On Sunday June 2nd, President Fred Zuckerman and Freight Agent Kevin Oliva met with ABF members to review the proposed 2013 agreement.  The Executive Board as well as Oliva believe this proposal to be highly concessionary and are not recommending it for ratification by the membership.  If the contract is approved, it will include, among other concessions, a reduction of wages by 7%, eliminate a week of vacation and allow for increased subcontracting. 

The tentative agreement moves ABF out of the National Master Freight Agreement and places workers under a much weaker single-employer contract.  “This is essentially the end of the NMFA,” said President Zuckerman, “and that’s tragic.” 

The NMFA began under President James R. Hoffa in 1964 and covered hundreds of thousands of Teamsters.  Sadly, we are now seeing the end of this great bastion of Teamster strength.  If the contract is ratified, USF Holland and YRC will be the only companies that remain in the NMFA.