YRC terminal in Peru, IL targeted for closing

A less than four-year-old trucking terminal north of Interstate 80 in Peru, operated by YRC (formerly known as Yellow Freight) will close this winter.

Facility employees including Teamsters at the terminal at 22 Unytite Drive learned Monday about the closing, with YRC citing economic hardships. A public relations firm hired by YRC was not immediately forthcoming with detailed information on deadline Friday.

Currently, there about three office staff members, while seven union drivers are on lay-off and about 13 drivers still are active, according to Steve Mongan, business manager for Teamsters Local 722, La Salle.

The decision to include the Peru facility as one of the terminals it is closing is perplexing, Mongan said, considering it’s a less than four-year-old, 86-door terminal. Stranger still is closing a terminal that was built in Peru in 2007 for the ease of access to the interstate and also to get out of traffic in the West Chicago and Montgomery area. Full Story.......

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON YRCW CHANGE OF OPERATIONS

Last Wednesday, November 10, the Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee (TNFINC) was advised by YRC that it was mailing a “change of operations” to Local Unions this week. This multi-region “change of operations” would affect several hundred members throughout the United States and potentially close 31 small- and medium-sized terminals in three of the four Teamster regional areas in which they operate.

Local Unions are receiving the details of this “change of operations” this week and we are still evaluating the company’s intended plans to relocate certain drivers and alter current freight handling practices.

“At this time, no hearing has been scheduled and will likely not be scheduled prior to the holidays as YRC needs to meet with each affected Local Union as a first step in the process,” said Tyson Johnson, TNFINC Co-chair. “This needs to occur before any formal meetings between YRC and TNFINC regarding another YRC change of operations will be conducted.”

The Teamsters Freight Division will keep all Local Unions and YRC members updated regarding the company’s stated plans as specific details of the proposed change emerge.

YRC Worldwide will close 40 terminals because of low freight volume

YRC Worldwide Inc. plans to close about 40 terminals across the country as it continues shrinking its operations to handle a smaller amount of customer freight.

Sheila Taylor, CFO of the Overland Park-based company, told analysts during an analyst conference on Wednesday that the company has submitted a “change of operations” with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union about the closures.

“We’re taking steps to ‘right size’ the business,” Taylor said, adding that the closures affect about 12 percent of the company’s 334 facilities.

Chairman and CEO Bill Zollars said that most of the terminals set to close are smaller facilities and that there should be no more closings for a while. Full Story.....