Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Double Victory for DHL Workers in Oklahoma

Within 24 hours of each other, workers at J&K and A-1—two DHL independent cartage contractors (ICCs) in Oklahoma City—voted to join Local 886. The J&K drivers voted on July 25 by a margin of nearly 4-1, and the drivers at A-1 voted July 26 by nearly a 2-1 margin in favor of Teamsters representation.These recent victories are part of a national campaign to organize drivers at DHL ICCs. Local 886 spearheaded the organizing efforts with assistance from the International Organizing Department.“We have won three out of three campaigns in the past month using the organizing model,” said John Howry, President of Local 886 in Oklahoma City. “The model that the International has set out with house visits was very instrumental in winning these victories.”Drivers at J&K and A-1, who work long hours with no overtime pay and no paid sick leave, wanted a strong voice at work.“The number one reason I wanted to join a union was for respect,” said Angela Miller, a driver at A-1. “The election came out exactly the way I thought it was going to, and I am very happy to be union.”

ABF Receives National Safety Council Award

ABF Freight System, Inc.(R), is the recipient of the 2005 Fleet Contest Division Leader Award from the National Safety Council (NSC). Presented during the Annual NSC Safety Awards Banquet June 30 in Los Angeles, the award recognizes outstanding performance in transportation safety.
"ABF professional drivers contribute daily to safe and secure freight transportation throughout North America," said ABF Safety and Security Director Jim McFarlin, who accepted the award on behalf of the 7,000 professional drivers employed by ABF. "Safety is always a top priority at ABF, and it's an honor to have our safety efforts recognized with this prestigious award from the NSC."
Founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, the NSC is an international nonprofit public service organization providing programs, products and services to 30 million people employed at 48,000 member facilities worldwide. Based in Itasca, Illinois, the NSC offers occupational safety, driver improvement and emergency care training to protect employees and businesses.

Established in 1923, ABF(R) is one of North America's oldest and most reputable motor carriers. It continues to be recognized as a benchmark for safety, security, technology and freight-handling standards. Last year, the ATA awarded ABF the Excellence in Security Award, the 28th time the organization has recognized ABF since 1971.

Profit up sharply at Yellow Roadway

Yellow Roadway Corp. continued rolling along in the second quarter, posting sharp gains in earnings and revenues. Full story here http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/companies/12250126.htm

Union emphasizing roots

Staff writer Karin Rives spoke with Jack Cipriani, president of Teamsters Local 391, about how the split will affect his union. Local 391 has offices in Greensboro, Raleigh and Reidsville and 12,000 members at more than 100 businesses and school systems statewide. It's the largest union in the state. Full story here http://newsobserver.com/business/story/2643604p-9080509c.html

Yellow boosts presence in China

It has yet to put trucks on the road in China, but Yellow Roadway Corp. has taken a major step toward raising its profile in that country. Last month, the carrier announced that it was investing in a Chinese freight-forwarding business. Yellow Roadway will spend $45 million to buy a 50-percent stake in JHJ International Transportation Co Ltd., the freightforwarding subsidiary of Shanghai Jin Jiang International Industrial Investment Co. Ltd.
Based in Shanghai, JHJ is the second largest airfreight forwarder in China. JHJ also offers ocean freight forwarding and logistics services through a domestic network of 22 locations, including five customs warehouses adjacent to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. JHJ,which employs more than 1,000 people, reported 2004 revenue of $330 million.
"Our objective is to provide seamless, end-to-end global transportation solutions to our customers," says Bill Zollars, chairman, president and CEO of Yellow Roadway Corp. "The joint venture with Jin Jiang advances this objective by significantly expanding our scale and capabilities in China." The deal, which is subject to the Chinese government's approval, is expected to close this fall.