NURSES CONVINCE HOSPITAL TO
RETURN TO BARGAINING TABLE
Local 690, Hospital Reach Settlement on Outstanding Disputes
(Spokane, WA) - Recently, nurses at Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho reached
settlement on four outstanding disputes. The approximately 110 nurses are members of Local
690 in Spokane, Washington.
"This settlement is very important for the nurses, who continue to perform their jobs capably
despite management's refusal to negotiate a fair contract," said Buck Holliday, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 690. 'With this settlement, we have gotten the hospital to agree to resume
negotiations in good faith."
With this settlement, the hospital agreed to: meet and negotiate with the union at least four
times a month and to report the meeting dates and outstanding issues to the National Labor
Relations Board; stop dealing directly with nurses over bargaining issues; and stop
discriminating against the nurses.
The nurses voted to join Local 690 in August 2006 in order to secure a collective bargaining
agreement that would allow them to have input into issues such as patient care and safety,
working conditions, staffing, disciplinary actions, wages and benefits. To date, the hospital
has failed to negotiate in good faith.
The four unfair labor practice charges were filed by Local 690 on behalf of the registered
nurses allege the hospital's: failure to meet at reasonable times and places for contract
negotiations; failure to bargain in good faith; unlawful direct dealings with nurses; and
discrimination against nurses.
"The nurses are happy with the agreement," said AI Hobart, President of Teamsters Joint
Council 28 in Tukwila, Washington. "They and we look forward to working with management
to negotiate a fair and equitable contract as soon as possible."
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million
hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
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December 19,2007 Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund Update
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared a major disaster for the state of Washington opening the way for the use of federal disaster funds for people affected by Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides that occurred on
December 1, 2007 and continuing. Assistance is available to individuals and households
in the following counties who may have experienced a loss due to this disaster:
Grays Harbor and Lewis Counties
Please Be Advised Of The Following Amendment:
New Counties Designated:
Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties
Teamster members, please contact your Local Union office ifyou have suffered
losses due to the Severe Storms and Flooding, Landslides and 111udslides; fill
out a "Request For Help" form {include all requested documentation> ifyou
would like to request a grant from the Teamsters Disaster ReliefFund.
DISASTER RELIEF FORMS MUST BE RETURNED TO THE
TEAMSTERS DISASTER RELIEF FUND
Click here to download pdf version of notice
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Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund Request For Help Form Available
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund recently received a "Disaster Alert Notice" for the state of Washington regarding Severe Storms & Flooding, Landslides, and
Mudslides that caused major damage in the following counties on December 1, 2007
and continuing:
Grays Harbor and Lewis Counties
On behalf of General President Hoffa, we would like to request your assistance to
aid Teamster members in your area who have suffered a loss. We recognize the
devastation in your area and, although our funds are limited, would like to help as many
people as possible. Please inform us if any of your members have been impacted by the disaster. The
completed "Request for Help" forms (including all requested documentation) must be
returned by Tuesday, January 22, 2008.
While the immediate crisis is over, the IBT realizes the difficult task of rebuilding
lives and the need to do an outreach to agencies that can assist. Please advise our office
at (202) 624-8971 of any needs you may have, and we will do our best to accommodate
them.
Download "Notice to Post" and the "Request For Help" pdf file here
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To Storm Victims: Teamsters Care
Adversity always brings out the best in Teamsters and when the call went out for assistance, the Teamsters immediately jumped in to help. Once again Teamster members came together to assist those impacted by the devastating floods and winds that rocked the Pacific Northwest
A Teamsters Local 174 truck led the charge in a parade of relief trucks organized by KOMO-TV and the Salvation Army, delivering donations to assist the flood victims. Local Union members pitched in with collecting, transporting and then unloading the items from Seattle to Centralia.
Also Teamster Local Unions, the Joint Council 28 Women’s Caucus and members from throughout Washington State have been generous with donations of cribs, play pens, toys, clothing, supplies, and supermarket gift certificates. “We feel for the Teamster members and their families who have been devastated by this act of nature. We are doing all that we can to let them know that they are not alone and that we are here to help, for whatever they need—we are here for them,” said International Union Vice President and Joint Council 28 President, Al Hobart.
Many Teamster members have been affected by the storm losing their household goods, cars, pets and even their entire homes.
If you would like to assist the Teamster storm victims, Teamsters Local Union No. 252 (217 East Main Street, Centralia WA 98531-4449) is accepting donations of gift cards (Safeway, Fred Meyer or Gasoline). The Local will distribute the cards to our Teamster families in need.
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Governor Gregoire Greets the Delegates of Joint Council No. 28.
On Sunday, September 16, 2007, Governor Gregoire greeted the Joint Council Delegates and thanked the Teamsters for their invaluable efforts and support over the last two and one-half years. Governor Gregoire explained that the Teamsters are central to State developments in the areas of infrastructure, safety and education as well as acknowledging the dedication and work of the Corrections workers throughout the State.
When Governor Gregoire took office the State had a shortfall of 2.2 billion dollars and one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Governor Gregoire was happy to announce that the State budget now has a surplus of funds and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. She also added that the State pension funds are now fully funded and the annual inflation rate is down from 14% to 3%.
Governor Gregoire is also very proud that Washington State is leading the nation in health care accessibility for children but said there is still much work to do so that all citizens have access to affordable health care.
President Hobart thanked Governor Gregoire for her attendance and kind words on behalf of the Joint Council Executive Board, delegates and guests, who gave her a standing ovation.
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2007 Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure
 On Saturday, June 16th, participants in Seattle, Washington came together to raise over $1.5 million to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease and we are proud to report that the members of Joint Council No. 28 Teamsters Women’s Caucus contributed to this successful endeavor.
This was the third year the JC-28 Women’s Caucus supported the Puget Sound Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by participating in the 2007 Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure. The JC-28 Teamsters Women’s Caucus collected over $5,600 in donations. Read More Here.
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Strengthening Joint Councils
JC28 President Al Hobart speaking at the 2006 IBT International Convention |
Strong Joint Councils and Conferences are increasingly important in an environment where corporations are growing stronger.
At Thursday’s (June 29th) session of the International Convention, delegates heard from General President Hoffa, “The structure of the Teamsters Union is an important reason why we are so successful in the work we do. Local Unions are the engine that drives our Union, ensuring that each and every member has representation. Then we have our Joint Councils and Conferences. By working across Local lines our Joint Councils and Conferences are able to harness the power at the Local level into something even greater.”
Strengthening Joint Councils is not only important for the Locals that fall under the Joint Council umbrella, but it benefits all members. As Teamster employers consolidate through growth, mergers and acquisitions, the Joint Councils and Conferences are increasingly important.
“To take on big employers, we must continue to strengthen this organization,” Hoffa said. Over the past few years, the International Union has worked to make Joint Councils and Conferences the coordinating center for Teamster power. Better communications coordination, political action, and training for Locals and their members are just a few of the benefits of this effort.
Click here for more convention news and photos
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Reprinted
by permission of the author. Floyd J. McKay, a journalism
professor at Western Washington University, is a regular
contributor to the Seattle Times editorial pages. 