MontanaTeamsters

 

 

 

Unionists, working families are targets of new majority party

LOCAL 190

BILLINGS — As January approaches and the 62nd Montana Legislative Assembly gathers to do the work of the citizens of Montana, it appears from the rancor coming from the majority party that Montana’s working families and especially Montana union members are clearly in the crosshairs. Statements by the newly elected Speaker of the Montana House include, “Public employee pensions were frivolous and need to be brought in line“and “Labor unions need to be brought in line.” One has to ask in line with what, Mr. Speaker?  Public employees have worked hard and

earned the right to those pensions that you call frivolous. Any attempt to deprive them of those benefits by either reducing them or creating schemes that would deprive adequate funding is simply unacceptable. Montana’s Public Employee Pension Fund is suffering the same funding shortfalls created by the 2008 economic meltdown as single employer and multiemployer pension funds. A real debate is deserved by hard working Montana public employees on how to preserve their full benefits.  A solution must be sought that will provide future employees an assurance of a healthy retirement plan. It will to take a true bipartisan effort to do this. However, the majority party has publicly stated in its caucuses “that we will not reach across the aisle to work with the minority party.” This type of partisan politics will stifle the voice of working Montanans and must be rejected

by both parties.  Republicans and Democrats must work together and do what is right for the citizens of Montana, not what is right for either parties’ political majorities or political futures.

Workers Compensation System — It is well documented that Montana’s workers compensation rates are the highest in the country. So a serious look at why and what changes are needed to provide a system with adequate benefits for injured workers and affordable rates for employers.

In 2006 the Labor-Management Advisory Council was created to study Montana’s workers compensation laws and to provide recommendations for solutions.  The council was made up of both labor and management representatives and was chaired by Lieutenant Governor John

Bollinger. Local 190’s former and current lobbyists, Don Judge and Jason Miller, both served as labor representatives. The result of the hard work of this Council is LC255, which was a draft piece of legislation entitled “Revise workers’ compensation laws to implement recommendations of

Labor-Management Advisory Council.”  This recommendation focused on four cost drivers — frequency, duration, medical costs and open claims. Recommendations have been made on each of these cost drivers and by doing so LMAC was successful in structuring cost savings while at the same time making modest improvements for injured workers.  The recommendation also provides greater equity across the system. Local 190 has supported this recommendation and is pleased that it has received unanimous support of the Economic Affairs Interim Committee.

Bullock Protects Montana Workers — Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock was successful in reaching a $2.3 million dollar agreement with FedEx Ground over its failure to pay unemployment insurance on behalf of its drivers, who had been misclassified as independent contractors.  "This is a basic issue of fairness. Every worker in Montana deserves the fundamental

protections provided by law, and no employer can deny those protections by misclassifying employees as independent contractors," Bullock said. FedEx Ground — a subsidiary of the FedEx Corporation and competitor to Teamster represented companies— avoided payment of these expenses by classifying drivers as independent contractors, since state law requires payment only for employees, not for independent contractors. As part of the settlement, FedEx Ground has agreed to pay $2.3 million to reimburse Montana for its losses, which includes penalties for failing to withhold income taxes and for misrepresenting employee information in its quarterly reports.

Any unemployment insurance coverage already paid by drivers — which should have been paid by FedEx — will be reimbursed directly to drivers. The remaining $1.2 million will go directly to the

state's general fund “This is a nationwide problem and it deserves a nationwide solution," Bullock

added.  "I'll continue to work with my colleagues across the country to make sure that FedEx Ground's drivers — and all workers — are provided the rights and protections they deserve."

Steve Bullock was Teamsters Union Local 190’s attorney prior to be elected as Montana Attorney General.

75th Anniversary Celebration

Saturday January 29, 2011

4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Open House

437 Kuhlman Drive

Cake, Coffee and Local 190 history

The Aesthetic Realism

Theater Company

Karin Jones, International Brotherhood of

Teamsters

Alberta Bair Theater

7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

2801 3rd Avenue North

 

Please join us for a celebration of our 75th anniversary. This is a family event and we encourage you to bring your children and grandchildren. All events are free however tickets are limited for the Alberta Bair event so get your tickets early. Tickets will be available beginning December 1, 2010. If you will be attending both the event at the union hall and Alberta Bair Theater we will be providing a shuttle from Kuhlman Drive to ABT. In order to use the shuttle, please reserve your spot by January 7, 2011.

Pension meetings scheduled — spring pension meetings have been scheduled for the week of April 4 -8, 2011. Watch your union bulletin board or www.teamsters190.com for further details. In closing, we would like to extend our best wishes for a Happy Holiday and a Prosperous New Year.

Disclaimer: Information contained on this web site shall not substitute for official Union business. Your Union contract should always be referred to for offical information and procedures.