June 17, 2008: The Teamster strike at PTS has closed a company that was already on the way out. The fight now is to safeguard 100 percent of the PTS Teamsters’ jobs at union carriers.

If our union ensures that the shippers replace PTS with union carriers, and our union enforces Article 5 of the contract to protect the strikers’ jobs and seniority, then the strike will have been a success.

Today there is a hearing in Romulus, Mich. on seniority issues at some 15 locations. Teamsters from many terminals are attending the hearing.

PTS Teamsters in many areas are nervous because they have seen nonunion operators like United Road Service, Sierra Mountain and Accurate Auto Carriers hauling PTS’s former traffic. Mechanics, yard and office Teamsters are also concerned for their jobs. They were as much a part of the strike as the drivers.

Recently the International Union bragged in a press release how they did exactly that, with the help of the UAW, to protect yard Teamsters in Local 89, the home local of Carhaul Director Fred Zuckerman. It's time to do the same for all PTS Teamsters, including yard workers, mechanics and office personnel.

Let's make sure that the strike accomplishes its goal: all PTS work must go to union carriers, and PTS Teamsters have the right to follow their work.

The time to protect good Teamster jobs is now.

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