YRC, Teamsters will discuss proposed change of operations in Dallas

Representatives of YRC Worldwide Inc. and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will meet on April 19 in Dallas to discuss the company’s proposed change of operations request, a release from the labor union said.

The Overland Park less-than-truckload carrier’s proposed change of operations request aims to reorganize subsidiary YRC Freight’s operational network. The proposal will cut 230 jobs throughout the network.

YRC Freight President Jeff Rogers previously has said the change of operations request is good business for the company.  Full Story........

ABF National Master Freight Agreement Gets 30-Day Extension

Negotiations continued this week with ABF for a successor to the 2008-13 ABF National Master Freight Agreement. Slow progress continues to be made. However, significant issues remain to be discussed. ABF requested a 30-day extension so that negotiations could continue.

 The Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee (TNFINC) agreed to grant a 30-day extension. Any economic improvements in a new agreement will be retroactive to April 1, 2013. As a result, the current ABF-NMFA is extended through and including April 30, 2013.

All ABF employees covered by that agreement should continue to work as normal. Members covered by separate stand-alone contracts between ABF and their local unions should contact their local unions for updates.

ABF Driver Scott Harris Earns Back-to-Back NY Driver of the Year Awards

For the second consecutive year, ABF driver Scott Harris has earned recognition as New York Driver of the Year from the New York State Motor Truck Association. Harris earned the recognition during the organization's Safety and Education Symposium March 26 in Albany, New York.

A five-time winner of the New York State Driving Championships, Harris's distinguished career as a professional driver includes winning numerous safe driving awards. He is a past winner of the American Trucking Associations National Championships and a former ATA National Driver of the Year.  Harris has driven for ABF for nearly 30 years, accumulating more than 30,000 hours and three million miles without a preventable accident. Harris operates from the ABF service center in Albany.

"Scott has made winning championships as routine as the professionalism he demonstrates each time he is behind the wheel of his truck. All of us at ABF are extremely proud to have Scott Harris setting an example for not just ABF drivers but all the professional drivers on the road," said Sam Cates , ABF safety and security director.

The New York State Motor Truck Association is a nonprofit trade association formed to promote and protect the interests of the trucking industry in New York. It is an affiliate of the American Trucking Associations.

Holland honored for helping heroes

Holland was honored by the partner charities of Operation Homefront and H.E.R.O.E.S. Care for years of service to America's service men and women.

Holland President Scott Ware was present to receive an honorary American flag, which was once proudly flown in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on September 11, 2011 over Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The flag was received in recognition for over five years of participation by Holland in the bi-annual (sometimes quarterly) care package drive for American troops overseas.

According to Holland St. Louis linehaul driver and board member of Operation Homefront, Roy Gillespie, Holland has been responsible for much of the "heavy lifting" in these drives: sorting, handling, and delivering innumerable care packages--with the combined efforts of drivers, dock hands, management and operations personnel throughout the Holland network.

In addition to the care package drive, the St. Louis service center--the home base for Holland troop-supporting operations--helped Welcome Home the Troops last January in association with Operation Homefront.

Holland thanks Operation Homefront and H.E.R.O.E.S. Care for the extremely meaningul award.

We look forward to continuing our joint efforts in supporting our great nation's military men and women.

Teamsters, ABF Continue 'Difficult and Complex' Negotiations

The Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee (TNFINC) concluded another week of negotiations with ABF Freight Systems, Inc.

Negotiations continue to be difficult and the company continues to seek significant concessions in both economic and non-economic matters. TNFINC is continuing to try to seek ways to address the company's legitimate competitive and operational needs while at the same time protecting good middle class jobs and standards.

"These negotiations are difficult and complex," said Gordon Sweeton, Co-Chairman of the National ABF Negotiating Committee for TMFINC.  "We understand the company needs some relief. However, we are not willing to let the company destroy the standards we have fought for and established. While we have made some progress this week, much remains to be done. Fortunately, we have a skilled and talented bargaining team that understands the freight industry so we remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached sometime this month.

Negotiations will continue the week of March 25. Some progress was also made in negotiating local and area supplements.

Local union leaders should pay close attention to updates and be prepared to participate in conference calls as developments occur

Teamsters want to review YRC Worldwide's proposed changes

Officials with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters say they want to further review trucking firm YRC Freight's proposed change of operations request before members take any action.

The labor union is advising members not to schedule meetings on the proposal until further notice, the Kansas City Business Journal reports.

The company proposal for a consolidation in YRC Freight calls for a reduction of 760 dock, cartage, shop and office jobs, along with 452 road jobs at locations that will be closed or reduced, while adding 639 cartage and 343 road jobs at other terminals.

About 130 St. Louis drivers, mechanics and clerical workers employed by YRC Freight stand to lose their jobs under the plan, which calls for the closure of a St. Louis truck terminal.

YRC Freight is part of Overland Park, Kan.-based YRC Worldwide, which reported 2012 consolidated operating revenue of $4.85 billion.

UPS Freight Reopens Nanuet Service Center

This is part of an ongoing effort to improve service to customers and maintain an efficient network throughout the Northeast

Those who like to shop online or ship/receive a lot of items, expect that dark brown truck to be making more efficient deliveries.

As part of an ongoing effort to improve service to customers and maintain an efficient network throughout the Northeast, UPS Freight reopened its service center in Nanuet on Monday.

The Nanuet Service Center, located at 80 W. Nyack Rd., is positioned near several major thoroughfares, including the New York State Thruway, Palisades Interstate Parkway and New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. It also is located near Routes 59 and 304.

The existing 32-door Nanuet facility was closed in 2005 after UPS Freight opened a new service center in Newburgh. However, a recent evaluation of shipment volume as well as the number of miles driven for pickups and deliveries in the area pointed to the need to re-establish the Nanuet facility.

"There are two reasons UPS Freight decided to reopen our Nanuet facility - and they also are two of our company's cornerstone—service and sustainability," said Jack Holmes, president of UPS Freight. "Re-establishing our physical presence in Nanuet allows us to offer earlier service to many of our customers in the area while reducing the number of miles we're driving to reach those customers. We're looking forward to continued growth in the Northeast and having the Nanuet terminal back in business will help us achieve that goal."

The facility employs about 30 people, and its service area includes White Plains, Yonkers and New Rochelle, Mahwah, Ramsey, Northvale and Emerson, and Stamford, Norwalk and Greenwich.