No need to call him off routes. I'm sure the conversation would go like this if he did
We have reached a tentative agreement on a new Local 804 contract that includes record pension increases, more full-time jobs and a better grievance procedure among other improvements.
I want to personally thank Local 804 members, stewards and the Contract Action Team. Your unity and support gave us the leverage we needed to make UPS increase its offer and put a contract on the table that we can recommend to the membership.
Under the contract, the pension will increase to $3,900/month on January 1 and reach $4,000/month in 2017. This is the biggest pension increase of any contract in Local 804 history.
The contract also provides for the largest number of full-time 22.3 jobs in Local 804 history and will create a minimum of 100 new full-time jobs in our local.
We have also won a better grievance procedure that will give members' swifter justice. Management will no longer be able to abuse the system and leave members with a termination hanging over their heads for a year or more while they wait for arbitration. Suspension and discharge cases will be decided in a month or two.
Disciplinary cases will be heard before a panel of representatives from Local 804 and representatives from the company. If the union and company deadlock on a case, an arbitrator will issue a decision right then and there.
The tentative agreement also includes more vacation scheduling, especially in the summer months, stronger rights for feeder drivers to overtime and extra work during peak, increased guaranteed hours for laid off and displaced members, and other improvements.
Every agreement includes give and take. Members will be able to review all changes to the contract before the ratification vote. A special General Membership Meeting to review the contract will be held on Sunday, May 19. This meeting will start at 9:00 a.m.
We have a lot to celebrate. With a $4,000/month pension and a record pension increase, we have come a long way since the pension cuts and attacks on 25 & Out in our last contract.
On behalf of the entire Bargaining Committee, I want to thank Local 804 members for your support from the contract survey through the contract actions this week and everything in between.
United we win! And together we have won contract improvements that are the envy of UPS Teamsters across the country.