With the DHL tentative agreement in hand, the Teamsters are setting sights on a bigger integrator

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.aircargoworld.com/regions/northam_0408.htm

Robert W. Moorman

The Teamsters union has the agreement it wants, but not the one it craves. A tentative national agreement is the first between the labor union and various DHL Express employee groups, but for the Teamsters it is only something of a reminder that the real prize for the union is a foothold at the express and ground operations of FedEx.

For now, U.S. law recognizes FedEx under the Railway Labor Act, which allows for only one union per work class on the property. Under the National Labor Relations Act, a law most unions prefer, there can be multiple unions representing one labor group.

Neither side is speculating officially, but Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa has made no secret that FedEx is the big prize.

Such an agreement at the Express division "would most likely be a national agreement because, by law, an RLA unit is a national unit," said David Welker, Teamsters senior campaign coordinator for the package division.

Going for a national agreement at FedEx Express "would not be a Teamsters strategy, but pursued as a result of what the law dictates," Welker said. "Of course this is a possibility, but we don't see FedEx management as willing to undertake bargaining."

FedEx says the Teamsters don't represent any employee group, but the union says it represents FedEx Ground drivers in Boston, Local 25 and Hartford, Conn, Local 671.

FULL story at link.