Hoffa Says Organizing, Strengthening Contracts Are Among Top Goals

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/4795

Hoffa Says Organizing, Strengthening Contracts Are Among Top Goals - 12/05/06

By Doug Cunningham

Teamsters President James Hoffa says he will use the next five years to concentrate Teamster efforts on organizing and strengthening contracts that protect pensions, wages and health benefits. Hoffa says organizing is the key to have the power to be effective across the range of labor issues.

: “Organizing and doing things like raising the minimum wage, passing the Employee Free Choice Act, working on national health care. Making sure we have port security, making sure people have good, strong pensions. Those are our goals nationally.”

Some UPS workers are unhappy with their contracts over pension and health benefits issues. Hoffa says he will work to strengthen pensions and health care in the new UPS contracts – but he says Teamster pension plans are strong.

: “That fund we’re very proud of has paid out over $37 billion since 1955 and there isn’t one person that’s ever missed a pension check. And what we’ve got to do is negotiate more money into that plan and work on getting a better contract, more security with regard to pensions and health care.”