'98 Year in Review: Fleets
The year began with negotiations between Trucking Management Inc., representing four of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload freight carriers, and the Teamsters union on a new National Master Freight Agreement (12-22-97, p. 3). With memories of the 15-day strike in 1997 against United Parcel Service still fresh in the minds of shippers, both sides expressed optimism about an early settlement (12-29-97, p. 3).
Freight diversion put pressure on negotiators, and a tentative agreement was reached in early February (2-16, p. 1). Four regional less-than-truckload fleets immediately signed on to the national contract (2-23, p. 1), which was later ratified by freight industry union workers (4-13, p. 4).
Other regional carriers negotiated separately. Preston Trucking Co. signed a contract that preserved a wage differential for its unionized employees (6-22, p. 4). Crouse Cartage Co. signed an agreement covering the bulk of its drivers and dock workers (10-5, p. 4).
The year was pivotal and turbulent for the Teamsters union. The Ron Carey fund-raising scandal harmed the labor movement (1-5, p. 20), and federal officials scheduled a new election that initially pitted James P. Hoffa against Ken Hall of West Virginia (4-13, p. 4). Mr. Hall dropped out of the race for personal reasons, and Tom Leedham of Oregon entered the race as a reform candidate (6-1, p. 3). Mr. Carey, the Teamsters’ former president, was expelled from union (8-3, p. 3). Secret ballots were mailed in November (11-9, p. 1), and Mr. Hoffa was declared the victor a month later (12-14, p. 1).
Overnite Transportation Co., based in Richmond, Va., continued to fight the Teamsters’s four-year campaign to organize its employees. A federal administrative law judge ordered the company to bargain at four terminals where employees had voted against union representation in 1995 (4-20, p. 1).
For the full story, see the Jan. 11 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
