UPS Freight Workers in Ohio and Kentucky Sign Cards to Become Teamsters

In Latest Wins, About 150 Drivers, Dockworkers Will Join Locals 407, 20 and 89

An overwhelming majority of about 150 workers at the UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) terminals in Cleveland and Toledo, in Ohio, and in Bowling Green, Kentucky have signed authorization cards to become Teamsters, bringing the total number of drivers and dockworkers seeking to join the union to about 5,600 since January 16, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced.

The workers are seeking to join Local 407 in Cleveland, Local 20 in Toledo and Local 89 in Louisville.

"The International Union's Organizing Department helped us reach out to the workers in Cleveland," said Frank Burdell, President of Local 407. "This victory has been a long time coming, and we look forward to helping the workers reach their goals."

"This is the second group of workers within our jurisdiction to sign and submit cards—the Louisville group was first," said Fred Zuckerman, President of Local 89. "We will provide all the UPS Freight workers with top-notch representation so that they will have the tools to make their lives better on the job."

"In just over a month, the majority of nearly 5,600 UPS Freight workers have signed cards," said Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Package Division. "We have sustained the strong momentum, and workers are excited to join the victory train."

In addition to the Cleveland, Toledo and Bowling Green workers, a majority of UPS Freight workers in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Indiana, California, Florida, Arizona, New York, Kentucky and New England, including the large cities of Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, San Diego, St. Louis, Orlando, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Oakland, Seattle, Memphis and Detroit, have submitted cards to become Teamsters.