Rappelling Teamsters...

[foster1662]

Oak Harbor Freight Teamsters Protest at Gap Headquarters
San Francisco Headquarters Scene of Banner Drop
October 21, 2008
(Washington, D.C.) — Today, Teamsters rappelled down the side of a building adjacent to The Gap’s headquarters in San Francisco to bring attention to the company’s support of union-busting freight firm Oak Harbor Freight Lines. Oak Harbor Freight Lines, the company that transports Gap merchandise on the West Coast, recently cut health care benefits for its workers and retirees.

“We are here today at Gap Inc. to let the people of San Francisco, and the country, know that Gap, Inc. supports union-busters,” said Dan Jurpik, a striking worker who participated in the banner drop. “I have worked for Oak Harbor for 14 years. Now they are slashing our health care and bringing in professional strikebreakers to coerce and scare loyal long-time employees.”

In protest over Oak Harbor Freight Lines’ violations of U.S. labor laws, workers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho were forced to strike on Sept. 22. The company also made hostile attempts to intimidate workers. One day later, Oak Harbor took the extraordinary step of cutting off health care benefits to its workers and retirees.

“This company is treating its employees badly,” said Al Hobart, President of Teamsters Joint Council 28 and International Vice President. “Not only do they not want to negotiate fairly, but now they have taken the outrageous step of slashing health care benefits for workers. And, to add insult to injury, they cut health care for retirees – the very workers who built Oak Harbor into a strong company.”

Oak Harbor’s biggest freight customer, retail giant Gap Inc., continues to provide support to Oak Harbor even after it cut retiree health care benefits, froze workers’ retirement income and slashed sick leave.

More than 600 Teamsters remain on strike in Washington, Oregon and Idaho against Auburn, Washington-based Oak Harbor, after bargaining unsuccessfully for a fair contract for the past 11 months.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was founded in 1903 and represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico

 

[3mRoccoBoy]

awesome!!!!:)

 

[teamster in wa]

Is there any video of this?? Would love to see that!!

 

[livlly909]

I don't have video but here's a picture of it....

 

[truckchick1]

i went on the local websites in sf for their news but nothnig there. Hopefully it will be there tomorrow.

 

[imported_just asking]

I don't have video but here's a picture of it....

I thought this was/is an ULP strike not an economic/contract strike. What does an ULP have to do with retiree benefits???

Also, I don't understand how the company cuts off benefits. OHFL pays the union whatever the negotiated monthly payment is and OHFL pays the union. They in turn put the money toward buying health benefits for the members. If OHFL is and willing to keep paying the monthly payment, why is the union not accepting the money or taking the money but not providing the benefits? So how does the IBT say that OHFL cut off the benefits when it wasn't even OHFL benefits in the first place. IBT was providing the benefits and it seems like they are the ones that cut off the benefits.

Back to retirees, I realize they need health insurance but the claim that because the company cuts off retiree benefit payments to the union the monthly cost to the retiree is going to double doesn't seem right. The OHFL pays the union around $50 to subsidize retiree benefits. If OHFL stops paying the $50, it's going to double monthly payments??? What are they paying now? $50 per month??? I should retire now!!! Contract #8 had option for the union to keep the retiree benefits just the way it was but did union tell the members about that?

 

[truckchick1]

Do you havei nside information as management or is this more company propaganda.

 

[livlly909]

just_asking, this banner didn't have anything to do with the ULP complaint....we're just trying to get Gap to use another carrier.

Further, I believe the company stopped making payments to TWT. If TWT doesn't get any funding, they can't provide us with medical benefits. So it is infact Oak Harbor that cut off the benefits.

 

[truckchick1]

It is a stike about ULP. ou can not poll workers about how they will vote. You can not threaten them that if they strike they will not have a job and will be replaced, you can not make changes to the total work enviroment as long as you have a contract in place. The problem is the contract has expired 11 months and some days ago with no new negotiations. The health benefits for workers and retirees is just the final straw.

 

[imported_just asking]

Do you havei nside information as management or is this more company propaganda.

I guess if you mean "inside information" is reading the contract, then, yeah, I guess I have inside information.

 

[imported_just asking]

Further, I believe the company stopped making payments to TWT. If TWT doesn't get any funding, they can't provide us with medical benefits. So it is infact Oak Harbor that cut off the benefits.

I believe TWT sends an invoice to companys and they pay off of that invoice. Did TWT send an invoice to OHFL?

 

[imported_just asking]

It is a stike about ULP. ou can not poll workers about how they will vote.

Is that why teamsters didn't let them vote?

You can not threaten them that if they strike they will not have a job and will be replaced, you can not make changes to the total work enviroment as long as you have a contract in place. The problem is the contract has expired 11 months and some days ago with no new negotiations. The health benefits for workers and retirees is just the final straw.

So why march through a mall in Portland saying they want a contract and nothing about ULP?

 

[happyltlguy]

The medical benefits are earned based on an employees hours worked. if you work enough hours in a month you get your medical benefits in the next month. The fact that employees who are on strike are not working hours on the job causes them to not earn the benefit. those that have crossed the line continue to have medical benefits, they have earned it by working enough hours.

 

[VanVanvanderVan]

This is fantastic!!! We need our union leaders to step up the pressure and pump some money into this fight. To all my fellow strikers, stop at your customers (which have become our friends also) and tell them to not use OHFL until they gives us a good contract. Keep up this fight! DON'T BECOME A !:smilie_132:

 

[airhorn4you]

The medical benefits are earned based on an employees hours worked. if you work enough hours in a month you get your medical benefits in the next month. The fact that employees who are on strike are not working hours on the job causes them to not earn the benefit. those that have crossed the line continue to have medical benefits, they have earned it by working enough hours.

what kind of rinky dink health coverage do they have though i mean can you even afford to use it i think not under the teamster plan it cost $100 when my kid was born under the co. plan it is up to $1200 so it isnt comparibleit cost money out of pocket and it isnt affordable to use and if the plan was so good how come oak h wouldnt provide us with any information on what the plan actually covers including the copays, deductibles max out of pocket all they gave us was thier word and it aint worth spit those that crossed the line werent happy with the health care plan change 11 months ago and if they read it or better yet try to use it will find that they still arent happy with it but its to late for them now

 

[airhorn4you]

Is that why teamsters didn't let them vote?

you must be managment or you werent paying attention we did take a vote it was unanimous



So why march through a mall in Portland saying they want a contract and nothing about ULP?

maybe they just generaly want a contract its been 11 months cant blame em for that can ya why cant you strike for one and hope or want for the other at the same time if the vanderpoops would have actually negotiated instead of dilly dallying with all the intimidation bullying and threats we could have had a fair contract and continued to work and make them more money but thier focused on busting the union instead i'd pray for them but my god is disappointed with thier actions a lot of families are suffering while they throw money away and replacement workers and security gaurds take a tip from me find a job somewhere else until this is over but continue to put time in on the line

 

[airhorn4you]

I thought this was/is an ULP strike not an economic/contract strike. What does an ULP have to do with retiree benefits???

Also, I don't understand how the company cuts off benefits. OHFL pays the union whatever the negotiated monthly payment is and OHFL pays the union. They in turn put the money toward buying health benefits for the members. If OHFL is and willing to keep paying the monthly payment, why is the union not accepting the money or taking the money but not providing the benefits? So how does the IBT say that OHFL cut off the benefits when it wasn't even OHFL benefits in the first place. IBT was providing the benefits and it seems like they are the ones that cut off the benefits.
:
Back to retirees, I realize they need health insurance but the claim that because the company cuts off retiree benefit payments to the union the monthly cost to the retiree is going to double doesn't seem right. The OHFL pays the union around $50 to subsidize retiree benefits. If OHFL stops paying the $50, it's going to double monthly payments??? What are they paying now? $50 per month??? I should retire now!!! Contract #8 had option for the union to keep the retiree benefits just the way it was but did union tell the members about that?

you said it you just dont understand and you probably never will until you open your eyes and ears and really payattention

 

[foster1662]

Please help us with the struggle at Oak Harbor Freight Lines by e-mailing the Gap, Inc. at the address provided, and ask them to stop using Oak Harbor Freight Lines. The Gap, Inc. is one of OHFL's last big accounts, and their continued support of OHFL is a slap in the face to the six hundred striking workers and their families.

OHFL has been charged with at least five Unfair Labor Practice charges, and the National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating them on these charges. In the meantime, OHFL management has refused to bargain in good faith, and has hired out-of-state replacement workers in an attempt to permanently replace the striking employees. These unprofessional and unsafe drivers can be viewed engaging in unsafe acts on You Tube by simply typing in "Oak Harbor Freight".

Please demand that the Gap, Inc. stop using OHFL until they begin to adhere to the law, and bargain in good faith without intimidation and coercion! Our workers and our families thank you for taking the time to do this.

[email protected]

 

[happyltlguy]

what kind of rinky dink health coverage do they have though i mean can you even afford to use it i think not under the teamster plan it cost $100 when my kid was born under the co. plan it is up to $1200 so it isnt comparibleit cost money out of pocket and it isnt affordable to use and if the plan was so good how come oak h wouldnt provide us with any information on what the plan actually covers including the copays, deductibles max out of pocket all they gave us was thier word and it aint worth spit those that crossed the line werent happy with the health care plan change 11 months ago and if they read it or better yet try to use it will find that they still arent happy with it but its to late for them now

They actually did give you that information, it is on that oakhanswers site. they endorsed and provided a teamster document that compared the plans. If the plan is so bad why did 19 of the 23 drivers in Boise cross the line to go back to the company plan which they had all along?

 

[imported_just asking]

what kind of rinky dink health coverage do they have though i mean can you even afford to use it i think not under the teamster plan it cost $100 when my kid was born under the co. plan it is up to $1200 so it isnt comparibleit cost money out of pocket and it isnt affordable to use and if the plan was so good how come oak h wouldnt provide us with any information on what the plan actually covers including the copays, deductibles max out of pocket all they gave us was thier word and it aint worth spit those that crossed the line werent happy with the health care plan change 11 months ago and if they read it or better yet try to use it will find that they still arent happy with it but its to late for them now

I'll give you that it cost $100 when you kid was born and congraulations ( I mean that sincerely). I don't see where it would have cost you $1200 under OHFL plan. If it's under ER, then OHFL is 100% after $75 copay and WaTWT is only 80% after $75 copay and Oregon 206 is 100% after $100 copay. For ER, I would say OHFL is better. Co-insurance Out of pocket (if that's what you were looking at, it's $1250 per person for OHFL, $1500 for waTWT and $600 out of pocket including deductible which is another $100. Oregon seems to be winner here with WaTWT being last. Lifetime max: $1 mil for OHFL AND Oregon 206, WaTWT is $2 mill. WaTWT is the winner but you are not covered under that, you are probably under Oregon 206. One thing to keep in mind, ask WaTWT or Oregon 206 when was the last time some one reach $1 mill let alone $2 mill. Organ transplants, OHFL is covered under 80% hospital charge, WaTWT is $200,000 max per confinement and Oregon is covered under medically indicated which is 80% so the winner is OHFL and Oregon and WaTWT is last.

WaTWT does cover massage therapy which OHFL or Oregon does not cover.