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Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Teamsters Win $53,000 Grievance Arbitration

April 18, 2024

Teamsters Locals 135 & 142 members recently achieved a huge arbitration victory against Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Indiana. In 2022, the company agreed during contract negotiations that drivers would receive overtime pay when they work on Mondays, which is normally one of their weekend days off. At the time, drivers were the only workers who did not receive overtime pay when forced to work on one of their regular days off, so Monday overtime was an important proposal for the drivers during negotiations.

However, when the drivers worked their first Monday under the new contract, the company refused to pay overtime, claiming that overtime pay is not required if the Monday work is part of a “schedule change.” This was a ridiculous position for the company to take, not only because there was never an agreement to exclude schedule change Mondays from the overtime requirement, but also because when the drivers work on Mondays, it is almost always the result of a schedule change. Accordingly, Driver Steward Brady Johnson filed a class action grievance on behalf of all drivers demanding the company follow the contract and backpay the drivers for all Monday hours not paid at time-and-one-half.

The company denied the grievance, and Locals 135 & 142 took the grievance to arbitration. The Arbitrator had no problem ruling in the Drivers’ favor, finding that “there is no confusion in the language” making Mondays an overtime day for drivers, nor is there any exception in the language for schedule changes. She therefore sustained the Grievance and ordered the company to “pay overtime to drivers for Monday work, retroactive to the filing of the Grievance, and going forward.” The backpay alone has been calculated at more than $53,000, not to mention all the extra pay the drivers will receive for future Mondays!!

Local 135 would like to give a big thanks to Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Chief Steward Kevin Clark, Driver Steward Brady Johnson, and Business Agent Robert Doolin for their hard work on this Grievance. Local 135 would also like to thank Local 142 Secretary-Treasurer Harvey Jackson for coordinating with Local 135 on this Grievance, and for his testimony and bargaining notes, which were instrumental in securing this victory.

“This victory is an example of what can be achieved when you have good stewards, and when we work together with other Locals,” said Local 135 President Dustin T. Roach. “The more we work together, the stronger we are, and the more we can achieve for our members,” Roach continued.

This victory should also serve as a lesson for all bargaining committee members: Take good notes during negotiations. You never know when you might need them, and they could help you win $53,000 for your fellow members!

Teamsters Applaud Call to Pass Pro Act, Antitrust Laws During Biden SOTU

2023.02.08

(WASHINGTON) – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters applauds the call on Congress to pass the PRO Act during President Biden’s State of the Union address. New labor legislation that puts the needs of working people ahead of corporations was mentioned throughout the speech, including bipartisan antitrust legislation to rein in the power of Big Tech bullies like Amazon. But such laws must be passed and enacted to actually turn the tide in the battle against corporate greed.

“President Biden is putting the needs of working people at the center of public debate and Congress needs to meet this moment to repair labor laws in this country,” said Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President. “Bad actors like Amazon have been allowed to flout our nation’s labor and antitrust laws with impunity, running roughshod over honest businesses and their workers. Thanks to our current administration and labor climate, protections for working people are receiving a brighter spotlight and government officials today would be fools to let this chance to invest in the working class pass us by.

“As the President said in his State of the Union address, the time for robust labor and antitrust reform is now. Congress must work to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and give workers the protections to more easily organize their unions. Lawmakers also must pass the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) to rein in unfair business practices by white collar crime syndicates known as Corporate America. After decades of inaction and erosion on Capitol Hill, America’s labor laws are weak, but the Teamsters will continue to lead the charge to strengthen and improve them.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Teamsters at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Unite to Win Incredible Contract

2022.05.24

Members of Locals 135 and 142 Stand Together to Win Huge Wage Increases, Reduced Health Care Costs

(INDIANAPOLIS) – Members of Teamsters Local 135 and Teamsters Local 142 at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits ratified a new contract this week. The joint contract covers 120 drivers and warehouse workers at the company’s warehouse in Indianapolis and at its satellite facilities across Indiana.

“The improvements in this contract are the best we’ve ever had,” said Jeff Combs, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 135. “I’m incredibly proud of these members for standing strong and achieving what they did.”

The five-year agreement provides wage increases from $9.50 to $11 per hour over the life of the contract. It also lowers workers’ share of healthcare premium costs to $0 for the first two years of the contract and significantly increases the employer’s pension contributions.

“This bargaining unit used to be two separate units, but were merged together when Southern Wine and Glazer’s merged to form one company five years ago,” Combs explained. “It wasn’t’ an easy process – this group was not unified five years ago and the company knew it.

“Over the past five years, though, these workers came together to form a united and solid group. They understood that standing together in solidarity was the only thing that would win them a better contract and they were 100 percent right.”

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Chief Steward Kevin Clark agreed.

“The company came to us with a low-ball offer back in February, and we voted it down,” said Clark. “We stuck together at the bargaining table and kept all our co-workers updated on how negotiations were going. We stayed united and fought for what we deserve – the company realized they couldn’t divide us and that we weren’t going to back down. That’s how we won.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

NEW …. MYTEAMCARE APP

To assist Local Unions and our members, we’re happy to announce the launch of the new MyTeamCare app.  The app is a new way to find the benefits information you need. With the app, the features of our website are at your fingertips anytime, anywhere.  Registered Local Unions can use the MyTeamCare app on their smartphone or tablet to look up member information, eligibility and view Plan documents.  For members, the new MyTeamCare app allows them to look up claims, deductibles, and TeamCare benefit usage.  In addition, members will have easy access to your digital ID cards.  Finally, members can send a secure message via the Message Center directly from the app.  The MyTeamCare app is available to download now on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

During this crisis, please encourage members to utilize our website MyTeamCare.org to view their explanation of benefits statements (EOBs), download ID cards, download forms and applications, and send any claim questions through our secure Message Center.  Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected. The health of our members has always been our top priority.  This is a rapidly evolving situation that we will continue to monitor.

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