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Rhode Island Beverage Teamsters are Fighting for Strong Contracts and Winning

Teamsters who work at McLaughlin & Moran unanimously ratified a new contract, improving upon industry-leading pay, Teamster health care and Teamster pension. Teamsters won a wage increase of over 21% with the new agreement, with additional improvements to paid time and working conditions.

Teamsters who work at Centrex Distributors ratified a contract that eliminated long-standing wage and vacation time tiers. The Local 251-represented workers will see an average immediate increase of over 16% in wages, and an average wage increase of over 43% over the entire agreement.

Teamsters who work at Northeast Beverage RI unanimously ratified a contract after a one-day strike, which includes strong wage increases and Teamster health care. Teamsters won an immediate 12% wage increase and 31% wage increases over the entire agreement.

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Teamsters VIP+ Plan Enrollment

Teamsters VIP+ Voluntary Income Protection Plus Plan

Teamster Members may now enroll in Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Life Insurance with Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D). Discover all the new benefit options now available to help you protect your income when you can’t work due to illness, injury, surgery, death, or loss of DOT or FAA certification (due to medical reasons). All benefit options are guaranteed approved during open enrollment for all active, U.S.-based, full-dues paying Teamsters.

Key Details:

Enrollment Deadline: July 28th for coverage effective August 1, 2024.

Benefits: Members can enroll in Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance with Accidental Death & Dismemberment, all without medical tests, questions, or underwriting.

Teamster Advantage: Specialized policy language protects members with CDLs, FAA certifications, or specialty licenses.

Enrollment:

Visit https://www.TeamstersVIP.com to learn more and enroll.

For assistance, members can call the Teamsters’ U.S.-based enrollment center at 224-770-5304.

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2023 Teamster Women’s Conference

The Local 251 Women’s Committee joined up with 1,500 Teamster sisters—the most ever—at the Teamster Women’s Conference in Nashville.

Conference participants spent four days meeting with fellow Teamsters from across the county to share inspiration and strategies for building organizing campaigns and more power for women workers everywhere.

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UPS Contract Ratified & In Effect

UPS Teamsters nationwide voted by 86 percent to ratify the new UPS contract. The New England Supplement was approved by 83 percent. Both contracts are in full force and effect. Read the official ballot count here.

Click here to download the entire National Agreement.

Click here to download the New England Supplement.

All wage increases will be paid retroactively to August 1 and will be included in an upcoming paycheck. United, we won!

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UPS Strike Authorization Vote

This Sunday, Teamsters are turning out to Local 251 in a show of force. Be there!

Get a contract update. Cast your ballot in a Teamster strike authorization vote.

Vote Yes to authorize a strike at UPS if management refuses to agree to a fair agreement before the contract expires on July 31.

Vote Yes to show management we are ready to strike and ready to win!

STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE
Sunday, 10 am
Local 251 Union Hall
121 Brightridge Ave., East Providence, RI 02914
Members can also vote at the hall and at the gates of the UPS building on Tuesday, June 13.

Click here to download a leaflet to distribute and inform fellow members on the strike authorization vote.

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RISD Workers Win Strike

RISD Workers Win Strike
Workers Secure First Contract, End Two Week Strike

Teamsters at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) have secured their very first contract following a two week-long strike and 10 months of negotiations. Workers unanimously voted to ratify the contract.

The new six-year contract includes wage increases averaging 33 percent, with a 22 percent increase to take effect July 2023, wage retroactivity to October 2022, strong benefits, longevity bonuses, and more.

“After months of negotiations and multiple strikes, we are relieved to finally have a strong contract,” said Regina Santos, RISD custodian and Local 251 member. “We are very grateful to our Teamster leaders, RISD students, community members, and everyone who stood in solidarity with us on the picket line and helped us get a fair contract.”

“Strikes work – and this victory makes that abundantly clear,” said Matt Taibi, Local 251 Secretary-Treasurer and Eastern Region International Vice President. “RISD workers stood side-by-side in unity and demanded higher pay and better benefits, despite pushback from RISD leadership. We are grateful to these workers for their commitment in holding the line and fighting for the contract they deserve.”

RISD Teamsters authorized a one-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike in late March after Local 251 filed ULP charges against RISD for failing to pay a general wage increase and changing starting rates for workers without providing them with notice or an opportunity to bargain. When RISD continued to refuse to bargain with workers, they headed to the picket line indefinitely on April 3.

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Members at First Student Providence Win Big in New Contract

Members at First Student Providence united, stuck together for months, reached out to the public, and prepared to go on strike to win a stronger contract.

The unity and pressure paid off.

Members have won a trend-setting contract that raises top pay to $37/hour by June 2026. The new four-year agreement also raises starting pay by more than $4 to $24/hour and guarantees members 180 paid work-days a year.

“We’re out on those roads every day and people from Rhode Island, you know what it’s like, and with the kids and we’re just glad. We’re glad. Everybody’s happy,” driver Chuck Hanrahan said.

“First Student drivers are invested invested in these jobs to support their families. These aren’t disposable, throwaway jobs. These workers are taxpayers, they’re parents, they’re members of the community and they deserve the best,” said Local 251 Secretary-Treasurer Matt Taibi.

Watch the news item on the new contract here.