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Local and National Union News
UPS Teamsters receive raises and COLA wage increases
Aug. 6, 2026 | UPS Teamsters should be looking out for their new raises on all paychecks, which went into effect Saturday, August 1. Under the UPS Teamsters National Master Agreement, rank-and-file members who had attained seniority by the time the contract was ratified on August 1, 2023, are eligible. The increases add up to thousands of dollars more per year going into our members’ pockets. These are strong gains secured in the UPS Teamsters national contract, growing even greater in the year ahead. Local 355 represents more than 1,500 UPS employees working in the Baltimore and Salisbury areas.
Blue Chip Casino workers in Indiana join Teamsters
Aug. 6, 2026 | A group of 22 slot attendants and dual rates at Blue Chip Casino Hotel and Spa in Michigan City, Ind., have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 135. The slot attendants, who keep the casino floor running by maintaining over 1,600 slot machines and providing guest services, joined the Teamsters to secure higher pay, improved benefits, and better working conditions. On June 23, the casino workers marched on the boss and demanded Teamsters representation. Why does this matter? This marks the first organizing win at one of the largest casino entertainment companies in the U.S. Learn more.NYC Teamsters demand NYC pass Delivery Protection Act
July 29, 2026 | The upcoming NYC Teamsters rally led by President Sean O’Brien is scheduled for Monday, August 10, 2026. Despite achieving bipartisan supermajority support and gaining the backing of New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the Delivery Protection Act has been blocked from receiving an official hearing or floor vote by the NYC Council. Teamsters are demanding that lawmakers bring the legislation to a vote. The Delivery Protection Act is the only way for New York City to hold Amazon accountable for years of union-busting and endangering workers. Learn moreAmazon’s newspaper says Amazon sucks
July 23, 2026 | The Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post has reported that the number of Amazon workers relying on federal benefits TRIPLED over the last five years. Why are American taxpayers forced to subsidize Amazon's inhumane wages? Across the country, Amazon Teamsters are fighting back to end this corruption and win workers the pay and benefits they have earned for making Amazon a multitrillion-dollar company… Learn moreOlder posts can be found at 355 News
Elsewhere in the News
How We Made UPS Create FT Jobs in Our Teamster Local
Aug. 5, 2026 | JUSTICE | Often, winning something in your contract is only half the battle—the other half is enforcing it. It was a huge win in 2023 when our national contract campaign made UPS end its two-tier driver program. After the lower-tier drivers moved up to regular, our center in Charleston, South Carolina, had 91 full-time delivery drivers. But over time, drivers left, and eventually our center dropped down to 75. When we asked management to fill vacant jobs, they said we had adequate staffing. We filed grievances. They were denied because we had not proved we needed more staffing. We filed grievances… Nation of Change
The Labor Movement Is Divided Over How to Deal With AI
Aug. 4, 2026 | ECONOMY | Artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated our workplaces, where many employers have sought to boost productivity, cut labor costs, and eliminate jobs via the technology. A 2025 Pew Research Center poll found that 1 in 5 workers now use AI in their jobs. Organized labor’s response to AI has been fraught. Where some see an inevitable shift that simply needs to be regulated and could potentially even create jobs, others see a dangerous trend that will result in further job losses along with a variety of other problems. … The ongoing debate over data centers encapsulates this tension. Continued at Truthout
Employers Stall Labor Contracts for Years: A New Bill Could Change That
Aug. 3, 2026 | LEGISLATION | […] Precarious fast-food workers around the country wondered if corporate goliaths like Starbucks and Chipotle, which employ hundreds of thousands of workers without a union contract, could be brought to the bargaining table. Not so fast, they learned. ... Across the United States, employers with newly minted union shops currently stall for an average of 465 days to negotiate a first contract, according to a 2022 study of Bloomberg Law’s labor data. Full story at The American Prospect
Solidarity Across Generations: The 123rd Anniversary of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Aug. 3, 2026 | UNION MILESTONES | ( Click here to enlarge image.) August 4 marks the 123rd anniversary of the founding of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. This anniversary is not just a milestone — it is a reminder that the notion of workers fighting as one is still the most formidable force for change in America. The Teamsters’ story began long before tractor-trailers and package cars. The union’s earliest members drove horse-drawn wagons, hauling freight, coal, beer, ice, and every other essential good through America’s growing cities. They understood that whether you held the reins of a horse or the wheel of a truck, working people were strongest when they stood together. Continued at Just Cause Teamsters
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