camioneros (Teamsters) del Local 396, formaron una línea de piquetes frente a un almacén de Amazon en Anaheim. Llevaban carteles de protesta que decían “Huelga por prácticas laborales injustas de Amazon” y marcharon frente a la entrada del almacén. Los gerentes vigilaron de cerca la línea de piquetes, desalentando a los conductores que salían de hablar con los piqueteros

Esta línea de piquetes es parte de la huelga más grande contra Amazon en la historia de los Estados Unidos y está ocurriendo en un momento crucial del período de mayor actividad comercial del año.

Rubie Mosqueda, conductora de reparto de Amazon de la Ciudad de Industry, explicó: “ Hay una huelga nacional en marcha porque varios almacenes han alcanzado la mayoría para sindicarse y Amazon sigue negándose a sentarse a la mesa. Queremos discutir mejores salarios, seguridad laboral y la negociación del contrato. ¡Estamos en huelga para mostrarle a Amazon que estamos unidos como sindicato!”.

El sindicato Amazon Labor Union, afiliado a los Teamsters, quiere expandirse y llevarlo a nuevos almacenes como el de Amazon en Anaheim. Mientras los piqueteros hablaban con los conductores sobre las condiciones de trabajo y la lucha por un contrato, Mosqueda dijo: “Hemos extendido la línea de piquetes para venir a apoyar a otros locales. Queremos ver cómo se sienten los conductores acerca de traer el sindicato aquí. Primero plantamos las semillas, luego hacemos el piquete, conseguimos contactos, ¡y después nos comunicamos y organizamos!”

Los cánticos llenaron la calle mientras los piqueteros gritaban: “¿Qué queremos? ¡Un contrato! ¿Cuándo lo queremos? ¡Ahora!”. Los vehículos que pasaban tocaban el claxon en apoyo de la huelga.

La gerencia de Amazon llamó al Departamento de Policía de Anaheim, y dos patrullas se detuvieron, amenazando con multar a la gente por caminar mientras el semáforo estaba en rojo. Los piqueteros respondieron a la gerencia con el canto: “¡Romper sindicatos es repugnante!”

Los piqueteros planearon regresar a la Ciudad de Industry el 23 de diciembre y mantener la huelga con fuerza.

#AnaheimCA #CA #Labor #Teamsters #ALU #Amazon #Strike #Huelga

By Rain Mendoza

Striking workers and supporters holding signs on a crosswalk.

Anaheim, CA – On December 22, at around 4 a.m., nearly 40 Amazon workers, some of whom are also members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from Local 396, picketed in front of an Amazon warehouse in Anaheim. They carried signs stating, “Amazon unfair labor practices strike” and marched in front of the warehouse entrance. Managers watched the picket line closely, discouraging outgoing drivers from speaking to picketers.

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By staff

Thornton, CO – On December 20, Teamsters from the Denver area showed up for another solidarity picket at Amazon’s DEN3 warehouse in Thornton, Colorado.

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By Henry Cornejo and Reuben Navarrete

Amazon workers wearing their uniform vests march in a picket line carrying signs supporting the Amazon strike.

Los Angeles, CA - On day four of the largest strike of Amazon workers in U.S. history, over 100 Amazon workers picketed outside an Amazon facility in Rosemead, California, December 22. Amazon workers want better pay, safer working conditions and respect from management as workers fight to unionize.

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By Gregory Butler

Striking workers holding picket signs.

Dallas, TX – Teamsters Locals 745 and 767 held solidarity pickets for Amazon workers in support of the national strike demanding the shipping giant recognize the right to unionize and come to the table to negotiate a contract for better working conditions. Across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, there were multiple solidarity pickets on Thursday, December 19 and Friday, December 20.

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By staff

 Florida Teamsters picket Amazon.

Tampa, FL – On December 19 and 20, UPS workers represented by Teamsters Local 79 and supportive community members attended a picket in Ruskin, Florida in support of Amazon workers who are fighting to form a union across the United States. Amazon workers say they are organizing to win job protection and benefits as well as a seat at the bargaining table.

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By Thomas Chaney

Inside a UPS facility.

Commerce City, CO – On November 14, Teamsters Local 455 released an email stating that “approximately half” of the Commerce City UPS facility will be closing and undergoing renovations starting on January 15, 2025.

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By staff

Teamsters in Atlanta put up picket line outside the ATL2 facility in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Atlanta, GA – Today, December 19, Amazon workers in Atlanta joined the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. Called by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the strike calls for Amazon to recognize the workers’ union and agree to higher wages, safer conditions, respect and dignity on the job as part of a union contract.

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By Katherine Draken

Teamsters rally for heat safety.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Denver, CO – Rank-and-file members of Teamsters Local 455 rallied in the Commerce City UPS parking lot on September 4 to protest the continued lack of heat safety in their work hub. The Shop Floor Educators, an organization that has taken up the campaign for heat safety, provided snacks and refreshments, and led chants and speeches to the crowd of 15 Teamsters.

“We’ve been having a huge safety issue at UPS. It’s been one of the hottest summers on record—people are literally dying across the country,” said Keegan Estrella, a member of the Shop Floor Educators and member of the Safety Committee in the building. “We wanted to show UPS that we’re united in this struggle.”

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By Taylor Cook

Atlanta, GA – During the September 10 daytime shift, at UPS SMART Hub, the building was evacuated due to a fire. The fire was due to a belt malfunction in the north-unload section of the building.

The fire broke out at approximately 12:30 p.m., leading to an evacuation of the whole building. Smoke began to affect workers near the fire before evacuation began and clouded their visibility. Workers were instructed to return to work at approximately 1:30, with smoke still in the building.

Workers in areas with the lingering smoke began to cough, feel ill, and cover their faces with masks and t-shirts. There was an overwhelming smell of electrical fire across the area. Instead of allowing the smoke to exit through the bay doors, management immediately began having trucks park into bay doors to be unloaded and resume production. A number of workers informed management that their asthma conditions were acting up, to which they were offered a surgical mask. UPS also made workers stay later than their usual shift to meet the production standards for the day.

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By staff

Workers stand with raised fists in front of banner that reads "WTF DHL. We gave you years. You gave us 24 hours. Stop unfair firings. Teamsters yes!”

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.

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