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.”