Local 61 celebrated Labor Day with a great crowd of our members and their families, our largest turnout to date!  We rode again this year on our float through the historic streets of Canton, NC.  Beginning in 1906, Canton holds the longest running parade in the South with 2024 marking its 116th year.  Thank you to everyone who came out on your holiday to celebrate this event with us, we hope to see even more of you next year!  We were glad to have Asheville City Council Member Kim Rhoney join us in support of Labor.

WLOS News 13 Article, Canton Labor Day Parade 2024

Late last week, over 17,000 CWA workers across the Southeast went on an unfair labor practice strike in protest against AT&T's bad faith bargaining tactics. CWA District 3 members across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee walked off the job. 

On Monday, August 19th, 2024 Teamsters Local 61 Executive Board supported the picket lines of our CWA Local 3601 brothers & sisters in Canton, Asheville & Hendersonville.  Local 3601 has about 120 members, making up the entirety of Buncombe, Haywood and Henderson County's technicians who install, support and maintain AT&T's wireline network.

The CWA made the following statement:

"Communications Workers of America (CWA) employed by AT&T Southeast are on strike to protest unfair labor practices committed by management during negotiations for a new union contract.

CWA has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T for not bargaining in good faith, engaging in surface bargaining, and not sending representatives to the bargaining table with the authority to make decisions. The charges also address the company’s refusal to bargain over mandatory subjects of bargaining and reneging on agreements made in bargaining.

Our union entered into negotiations in a good faith effort to reach a fair contract, but we have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to bargain in good faith,” said CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt. “Our members want to be on the job, providing the quality service that our customers deserve. It’s time for AT&T to start negotiating in good faith so that we can move forward towards a fair contract.

The strike will involve over 17,000 technicians, customer service representatives, and others who install, maintain, and support AT&T’s residential and business wireline telecommunications network in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee."  

CWA AT&T Southeast Workers Go on Strike

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Heat Illness Prevention

Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill while working in hot or humid conditions. OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention campaign educates employers and workers on heat hazards and provides resources to keep workers safe.

Information for Workers

Federal law entitles you to a safe workplace. Exposure to heat can cause illness and death. Workers should know their rights and what they can do to prevent heat illness.

Your Rights at Work

When it comes to extreme heat at work, you have the right to:

• Speak up about hazards without fear of retaliation. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit www.whistleblowers.gov. 
• Request an OSHA inspection and speak to OSHA inspectors.
• Report an injury or illness, and review and get copies of your medical records from your employer.
• See the results of workplace examinations or tests taken to identify workplace hazards.

Tips for preventing heat illness

Heat-related illnesses can be prevented.

• Hydrate before, during and after work. Drink 1 cup of cool water every 20 minutes even if you aren’t thirsty. For longer jobs, drinks with electrolytes are best. Avoid energy drinks and alcohol.
• Find shade or a cool area for rest breaks that allow your body to recover.
• Dress for the heat. A hat and light-colored, loose-fitting (where allowed), breathable clothing are ideal.
• If wearing a face covering, change it if it becomes wet or soiled. Check on others verbally often.
• Not everyone tolerates heat the same way. Understand personal risk factors.
• Understanding engineering controls, work practices, and PPE.

Know the signs of heat illness and how to respond

Abnormal thinking or behavior, slurred speech, seizures or loss of consciousness are signs of a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately, cool the worker with water or ice and stay with them until help arrives.

• Heat illness can cause:
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Weakness or dizziness
  • Heavy sweating or hot, dry skin
  • Elevated body temperature
  • Thirst
  • Decreased urine output
• If you spot someone experiencing the signs above, take action:
  • Give them water to drink
  • Move them to a cooler area
  • Cool them with water, ice or a fan
  • Remove unnecessary clothing
  • Do not them leave alone
  • If in doubt, call 911 or seek medical care
• Get more tips on first aid so you can be prepared in the event of an emergency.

Employer Responsibilities

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are responsible for providing workplaces free of known safety and health hazards. This includes protecting workers from heat-related hazards. Here are some actions you should take:

Create a Heat Illness Prevention Plan

Are your workers exposed to high temperatures, either indoors or outside? Use these resources to develop a heat illness prevention program:

• When heat hazards are present, plan ahead to protect workers.
• Understand heat hazards in your workplace and calculate heat stress.
• Protect new workers
• Get guidance on engineering controls, work practices, and PPE
• Remember water, rest, and shade

 

 

 

OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App for iPhone and Android.

Provide Training for Workers

Employers should provide training to workers, including supervisors, so they understand heat exposure risks, prevention actions, and first aid.

• Provide training to all workers

 

Know First Aid for Heat Illness

Employers and workers should become familiar with the symptoms of heat illness. When any of these symptoms are present, promptly provide first aid.

• Know the symptoms of heat illness and what actions to take.

Heat Illness Medical Emergency Infographic (ZIP) Español (ZIP)

Share Materials with Workers

Provide your workers with information so they understand the risks of heat exposure and what actions to take. Keep materials easily accessible in the workplace.

 

Protecting Workers from the Effects of Heat QuickCard (PDF) Español (PDF) Tiếng Việt (PDF)

OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Campaign

Teamsters Demand Congress Pass Warehouse Worker Protection Act

231 UPS Admins and Specialists Join the Teamsters in One Week

"Working across 15 states, the Teamsters Organizing Department and Package Division welcomed 231 UPS admins and specialists into the Teamsters for the first time in just the past week. If you are an administrative or specialist worker at UPS, contact a local near you to become a Teamster today!"

Teamsters - 231 UPS Admins and Specialists Join the... | Facebook

Local 61 added new members in our Asheville and Lenoir centers during this organizing campaign.  We are happy to welcome our new UPS Specialists, Admins & Customer Counter employees!

Beer Giant Announces Record Profits, Offers Workers Less Than a Dollar in New Wages

(WASHINGTON) — Members of Teamsters Local 997 at Molson Coors in Fort Worth, Texas, were forced to strike today over the company’s disgusting pay package and complete unwillingness to reach a fair agreement with workers. Teamsters walked off the job after Molson Coors failed to come to terms on a new three-year contract that respects the 420 workers who make, package, and warehouse the company’s beer and beverage brands.

The strike shuts down production at the only brewery that services the entire Western region of the United States with major Molson Coors products.

Despite having months to negotiate, Molson Coors presented insulting and regressive contract proposals, including offering less than a $1 per hour wage increase for the majority of Teamsters members. Local 997 is seeking pay raises that reflect the impact of inflation over the term of the expired contract and the elimination of two-tiered health care and retirement benefits.

The union filed numerous unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board over the company’s bad faith bargaining.

“As long as the profits keep flowing to the top, Molson Coors doesn’t give a damn if the workers inside its breweries can afford to take care of their families. They put pennies on the table for the workers behind these products. They want to strip working families of their health care. The greed and abuse from Molson Coors must end now,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Executives shamelessly brag to investors about the company’s incredible growth and historic earnings. Millions go to the CEO, billions go to Wall Street, and a middle finger goes to the workers. We’re not taking the disrespect, we’re not accepting the crumbs, and we’re not making concessions. The Teamsters are taking this fight to the streets, and we will hold the line until our members get what they have earned.”

Molson Coors announced this week that the company’s year-end 2023 earnings were its highest in 19 years. The company spent more than $50 million on advertising in the fourth quarter. Molson Coors reported making six years’ worth of profit growth in 2023 alone. Last October, the company announced a $2 billion stock buyback for wealthy shareholders.

“Molson Coors put itself on strike by taking for granted the Teamsters who keep the beer flowing and the brewery operating. Workers are fed up with the corporate elite who keep all the profits for themselves and expect the people doing the real work to make the sacrifices. Our members are not afraid to withhold their labor. The taps at Molson Coors will run dry until workers get a contract with the pay and workplace conditions they deserve,” said Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference.

On Feb. 8, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced it increased strike benefits to $1,000 per week for members of Local 997 fighting for a new contract at Molson Coors in Fort Worth.

Rank-and-file Teamsters produce Coors Light, Topo Chico, Simply, Pabst, and Yuengling, among other Molson Coors beverage brands.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.