UPS Teamster Magazine, Summer 2011 - International Brotherhood ...

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Cross-BorderTruckingUPS Teamsters Lose Friend, BrotherIn MemoriamOn July 2, UPS Teamsters lost a topleader and friend when Local 705Secretary-Treasurer StephenPocztowski passed away suddenly.Pocztowski was a 37-year Teamsterwho began his career working part time atUPS before becoming a full-time packagecar driver and eventually a feeder driver.He spent time as a shop steward beforebeing elected business agent. In 2003 hewas elected to the position he held at thetime of his death.“We are all saddened and shocked bySteve’s untimely passing. Our thoughtsand prayers go out to the Pocztowski familyand to the members of Local 705,” saidKen Hall, Director of the Package Divisionand International Vice President. “In hisshort time here, Steve dedicated himself toserving UPS Teamsters. His leadership,spirit and tenacity will truly be missed.”Pocztowski spent his last two weeks atthe 28th International Convention. Hisweek was highlighted by his nominationto the General Executive Board as CentralRegion International Vice President onJune 29.He was preparing to return home toChicago when he was rushed to a LasVegas-area hospital where he passed away.Pocztowski is survived by his wife Lindaand two sons, Stephen and Kevin.UPS Teamster Reminds Convention of Safety IssuesTeamsters are a linchpin in the global supply chain, and many rankand-filemembers spend the bulk of their days on our nation’s roadsand highways. That’s why it’s so important that every member stayinformed on the Mexican trucks issue—because it affects all of us.Mario Leva, a UPS Teamster out of Local 745 in El Paso, Texas,addressed delegates and guests on the first day of the 28th InternationalConvention and reminded everyone how unsafe Mexican trucks threatennot only people whose job is behind a wheel, but every single person whodrives. Here are highlights of what Leva said at the Convention:“This morning, President Hoffa had spoken about how we’ve beenfighting this fight for the past 17 years. Let me go back a little bit in time,go back to February of 2001. It was a Teamster National Day of Action,and we had a cross-country protest, protesting the NAFTA deal…We werethere protesting right along the Mexican border, right along the actualbridge. As we were protesting with 200 of our brothers…we look up andover the bridge we see a fire going on…There’s a Mexican truck havingmechanical problems and actually catches on fire on the bridge. So, havethings changed from 2001? Actually, they haven’t…“I am a proud father to three lovely daughters. I have two daughters thatattend the University of Texas at El Paso. Mexico right now has a 25-milecorridor where they allow their unsafe Mexican trucks to go back and forthover the corridor. The University of Texas, El Paso, sits on I-10 within that25-mile corridor. Every day my daughters say, ‘OK, Dad, we’ll see you.’ And Iwish them a good day and I’m in fear. I’m in fear because I know that mydaughters are going to have to travel down that corridor every day, they’regoing to have to go alongside those unsafe Mexican trucks…“That’s why we need to have everybody take action. Everybody needsto write a letter to our congressmen. We need to put a stop to this immediately.”Shortly after Leva’s speech, Convention delegates unanimouslypassed a resolution on cross-border trucking.Shortly after the Convention, the U.S. Department of Transportationagreed to open the U.S.-Mexico border to long-haul Mexican trucks,something the Teamsters Union will continue to fight. For updates, visitwww.Teamster.org.2 0 | upsTEAMSTER | SUMMER 2011 | www.teamster.org
VISION SOLIDARITY ACTIONCross-Border Trucking ResolutionU.S. Commercial Drivers License with theMexican Licencia Federal; andWHEREAS, at the urging of the Teamsters Union, Congressdefunded the Bush-era Mexican Cross-Border TruckingProgram in 2009 over safety concerns; andWHEREAS, the Mexican government retaliated for this actionby placing tariffs on $2.4 billion worth of U.S. productsexported to Mexico; andWHEREAS, rather than challenging the tariffs as excessive, theUnited States Trade Representative, in an effort to eliminatethe tariffs, has agreed to a new cross-border trucking programwith Mexico, that will permit Mexican domiciled trucks totravel anywhere in the U.S. beyond the currently permittedcommercial zones; andWHEREAS coupled with the unease about the ability ofMexican trucks and drivers to comply with all U.S. safety standards,there are additional fears surrounding the violence perpetratedby the Mexican drug cartels, the loss of thousands ofadditional American jobs during this severe recession, and theinability to protect our homeland security and our bordersfrom the threat of terrorism should this program move forward;andWHEREAS, safety issues include, but are not limited to, complianceand enforcement of hours-of-service regulations anddrug and alcohol testing, the accuracy and completeness ofMexican driver violation records, and the equivalency of theWHEREAS, additional U.S. driver jobswill be lost to Mexican drivers who violateour cabotage laws by delivering U.S. cargopoint-to-point in the United States,because of insufficient training andenforcement by customs officials; andWHEREAS, the Mexican drug cartelshave been responsible for the brutaldeaths of 35,000 Mexican citizens since2006, and 111 American lives in 2010alone, causing the U.S. State Departmentto issue travel warnings to U.S. citizens forlarge portions of Mexico, making itimpossible to offer reciprocity to U.S.trucking firms, as required by the NAFTAand Public Law 110-28; andWHEREAS, permitting Mexican long-haul trucking will onlymake it easier for the Mexican cartels to smuggle and distributetheir illegal drugs into the U.S., as the trucking network istheir preferred mode of transportation and will potentiallyimport the violence perpetrated by the Mexican cartels acrossthe border into the U.S.THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Teamsters Unionwill continue to make its members and the public aware of themounting danger of permitting unsafe trucks from Mexico toperform long-haul service anywhere in the U.S.; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Teamsters Union willcall upon the Congress to delay the implementation of theNAFTA cross-border trucking provisions until such time thatall Mexican trucks and drivers can meet all U.S. safety standards,that there is sufficient personnel to perform vehicleinspections, to enforce our laws and regulations, and to ensurecompliance by Mexico-domiciled motor carriers; andBE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Teamsters Union willinsist that exemptions to our safety laws and regulationsnot be used to permit Mexico-domiciled motor carriers toenter the U.S. and that only the highest level of safety bemaintained for the three NAFTA countries of Mexico,Canada and the United States.www.teamster.org | SUMMER 2011 | upsTEAMSTER | 21
Page 4 and 5: NEWS SUMMER 2011GLOBAL DELIVERYUnio
Page 6 and 7: NEWS SUMMER 2011UPS Teamstersto Rec
Page 8 and 9: UPS Day of ActionTeamsters Protest
Page 10 and 11: As he recounted at the Convention,H
Page 12 and 13: Organizing FedExDelegates and Guest
Page 14 and 15: Misclassification ResolutionWHEREAS
Page 16 and 17: Montana AttorneyGeneral AddressesCo
Page 18 and 19: Right-to-Work (For Less) Resolution
Page 20 and 21: VISION SOLID1 8 | upsTEAMSTER | SUM
Page 24 and 25: Speeches Given by UPS and UPS Freig
Page 26 and 27: We Want to Hear from YouThe UPS Tea

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