Workers in Florida and Vermont Seek Union Membership at UPS Freight

An Overwhelming Majority of Workers Plan to Join Locals 79 and 597

An overwhelming majority of about 120 workers at the UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) terminals in Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida, and in Burlington, Vermont have signed authorization cards to become Teamsters, bringing the total number of drivers and dockworkers seeking to join the union to about 3,600 since January 16, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced.

The Florida workers are seeking to join Local 79 in Tampa, while the Vermont workers will be joining Local 597 in South Barre, Vermont.

“Our UPS and freight members have done a great job developing a relationship with the UPS Freight workers, and communicating with them,” said Ken Wood, President of Teamsters Local 79 and an International Union Vice President. “Our members who helped out are very excited that their hard work paid off. I look forward to welcoming the UPS Freight workers to our local very soon.”

The Vermont victory marks the final UPS Freight terminal in New England where cards have been submitted for certification. On January 16, the union announced that a majority of workers at seven other locations in New England had submitted cards.

“With the UPS Freight workers in Vermont taking this step toward a more secure future, now a majority of all the UPS Freight workers in New England have taken that step,” said Dave Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 10 who has helped lead the New England campaign.

“These latest worker victories once again are happening thanks to the efforts of our UPS and our freight members, who continue to do a great job talking about the benefits of being Teamsters,” said Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Package Division and International Union Vice President.

In addition to the Florida and Vermont workers, a majority of UPS Freight workers in Arizona, Fresno, Atlanta, Newburgh, Farmingdale, Louisville, Lexington, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Southern California, Oakland, Seattle, New England, Memphis and Detroit have submitted cards to become Teamsters.