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Fall 2011-6:Layout 19/15/117:07 AMPage 2Teamsters Local1205Fall 2011NewsBaumann Buses’ First Contract One Year Later!This fall our Baumann Busmembers are in the secondschool year of their first Local1205 contract.In 2009, when we were preparingto negotiate with Baumann, ourcountry’s economy was collapsing(as it has continued to do). Ourfederal, state, and local governmentswere slashing services; that includedmassively reducing funding to ourschool districts. Millions of peoplehad become unemployed, and veryfew people anywhere were gettingwage increases. In fact, almost everyemployer was freezing or reducingwages.For instance, many non-unionFirst Student employees have nothad a wage increase in at least twoyears. That is also true of manyBaumann terminal managers.Employers everywhere weredrastically cutting the quality ofmedical benefits and increasingemployees’ cost for those nowinferior plans.This was the atmosphere inwhich we began our Baumannnegotiations. Baumann’s attorneystated right at the beginning of ourmany intense negotiation sessionsthat a 5-year wage freeze would beappropriate. The company alsoinsisted it would not contributetoward a Local 1205 medical plan,1205 Members at Our Annual Shop Steward Educational Workshopnor would it change the guarantees.Particularly given that environment, it is truly a cause for celebration that the average Baumannemployee is earning 8% more todaythan when the contract was signedlast year; that Baumann employeesare enjoying less expensive andbetter Local 1205 medical benefits;that every Driver and DA hasimproved guarantees!Important Economic Facts A Baumann bus driver hired justbefore our contract will earn 4.20more per hour by the end of ourcontract—a compounded increaseof more than 22%. A van driver hired just before ourcontract will earn 4.05 more perhour by the end of our contract—acompounded increase of morethan 27%. A DA hired just before ourcontract will earn 3.50 more perhour by the end of our contract—a compounded increase of morethan 30%. Members are saving thousands ofdollars by being in Local 1205’sWelfare Fund.(See “Baumann Members Tell ItLike It Is,” page 6)Table ofContents2From thePresident3SixStories5About OurWelfare Fund—and More6BaumannMembersSpeak8Victory:The NewSchool9From aRetiree10SampleGrievanceVictories11Two BigEvents

Fall 2011-6:Layout 19/15/117:07 AMPage 3From the Presidentreetings, Sisters and Brothers! In this newsletter,proud members of Teamsters Local 1205 speakabout our union. And they report on particularsuccesses that affect all of us.GThese are taking place at a time when, across America,corporate owners and the politicians and media theysupport are more than ever scheming to weaken and killunions. A large part of that scheme is to describe unionsand their members as greedy, overpaid, and a primarycause of America’s present financial disaster! If the motiveweren’t so ugly, such a tale could be seen as very funny.Let’s get this right: Corporations want people to believe thatbecause unions insist on decent wages, affordable medicalcoverage, and the ability of Americans to retire in economicdignity—we’re the bad guys!What’s really happening is: those leading the attackagainst unions are trying to have the nation’s wealth stayin the hands of just a few persons—by making the vastmajority of our citizens become poorer and poorer. Toaccomplish that, they have to kill unions.Three Statements for Our TimeAs early as 1816, Thomas Jefferson said in no uncertainterms that we need to protect our democracy from thosewhose main interest is profit. He wrote: “I hope we shallcrush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government.”In 1938 Franklin Roosevelt spoke passionately against theefforts of corporations to control how people work and livein our nation. FDR told Congress: “The liberty of ademocracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth ofprivate power to a point where it becomes stronger thantheir democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism.”In 1970 the American educator Eli Siegel—whosephilosophy, Aesthetic Realism, I respect tremendously—explained that economies throughout the world are failingbecause the injustice Jefferson and Roosevelt describedis now also inefficient. He wrote: “There will be noeconomic recovery in the world until economics itself—themaking of money, the having of jobs—becomes ethical; is2 Local 1205 News Fall 2011based on good will rather than on the ill will which has beenpredominant for centuries.” Unions stand for that good will:for the power of ethics.What Every Person DeservesIf we don’t understand and fight the viciousness ofcorporations and their political henchmen—or if we fight itonly half-heartedly—we are doomed to lose our Americanrights. We shouldn’t fool ourselves: if employers have theirway, we’ll go back to the days of sweatshops, to the dayswhen it was illegal to protest brutal labor practices, illegalto join a union. To be able to join with your fellow citizensto pursue justice through collective bargaining is anAmerican right that corporations and many governmentofficials are trying to take away. People fought and died toobtain that right—it wasn’t given to us.Brothers and sisters: when you hear someone attack ourunion or any union, know they are attacking the heart andsoul of America. Your defending and protecting organizedlabor is the same as advocating for justice. The meaning oforganized labor is so great, so magnificent—nothing can beallowed to divide us. We can talk about mistakes someunions make, or something silly some individual memberdoes, but we should never, ever, let the discussion divert usfrom the main thing: honest unions created the middleclass; organized labor is the most important force actingto establish dignity for every person who works. Unions arethe biggest organized force working to push wages up; toprotect and improve Social Security, Medicare; to bringabout economic and social justice for all. And that’s thereason unions are attacked and lied about.As you’ll see in the statements by Local 1205 members,what we’re accomplishing together is what every persondeserves!In solidarity,Timothy LynchPresident, Local 1205

Fall 2011-6:Layout 19/15/117:07 AMPage 4Six Representative StoriesFirst Student Mechanics:A Lesson in SolidarityLast year, ten First Student mechanics and one fueler working inCenter Moriches organized tobecome 1205 members. They’re nowcelebrating their first contract.more. “Before the union, there wasa lot of turmoil. Now, having theunion behind us, giving us protection as the contract continues —it’sa great feeling!”“It’s Amazing!”Local 1205 represents employees at8 Dykes Lumber locations in NewYork and New Jersey. When Dykespurchased a non-union company inCloster, NJ, the drivers and yardmen there were thrilled to learn theywould be working in a union shop!Lou Struss, who had worked therefor more than 3 decades, says:Our newest First Student membersAfter a number of negotiationsessions, the company tried to sellthem an inferior contract offer. Butthese mechanics, with the encouragement of 1205 leadership, werepreparing for a battle, and rejectedthe company’s offer. They got readyto picket First Student, including atits other locations on Long Island.As the company saw they meantbusiness, were unified and proud tobe Teamsters, a new offer cameforth—one that included muchhigher wage increases andcontributions into the unionWelfare Fund. It was a true lesson insolidarity.Jim Trotto, our newly-electedShop Steward, says: “We all stucktogether. And we’re all happy aboutthe contract and the terrific increaseswe’re getting.” The average increaseis 4.50 per hour over a 2½ yearperiod, and some are getting much“When Iheard we’d bein the union, Ithought, ‘Wow,this is great!’But I reallydidn’t realizehow muchimprovementLou Strussthere would be.It’s amazing—honestly. The medicalalone saved me hundreds of dollarsa month. Before, we had outrageousco-pays. Now we have hardly any.And the union plan is much betterin so many ways.” He was amazedthat within two years of being in theunion he’ll be making 4.60 morean hour than before. And he’sthrilled to be in our great pensionplan. He says:“I worked for a non-union company for 30 years. If we had Local1205 when I started, I’d be able toretire by now. It blows my mind.Meanwhile,” he added humorously,“with all my new paid time off, Ihardly know what to do with myself!”Lou spoke about the fakery ofpersons who try to poison peopleagainst unions—and about thosetaken in by it. He said: “You don’thave to be a rocket scientist to figureout how much good being in a uniondoes you. It makes me furious whenthey talk so ignorantly against unions.People have to stop being stupidand realize all the benefits men andwomen in unions fought for. They’rethings everyone should have! I amso proud to be part of 1205. It’sreally nice to say ‘I’m in the union’!”We Wouldn’t Allow It!Throughout the nation, employers(and certain politicians) are usingAmerica’s economic agony as anexcuse for what they’ve always goneafter: trying to break or at leastweaken unions. As part of this,many Local 1205 employers havetried to get around their contractualobligations to our members. Thesebosses often requested that we reopen our contracts to negotiategivebacks. We wouldn’t allow it!One particularly stubborn employer,Russin Lumber, refused to a give aspecific wage increase, mandated inthe contract, to its over-the-roaddrivers. Russin made the bogusclaim that the contract allowed thecompany not to pay it! We foughtthis, and filed for arbitration. Andafter arguments were presented andlegal briefs submitted, our memberswere awarded 16,000 in back pay.(continued, page 4)Fall 2011 Local 1205 News 3