Texas Overnite Terminal Joins Union

Workers at Overnite Transportation terminal in Laredo, Texas, voted 7-3 to join the Teamsters union at a National Labor Relations Board election Sept. 2.

"[Overnite President] Leo Suggs spent the entire week in Laredo wheeling and dealing the Overnite workers, and all he could get was three votes," said John Murphy, an international vice president and director of organizing for the union. "It's not going to be a good Labor Day week for Leo."

Overnite spokesman Ira Rosenfeld called Murphy's remarks "unworthy of comment."

Company officials pointed out that this was the first representation election won by the Teamsters since April 1997.

Meanwhile, some employees at Overnite's hub in Memphis, Tenn., which employs more than 400 people, have filed a petition with the NLRB to decertify the union. An earlier effort was denied by the board in April.

There are two upcoming elections for Teamsters representation at Overnite terminals: workers in Los Angeles have a Sept. 28 election date and employees in Syracuse, N.Y., have a Sept. 30 date.

The national campaign to organize Overnite Transportation, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Corp., began in late 1994. To date, the Teamsters union has won elections and bargaining rights at 37 terminals, representing about 45% of the company's 8,200 dock workers and drivers.

For the full story, see the Sept. 6 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.