ABF to deal direct with Teamsters on new contract

ABF Freight System has notified the Teamsters that it will not negotiate a new labor contract under a National Master Freight Agreement (NMFA) that has been the template for many unionized trucking sector employees since April 2008.

ABF, a subsidiary of Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp., employs around 10,000, with roughly 7,600 of those falling under a collective bargaining unit represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The labor contract between ABF and the union ends March 31, 2013, and the decision by ABF could add another element of tension to more than two years of conflict between ABF, the Teamsters and YRC — the largest competitor to ABF.  Full Story..........