Taking On Taking On - Teamsters Local 25

1279_Local25_Spring07.qxp 4/6/07 11:21 AM Page 1 

SPRING 2007 

Taking On 

UPS


6 

8 

19 

In This Issue | Spring 2007 

FEATURES 

6 Taking on UPS 

President O’Brien Keeps Busy 

At UPS Contract Talks in Virginia 

8 Colleen Sullivan 

Memorial Scholarship Account 

10 NLRB Shoots Down 

FedEx’s Latest Ploy 

Board Rules That Local 25 

Literature Was Not Misleading 

19 Employee Free Choice Act 

A Good Choice 

10 

DEPARTMENTS 

2 Business Agent Reports 

9 Carhaul Update 

12 Stop and Shop 

15 Caucuses 

16 TeamstersCare 

18 Organizing and 

Government Affairs 

20 Blood Bank 

22 Calendar of Events 

24 Stewards Spotlight 

27 In Memoriam 

28 Retiree Chapter News 

VISIT THE 

Left Lane 

The “Left Lane” is the name of 

the new Teamsters Local 25 Store, 

which is housed in the Day Room at 

the headquarters at 544 Main Street, 

Charlestown, Massachusetts. 

The store features a select number of 

different items offered on a seasonal 

basis: shirts, hats, jackets and sweatshirts. 

There will also be specialty 

items available throughout the year. 

The store will be open 

from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Monday through Friday, 

and one hour before and one 

hour after the monthly meetings. 

The store will accept cash, 

credit card or debit card. 

For more information call 

(617) 241-9687 

The Spokesman 

Sean M. O'Brien 

President/ 

Principal Officer 

Mark A. Harrington 

Secretary-Treasurer 

John A. Murphy 

Vice President/ 

Business Agent 

Philip H. Mallett 

Recording Secretary 

Jackie Addison 

Trustee 

Tim Madden 

Trustee 

John Jay Manley 

Trustee 

Robert Fabrizio 


Tom Mari 


George Slicis 


Bob McAllister 


Dave Pietroforte 


Steven R. Sullivan 

Director of Organizing 

and Government 

Affairs


Message from thePresident 

Dear Brothers and Sisters: 

In the last edition of The Spokesman, I told you that 2007 would be a very busy year. It turns out that 

it has been even busier than I thought. That is fine with me because we have many things that we 

need to accomplish together. 

“I will make sure 

that our Local 25 

members’ interests 

remain protected.” 

–SEAN M. O'BRIEN 

PRESIDENT/ 

PRINCIPAL OFFICER 

During the past several months, I have had the opportunity and the honor to serve on the National 

UPS Negotiating Committee at the request of General President Jim Hoffa. At times, negotiations have 

gone slow. Other times, the company has frustrated us. But one thing is for sure: all the committee 

members are united in our goal to protect our UPS members’ pensions, and health and welfare benefits. 

In late March, the committee began bargaining economics. In April, the committee will focus on the 

supplements, which cover local working conditions. I will make sure that our Local 25 members’ 

interests remain protected. In May, we will return to bargain economic issues. I look forward to 

resuming discussions about pensions, health and welfare, the issues you have identified as the top 

priorities. 

At Local 25, we continue to focus our attention on the top-notch representation that you have come 

to expect, and you are entitled to. That means negotiating the strongest contracts, organizing to grow 

our union and defending your hard-fought rights in the workplace. While I am on the road at UPS 

negotiations, I have made it clear to my agents, officers and staff, that serving you remains our 

number one priority. You are Local 25. 

As your elected Local Union leadership, we are not only here to serve you the membership, but we 

have an obligation to serve the community as well. We have taken steps recently and engaged our 

Union in helping numerous local charities. 

As part of our continuing efforts to reach out to you more effectively, I am excited to announce the 

launching of Teamsters TV. We have created this to bring you video presentations of Teamsters Local 

25 events and important news. 

To access Teamsters TV, visit Local 25’s web site, www.teamsterslocal25.com, and click on the 

“Teamsters TV” button. You may choose a link to watch a video clip. 

Right now we have clips of my inauguration, a video of U.S. Rep. Michael E. Capuano, (D-MA), and 

highlights of the February 2007 monthly meeting. 

We plan to expand programming, and we welcome your ideas. Please contact us with your suggestions. 

Meanwhile, I urge you to become active in Local 25. Whether you are a longtime member, or fairly 

new, your voice matters. Our general membership meetings are held the third Sunday of each month at our 

Union Hall, 544 Main St., in Charlestown. 

I look forward to seeing you soon. 

Fraternally, 

Sean M. O'Brien 

President/Principal Officer



Dedicated to Our Local Union Members 


Mark Harrington 

There have been many developments 

in the carhaul industry over 

the last few months. Allied 

Systems, the country’s largest 

hauler of vehicles, is poised to 

emerge from bankruptcy with a 

buyout by the investment group 

Yucaipa. Our Allied brothers have been working under very 

difficult conditions since the bankruptcy filing in 2005. 

Management has constantly pushed for the abolishment 

of the Teamster contract through the bankruptcy judge. 

Recently the Yucaipa Investment group made an offer that 

was accepted by the judge, clearing the way for Allied to 

emerge from bankruptcy. The other side is the Teamster rank 

and file must accept a 15-percent pay reduction. The 

International Union has put this out for a rank-and-file vote. 

The local will keep you informed on the outcome of that vote. 

In other carhaul news, Blue Thunder, perhaps the largest 

nonunion carhauler, has ceased operations. This has led to a 

windfall of freight for the other carriers. The PTS group, also 

recently purchased by Yucaipa, has been the main recipient of 

the work. Here in Local 25’s area, we have obtained the full 

General Motors account. The company is looking to hire 

between 20 and 30 drivers. 

In freight, New Penn is proposing a change of operations 

that will have a negative impact on our Billerica terminal. 

Local 25 is committed to fighting this change, as we believe 

the change will not have any positive impact on the overall 

operation of the company and will only hurt our dedicated 

workers. 

I have started negotiations with the Praxair group and our 

organizers have since organized two other groups of Praxair 

workers. I am preparing to negotiate on their behalf as well. 

I am also in negotiations with TD Banknorth with respect 

to the loaders and unloaders. I am also about to start negotiations 

with the Hingham DPW group as we recently held a 

proposal meeting with them. 

The Local 25 scholarship golf outing is scheduled for June 

16. I urge you to sign up early. This event will sell out in no 

time. 

I recently attended the International Foundation of 

Employee Benefit Plans conference. This conference was very 

educational and informative as we try to stay ahead of the 

curve on the ever-looming health care issues. 

Vice-President and 


John Murphy 

I was in Dallas, Texas in mid- 

March for another round of negotiations 

with UPS Cartage Services 

Inc., (CSI), formerly Menlo. We 

spent three more days going over 

proposals and counter-proposals 

that brought our members closer to a new contract. 

We have asked the Town of Acton, as well as Xpedx, a paper 

company, for some dates at the end of March to start negotiations 

for a first-time contract with Acton’s 911 dispatchers, as 

well as a renewal contract for our xpedx members. 

President Sean O’Brien met with the North Shore Kennel 

Association about organizing all the dog owners who race 

their dogs at Wonderland Dog Track. This will hopefully give 

Local 25 more leverage in contract talks and help us with the 

slot machine issue at the tracks. We would like to see slots 

eventually come to the track, which would create numerous 

jobs. 

In freight, I will be heading down to the Eastern Region 

Review Committee meetings, where we will rule on a case 

involving subcontracting and lift gates at Local 340 in Maine. 

President O’Brien, Business Agent Tom Mari and I met 

with International Union Representative Brad Slawson and 

Local 295’s Attorney Walter Kane to discuss the upcoming DHL 

contract negotiations. The International Union has informed us 

that we will be on the national negotiating committee. 

In February, we held a Massport Labor Union Unity 

Council meeting at our union hall to discuss the need to 

band together on the upcoming contract negotiations, and 

the overall working conditions at the port. All the affected 

local unions have agreed to stand together and try to force 

Massport to treat its unionized employees with dignity and 

respect. Also at the port, we have just been informed that the 

board of directors has voted to require that all employees, 

whether union or not, pay 15 percent toward their health 

care, with a phase-in system starting in July. 

Logan parking employees will be sent surveys for the new 

contract. As soon as we get them back we will hold a proposal 

meeting. 

2 | The SPOKESMAN | SPRING 2007 | www.teamsterslocal25.com


Reports 

I have been elected to the position of Chairman of the 

New England Teamsters Federal Credit Union. In the past we 

have treated the credit union as a bank and ran it that way. 

The new board has changed that thinking and is now a lot 

more member friendly. Profit is not necessarily the number 

one priority, although we do need to be profitable. 

Last year the credit union paid out $241,000 more in dividends 

to our members than the year before. That is money 

that comes right off the bottom line. Our CD rates are way 

ahead of most banks and we have instituted a free checking 

account for our members in an effort to have our members 

think of us as their primary financial institution. 

We now have a process that allows us to grant mortgages 

in just two days in most cases. Our new GAP insurance is a 

great product and it is a third of the cost of what car dealers 

charge for an inferior product. We have expanded our board 

to include more principal officers from other local unions in 

an effort to get the rest of New England involved. 

We have relaxed our loan-approval guidelines to help our 

less fortunate members get the money they need when they 

need it. Coming soon: online bill payment. Down the road 

we plan a branch-sharing program where you will be able to 

walk into any credit union nearby and conduct business with 

the NETFCU. 

Finally, Ritchie Reardon, President and CEO of the credit 

union, and I will visit jobsites in an effort to bring more 

members into the Teamsters Credit Union. 


Bob McAllister 

Since my January report, I entered 

into negotiations with the 

American Red Cross Blood 

Services. Talks were moving slowly 

so we brought the members in for 

an update and got a unanimous 

strike-authorization vote, which we 

used to set a deadline to get a contract. We finally negotiated 

an agreement that was brought to the members who ratified 

it by a 96 percent margin. We won wage increases of 3 percent 

across the board, maintained the current health benefits 

and improved the scheduling language while protecting 

seniority. 

Thanks to stewards Mike Zona, Mike Abbasciano and 

Barry Sullivan. The committee was great and remained 

strong and united throughout. 

I also went into negotiations with Cummins Northeast in 

Dedham. We settled that contract and got wage increases of 

3.25 percent across the board. We maintained health benefits 

and improved vacation eligibility. We also negotiated a $500 

signing bonus. Steward Wayne Silva and Mike Bustard were a 

major help on the committee. 

I held proposal meetings with Laidlaw Transit, Paul 

Revere Transportation (Roxbury Division) and the Town of 

Norwell school custodians, where we will be opening negotiations 

soon. We also put out a contract survey to the members 

at Paul Revere at Logan Airport and in Roxbury so that we 

will be able to prioritize our goals. 

At Manfi Stop & Shop, we settled a couple of grievances 

filed by drivers that were related to safety. The company 

wanted to discipline a driver who brought the truck to the 

garage to have safety related repairs done. An OSHA case was 

filed and the company withdrew the discipline. The other was 

an arbitration case that was settled. It resulted in the company 

making all its trucks non-smoking, which put them in 

compliance with the state’s Workplace Smoking Law and 

ensured the health of our 300 drivers. 


George Slicis 

I began negotiations with the 

Norwal Company in Walpole, 

Massachusetts in late March. They 

are mechanics and I think that I will 

have this wrapped up quickly. 

Business Agent Bob Fabrizio and 

I will be working on proposals for 

Lindenmeyr Munroe, a paper company in North Reading, 

Massachusetts. Bob represents the Franklin, Massachusetts unit. 

We will be doing the negotiations together and will fight for 

what the members are looking for. 

I had a steward’s election at the Aramark Company in 

Lawrence, Massachusetts. Don McKenny is the new steward. I 

would like to thank Dennis Ferland for the great job that he has 

done at Aramark and I’m sure that Don will continue where 

Dennis left off. 

I recently had a meeting with the members from Good 

Humor Breyers ice cream to go over some changes in contract 

language regarding scheduled overtime as well as updating the 

matrix and the process of qualifying employees in different 

www.teamsterslocal25.com | SPRING 2007 | The SPOKESMAN | 3


Business Agent Reports 

classifications. 

The members voted for the proposed changes and the company 

has signed off on these changes. I would like to thank 

Chief Steward Lenny Campbell and all of the other stewards 

who took part in this process. They do a great job policing the 

contract. 

At UPS, I have been attending the supplemental negotiations 

along with President O’Brien. As you all know, it’s a battle 

every day with UPS. Why would negotiations be any different? I 

will say that the union panel of negotiators is standing together 

and will fight for what the members deserve. 

I will be attending the International Union’s Business Agent 

Skills In Survival training program in Washington, D.C. in April 

and hope to get some great training and skills to apply in my 

job going forward. 

I would like to end my report by thanking all my stewards 

and all stewards in this local. You are on the front lines daily 

policing our contracts and without you we could not survive. 


Tom Mari 

I will be starting contract negotiations 

with the Town of Boxford 

Police Department, DSM 

NeoResins, Brookline 911 and the 

Somerville Housing Authority 

Police Department. 

I am currently in negotiations 

with Goodyear Tire at its locations in Stoneham and Malden. 

These negotiations have been difficult because the company 

wants to take our members out of the Teamsters health and 

welfare funds and put them in the company plan, which is an 

extremely substandard plan. The committee and I have made 

it very clear to the company that we will accept nothing less 

than Teamsters Local 25 health and welfare plan. We did this 

by taking a unanimous strike-authorization vote. I commend 

the members for stepping up to the plate during this process. 

I also have ongoing negotiations with Tewksbury nurses 

and the Tewksbury administrators, UMass Boston Police and 

UMass Lowell Police. 

At DHL, once again the company has had to pay approximately 

$2,000 in grievances for layoff call-back violations. 

These grievances should be minimized after the annual bid 

was finished because most of the laid off members have been 

recalled to full-duty status. 

The City of Cambridge and I have settled an arbitration 

case. The City violated the contract by hiring someone off the 

street before hiring from within. The member who was 

bypassed is being promoted to the same job title, same pay, 

and same hours as the job she originally applied for. The best 

part of her new job is that it had been a nonunion position, 

but is now a Teamsters Local 25 job. 

I want to thank all my stewards for doing a great job every 

day in the workplace. 


Robert Fabrizio 

Negotiations for Kuehne + Nagel 

in Franklin, Massachusetts, one of 

the world’s leading logistics 

providers, has concluded with a 

new three-year contract that was 

ratified on January 18, 2007, by a 

unanimous vote. The members are 

pleased that after five months of tough negotiations, they 

finally have a contract they can work with, and can now 

move forward. 

A new three-year contract for Signature Flight out of 

Boston’s Logan Airport, which services all of the private aircraft 

that come into Boston, was ratified on January 13, 2007, by a 21- 

3 vote. The contract includes increases in wages, better health 

care coverage, a new shift differential and a signing bonus. 

I have several contracts that are coming up for negotiations 

that expire this June. I had a proposal meeting in mid- 

March for Lindenmeyr Munroe in Franklin, Massachusetts. 

Later in March, I had a proposal meeting for Milton-Cat in 

Milford, Massachusetts. 

I have several more contracts that need to be negotiated. 

One is the Medford Public School Security Guards, which 

expires at the end of June. Another is a first-time contract for 

the Town of Cohasset 911 dispatchers. I look forward to 

working with the members as I negotiate these contracts. 

I, along with several members of the maintenance department 

and some stewards of Stop & Shop in Freetown, 

Massachusetts, have started talks with the company regarding 

the H.K. Crane work, which is being outsourced. The members 

of the maintenance department were promised the work 

of maintaining the cranes when the Freetown facility was 

being built, and after the one-year warranty expired, our 

members and I feel the company should fulfill its promise. 

I have several arbitration cases going forward. One is with 

a fired Stop & Shop employee, and three cases involving Joint 

Venture (the Ride). Two of those cases involve three-day suspensions 

that the union feels were unjust, and the other 

involves a member who was terminated after coming back 



from an injury. 

I would like to take this time to thank Steward Peter 

Ouillette from Milton-Cat, and Dave Wilbur, steward from 

Lindenmeyr Munroe, for the leadership that they demonstrate 

on a daily basis. I look forward to working with both 

of them in their upcoming contract negotiations. 


Dave Pietroforte 

Negotiations are ongoing with 

the Town of Acton 911 dispatchers. 

The first proposal meeting 

was held the week of March 8, 

and dates are being sent out for 

the start of negotiations. 

GD Mathews has finally sent 

out the retroactive checks for four of our members dating 

back almost two years. The retroactive pay totaled more 

than $4,000. 

Negotiations are under way for the Produce Center, 

which includes nine companies. The first proposal was held 

in early March. Dates have been sent out to start talks with 

the company. 

At U.S. Foods in Everett, Massachusetts, Chief Steward 

Paul Mathi and I settled three arbitration cases and have 

had them withdrawn. I continue to work closely with all 

my stewards at U.S. Foods and we have had great results 

because of this. Thanks also to Joe Cheever, John Evans and 

Don Leboe. 

Costa Fruit has had many issues over the past month. 

My stewards and I are working together to fight hard on 

the members behalf. This includes taking on grievances 

and problems in the workplace. I thank them all for their 

support. 

The City of Everett has had many issues concerning 

grievances and problems in the workplace. My four stewards 

and I are working very hard to educate our members 

on the contract and to let them know we are all together 

when they need us. We had seven women from the City of 

Everett file grievances with the union about time owed 

them when they were recalled back from their layoffs. They 

were not put back to their original start dates. Thanks to 

the workers’ persistence, the City agreed to put them all 

back to their correct date of hire. All seven received four to 

seven months in accrued time for vacation because of this. I 

thank them all for their help. 

I would like to welcome two of my new stewards from the 

city of Everett, Paul Pasquariello at facilities, and Beth 

There Is Power In A Union 

There is power in a factory, power in the land, 

power in the hands of a worker 

But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand 

There is power in a Union 

Now the lessons of the past were all learned with workers' blood 

The mistakes of the bosses we must pay for 

From the cities and the farmlands to trenches full of mud 

War has always been the bosses' way, sir 

The Union forever defending our rights 

Down with the blackleg, all workers unite 

With our brothers and our sisters from many far off lands 


Now I long for the morning that they realize 

brutality and unjust laws can not defeat us 

But who'll defend the workers who cannot organize 

When the bosses send their lackies out to cheat us ? 

Money speaks for money, the Devil for his own 

Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone 

What a comfort to the widow, a light to the child 


By: Billy Bragg 

Frongillo at 911. 

At Ris Paper, with the help of my steward Bob Dean, 

everything is running smoothly with few problems. I want to 

welcome Dan Dellucci, who was elected alternate steward at 

Ris Paper. Congratulations, Dan! 



Taking On 

UPS 

President O’Brien Keeps Busy At 

UPS Contract Talks in Virginia 

From mid-January through late March, Local 25 

President Sean O’Brien attended seven weeks of 

UPS contract talks as a member of the union’s 

National UPS Negotiating Committee. 

“It’s been a very challenging two and a half months,” 

O’Brien said. “The biggest challenge has been leaving 

Boston with all that is going on locally to head to Virginia 

for the talks. However, General President Jim Hoffa has 

entrusted me with this task, and I will do whatever it 

takes to negotiate the strongest contract for our 3,000 

UPS members at Local 25 and the more than 235,000 

nationwide.” 

UPS members in the Boston area and across the 

country have made it clear that protecting pensions and 

health care are their top priorities. O’Brien said he and 

the rest of the national committee are determined to protect 

these hard-fought benefits. 

“Local 25’s UPS members constantly tell me that we 

need to protect health & welfare and pension benefits, and 

we will do just that,” O’Brien said. “I understand what is 

at stake here, and we will get the job done.” 

While O’Brien has spent lots of time living out of a 

suitcase, he keeps in close contact with his officers, business 

agents and staff members back home. “I keep on top 

of everything. My staff knows to keep me in the loop,” he 

said with a smile. 

After making steady progress on issues related to 

working conditions, the Teamsters National UPS 

Negotiating Committee began bargaining economic 



issues the week of March 19. 

An aggressive schedule was set for 

the committee, and a decision was 

made not to schedule talks past 

March 31. This decision was based on 

the reasoning that by the end of 

March, the committee would be able 

to determine whether UPS was serious 

about discussing solutions to 

members’ concerns about pensions 

and health and welfare benefits. 

The negotiations opened with discussions 

about the economic issues of 

greatest concern to members, and in 

the meantime, meetings were held 

with the relevant pension and health 

and welfare funds. While waiting for 

the funds to compile the necessary 

data, the committee set out to resolve 

non-economic issues concerning 

working conditions. 

“At this point, we have come to 

agreement on several issues, though 

we still have not fully resolved our 

members’ concerns about non-economic 

issues such as excessive overtime 

or subcontracting,” said Ken 

Hall, Director of the Teamsters Parcel 

and Small Package Division. 

Beyond March 

Ultimately, after having received an 

unprecedented amount of informa- 

tion from the relevant health & welfare 

and pension funds, the committee 

was able to put forth a package of 

economic proposals to the company. 

“There still remain non-economic 

issues we’re apart on, but we put economics 

on the table because we 

received the information we needed 

from the funds,” Hall said. “Our 

members made it clear in surveys that 

pensions and health care are their top 

priorities. With the new pension legislation 

looming, we’ve put forth proposals 

for record increases. We are 

taking on the fight to protect members’ 

pension and health care benefits.” 

Following talks the week of 

March 19th, a decision was made to 

schedule future talks with the company 

in May. “The committee has determined 

that at this point, an early 

agreement with UPS is still within 

reach,” Hall said. 

The union’s national committee 

members represent different areas of 

the country with different issues. 

“Our committee is doing a great 

job providing input on behalf of their 

members,” Hall said. 

Protecting pensions is especially 

challenging in light of so many pensions 

being lost and terminated at 

companies around the country. 

“We must remain united so we 

can take on the fight for all members’ 

retirement security,” Hall said. 

Local Supplements 

In coming weeks, the committee will 

continue to analyze data and develop 

the best solutions to protect pensions 

and health care. In the meantime, for 

the month of April, national committee 

members will focus on the many 

supplemental agreements. 

“The supplements, riders and 

addendums include very important 

issues, such as local working conditions 

and bidding procedures,” said 

Denis Taylor, President of Local 355, 

who was appointed to coordinate the 

supplement negotiations. 

O’Brien agreed. 

“The supplements are very 

important to the daily lives of our 

UPS members,” O’Brien said. “I look 

forward to putting in a lot of energy 

to address these local issues. Although 

I serve on the national negotiating 

committee, I never forget the needs of 

our members right here at home.” 



COLLEEN SULLIVAN 

MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCED 

“Colleen Sullivan was a firstclass 

professional, friend and 

colleague at Local 25 for more 

than 20 years.” 

–Sean M. O’Brien, 

President of Local 25 

The Executive Board of the Massachusetts Coalition 

of Taft-Hartley Trust Funds recently announced the 

establishment of the Colleen Sullivan Memorial 

Nursing Vocation Scholarship in honor of a true friend and 

colleague of labor, Colleen Sullivan, R.N. 

“Colleen Sullivan was a first-class professional, friend 

and colleague at Local 25 for more than 20 years,” said Sean 

M. O’Brien, President of Local 25. “In her capacity as Health 

Care Analyst, she brought an extraordinary array of talents 

to the table, including medical and insurance knowledge, 

government agency savvy, and quality assurance and 

utilization review skills.” 

Sullivan’s experience as a registered nurse gave her the 

foundation to provide assistance to many of Local 25’s 

members in a dedicated, selfless manner. She took on the 

duties of a case manager when members needed her help. 

“The creation of this scholarship is a symbol of the 

sincere appreciation we have for the wisdom, counsel and 

charity she provided to many of us and our members,” 

O’Brien said. 

The members of the Massachusetts Coalition of Taft 

Hartley trust funds voted to provide a $1,000 scholarship 

each year in Colleen’s memory for a student enrolled in an 

accredited nursing program. 

Applications and guidelines can be obtained at all the 

TeamstersCare offices in Charlestown, Chelmsford, Malden 

and Stoughton, and can also be downloaded from the 

TeamstersCare web site at www.teamsterscare.com and the 

Local 25 web site at www.teamsterslocal25.com. 

All applications must be received by May 26, 2007. The 

committee will announce the scholarship recipient by June 

25, 2007. 

Applications should be returned to: 

MCTHTF 

89 Access Road, Unit #4 

Norwood, MA 02062 

Attn: Colleen Sullivan Memorial Nursing 

Vocation Scholarship 



Allied Members Vote On Critical Reorganization Plan 

Yucaipa Proposal Would Preserve 

Pensions, Health Benefits 

Local 25 carhaulers who work at Allied voted 

recently on a reorganization plan filed by a private 

investment firm that would preserve their pensions, 

health benefits and their union contract. 

The ballots were scheduled to be counted on 

April 16, after this edition of The Spokesman went 

to press. 

Teamsters Carhaul Division Director Fred 

Zuckerman visited Local 25 in late February to 

explain the plan filed by the Yucaipa Companies. 

“The Yucaipa plan isn’t perfect,” Zuckerman said. 

“It calls for a 15 percent pay cut over three years. 

However, the cuts are much less severe than those proposed 

earlier by Allied’s current management. Plus, all 

the concessions under Yucaipa’s plan go toward new 

equipment for Teamsters,” Zuckerman said. 

Also, the Yucaipa plan calls for the ouster of current 

Allied CEO Hugh Sawyer, whose mismanagement 

contributed to Allied filing for bankruptcy in 

July 2005. 

“The Yucaipa plan is a bold, innovative solution 

that we believe offers the best opportunity for protecting 

and preserving your pension, health and welfare 

benefits and your union contract,” a letter from 

Zuckerman and General President Jim Hoffa to members 

stated. 

“If our members ratify the plan, it will save the 

company from liquidation and will save thousands 

of Teamster jobs in the carhaul industry,” Zuckerman 

said. 

The Teamsters represent about 2,700 active members 

at Allied and nearly 2,000 with recall rights. 

Local 25 represents 97 members at Allied. 

“We never want to see wage cuts, but the Yucaipa 

plan is an option our members would vote for,” Local 

25 President Sean M. O’Brien said. “Under the plan, 

our members’ pensions and health and welfare benefits 

remain protected. Their futures will remain more 

secure. It is also evident that the auto transport industry 

as a whole, both union and non-union, seem to be 

paying for bad management planning. This is evident 

with the non-union carrier Blue Thunder going out of 

business. Fortunately for us, in these cases union companies 

have secured these contracts, thus providing 

more work for our members.” 



NLRB Shoots Down 

FedEx’s Latest Ploy 

Board Rules That Local 25 

Literature Was Not Misleading 

A National Labor Relations Board 

(NLRB) administrative law judge has 

shot down FedEx’s objections to the 

worker victories in Wilmington, 

Massachusetts, slamming the door on 

the company’s latest ploy to deny 

workers a strong voice on the job. 

In the wake of the October 20, 2006 

election, in which FedEx Home 

Delivery workers voted 24-8 to join 

Local 25, FedEx filed charges with the 

NLRB. The company asserted that 

Local 25 sent two misleading pieces of 

campaign literature—a sample ballot 

and information about initiation 

dues—to workers prior to the vote. 

The NLRB judge ruled against the 

company on both objections. 

The company even had the audacity 

to assert that particular workers read 

English poorly, which the company 

argued increased the chances that they 

were mislead by the union’s literature. 

The administrative law judge dismissed 

that argument. 

“It seems to 

me, almost 

impossible to 

determine— 

objectively—short of extensive testing, 

whether someone’s reading skills are 

limited enough so that it increases the 

tendency of a document to mislead in 

any particular way,” the judge wrote. 

“Once again, FedEx will stop at 

nothing to try to deny these workers 

their federally protected right to form a 

union,” said Sean M. O’Brien, President 

of Local 25. “They even tried to insult 

our members’ intelligence and aptitude 

of English. Thankfully, the administrative 

law judge agreed that the company’s 

argument is a last-ditch effort to 

deny our members their rights.” 

On February 16, 2007, the judge 

issued the following recommendation: 

“The employer’s objections to conduct 

affecting the results of the elections in 

Local 25 President Sean M. O’Brien attended a FedEx strategy 

meeting in mid-March at the Teamsters Headquarters in 

Washington, D.C. O’Brien was a main speaker at the event, attended 

by union leaders and organizers from throughout the Northeast. 

O’Brien shared insights into the recent organizing victory at FedEx 

Home Delivery at two locations in Wilmington, Massachusetts. 

Local 25 Director of Organizing and Government Affairs Steven R. 

Sullivan and Organizer Steve South also attended. 

the above matters should be overruled. 

As the tally of ballots shows that the 

majority of valid votes counted have 

been cast for [Local 25] in each election, 

it is recommended that the Board 

certify [Local 25] as the collective-bargaining 

representative of employees in 

the appropriate units.” 

Workers at two FedEx Home 

Delivery locations in Wilmington 

voted for the Teamsters. 

Genaro Vargas, a driver in 

Wilmington, said he was pleased with 

the judge’s ruling. 

“I felt insulted that the company 

tried to say my English is not good 

enough to understand what Local 25 

sent me,” Vargas said. “I am a proud 

Teamster, and I will not let FedEx try to 

take that away from me.” 



UPS Freight Talks 

‘Going Well’ 

Both Sides Agree On Numerous Non-Economic Items 

The Teamsters’ UPS Freight Negotiating 

Committee made steady progress during negotiations 

March 12-14, reaching agreement on 

12 articles related to working conditions. More talks 

have been scheduled. 

The committee, meeting with UPS Freight outside 

of Washington, D.C., made progress on noneconomic 

items—language related to working 

conditions. 

Both sides are close to agreeing on a number of 

other non-economic articles. 

“The talks are going well and, based upon the 

pace of the latest talks, we are confident a strong 

agreement for the UPS Freight members in 

Indianapolis can be reached,” said Ken Hall, Director 

of the Teamsters Parcel and Small Package Division, 

who is co-chairman of the negotiating committee. 

“The negotiations in Indianapolis for our members 

at Local 135 will result in providing them with 

the same kind of strong contract language freight and 

UPS Teamsters currently enjoy,” said Gordon 

Sweeton, Assistant Director of the Teamsters National 

Freight Division, also co-chairman of the committee. 

“All of our members here at Local 135 are excited 

about the progress that is being made,” said Jeff 

Combs, Local 135’s organizer. “They know they will 

have a strong voice soon in the form of a Teamster 

contract. 

The negotiations will cover 125 drivers and dockworkers 

in Indianapolis. However, the Indianapolis 

contract will be a model national contract to organize 

the 300 other UPS Freight terminals nationwide, 

including the terminal in Billerica, Massachusetts. 

“I continue to closely monitor the UPS Freight 

talks,” said Sean M. O’Brien, Local 25 President. “We 

continue to keep in touch with the Billerica drivers, 

and we will keep them informed of any new developments. 

I look forward to providing the UPS Freight 

drivers here in Eastern Massachusetts with the strong 

voice they deserve.” 

Talks are scheduled to resume April 16 to 

April 19. 



STOP&SHOP 

Stop & Shop Truck 

C. 1950 

Those were the days… 

Today over 250 Local 25 Teamsters drive trucks for Stop 

and Shop from the Freetown, Massachusetts facility. 

There are 26 Teamsters Local 25 mechanics who keep 

these trucks moving on the road. 

Stop & Shop’s roots can be traced back to 1914, when the 

Rabinovitz family founded the Economy Grocery Stores 

Company in Somerville, Massachusetts. Four years later, family 

member Sidney Rabb introduced an idea new to retail: the selfservice, 

modern supermarket. By 1947, Economy Grocery 

Stores had grown into a flourishing chain of 86 supermarkets 

and the name of the company was changed to Stop & Shop, 

Inc. In the 1980s, Stop & Shop pioneered the superstore concept 

in New England, opening the first Super Stop & Shop 

in 1982. 

Stop & Shop mechanics have been keeping the trucks 

moving since 1947. Teamsters Local 25 has 26 Fleet 

Mechanics who work in the state-of-the-art facility in 

Freetown, Massachusetts. “ We have grown from 21 mechanics 

to 26 since our move from Readville, Massachusetts in 2005. 

We have a new shop with 5 drive through trailer bays and 4 

drive through tractor bays.” Explained Steward Tim Godfrey 

“We are a 24/7 shop and maintain 160 tractors and 452 cargo 

trailers and 343 refrigerated trailers.” 

Left to right: Dan Soderbom, Tim Godfrey (Steward), 

Albert Barbosa, John Gillis, Chad LaFrance, Mark 

Marvel, Peter Moniz, Bob McAllister (Business Agent), 

(Kneeling) Luis Tolentino, Joseph Izyk. 



Retirees Take on Woburn City Leaders 

Retirees Bill Grubs (left) and Joe Conti, President of the Local 25 

Retirees Chapter, prepare to hand out leaflets in front of the Woburn 

City Council Chambers in early February. Members of the Retirees 

Chapter helped during the recent organizing 

drive for the City Department Heads. 

The Organizing Department 

was forced to hand out 

informational leaflets at 

Woburn City Hall during the organizing 

drive with the Department Heads. 

More than 40 Local 25 members and 

retirees protested against Mayor 

Thomas McLaughlin and City 

Attorney David Jenkins who were 

stalling the process at the Labor 

Relations Commission. A total of 23 

department heads and assistant 

department heads will soon be able 

to vote for Teamsters Local 25. 

Left to right, Bill Grubbs, retiree; Tom 

Mari, Business Agent; Allen Dennis, 

DHL; Paul Dobbins, DHL; Joe 

Ferriera, DHL; Dan Splaine, retiree; 

Chuck Durfee, retiree; Bob Rodman, 

DHL; Steve Roche, Motion Picture 

Division; Steve South, organizer; 

David Pietroforte, Business Agent; 

Kevin Brothers, DHL; and Joe Conti, 

President of the Teamsters Local 25 

Retiree Chapter. 



New England Teamsters Federal Credit Union 

has recently elected the following Board of Directors 

and Supervisory Committee Members 

Board of Directors 


Chairman 

Sean O’Brien 

1st Vice Chairman 


Treasurer 

Robert B. McAllister 

Secretary 

Ernest C. Sheehan, Jr. John Perry Joseph Conti 

Supervisory Committee 

Robert F. Cullinane 

Tom Mari 

Gerald T. Godin 

Chairman 

Thomas J. Hennigan 

Robert E. Bayusik 

Vincent J. Pisacreta 

Joseph J. Bairos 

Teamsters 

Helping 


Over the years, the Credit Union has helped thousands of New England Teamsters 

and their families, providing them with hundreds of millions of dollars in mortgages, 

loans, and Visa credit, as well as secure high rate savings, checking, CD's and IRA 

accounts. No, or low cost financial services was our mission back when a group of 

Local 25 Teamsters got together to start the Credit Union, and that remains our mission 

today. 

If your primary financial institution is a BANK, you should look at the New 

England Teamsters Federal Credit Union. Compare our rates, there is no comparison! 

With NEW services like FREE Checking and soon to be announced Online Bill 

Pay, we are growing the Credit Union to serve all your financial services. Please let us 

know if there is more that we can do for you and your family at 1(800) 343-7126 or 

visit www.netfcu.org.


Caucuses 

TNBC News 

Mike Little Clarence Goodloe 

Yellow Freight Stop & Shop 

(978) 985-2489 (781) 254-3924 

State Chapter Hosts 

Wide Range of Activities 

Bowling tournaments, Christmas parties, dances and cruises. 

These are just a few of the activities that the Teamsters National Black 

Caucus (TNBC) Massachusetts Chapter hosts on a regular basis. 

Mike Little, a local organizer of the TNBC chapter and a 

Yellow Freight Teamster, said they recently had a bowling tournament—one 

of four they have each year. The chapter also 

annually hosts a Christmas party, a boat cruise and a dance. 

“The events we put on are always a good time,” Little said. 

“We’re always looking for new members and we’ve got a great 

group of members. The TNBC Mass Chapter is made up of 

members from a variety of Teamster locals in the area. Anyone 

interested should get in touch and come to one of our monthly 

meetings.” 

Little said the monthly meetings don’t have a regular meeting 

spot, so interested members should contact him for the time 

and place. Meetings are held in Roxbury on the first Saturday of 

each month. 

Left to right, Dewayne Walker, UPS (behind); Flo Bailey, 

Hertz; Renalda Chambers, City of Cambridge; David Odom, 

UPS (with trophy); Mike Little, Yellow Freight; and Ernie 

Wilson, UPS. 

Local 25 Members Establish Women’s Committee 

The newly formed Teamsters Local 25 Women’s Committee held its 

first meeting on Saturday, March 10. 

The committee plans to volunteer for various charitable events 

and create a legislative action team on Beacon Hill. The women’s 

committee was formed to: 

• Unite women members to address their concerns and issues in the 

workplace; 

• Promote women’s involvement and recognition within their local 

union and all levels of the Teamsters Union; 

• Foster better relationships and communication between members; 

• Help with organizing efforts and other activities, which further 

the interests of the local union, and 

• Strengthen and build solidarity within the local union. 

For more information, call Jacqueline Addison at (617) 851-9428 or 

Jan Guazzaloca at (978) 317-9137. 

Left to right, standing: Jacqueline Addison, MassPort and 

Trustee of Local 25 (Co-Chair of Women’s Committee); Jan 

Guazzaloca, UPS (Co-Chair of Women’s Committee); Rose 

Marie Bamford, City of Everett; Phyllis Geany, TeamstersCare; 

Helen Giglio, City of Everett; Gerri Miranda, City of Everett; 

Charlene Licari, NETFCU; Renalda Chambers, City of 

Cambridge; Elizabeth Gallinaro, City of Cambridge; Maureen 

Morris, City of Cambridge; JoAnna Alberelli, Hertz; and 

Stephanie DiMuaro, Hertz. Seated: Ann Nastasia, MassPort; 

Angela Chan, Joint Venture (The Ride); Diane Russo, 

TeamstersCare; Flo Bailey, Hertz; and Kelly Granara, Local 25. 



TeamstersCare 

Providing comprehensive health care to Teamsters and their families. 

Board of Trustees 

Teamsters Union 25 

Health Services & 

Insurance Plan 

Sean M. O’Brien 

Union Co-Chairman 


Union Trustee 


Union Trustee 

Charles F. Arbing 

Employer Co-Chairman 

John Remillard 

Employer Trustee 

Thomas K. Wotring 

Employer Trustee 

TeamstersCare Notes 

Welcome! 

Dr. Anna Ganopolsky, a graduate of Boston 

University’s Goldman School of Dental 

Medicine, has joined the TeamstersCare Dental 

Staff. Dr. Ganopolsky will be practicing at our 

Chelmsford and Charlestown offices and we are 

pleased to have her on our team. 

Thinking of Getting Into Shape This Spring? 

Here’s some motivation for you… 

Active members and members of the Early 

Retiree Medical Program enrolled in either 

TeamstersCare Network Blue New England or 

TeamstersCare Tufts EPO are eligible for a $150 

Fitness Reimbursement PLUS wellness, fitness 

and weight loss program discounts as provided 

by your selected HMO. Contact your HMO 

directly for details: 

TeamstersCare Tufts EPO: 

(800) 843-1008 toll free 

TeamstersCare Network Blue New England: 

(800) 241-0803 toll free 

Save the Date! 

Annual Hearing 

Screening Day for 

TeamstersCare Children 

Who: Eligible dependents ages 3 years 

and older. 

When: Saturday, May 19, 2007, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Where: Audiology Office @ the TeamstersCare 

Medical Building in Charlestown. 

Why: 

How: 

Because even a mild hearing loss can 

impair your child’s ability to learn. 

Call the TeamstersCare Appointment 

Desk in Charlestown at: 

(617) 241-9220 ext. 1 (local) 

(800) 442-9939 ext. 1 (toll free in MA) 

(800) 225-6135 ext. 1 (toll free out of state) 

The screening takes about 15 minutes and includes 

a visual inspection of the ear canals, a middle ear 

test (to rule out ear infections and such), and a 

hearing screening to ensure your child’s hearing is 

OK. Snacks and goodie bags abound! 

? 

Having 

Trouble 

Sleeping 

TeamstersCare Mental Health Has Some Advice 

Sleep is very important to our physical and 

mental well being. Although the amount of 

sleep a person needs varies, most people need 

between seven and eight hours of sleep a night. 

When we experience a sleep disruption 

that lasts more than a couple of days, this is 

commonly called insomnia. Insomnia includes 

difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or not 

feeling well rested, even after sleeping 

seven to eight hours at 

night. If you experience 

insomnia at night, you 

may have trouble functioning 

during the day 

due to fatigue, you 

may have trouble 

staying focused, or 

you may feel depressed or irritable. 

It is important to note that the older you 

get the less time you spend in deep sleep. 

Starting at around age 30 both men and 

women wake more often during the night, 

although women are twice as likely to suffer 

from insomnia as men. 

Insomnia can be caused by a medical condition, 

certain drugs, stress, a mental health 

problem such as depression, or a poor sleep 

environment such as too much noise. If you 

think you have insomnia, consult with your 

doctor and/or the TeamstersCare Mental 

Health Office in Malden (800) 851-TEAM. It 

might be helpful to complete a sleep diary for 

a week or two, noting your sleep patterns, 

your daily routine, and how you feel during


Your TeamstersCare Hearing Care Benefit 

TeamstersCare members and their eligible dependents can have comprehensive 

hearing testing done at the Charlestown Audiology Office. This means that once 

each year, routine hearing examinations and middle ear analysis are provided at 

no cost to you. 

If the audiologist determines that hearing aids would help, members in the 

Active, NCH, part-time UPS or Early Retiree Program may obtain your hearing 

aids at the TeamstersCare Audiology Office for a $10 TeamsterShare payment per 

visit. Members of the TeamstersCare Retiree Program (age 65+) are eligible for 

audiology clinical services and hearing aid referral with discount voucher benefit. 

The TeamstersCare audiologist will refer you to a local hearing aid dispenser in 

our network where you can purchase a hearing aid at a special discounted price. 

Active members living outside New England require a pre-treatment review 

conducted by the TeamstersCare audiologist for hearing aid coverage. 

The TeamstersCare Audiology Office in Charlestown is staffed by Tricia 

Kosiorek, M.S. CCC-A, Audiology Director. We invite you to call the appointment 

desk in Charlestown at (617) 241-9220 ext. 1 (local), (800) 442-9939 ext. 1 (toll 

free in MA), or (800) 225-6135 ext. 1 (toll free out of state), to schedule a hearing 

examination for you and your family. You should hear what you’re missing! 

the day. A physical exam, 

medical history, sleep history, 

and mental health evaluation 

may help in finding and treating 

medical or mental health 

problems that are keeping you 

from a good night’s sleep. 

As a last resort, your doctor 

may discuss the possibility of 

using sleeping pills. Be aware 

that long-term use of sleeping 

pills is controversial due to 

addiction/dependency issues. 

Be sure and talk to your doctor 

about the risks and side effects 

if you are considering treatment 

with sleep medication. 

TeamstersCare Mental Health 

Tips for Better Sleep: 

• Spend the hour before bedtime winding down; 

• Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and 

get up at the same time each morning; 

• Exercise regularly—preferably at least 5 hours 

before bedtime; 

• Eat dinner at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime; 

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in the day 

or at night; 

• Get out of bed and do something relaxing if you can’t 

sleep; 

• Avoid watching TV, eating or reading while in bed; 

• Avoid naps during the day, even if you slept poorly 

the night before, and 

• Seek advice from your doctor and/or TeamstersCare 

Mental Health if insomnia lasts more than a week. 

TeamstersCare Directory www.teamsterscare.com 

Charlestown Office 

16 Sever St. 

Charlestown, MA 02129 

Administration • Audiology 

Dental • Member Services 

Local Tel: 617-241-9220 

Within MA: 800-442-9939 

Out of State: 800-225-6135 

Fax: 617-241-8168 

Charlestown Pharmacy 

552 Main St. 

Charlestown, MA 02129 

Local Tel: 617-241-9024 

Toll Free: 800-235-0760 

Fax: 617-241-5025 

Stoughton Pharmacy 

1214 Park St. 

Stoughton, MA 02072 

Tel: 781-297-9764 

Fax: 781-297-9370 

Stoughton Dental Office 

1214 Park St. 

Stoughton, MA 02072 

Tel: 781-297-7360 

Toll Free: 877-326-1999 

Fax: 781-297-7830 

Chelmsford Dental Office 

4 Meeting House Rd. 

Chelmsford, MA 01824 

Tel: 978-256-9728 

Toll Free: 800-258-2111 

Fax: 978-256-9846 

Mental Health Office 

27 Hunting St. 

Malden, MA 02148 

24-hour Toll Free 

Tel: 800-851-8326 

Local: 781-321-6526 

Fax: 781-321-6501 



A Message from 

Steven R. Sullivan 

Director of Organizing 

& Government Affairs 

Organize the UNorganized! 

The Organizing Department has been busy talking to 

workers at Laidlaw Bus Company, First Student Bus 

Company, and UPS Freight. The City of Woburn department 

heads petition is in the hands of the State Labor 

Relations Commission. We hope to have an election date 

by May 1, 2007. 

We have faced some adversity with the Boston College Police 

Campaign. The Boston College Police Patrolmen voted to 

merge their (Association) into Teamsters Local 25 by a 

36-0 vote. Due to an antiquated section in the National 

Labor Relations Act, we cannot hold an NLRB election 

for these Police Officers, an election we would clearly 

win. 

Section 9 (b)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act 

reads “a labor organization shall not be certified as the 

representative of employees in a bargaining unit of 

guards if such organization admits to membership or is 

affiliated directly or indirectly with an organization who 

admits to membership employees other than guards.” 

Since the National Labor Relations Board is not authorized 

to hold an election for these Police Officers, we 

asked the administration at Boston College to “recognize” 

the fact that the police want to be represented by 

Teamsters Local Union No. 25. 

The college has decided not to “voluntary recognize” the 

police patrolmen. There are many disturbing issues at the 

Boston College Police Department. The turnover rate of 

these qualified professionals is alarming. There are over a 

dozen outstanding grievances written for violating the 

contract. The officers constantly feel compromised as 

professionals. The department suffers from inadequate 

staffing levels, mandatory overtime, lack of up-to-date 

equipment, unpaid time for working, and insufficient 

holding facilities. These professionals have reached out 

for our support and we need to do our best to help them. 

We are currently working on a plan to convince Boston 

College to recognize the Policemen at Boston College. 

Stay Tuned !!!! 

Employee 

Free Choice 

Act 

A Good Choice 

On February 23, 2007 members of the Labor 

Community in the City of Boston gathered at 

the Teamsters Local 25 Union Hall for a press 

conference about the Employee Free Choice Act. 

The Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800), supported 

by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, would level the 

playing field for workers and employers and help rebuild 

America’s middle class. It would restore workers’ 

freedom to choose a union by: 

• Establishing stronger penalties for violations of 

employee rights when workers seek to form a union 

and during first-contract negotiations. 

• Providing mediation and arbitration for first-contract 

disputes. 

• Allowing employees to form unions by signing cards 

authorizing union representation. 



Sean M. O’Brien at the podium LtoR: Cathy Curran, Bill Gardner, Wayne Curran, Genaro Vargas and Joe 

Pasquale all drivers at FedEx Home Delivery in Wilmington, Massachusetts. 

Sean M. O’Brien, President of Teamsters 

Local 25 opened the press conference with a back 

drop of FedEx Home Delivery drivers who voted 

to join local 25 in October of 2006. 

O’Brien said, “ These FedEx workers behind 

me had to endure the most treacherous antiunion 

campaign we have ever seen here at 

Teamsters Local 25. This law is crucial for the 

protection of every worker who wants to become 

a union member.” 

At the press conference Congressman Edward 

Markey (D-Mass) and Congressman Stephen Lynch 

(D-Mass) discussed their strategy going forward 

in the newly turned Democratic House of 

Representatives. 

The Employee Free Choice Act was passed on 

March 1, 2007. The bill is waiting to go through 

the United States Senate, where it is expected to 

pass only to be vetoed by President Bush. 

Left to Right: Edward Markey (D-Mass), Sean M. O’Brien, President 

of Teamsters Local 25 ,Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-Mass) 



Name Company Times/Gallons Name Company Times/Gallons 

Blood Bank 

Peter Alvarado UPS 10 1.25 

Pieferson Alves UPS 1 0.125 

Rick Anderson Manfi - Stop & Shop 25 3.125 

Irving Balkman Retired 156 19.5 

Tony Barrone Union Hall 50 6.25 

Alice Bavaro Retired 24 3 

John Benson General Public 13 1.625 

Paul Bohling DHL 15 1.875 

Warren Boisueit Yellow 22 2.75 

Jerry Bolton Retired 58 7.25 

Mary Beth Borre General Public 10 1.25 

Daniel Buckwell General Public 1 0.125 

Karen Burns General Public 16 2 

Bob Burns Retired 79 9.875 

Brian Buttrick Allied Systems 5 0.625 

Robert Cain UPS 2 0.25 

Ernest Cannon Mystic Island Trans 8 1 

William Chambers General Public 2 0.25 

Joe Cochran New Penn 35 4.375 

Paul Copithorne Retired 79 9.875 

Karen Crawford Roadway 1 0.125 

Kris Crawford Roadway 4 0.5 

Mike Curran Allied Systems 4 0.5 

John Curran Yellow 30 3.75 

Eric Dauler General Public 2 0.25 

Fred Dean Retired 9 1.125 

Dan Dellucci Ris Paper 3 0.375 

Joe Destasio Retired 48 6 

Michael Downey General Public 10 1.25 

Stephen S. Drago US Foodservice 34 4.25 

Rosie Dunlap UPS 2 0.25 

Chuck Durfee Retired 127 15.875 

Mike Erelli Yellow 24 3 

Tom Farnkoff Retired 46 5.75 

Antonette Fernandez General Public 11 1.375 

Richard Foppiano Retired 34 4.25 

Joseph Foti UPS 9 1.125 

Doug Francey Atlantic Plant Maintenance 28 3.5 

John Francis Retired 13 1.625 

Dick Frank City Of Cambridge DPW 34 4.25 

Elizabeth Fula FEDEX 2 0.25 

Jim Gallagher Retired 15 1.875 

Edward Giglio City of Everett 1 0.125 

Helen Giglio City of Everett 1 0.125 

Hugh Gillen Ris Paper 3 0.375 

Albert Godfrey Retired 29 3.625 

Janet Guazzaloca UPS 12 1.5 

Mark E Hall Heating Oil Partners 1 0.125 

John W. Hannon Retired 54 6.75 

Robert Hardy Allied Systems 1 0.125 

Brian Harrington Yellow 19 2.375 

Jeff Harris General Public 1 0.125 

James Harris Heating Oil Partners 3 0.375 

Bob Harty Retired 39 4.875 

Roger Hendrix Manfi - Stop & Shop 26 3.25 

Doug Henry Manfi - Stop & Shop 52 6.5 

Kathy Hickey General Public 3 0.375 

Amber Hoeft General Public 4 0.5 

Tom Hurley Yellow 1 0.125 

John D. Jeffrey Retired 101 12.625 

Patrick Jiarry General Public 1 0.125 

Bob Johnson General Public 7 0.875 

Charles Johnson Retired 26 3.25 

Laura Johnson UPS 22 2.75 

Ernie Johnson Allied Systems 6 0.75 

John Juszkiewicz UPS 14 1.75 

Daniel Kakleas New Penn 37 4.625 

Don Kelley Admiral Metals 11 1.375 

William T. Kelly United Liquors 1 0.125 

James Kessler Stop & Shop 2 0.25 

Michael Kimball Leaseway Motorcar 16 2 

Paul Kirby Admiral Metals 14 1.75 

Charles Knecht Retired 51 6.375 

Cathryn Krizanek General Public 1 0.125 

William S. Kuttner General Public 2 0.25 

Eleanor Laffey UPS 1 0.125 

Kevin Lally Retired 67 8.375 

Dave Langan Retired 139 17.375 

Joseph Laplante GD Mathews 4 0.5 

Patti Lapointe Teamsters Care 56 7 

Kevin Leary Arrow Paper 5 0.625 

Stephen S. Lema Manfi - Stop & Shop 27 3.375 

Larry Libby Teamsters Care 96 12 

Al Littlefield Stop & Shop 6 0.75 

Bob Lunday US Foodservice 8 1 

Jim MacInnis Xpedx 13 1.625 

Tim F. Manning Global Oil 60 7.5 

Tim W. Manning Yellow 1 0.125 

Tom Mari Local 25 B.A. 29 3.625 

Robert A. Marshall General Public 1 0.125 

Marilyn Mastascusa Teamsters Care 53 6.625 

Bob McAllister Local 25 B.A. 105 13.125 

Charles McAskill Atlas - Glenmor 43 5.375 

Peter McDonough DHL 1 0.125 

Shelia McGonagle General Public 13 1.625 

Jean McGonagle General Public 9 1.125 

Paul McGrath General Public 5 0.625 

Mike McGrath US Foodservice 34 4.25 

Brian McIntyre UPS 2 0.25 

Richard McMurtry UPS 15 1.875 

Bruce McPherson DHL Global 5 0.625 

Robert Monteforte UPS 3 0.375 

Ronnie Moran Retired 114 14.25 

Mike Morrissey DHL 7 0.875 

John J Murphy Retired 161 20.125 

Kevin Nagle New Penn 31 3.875 

Tommy Nasson Global Oil 93 11.625 

Mary Nolen General Public 1 0.125 

Joseph Nolette City of Everett 1 0.125 

Richard Oberton Shaughnessy & Ahern 7 0.875 

Patrick O'Brien Roadway 7 0.875 

Jon O'Connell General Public 1 0.125 

John O'Connor Admiral Metals 11 1.375 

Julia O'Donnell General Public 2 0.25 

Don O'Neil Sears 25 3.125 

Michael Pagliaro New Penn 74 9.25 

Steven Peckham Coan Inc 5 0.625 

Joe Peluso Atlas - Glenmor 41 5.125 

Tom Pennell Retired 46 5.75 

Armand Pepin Manfi - Stop & Shop 3 0.375 

Edmund E. Petit Jr. Union Hall 16 2 

Dave Pietroforte Local 25 B.A. 28 3.5 



Name Company Times/Gallons 

Edward Porter Manfi - Stop & Shop 2 0.25 

Ron Raymond UPS 44 5.5 

Tom Richardson General Public 4 0.5 

Angelo Riva Jr. Retired 39 4.875 

Chris Savage Massport 1 0.125 

Philip Savoy Jr. Coan Inc 31 3.875 

Paul Sharpe Retired 99 12.375 

Drew Smith General Public 1 0.125 

Murdock W. Smith Retired 1 0.125 

Dan Splaine Retired 119 14.875 

Bill Sterling General Public 3 0.375 

John M. Strait General Public 2 0.25 

Tom Sullivan Global Oil 39 4.875 

Fred Sutera Union Hall 47 5.875 

Jim Taber General Public 1 0.125 

Bill Thibodeaux Retired 52 6.5 

Annabella Torino General Public 12 1.5 

Robert Torino General Public 11 1.375 

Jim Torrey UPS 12 1.5 

Stephen Urquhart Brigham's 2 0.25 

Leo V Walbourne UPS / Cartage 27 3.375 

Jack Ward Retired 107 13.375 

Kristen Ward -Humber General Public 7 0.875 

Jason Wedlick General Public 1 0.125 

Angela Withun General Public 4 0.5 

BLOODBANKREPORT 

Teamsters Local Union No. 25 is proud to report that during 

the months of January, February and March we had 

two hundred seven donors representing thirty-one 

different companies that gave blood to the American Red 

Cross. The Retirees Chapter was well represented with 

twenty-nine donors along with United Parcel Service with 

fourteen. 

A special congratulations to Retiree John D. Jeffrey 

for reaching his 100th donation and for joining the Century 

Club. 

We also would like to congratulate the following 

members: Retiree John J. Murphy for joining the Twenty 

Gallon Club, Local 25 Business Agent Bob McAllister for 

joining the Thirteen Gallon Club. TeamstersCare employees 

Larry Libby who joined the Twelve Gallon Club along 

with Patti Lapointe who joined the Seven Gallon Club. 

Retiree Joe Destasio joined the Six Gallon Club and joining 

the Three Gallon Club were Retiree Alice Bavaro and 

Yellow employee Mike Erelli. Karen Burns, Edmund Petit 

Jr. and Leaseway Motorcar employee Michael Kimball all 

joined the Two Gallon Club. Ernest Cannon of Mystic 

Island Trans, Bob Lunday of US Foods and Joseph Foti of 

UPS all joined the One Gallon Club. 

Teamsters Local 25 would like to thank the Donors for 

their continued dedication, especially during the winter 

months. We truly could not make this possible every 

month without your commitment and sacrifice. 

REDCROSS 

Workers Ratify Contract, 

Avert Disruption of Blood Bank 

Pact Provides Wage Increases, Protections 

Local 25 members who work at the American Red Cross 

in Dedham recently ratified a new contract, averting a 

strike that would have interrupted Local 25’s Blood 

Bank. 

“There were mixed feelings going into these negotiations,” 

said Sean M. O’Brien, Local 25 President.“We had a hard decision 

to make, whether we were going to cancel our blood bank 

and go out on strike against the Red Cross.” 

The members had voted 58-0 to authorize a strike, if necessary. 

The strike vote helped speed up serious negotiations by 

the Red Cross. Members ratified the new, three-year contract 

by a 95 percent margin. 

Highlights of the agreement are: 

• 3 percent wage increases across the board in each year; 

• Maintaining current level of health and retirement benefits; 

• Strengthening of the scheduling and seniority language; 

• Maintaining all double-time shifts, and 

• Strengthening of subcontracting language. 

The American Red Cross and Teamsters Local 25 have a 

relationship that goes back to November of 1964. That is when 

Local 25 started hosting a blood bank on the fourth Saturday 

of every month except in the months of July, August and 

December. 

“Since its inception 43 years ago, the Teamsters Local 25 

Blood Bank has contributed thousands of pints of blood,” 

O’Brien said.“We are very proud of all our members and 

retirees for giving the gift of life.” 

Local 25 represents 60 workers at Red Cross in Dedham. 



Events 

Calendar of 

April 2007 

May 2007 

June 2007 

July 2007 

April 15, 2007 

April 22, 2007 

April 27, 2007 

April 28, 2007 

May 5, 2007 

May 13, 2007 

May 19, 2007 

May 20, 2007 

May 26, 2007 

May 28, 2007 

June 14, 2007 

June 16, 2007 

June 17, 2007 

June 21, 2007 

June 23, 2007 

June 25, 2007 

July 4, 2007 

July 5, 2007 

General Membership Meeting 10:00 A.M. 

Union Hall, 544 Main Street, Charlestown, MA 02129 

Earth Day 

Arbor Day 

Workers Memorial Day 

Blood Bank 9:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. 


Cinco de Mayo 

Mother’s Day 

Armed Forces Day 

Annual Hearing Screening Day for Children 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. 

TeamstersCare Building, Charlestown, MA 02129 

617-241-9220 

General Membership Meeting 10:00 A.M. 



Union Hall, 544 Main Street Charlestown, MA 02129 

Memorial Day (observed) 

Flag Day 

Teamsters Local 25 Charity Golf Outing 12:00 Noon 

Sheraton Colonial Hotel & Golf Course 

Lynnfield, Massachusetts 

Father’s Day 

Summer Solstice 



Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938 

Canada Day 

Independence Day 

National Labor Relations Act, 1935 


1279_Local25_Spring07.qxp 4/6/07 11:21 AM Page 25 

SAVE THE DATE 

Teamsters Local 25 2007 

Charity Golf Outing 

Scramble Style/Best Ball 

Saturday, June 16, 2007 

held at the Sheraton 

Colonial Hotel & Golf Course 

$125.00 per person – 

Registration to begin at 12:00 

Noon, Shot-Gun Start at 1:30 

Call early to register 

Trish DiSilva 

617-241-8825 * 264 

Local 25 President Sean M. O’Brien holds a photo of Baby 

Giovanni with the infant’s parents at his side, Christina 

Poulicakos, left, and Michael Guglielmo, right. 

We Want to Hear From You 

The Spokesman magazine focuses on what Local 

25 is doing for you, the members. But there are 

many interesting stories to tell and Local 25 is asking 

for your help in identifying them. 

Do you work with another Local 25 Teamster 

who should be recognized for their community 

service? Do you have a coworker who has an 

unusual hobby that you think others might be 

interested in? Is there a Teamster you work with 

who you think should be singled out for going 

above and beyond their normal call of duty? 

There are many interesting stories that only 

YOU might know about. Please let us know about 

them so they can be profiled in upcoming issues 

of The Spokesman. If you have an interesting 

story, please e-mail ssullivan@teamsterslocal25.com 

or write to: 

The Spokesman 

Teamsters Local 25 

544 Main St. 

Boston, MA 02129 

Save Baby Giovanni 

Local 25 leaders and members have been 

big supporters of Baby Giovanni’s quest 

for a bone-marrow donor. The infant 

suffers from NEMO deficiency, a genetic 

disorder named for a protein that is 

important for normal function of the 

immune system, as well as the skin, teeth, 

hair, bones, and the intestinal tract. 

Local 25 members who want to help 

are urged to visit Local 25’s web site, 

www.teamsterslocal25.com, and click 

on the “Save Giovanni” button. 



Stewards 

Spotlight 

John O’Brien 

Steward, UPS 

Before going to work at UPS in 

September 1989, John O’Brien 

had a job that was a little more 

taxing on his body. He was a 

piano mover. 

“At times, it was hard,” 

O’Brien said. “I like where I am 

now, at UPS. I like the folks I work with and I like that we 

have a strong local backing us up.” 

He has been a steward since September of last year and 

said his coworkers have been a big help in making the 

transition from feeder driver to feeder driver and steward. 

“I have good coworkers who have a strong desire to get 

involved in the union,” he said. “That has been a big help. 

Since I’ve been a steward, I’ve learned how important it is 

to be a good listener. When people come to me with their 

issues, it’s essential that I get a good grip on their point of 

view. Having the local on my side has also been good. My 

coworkers and I get a positive feeling from Local 25’s 

leadership.” 

A native of Watertown, O’Brien is married with four 

children. 

George Bassett 

Steward, UPS 

George Bassett started working 

at UPS as a driver’s helper in 

1985 and has served two stints 

as steward, totaling more than 

12 years. 

“I like being a steward. I do 

it because I’m a people person,” 

Bassett said. “To be a good steward, you have to be openminded. 

You need to be able to tell people what they 

need to hear, not what they want to hear.” Bassett said he 

serves his coworkers by being fair and always listening to 

both sides. 

Since becoming a steward, Bassett said he has gained a 

greater respect for working people in general, not just his 

fellow UPS workers. The new leadership at Local 25 has 

also opened his eyes to what unions can accomplish. 

“Local 25 has a lot of quality people working there,” he 

said. “I definitely feel like Sean O’Brien, the President, is 

great for the local and great for the Teamsters. 

Now a full-time package-car driver, he splits his time 

among his job, his duties as a steward, and with his wife 

and two daughters. He even finds the time to coach girls 

basketball and hockey. 

Maureen Morris 

Steward, City of Cambridge 

Maureen Morris, a 20-year 

employee of the City of 

Cambridge, said it is critical for 

Teamster women to seek leadership 

roles so that women’s concerns 

get the attention they 

deserve. 

“As women, we face different issues than men,” 

Morris said. “We need to have our voices heard just 

like men.” 

Morris has been a Teamster since the union began representing 

Cambridge city workers about a decade ago. She 

has served as a steward since becoming a Teamster. 

Morris worked in the Public Works administrative 

office for seven years, then worked in the City Clerk’s 

Office for nine years. For the past four years, she has 

worked as an administrative assistant to the superintendent 

for cemeteries. Most of her coworkers over the years 

have been women. 

“I can really relate to women’s issues and the different 

problems we face,” Morris said. “I get along with people 

and I like to help people out.” 

Morris said women Teamsters are often the ones who 

manage their families’ health and welfare, so she frequently 

gets questions about health benefits. Plus, the women 

Teamsters often have superior benefits compared to their 

husband’s benefits. 

Women Teamsters are concerned about issues such as 

paternity leave, equity in the workplace, having their 

opinions heard and ways to balance work and family, 

Morris said. 

“As a steward, I want to help women get these issues 

addressed,” she said. 

Morris has attended six Teamsters Women’s Conferences, 



and she has joined Local 25’s new Women’s Committee, 

formed to better address Local 25 women’s concerns. 

Lenny Campbell 

Steward, Breyers Ice Cream 

For the past 33 years, Lenny 

Campbell has worked at Breyers 

Ice Cream. For the last three of 

those years, he has been working 

as a shipper in the freezer, meaning 

he spends the bulk of his 

days working in temperatures 

between 20 and 30 below zero. But he wouldn’t have it any 

other way. 

“I love it. I prefer the cold. I can go in there with a T- 

shirt on,” Campbell said. “I’ve done just about every job in 

production.” 

Campbell has been a steward for close to 20 years and 

now serves as head steward to about 170 other Teamsters. 

He said the assistant stewards he works with all do an 

excellent job. 

“They’re my eyes and ears. I do the easy part. I 

argue with management. They do all the leg work,” he 

said. “It helps to have strong business agents and a good 

local behind you. Local 25 is very visible and there 

when you need them. They’re doing a great job and 

abiding by one of the strong points of unionism: 

There’s strength in unity. If everybody is with you, you 

can accomplish anything.” 

Campbell has lived in the region since he was 2 years old 

and is married with three children and two grandchildren. 

Mike Zona 

Steward, American Red 

Cross Biomedical Services 

Mike Zona, a steward at the 

American Red Cross Biomedical 

Services, said he has a good role 

model to pattern his career after: 

his dad. Zona’s father was a survivor 

of the attack on Pearl 

Harbor, where he worked as an Army mechanic. 

“After working for the government, he ended up teaching. 

He worked hard his whole life and I look at that as my 

model,” Zona said. 

Zona has worked for the Red Cross for 33 years and has 

been a steward for the past 15. “I kind of fell into it but feel 

like it might be my calling,” he said. “I’ve always looked at 

working for the Red Cross as a kind of public service, but 

in my position as a steward, I really do another kind of service. 

Stewards are there to serve their members.” 

There are about 75 people in Zona’s bargaining unit 

and he is a distribution technician. He services the hospitals 

by delivering and picking up blood and shipping it out 

all over the country. Zona said that their collective bargaining 

agreement is one of the best contracts in the country . 

Local 25 has also been there for Zona and his coworkers, 

he said. When the Red Cross workers voted unanimously 

to strike the company recently, Local 25 showed 

the company they meant business. 

“There’s been a resurgence in Local 25 and it’s largely 

due to the new President, Sean O’Brien,” he said. 

“Management knows the local has a strong, aggressive 

leadership willing to stand behind each and every member. 

O’Brien has infused the local with a well-needed shot 

of youth and enthusiasm.” 

Zona was born in Boston, is married and has two children; 

Josie, 13, and Luke, 9. 

Mike Woolf 

Steward, Xpedx 

Mike Woolf has worked at 

Xpedx for 23 years and has been 

a steward there for 15 years. 

“I like being a steward. When 

I get to help a guy out, it’s great,” 

Woolf said.“If any of my 

coworkers need a voice, I’m not 

shy about being that voice. I like being involved in the union. 

Woolf is a dock worker there and unloads trucks. His 

bargaining unit has 57 people in it. They went on strike 

five years ago and now we have negotiations for a new contract 

coming up in the next few weeks. 

Woolf lives in Weymouth with his wife and has three 

children. 

www.teamsterslocal25.com | SPRING 2007 | The SPOKESMAN | 25


January 2007 

Name Company Effective Date Type 

Henry Fontaine, Jr. W.H. Glancy & Sons, Inc. 11/1/06 Statutory Pension 

Donald E Hall Xpedx 11/1/06 Statutory Pension 

John Iannuzzi Manfi Leasing 1/1/07 Special Service Plan D 

Kenneth L. Jackson UPS 

1/1/07 Special Service Plan D 

Dennis A. Johnson Penn Culvert Co. 10/1/06 Early Retirement Pension 

John A. King UPS Cartage Services, Inc. 11/1/06 Special Service Plan D 

Edward J. Love Heating Oil Partners 6/1/06 Special Service Plan D 

David A. MacDonald DHL Express (USA, Inc.) 12/1/06 Statutory Pension 

Jane M. McGrath UPS Cartage Service, Inc. 11/1/06 Yearly Special Service Plan C 

William D. Maguire DHL Express (USA, Inc.) 11/1/06 Early Retirement Pension 

Walter A. Massucco Italian Catholic Cemetery 10/1/06 Statutory Pension 

Kevin M. Owens Roadway Express, Inc. 1/1.07 Regular Pension 

Richard E. Ragucci UPS 

12/1/06 Statutory Pension 

Everett N. Springer Coastal Freightways & Pennsylvania Truck Lines, Inc. 12/1/06 Statutory Pension 

Omer A. Tremblay Purity Supreme, Inc. 12/1/06 Statutory Pension 

Ernest J. Zimmerman Riverside Trans. Co. 10/1/06 Regular Pension 

February 2007 

Pensioners 


Gerald E. Busker, Jr. Axton Cross 10/1/06 Statutory Pension 

James A. Coggins Ris Paper/Retail Stores/Jenkins 8/1/06 Regular Pension 

Michael N. Farelli UPS 


Keith A. Johnson Bird 8/1/06 Disability Pension 

Frederick D. Linton UPS 


Steven P. Lowell Stop & Shop 1/1/07 

Yearly Special Service Plan C 

Albert A. Napolitano, Jr. Shaughnessy & Ahern and Testa 2/1/07 Disability Pension 

Dorothy A. O’Brien Jordan Marsh 2/1/07 Statutory Pension 

Robert J. O’Connor C. Gilman & Sons 1/1/07 Thirty Year Full Service 

John F. Turner Girouxs Express and Yellow Trans. 12/1/06 Statutory Pension 

March 2007 


Jerome S. Bennett Shaughnessy & Ahern 1/1/07 Early Retirement Pension 

Thomas E.Downing Roadway 1/1/07 Special Service Plan D 

Josephine J. Driscoll Jordan Marsh 1/1/07 Statutory Pension 

Wayne K. Ledoux Purity Supreme 2/1/07 Early Retirement Pension 

Shirley M. MacLean Jordan Marsh 2/1/07 Statutory Pension 

Wayne S. Prince Yellow Freight 2/1/07 Early Retirement Pension 

Ernest P. Sacco, Jr. Riverside Trans. Co. 1/1/07 Statutory Pension 

William A.Spirito UPS 




InMemoriam 

Name Company Name Compay 

Irene Aducci 

Jordan Marsh 

Frank Grayson Belcher New England 

Chester Ambruskebich Bird 

Thomas Hayes Americold 

Charles Anderer S S Pierce 

Joseph Hayes 

Plymouth Rock 

Florence Avery 

Federal Distillers 

Eugene Hennessy Boston Herald American 

Raymond Barnes Ginsburg Brothers 

John Hlystek 

Star Market 

Janet Berman 

Bosslinco Lines Inc. 

Harold P. Hollum Star Market 

John Bermingham Finast 

Kenneth Hudson Harnum 

Arthur Bowley Bird 

Ruth Hughes 

Local 25 - Clerical Office 

Frank C. Brown Interstate Motor Freight 

Leroy Hunt 

Brewer Petroleum 

Eliot L. Brown 

Dannon 

John Kane 

Hinds 

George Campbell Wilson Freight 

John Kerwin 

Crown Linen 

Vincent S. Candura St. Johnsbury 

Franklin Kinsman Alliance 

John Cole 

Central Express Inc. 

Robert Knox 

Bird 

Walter Corl 

Tose Inc. 

John Lakis 

Maislin Trans 

Karl R. Cousino Sr. Wholesale Cabinet 

Donald Lang 

Colonial Provisions 

Armando Croatti Bird 

Anthony M. Long Penske Truck Leasing 

William D'Antuono Finast 

Lawrence J. Maccarone Boston Tomato Co. 

Nellie Donoghue Whiting Milk Co. 

Ronald C. McIntyre Yellow Freight 

Normand Dubois B. N. Corkum Trans Co. 

Joseph Moores Herman Forwarding 

Richard R. Dunn St. Johnsbury 

George Murtagh, Jr. Coan 

Albert Dupre 

Plymouth Rock Trans Co. 

David Myers 

US Foodservice 

Gordon Eaton 

Hemingway 

Frederick Nardone American Smith 

Richard Farnkoff B. N. Corkum Trans Co. 

Charles W. Operacz Yellow Freight 

Edward H. Ferguson City of Cambridge 

Clarence Orechia Fanny Farmer 

Carl Ferullo 

Cott Bottling Co. 

Jacob Orlando 

Stones Express Inc 

Paul Flanagan 

Star Market 

Anthony Pellegrino Peter Condakes Co. 

Serafino Funicella Mutrie Motor Trans 

James Pinardi 

Bird 

Charles T. Gallagher Airborne 

Eugene Place 

UPS 

John Galligan 

Standard Linen 

Santo Scionti 

Finast 

Theodore F. "Ted" Gaudet FJ Cole Inc. 

Daniel F. Sheehan M & M 

Paul Gillis 

Stop & Shop 

Ray Sirti 

Roadway 

Henry Goveia 

B. N. Corkum Trans Co. 

John D. Slade 

Marr Scaffolding 

James Smith 

Red Ball Inc 

Edward Spellman Tose Inc. 

Everett F. Stoddard Weymouth Art 

John Phill Toler Star Market 

John J. Vento 

C. Pappas & Co. 

George Westbrooks Massport 

Alexander Wilkins McLeon Trucking 

Harold Wolf 

Shawmut Trans. Co. 



Retiree 


Retirees 

Local 25 

Retiree Chapter 

Joe Conti 

President 

Chuck Durfee 


John "Johnny B" 

Buonaugurio 

Vice President 

Retiree News 

Chapter News 

Turn Out in Force 

There was a good turnout with about 150 

retirees attending the breakfast meeting on 

January 11, 2007. 

Vice President John Bounaugurio opened the 

meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and then 

asked Whitey Walsh to swear in the new executive 

board. The meeting was then turned over to our 

newly elected Retiree President Joe Conti. Conti 

said he was looking forward to working with the 

new executive board. Conti introduced President 

and CEO Ritchie Reardon from Local 25’s 

Federal Credit Union who spoke about the 

changes being made to benefit all Teamsters. 

Guests who attended were Business Agent 

George Slicis; Business Agent Dave Pietroforte; 

Business Agent Robert Fabrizio; Director of 

Organizing and Government Affairs Steve 

Sullivan; and Organizer Steve South. Also in 

attendance were Paul “Whitey” Walsh and John 

Manley. 

President Conti thanked the retirees who 

served the breakfast, the Sergeants at Arms, the 

retirees who helped with the Walk for Diabetes, 

the dues collectors and Toys for Tots. He apologized 

if he left anyone out. He said there would be 

no increase in dues but if you can spare a dollar or 

two for D.R.I.V.E. it will really help. All D.R.I.V.E. 

money stays right here in Local 25. He said Local 

25 received many calls of praise for the 

Alzheimer’s presentation at our October breakfast. 

At the April 12 meeting one of our guest 

speakers will be Doctor James Ku, from 

Cambridge Urological Associates, who will talk 

about prostate problems and will also answer 

questions. We want to thank the retirees who 

showed up at the Day Room on February 23 to 

help support the Employee Free Choice Act along 

with U.S. Reps. Steve Lynch and Ed Markey, both 

Massachusetts Democrats. On February 5, nine 

retirees showed up in zero-degree weather outside 

the Woburn Courthouse in Woburn Square 

to show support for city workers who want to 

join the union. 

Ten retirees requested scholarship applications 

for our $2,000 scholarship. 

Ron Bradley won the Teamster clock. The $25 

door prize winners were Barrett Schwartz, Paul 

Sharpe, Joe Cuggino Jr. and Ron Daily. 

Thanks to our members who serve the food: 

Frank Pagliaro, Tony Bruno, Joe Cuggino, Bill 

Ronchetti, Jim Ronchetti, Bob Ricciardi, Mike 

Keough, Paul Amoroso, Jerry Bolton and Lenny 

Hagen. Reminder: let us know if you change your 

address. 

Welcome Aboard! 

Fred Dean 

New Penn 

Don Hall 

International Paper/Xpedx 

Richard Lynch 

Marr Scaffolding 

David MacDonald 

DHL 

Kevin Owens 

Roadway 

Walter Paschal 

Lechmere 

David Vaughn 

Texaco/White Fuel 

Ernest Zimmerman 

Riverside Rigging 



Prostate Cancer 

Q & A 

What is prostate cancer? 

Prostate cancer is the abnormal 

growth of cells in a man’s 

prostate gland. The prostate sits 

just below the bladder. In young men, the 

prostate is about the size of a walnut. It usually 

grows larger as you grow older. 

Prostate cancer is common and is an older 

man’s disease. Most men who get it are older 

than 65. Most cases are curable because they are 

found before the cancer has spread to other parts 

of the body. 

What causes prostate cancer? 

Experts don’t know what causes prostate cancer, 

but they believe that your age, family history, and 

race affect your chances of getting it. Eating a highfat 

diet may also add to your chances of getting it. 

What are the symptoms? 

Prostate cancer usually does not cause symptoms 

in its early stages. Most men don’t know they 

have it until it is found during a regular medical 

exam. When there are symptoms, 

they mostly involve having problems with urination. 

Symptoms may include: 

• Having difficulty starting your urine stream. 

• Having a weaker-than-normal urine stream. 

• Being unable to urinate at all. 

• Having to urinate often. 

• Feeling that your bladder is not emptying 

completely when you urinate. 

• Having to get up at night to urinate. 

• Having pain or a burning feeling when you 

urinate. 

• Having blood in your urine. 

• Having a deep pain in your lower back, 

abdomen, hip or pelvis. 

How is prostate cancer diagnosed? 

Your doctor may suspect prostate cancer after a 

digital rectal exam and a prostate-specific antigen 

(PSA) blood test. However, a biopsy, in which 

your doctor takes a sample of tissue from your 

prostate gland, is the only sure way to know. 

Bill Burpee 

Recording-Secretary 

Kevin Lally 

Trustee 

A Day at the Races See You at the Annual Event 

All Teamsters and friends are welcome to attend the Retired Teamsters 17th Day at the Races on 

Wednesday, May 9 at Suffolk Downs in East Boston. 

The event begins at 11:15 a.m., with lunch starting at noon. It costs $15 per person (no 

refunds; gratuities included). Upon payment, you will receive vouchers for The Club House, admis- 

sion and coupons for luncheon and preferred parking. There will be daily racing programs at 

your table. 

Lunch buffet includes soup of the day, baked Boston scrod in lemon butter, chicken cordon 

bleu with supreme sauce, vegetable lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and Shepard’s pie. Fresh garden 

greens with ranch dressing or raspberry vinaigrette dressing, or marinated garden vegetable salad. 

Dessert will be chocolate midnight cake or seasonal fresh fruit, coffee and tea. 

For more information, call (617) 241-9687 and ask for Johnny. Home phone: (781) 391-1543. 

Ron Simpson 

Trustee 

Dan Splaine 

Trustee 



Secure Your 

Future 

Build TEAMSTER Power 

By Joining DRIVE 

Find out more about this exciting program 

to build Teamster power on the web at 

www.teamster.org 

The Spokesman 

Spring 2007 

The Spokesman (USPS 613-400) 

is published by 

Teamsters Local 25, 

International Brotherhood of 

Teamsters, 544 Main Street, 

Boston, MA 02129-1113. 

Telephone (617) 241-8825. 

Periodicals Class Postage Paid 

at Boston, MA 

THE SPOKESMAN 

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