10 years after Katrina: Teamsters recall unprecedented disaster, undaunted response

As we approach the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Teamster Nation looks back at the disaster and its aftermath, focusing on the unprecedented role played by Teamsters in relief efforts. We will be featuring stories throughout the week on the storm's impact on Teamster members and how the union has helped rebuild Gulf Coast communities.

Responding to emergencies of all kinds over the last century has created a strong, unique sense of pride and solidarity among all Teamster members. On the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, the Teamsters Union is looking back on how the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast recovered and rebuilt their homes, businesses and lives.

Teamsters raised nearly $1.4 million in disaster relief funds during 2005, distributing aid to more than 2,200 affected members through caseloads of food, water and other supplies. The Teamsters also worked with retailers, employers and others to send truckloads of food and goods to the affected areas as Teamster tractor trailers came from Los Angeles, Oregon, Chicago, Montreal, Boston, New York and everywhere in between.

Going where no other organizations would, Teamster drivers delivered food, water and ice into devastated areas of the city. In New Orleans, where an estimated 80 percent of the city was under water (up to 20 feet deep in some places), Teamsters were moving heavy equipment into 9th Ward to repair breached levees while others were evacuating.

The Teamsters took a leading role in providing national logistical support, assisting the American Red Cross as it moved tons of supplies and equipment into the area. The union joined more than 200 members of labor organizations assisting in the Baton Rouge area alone.

As the labor liaison to the Red Cross, Teamster human rights commissioner and Joint Council 13 member Roy Gillespie assisted more than 600 shelters to reclaim generators, cots and beds, refrigerators, televisions and more. He believes Teamster oversight helped save the Red Cross more than $2 million in costs, not including the more than $4 million worth of aid equipment. Furthermore, Gillespie aided the Red Cross and FEMA in establishing a regional disaster preparedness strategy - which remains in place today - to avoid repeating errors and speed rescue and recovery:

By reviewing transportation invoices, Teamsters were able to stop price gouging of unscrupulous trucking companies. The Teamsters demonstrated how the Red Cross could trim volunteer time and expenses through smarter pick-up and delivery patterns.

Thousands of labor members participated in relief efforts throughout the region. Nationally, nearly $3.6 billion in cash and in-kind services have been donated to aid Gulf Coast hurricane victims, including more than $1 billion from labor unions to build affordable housing, spur economic development and create union jobs.

“Labor’s role cannot be overstated,” Gillespie adds, noting that the Teamsters Union led the way.

Time and time again, the resilience of the Teamster spirit appears in the face of tragedy. As we look back this week on the events of Hurricane Katrina, let us remember the courage and compassion of affected members and the strength of our union.

Tornado throws 80 Teamsters out of work in Illinois

Damaged buses in Coal City today. 

About 80 of our Teamster brothers and sisters who drive and monitor school buses in Illinois are out of work after a fierce tornado touched down in their yard and caused massive damage.

The Illinos Central bus yard in Coal City was devastated by the EF2 tornado that touched down today. The tornado had winds clocked between 111 mph and 135 mph.

Approximately 60 school buses were damaged. So was the Illinois Central office building. The storm blew trailers from a nearby trucking company into the bus yard. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries.

Teamsters Local 179 President Tom Flynn has reached out to Illinois Central to offer support and has contacted First Student bus company to ask for assistance so that students will have continued transportation to and from school. The school district has announced that there will be no school on Monday for Coal City students.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Coal City residents and the surrounding communities," said Flynn.

The Coal City Methodist Church is looking for volunteers to serve food and drinks to the workers helping with the clean-up from the tornado. They are looking to fill four hour shifts: 9:30pm-1:30am; 1:30am-5:30am; and 5:30am-9:30am.

They will re-evaluate to see if they need help throughout the day on Monday.

If interested, please go to the Methodist Church located on McArdle Road. Pass this infomation on to anyone who would like to help out.

Union members' stories from across the USA

Rick interviews Mike Kerwin.

The good works, struggles and victories of union members are stories that need to be told. Our Teamster brother Rick Smith has been telling them for years on his radio show from Harrisburg, Pa. And since June 10, Rick has been traveling the country telling those stories from Pennsylvania to California.

In St. Louis and Detroit, Smith spoke with Roy Gillespie, Teamsters Human Rights Commission representative, and Greg Nowak, president of Teamsters Joint Council 43 in Detroit. He also interviewed local labor historians about the history of organized labor in Michigan.

Gillespie has asked Teamster locals in Missouri, Oklahoma and the New York area for help in recovering from natural disasters. Never was help refused. Said Gillespie, 

We worked with the Red Cross and FEMA coordinating the type of union assistance that is needed after a disaster strikes. Whether it’s building stairs or transporting food or furniture, we have met the need. The Teamsters Human Rights Commission is a network of people who are community-minded. It’s what being part of a union is all about.

Mike Kerwin, a labor historian and a director of the Michigan Labor History Society, described how Henry Ford, seen by many as a benevolent employer, actually pushed workers to their limit.  Ford forced them to work faster and longer on his production lines. Other auto companies followed a similar model. Then, said Kerwin,

...in December of 1936 workers in the General Motors plants had had enough of being pushed and sat down at work – and soon similar sit-down strikes occurred at other plants. But, union organizers were ready so 41 days later the workers had their first contract.

Nowak said Michigan will rebound from the recent passage of Right-to-Work (for less) laws. The passage of the law in Michigan has long been the goal of CEOs and billionaires who want more of workers’ income for themselves. These laws weaken workers’ rights, lower wages and make workplaces more dangerous.

Said Nowak,

Michigan and Detroit are resilient. Our main challenge will be to educate voters about how wrong Right to Work laws are. Lower wages, erosion of the middle class – that’s what Right to Work is about.

Rick's daily labor radio show is available on Stitcher and via his website. Listen to the shows from Detroit and St. Louis here.

Thanks for those Teamster THUGGS in Oklahoma

We just loved the photo of Brother Ron Cobb getting a hug from a little girl. Her Oklahoma City neighborhood had been damaged by a tornado. Brother Cobb is president of Teamsters Local 886, and he'd been distributing relief supplies to storm victims with 10 volunteers from the local last week. Along with the rakes, batteries and diapers provided by the Red Cross, Teamsters Local 886 filled bags with sweets from Kellogg's (a Teamster employer) and handed those out, too. A photographer was there and got the shot.

So we posted the photo on Facebook. Sure enough, some anti-union troll wrote something churlish. That happens all the time -- greedy billionaires don't spend a fortune on anti-union propaganda for nothing.

But one response to the troll (who was dismissed with prejudice from our Facebook page) deserves repeating. Here's Karen Ralls Gates:

I worked the warehouse where the teamsters came day after day to load those trucks then drive to the locations to hand out the supplies. They sometimes took them to a drop sure but most of the time they were driving around to hand out supplies so the owners would not have to leave their unprotected homes. Sometimes driving for 8-9 hours without a break. When their truck was empty they would come and reload the truck and go out again. Some deliver 3-4 truckloads in a day. You see 1 picture and think they did it for a photo op. you do not know anything about how many hours or days they worked when there was no camera around. When we asked for help driving the trucks they did not hesitate to come. I want to personally thank them for all the hard work they did. 

Teamsters Local 886 President Ron Cobb and a new friend.

And if that doesn't make you proud to be a Teamster, how about this comment from Chris Gibson:

I live in the Riverside trailer park in Midwest City Ok. I want to thank the Teamsters that sent the truck out with much needed supplies for cleaning and packing. Great Job!

The need is still great in Oklahoma City. You can help by making a tax-exempt contribution to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. Just click here.

And remember, THUGG stands for Those Helpful Union Guys and Gals.

 

This is what we union THUGGS do for tornado victims

...we do everything we can to help them get back on their feet.

Our brothers and sisters at Teamsters Local 886 in Oklahoma City have cleared debris, loaded trucks with emergency supplies, raised money, given cash cards to members who've lost everything and handed out diapers, rakes and flashlights -- as well as bags of sweets from Teamster employer Kellogg's.

Oklahoma City has a long way to go to recover from the series of violent tornadoes last month that  killed 20 people and injured hundreds. The mayor of Oklahoma City estimated 13,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Among those who perished were a UPS Teamster member's wife; his 8-year-old son is still hospitalized.

Oklahomans still have debris to clear before they can rebuild their homes. Many lost cars in the flooding that followed the second series of tornadoes.  And those who lost all of their possessions need cash to buy essentials -- like socks to wear to work.

You can help by contributing to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. Just click here to make a tax-exempt donation.

"The need is still great," said Local 886 President Ron Cobb. "They've got all the water, diapers and crackers. They need cash now."

And, he said, they need cars and they need houses.

In some isolated areas, help is slow to come. That was the case when Cobb and volunteer Teamsters and retirees came to a low-income neighborhood that had been hit twice by the storms. They distributed Red Cross supplies and brought plastic bags filled with treats for the local children. As the photo to the right shows, the gesture was much appreciated.

Cobb said the local is helping fill out forms for the dozens of Teamsters whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Local 886 recently got a call from a woman whose father and uncle are YRC retirees. She asked if they could help find a couple of trailers for them to put their belongings in until they can move back into their houses. The local is on it.

The Teamster son who was injured by the tornado will soon be transferred from one hospital to another. UPS Teamsters helped to get a fifth-wheel trailer so his dad can live in it near the hospital while he recovers. "He doesn't have a place to live anyway," Cobb said. His house was destroyed, too.

Please don't forget to make a tax-exempt donation to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund to help our brothers and sisters and other victims rebuild their lives. And remember, "THUGGS" stands for Those Helpful Union Guys and Gals.

Oklahoma tornado recovery aided by Teamster power, Teamster sweets

(UPDATES to add volunteer in final graf.)
Teamsters are putting their hearts and their muscle into helping Oklahoma City recover from a series of miles-wide tornadoes that shattered communities and killed dozens of their neighbors. 

Today, Teamsters from Local 886 are driving emergency supplies from a Red Cross warehouse to suburban neighborhoods devastated by the storms.  

For the past three days, Teamsters from Local 886 handed out diapers and rakes, MREs and batteries, whatever tornado victims need to start rebuilding their lives. Some Teamsters are driving around neighborhoods looking for people to help; others are parked in staging areas, where victims can come to them. 

And for children, there's a special treat: Local members filled bags with sweets from Kellogg's, which the Teamsters represent. 

Our brothers and sisters at Local 886 are helping each other as well as the community. Dozens of Teamster homes were damaged or destroyed. Local 886 is giving $100 MasterCards to tide them over for gas or groceries. Three Teamsters -- Gerald Elcyzyn, Bill Underwood and Bobby Allstat -- traveled around the area looking for members whose homes were hit by a tornado. They handed out supplies, helped them apply for aid and offered cleanup crews from the hall. 

Recovery efforts have sometimes been chaotic, as is always the case after a disaster. Teamsters Local 886 President Ron Cobb has been rounding up agents and retirees on very short notice to load trucks at the warehouse or deliver supplies to the neighborhoods. On Thursday at 6 pm he got a call asking for eight Teamsters to help. "I got 10," he said. 

Teamster retirees deserve a special shout-out for their quick response and tireless work. "We couldn't have helped the Red Cross without them," Cobb said. 

Here's a list of Teamsters who've worked so hard to get Oklahoma City back on its feet.

Ed Hall  YRC Retiree
Arnold Rowlan  Sysco Retiree
Bobby Altstat ABF Employee, Local 886 Chaplain and OKC Police Chaplain
Tim Chapman ABF Retiree
Terry Raulston Retired President Local 886
Gerald Elcyzyn  Retiree ABF Freight
Bill Underwood Jack Cooper Transport Retiree
Jerry Sims Jr--UPS Business Agent Local 886
Linda Bush Laid off YRC Driver from Portland, Oregon Local 81
Dennis Duello Jack Cooper Transport Retiree
Lew Homme Jack Cooper Transport

Teamster power, Teamster sweets

This was once a Teamster home.

Visiting another damaged home.

Handing out supplies.

Okla. Teamsters dig out after deadly tornadoes -- again

(UPDATES to ADD FINAL graf urging contributions to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund.)

Local 886 Teamsters are once again contacting all their members to make sure they're all right after a second series of deadly tornadoes struck Oklahoma City two weeks after the first.

"We're checking on the new ones that could possibly be affected out in the El Reno area," said Local 886 President Ron Cobb. Members whose homes were damaged or destroyed are being visited by the local's business agents, retirees or an ABF member who also serves as a reserve police chaplain. At least a dozen Teamster homes were totaled and several dozen were severely damaged.

Friday's tornadoes knocked out the power at Teamsters Local 886 in Oklahoma until Monday. "Three of us were still here and we had to stay until we could get out," Cobb said.

The latest storm caused massive flooding in Oklahoma City. Cobb said drowning was the cause of death for most of the 18 fatalities:

They were telling people to get underground. A lot of people, a bunch of them, crawled into culverts. It was just a humongous amount of rain so they were washed out of the culverts. 

The local is giving $100 MasterCards to members who lost everything and need money just to put gas in the tank to get to work. The local is also helping them fill out FEMA forms to receive federal disaster relief and maintaining a volunteer list. Teamsters are among the many, many volunteers hauling debris, driving forklifts and loading and unloading supplies.

Two Teamsters scheduled to drive forklifts for seven hours in the Red Cross warehouse last weekend finished in five. "They sent everyone else home because the Teamsters were so quick everyone else was getting in the way.

Cobb plans to round up 15-20 Teamsters over the weekend to help clear away the remnants of one member whose home was demolished.

You, too, can help by making a tax-exempt contribution to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. Just click here.

Today's Teamster News 06.02.13

Frightened Okla. residents opt to flee tornadoes  Associated Press   ...At least nine people were killed in Friday's storms, including a mother and her baby sucked out of their car as a deadly EF3 twister tore its way along a packed Interstate 40 near the town of El Reno, about 30 miles from Oklahoma City...
NOAA kills agency-wide furlough proposal  Washington Post   ...Following the recent tornado outbreaks in the Plains, NOAA faced strong Congressional pressure not to furlough National Weather Service employees (as a cost savings measure in response to the budget sequester). The agency gave in late Friday...
Canadian relief for Moore tornado victims denied at border  CBC News   ...American officials will not allow the 20,000 kilograms of food, blankets and diapers into the country until every item on board is itemized in alphabetical order and has the country of origin of every product noted...
Inequality Rising — All Thanks To Government Policies  The National Memo   ...A revealing new examination of the top 1 percent in a variety of countries brings into focus how the American government’s tax, union bargaining, inheritance and other rules widen the growing divide between those at the top and everyone else...
One Walmart's Low Wages Could Cost Taxpayers $900,000 Per Year, House Dems Find  Huffington Post   ...Walmart wages are so low that many of its workers rely on food stamps and other government aid programs to fulfill their basic needs, a reality that could cost taxpayers as much as $900,000 at just one Walmart Supercenter in Wisconsin, according to a study released by Congressional Democrats on Thursday...
Anti-austerity protests: Spain, Germany, Portugal  Associated Press   ...Anti-austerity protesters on Saturday took to the streets of dozens of European cities, including Madrid, Frankfurt and Lisbon, to express their anger at government cuts they say are making the financial crisis worse by stifling growth and increasing unemployment....
US retailers to forge new safety plan for Bangladeshi apparel factories  New York Times   ...some labor advocates called the effort divisive and a sham...
Don't reward companies that send profits offshore (LTE) Baltimore Sun ...Rep. John Delaney's new bill offering corporations that repatriate their offshore profits deeply discounted taxes if they invest in a new infrastructure bank, praised in your editorial ("Road work ahead?" May 28), would only serve to reward the very firms that have successfully gamed the tax system in ways that cost the U.S. Treasury $100 billion a year...
Surpluses Help, but Fiscal Woes for States Go On  New York Times   ...While the fiscal picture is brightening around the country, with many states expecting surpluses this year after years of deficits and wrenching budget crises, mounting Medicaid costs and underfunded retirement promises are continuing to cloud their long-term outlook...
Detroit Citizens Protect Themselves After Police Force Decimated  Bloomberg   ...As crime hobbles Detroit (9845MF)’s attempts to revive itself, the city is bolstering its police department by having unarmed citizens patrol the streets in a program that costs less than annual salaries and benefits for three officers...
University of Wisconsin students today pay a much higher share of the cost than 40 years ago  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...Working one's way through a public university in four years with a minimum-wage summer job and part-time campus work study — with little to no family assistance or need-based financial aid — is an outdated ideal of previous generations...
Teamsters Local No. 377 and St. Elizabeth Health Center have a new three-year contract  Youngstown Vindicator   ...Teamsters Local No. 377 and St. Elizabeth Health Center have agreed to a new three-year contract that will provide union members with raises each year of the contract...

Teamsters putting the pieces back together in Oklahoma City

Don't send water and don't send clothing to Oklahoma City if you want to help the victims of the deadly tornado.

That's the advice of Teamsters working on the disaster relief effort. They're urging members to donate to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund, every cent of which will help people in need. (Click here to make a tax deductible contribution.)

Oklahoma City officials are saying 12,000 houses were damaged or destroyed by the tornado, one of the worst in history. Teamster Local 886 President Ron Cobb said at least 12 Teamsters' homes were destroyed and 16 were damaged.

We're still in the stages of identifying need and touching the people we can touch.

Members whose homes were simply damaged are saying, "I just lost half a roof, take care of these other people," said Cobb.

Both the local and UPS are taking care of the UPS package car driver who suffered the loss of his wife and the serious injury to his son. Cobb said he plans to put an ABF member who is also a police chaplain on lost time so he can reach out to members hurt by the devastating storm.

Brother Roy Gillespie, who coordinates the Red Cross response from St. Louis, said the agency is scheduling Teamsters to work in the Oklahoma City warehouse this weekend. They'll load and unload supplies. A call for forklift drivers earlier this week sent Cobb to the warehouse, where he said they were still in the initial stages of getting organized.

In Tulsa, Local 523 has trailers set up in car lots around the city. President Gary Ketchum is telling members to buy something extra at the grocery store and put it in those trailers.

Cobb emphasized there's no need for water in Oklahoma City. "They're using cases of water for doorstops," he said.

Anyone who wants to volunteer should check with the local or the Red Cross first. Said Gillespie:

Send the local an email (rcobb@teamsterslocal886.com) or call (405) 947-2333. Or contribute to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund.  The worst thing you want to do is have a drive without checking with Ron.

Stay tuned.

Urgent need NOW for Teamster forklift drivers for Okla. relief effort

This was a Teamster house before the tornado struck. 

The Red Cross needs forklift drivers in Oklahoma City immediately to help move the relief supplies starting to roll in, Brother Roy Gillespie just now told us. Gillespie is coordinating recovery efforts for the Oklahoma City tornado victims with the American Red Cross.

All Teamsters are automatically qualified to work in the Oklahoma City warehouse, Gillespie said.

They don't have to have a CDL. As long as they're Teamsters and have a Teamsters card. Or, if they can show they work for YRC, Yellow, Holland, ABF, UPS and any other Teamster contract carrier. They will be listed as a spontaneous volunteer.  

We need them immediately.

Tractor-trailers bringing supplies such as food, water, blankets and flashlights are  arriving at the Oklahoma City warehouse, Gillespie said. They are being unloaded and re-loaded onto box trucks that will deliver the supplies to the stricken area.

Area Teamsters should go to 200 36th St., NE in Oklahoma City. Or they can call Brother Gillespie at 304-302-5981.

If you can't volunteer, consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund here.

Today's Teamster News 05.23.13

The IRS controversy isn’t about taxes. It’s about disclosure.  Washington Post   ...Some of the last week’s headlines might have led you to believe that there’s some controversy over whether tea party groups should have to pay taxes. There isn’t. No one thinks they should. The dispute is over whether they should have to disclose their donors, as a legal matter and as a moral one...
The DC Circuit Court Versus Workers' Rights  Truthout   ...Republicans and anti-union groups have gone all-out to stymie the work of the labor board, and they have found a powerful ally in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals...
Chile’s Recent Lead Negotiator on Trans-Pacific Partnership Warns It Could Be a “Threat to Our Countries”  naked capitalism   ...Some of Asian participants in the negotiations (particularly Japan) are also believed to have serious reservations about the provisions of the TPP that would weaken national sovereignity by allowing corporations to challenge laws and regulations as violations of the TPP...
NOAA still planning to furlough storm forecasters  Politico   ...Congress isn’t rushing to stave off looming furloughs for federal weather forecasters, even after they issued tornado warnings credited with saving countless lives in Oklahoma...
Anheuser-Busch Delivers More Than 51,000 Cans Of Water To Assist Tornado Relief Efforts In Oklahoma City, Also Donates $25,000 to Red Cross  Tulsa Business & Legal News   ...America's leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch, is providing 2,156 cases of emergency drinking water — or 51,744 cans — for use by relief workers and residents affected by the tornado in Oklahoma City and its surrounding suburbs...
No Arrests on Wall Street, But Over 7,700 Americans Have Been Arrested Protesting Big Banks  The Contributor   ...the nation’s biggest banks have essentially gained “too big for trial” status, and the federal government has failed to prosecute any executive at a Big Bank for financial fraud...
Nearly 20,000 Nevada homeowners get average of $97,000 in mortgage relief  Las Vegas Review-Journal   ...Nearly 20,000 Nevada homeowners have received an average of about $97,000 as part of the $25 billion national settlement over questionable foreclosure and lending practices by some of the nation’s largest financial institutions...
Monitor Checking Into Violations of Mortgage Settlement  Wall Street Journal   ...The announcement that Smith is looking into potential violations comes a week after New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he would sue BofA and Wells over complaints they did not provide fair and timely service to homeowners seeking relief...
Crowd size and arrest totals increase at latest Moral Monday protest  IndyWeek   ...Roughly 600 people gathered outside the Legislative Building in Raleigh on Monday as part of a growing wave of protests called Moral Mondays, which have now led to 153 arrests over four weeks…. Policies that are being considered or have already become law include cutting Medicaid and unemployment benefits, instituting voter ID, promoting school vouchers, raising taxes on the poor, rolling back environmental standards and limiting felons' voting rights...
In Indiana, ongoing concerns about subsidized auto parts from China and Japan  manufacture this ...more than 400,000 jobs in the U.S. auto supply chain have been lost since 2000.  One major problem is China's persistent violations of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, and another 1.6 million U.S. jobs are at risk unless China's illegal trading practices are curtailed...
Pennsylvania Governor can't find any Latinos to work for him  United Press   ...Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said there are no Latinos in his administration because he can't find any...
RI Senate OKs minimum wage hike  Associated Press   ...Rhode Island’s minimum wage would go up 25 cents to $8 per hour next year under legislation approved in the state Senate...
Illinois Chemical Workers Ratify Four-Year Teamster Contract  Teamsters Joint Council 25   ...More than 200 members of Teamsters Local 179 overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year agreement with Stepan Company this month...
Local 115 member and Marine vet wins mayoral primary in Brookhaven (Penn.)  Daily Times   ...Teamster and Marine veteran Daniel McCray won Tuesday’s primary election and will face Democrat Incumbent Mayor Michael Hess in the November election...
Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS among most valuable brands  Atlanta Journal-Constitution   ...Three metro Atlanta-based companies have something in common when it comes to their brands’ ability to add value to their business...
SOUL letter calls University to stand behind Pierce dining employees  Chicago Maroon   ...Concerned about the future of employees at Pierce Dining Commons, members of Students Organizing United with Labor delivered letters yesterday afternoon to Director of Campus Dining Richard Mason and President Zimmer’s office, calling on the University to pressure Aramark to negotiate with Teamsters Union representatives...
Bay City negotiators, mid-management union will return to negotiating table after deal rejected  Michigan Live   ...It’s back to the negotiating table for Bay City Hall and members of the Teamsters State, County & Municipal Workers, Local No. 214, officials say...

Okla. Teamsters lose family, homes as offers of help pour in

Teamsters are inundating Oklahoma locals with offers to help them recover from one of the most violent tornadoes in history. The twister that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore killed at least 24 people and damaged as many as 13,000 homes in a 17-mile swath.

Though the damage hasn't been fully assessed yet, we do know one of our brothers, a UPS package driver, lost his wife in the violent storm. His 8-year-old son is in intensive care with multiple injuries. At least a dozen Teamster homes were leveled by the violent storm.

Brother Ron Cobb, president of Teamsters Local 886 in Oklahoma City, said it's too early to volunteer for recovery efforts.

They're not letting anyone into these areas. They're locked down. The churches they're using for command centers are so packed they can't move.

Things will change in two weeks, he said, when volunteers will be needed for clean-up and recovery. But for now,

What little help we need right now as far as bodies go, we can do it ourselves. 

Right now Local 886's agents and retiree volunteers are reaching out to members and retirees to find out what the damage is and what their needs are. "We're getting our people whatever we can give them," Cobb said. He urges Teamsters to donate to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. (Just click here to make a tax-deductible contribution.)

Cobb said the IBT handled disaster relief well in 1999, when he helped to pick up the pieces after the devastating tornado hit Oklahoma City.

Brother Roy Gillespie is coordinating disaster relief for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Red Cross. He concurred that volunteers aren't needed yet as relief workers are still rescuing victims.

Things are still up in the air. The Red Cross can't go in there yet. Lots of structures are unstable, and they're still recovering bodies and body parts.

In the meantime, our brothers and sisters in St. Louis are on standby for 12-hour shifts at the local Red Cross warehouse, awaiting word to begin loading 18-wheelers with supplies for the disaster victims. Members of Joint Council 13 have already filled trailers with  food, water, blankets, rakes, shovels, gloves, flashlights and batteries. Those trailers are now bound for Oklahoma City.

Stay tuned for news about recovery efforts in Oklahoma. And if you have family or friends in or near Moore, Okla., you can check on them at the Red Cross site, Safe and Well.

Teamsters Disaster Relief helps hundreds in wake of Sandy

Sanitationman Denis Healy, Sanitationman Danny McLaren, Uniformed Sanitationmen’s President Harry Nespoli, George Miranda, president of Joint Council 16 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Sanitationman William Montero.

Hundreds of victims of Superstorm Sandy are benefiting from the generosity of their Teamster brothers and sisters. Contributions poured into the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund after the hurricane devastated New York and New Jersey.

An estimated 100,000 homes were destroyed, and many Teamsters lost their homes. Among them were New York City Sanitation workers. As the New York Daily News reported,

Many New York City Sanitation workers ... were victims themselves, either losing their homes or facing mounting bills to repair and rebuild following Superstorm Sandy. 

Several who are members of Local 831, recently received some financial help from their parent union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. 

Checks for $500 were issued to Dennis Healy, a seven-year department veteran from Rockaway, William Montero, an eight-year veteran from Rockaway and Danny McLaren, a 15-year veteran from Breezy Point. 

The fund is accepting applications until Jan. 31. In addition, Local 831 is also working on its own relief fund to help sanitation workers.

Many of "New York's Strongest" worked long hours to put New York back on its feet in the aftermath of the superstorm though they'd lost their homes.

Antonio Christian, director of the Teamsters Human Rights Commission, said more than 600 families have applied, and most have received benefits. Said Christian,

The locals have done a good job telling everyone about Disaster Relief

The fund reimburses victims for damage to their personal property, loss of personal property and loss of wages. Teamsters are still encouraging people to support disaster relief, Christian said.

Sandy relief: This UPS Freight Teamster helping Occupy Sandy

Brother Kronemberg

Kurt Kronemberg, a Local 707 UPS Freight Teamster, didn't lose his house or his job when Superstorm Sandy hit New York.

But one of his union brothers did:

We have one of our guys his house was wiped out in Freeport, so we took up a donation. He was out of work for two weeks. In my heart, I gotta help.

So Kronemberg got involved with the Occupy Sandy relief effort, which has won considerable praise for its quick response to the catastrophe. The New York Times reported,

In the past two weeks, Occupy Sandy has set up distribution sites at a pair of Brooklyn churches where hundreds of New Yorkers muster daily to cook hot meals for the afflicted and to sort through a medieval marketplace of donated blankets, clothes and food. There is an Occupy motor pool of borrowed cars and pickup trucks that ferries volunteers to ravaged areas. An Occupy weatherman sits at his computer and issues regular forecasts. Occupy construction teams and medical committees have been formed.

Kronemberg went to one of those churches on Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn with his own minivan. The Occupy Sandy volunteers loaded it up with cleaning supplies and food for hungry storm victims in the Rockaways. Kronemberg drove out to the barrier island, where he was astonished by the devastation.

My jaw dropped to the ground. They said the houses are wiped out. Five feet of water came from the ocean all the way over to the bay side. With five foot waves. It's like a war zone. The Army is here, fire trucks, ambulances all over, FEMA.

Kronemberg was amazed by the number of volunteers and the donations. "It's good. It brings everyone together."

He'll be volunteering again this weekend. And he'll be making a donation to the Teamster Disaster Relief Fund.

"I gotta help," he said. "These people have nothing and I just want to help."

Sandy relief: Teamster help at every level, in every way

Local 862 brothers working the Jersey City warehouse last weekend.

Teamsters from locals 817, 202, 707, 814 and 445 are back at work today in the Red Cross's Jersey City warehouse as their brothers and sisters throughout the U.S. and Canada help put the region back on its feet.

With their logistics experience, the Teamsters in Jersey City are showing Red Cross volunteers how it's done. Last weekend they sent more than 100 trucks filled with clean-up kits to stricken communities throughout the area.

Teamsters everywhere are passing the hat, running food drives and making personal donations to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. They're volunteering at churches, warehouses and emergency shelters. They're driving 18-wheelers and box trucks, buses and minivans and forklifts, all part of the effort to get relief supplies to communities still in desperate need. Some Teamsters are working twice as hard at their jobs, repairing damage to everything from public housing to railroad tracks.

Sanitation workers from Teamsters Local 831 are still moving debris, having already hauled 220,000 tons since Superstorm Sandy hit. The Army Corps of Engineers has been called in to help. Last night, President Obama visited Staten Island and praised the sanitation workers for their hard work, calling them "heroic." Here's what he said:

The Fresh Kills land fill on Staten Island.

...what we’ve seen is cooperation and a spirit of service.  And for the first responders who are here, the police officers, the firefighters, the EMS folks, the sanitation workers who sometimes don’t get credit but have done heroic work, we are so grateful to you because you exemplify what America is all about.

The president also visited with our Teamster Brother Damian Moore and his wife Glenda. They lost their two small boys in the hurricane.

Our brothers and sisters at the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen in New Jersey are coordinating a food drive this weekend to help Joint Council 73's food bank and Sandy relief effort.

A list of Teamster parents who suffered serious losses is being put together by Brother Matt Kronyak, chairman of the BLET New Jersey State Legislative Board, and Joint Council 73 President Al Rispoli. They'll use the list to make sure the children on it have a happy holiday. (Find out how to donate here.)

Canadian Teamsters contributed $51,000 to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. Participating in the effort were Joint Councils 36, 52, 90 and 91, the Rail Conferences and Teamsters Canada.

One of our members from Local 707 UPS Freight, Brother Kurt Kronemberg, has been helping with the Occupy Sandy relief effort. He drove his own minivan to St. Luke's Church in Brooklyn, packed it full of food and drove it to the Rockaways. On Sunday, he'll be back delivering supplies to that devastated community. Kronemberg told us,

I gotta help. It could be me.

Brother Roy Gillespie, Teamster human rights commissioner and member of Joint Council 13, is working long hours in Washington, D.C. at the Red Cross/FEMA Disaster Center. He's coordinating the relief effort alongside the Army, the Red Cross and other  government agencies.

General Timothy McKeithen, Roy Gillespie, and Andy Titsworth

Help Sandy victims: Donate to Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund

If you can't be there to help with this Teamster brother, please donate
to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund.

The extent of the damage from Superstorm Sandy is staggering -- and underreported. As many as 40,000 people are homeless in New York alone. More than 250,000 cars may have been lost. And 130,000 people on Long Island still don't have power two weeks after the storm.

More than 100 people died in the hurricane, including Brother Bobbie McDuffie from Local 863 and Connor and Brendan Moore, the young sons of Damian Moore, a member of Local 831. Many Teamsters lost their homes.

Teamsters are packing and loading and driving trucks, buses and HiLos in a massive effort to deliver supplies to victims of the storm. Right now, drivers are needed at the Red Cross's Jersey City warehouse, 100 Industrial Drive.

The vast majority of Teamsters, of course, can't come to Jersey City to help out. The best thing you can do is to donate to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund.

Brother Roy Gillespie shared this explanation of why money matters:

Relief groups need very specific things, along with cash and organization. Instead, they get vases and vacuum cleaners, or interference from well-intentioned volunteers who think they're helping but are just hindering efforts. 

"It's really been a lot of stuff really affecting the disaster site," said James McGowan, the associate director of partnerships at the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, who made the "second disaster" analogy. "They're just showing up and they're not coordinated with the agencies." 

Ad hoc relief groups need to make sure they are taking in only items that are requested and can be distributed. Money is the best because organizations don't have to pay to move it and can tailor spending to changing needs, McGowan said. Transporting and distributing a simple donated can of food can be $15 to $25.

You can send a check or donate online. Click here to find out more.

Teamsters urgently needed for Sandy relief in Jersey CIty

Props to these Teamsters who showed up at a Red Cross warehouse on a few hours'
notice for the Hurricane Sandy relief effort.

UPDATE: The Red Cross tells us Teamsters are needed tomorrow, Sunday, at 7 a.m. at the Somerset, N.J., warehouse at  #1 Heller Park Lane, to deliver goods to victims of Superstorm Sandy.

Today, union members from all over New Jersey and New York are delivering goods to storm victims. Members of the New York and New Jersey Teamster Joint Councils and their family are out driving trucks, driving forklifts, loading boxes and driving truckloads to help victims. Sister Bernadette Kelly from Joint Council 16 tells us there have been sightings of members of Locals 553, 707, 817, 210, 813 and 804. Awesome work!

We reported earlier that Teamsters are urgently needed at the Red Cross's Jersey City warehouse today -- as soon as possible -- to pack and load trucks with supplies for Sandy victims. Hi Lo drivers are especially requested. Drivers are needed to drive the trucks out to five staging areas in New York. CDLs are NOT needed.

The warehouse is at 100 Industrial Drive in Jersey City. Call Donna at 573-690-0745 for information.

Teamsters are also needed at the five staging areas in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Staten Island and Ronkonkoma, N.Y.  If members show up to the staging areas, they will work there or be transported to New Jersey and back. Addresses are below.

Teamsters showed up last night on very short notice to pack and load supplies for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

We understand from Sister Bernadette Kelly that many more are helping out this morning. We'll keep you posted.

Floyd Field
50 Aviation Rd.
NY, NY 

Aqueduct Race Track
110-00 Rockaway Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 

Miller Field
National Park Service
New Dorp Lane
Staten Island, NY  

MacArthur Airport
City of Islet, Parking Lot 10
100 Arrival Ave. 

Ronkonkoma, NY
Nassau Community College
Nassau Coliseum
1 Education Dr.
Garden City, NY

Today's Teamster News 11.05.12

New York region struggles to move on a week after Sandy  Reuters   ...Hundreds of thousands of commuters faced a frustrating journey into the city as public transportation remained spotty. Service on many rail lines was reduced and the subway was running at about 80 percent of its normal service. The challenges were more severe for tens of thousands of people unable to return to their homes and many more than that living without power or heat...
China's economic destiny in doubt after leadership shock  The Telegraph   ...If reports from the Hong Kong press and China's blogosphere are correct, a remarkable upset has occurred on the eve of the ten-year power shift next week -- the greatest turn-over of top cadres since Mao's revolution...
Too Big To Fail Remains Very Real  Baseline Scenario   ...the government is providing a form of insurance that encourages financial institutions to become even bigger – and thus even more likely to be protected by some combination of the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, and other agencies. This is an unfair, nontransparent government subsidy that encourages excessive risk taking and creates a very large potential downside for the nonfinancial side of our economy...
Pete Peterson and the Deficit Hawks Teach Lawmakers Deep Fiscal Irresponsibility  New Economic Perspectives   ...Utilizing strategies reminiscent of the mid-20th Century American Communist Party, Peterson’s overall tactic has been to found and/or fund a number of front organizations to create the illusion of a broad consensus arrayed in favor of his personal views, which are shared for the most part by a wealthy few within the financial and political elites.  These views in turn are extremely unpopular with the electorate, particularly as regards cutting or partially privatizing universal social programs like Social Security and Medicare...
A voting debacle in Doral causes chaos and confusion  Miami Herald   ...Elections officials, overwhelmed with voters, locked the doors to their Doral headquarters and temporarily shut down the operation, angering nearly 200 voters standing in line outside — only to resume the proceedings an hour later... (and this: Judge orders early voting extended in Florida's Orange, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties)
Eleventh-Hour GOP Voter Suppression Could Swing Ohio  The Nation   ...Any provisional ballot with incorrect information will not be counted, Husted maintains. This seemingly innocuous change has the potential to impact the counting of thousands of votes in Ohio and could swing the election in this closely contested battleground...

Pleas for help from Sandy victims: 'Bring shovels, gloves and give us a hand'

Homes destroyed in New Jersey.

Teamster locals in New York and New Jersey are trying to reopen their offices and organize relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy victims, including Teamsters who lost their homes and all their possessions. Teamster sanitation, DPW and Red Cross workers are putting in long hours as others pitch in on their own.

Tom Petillo, president of Teamsters Local 125 in Trenton, N.J., writes,

... members of our Local have lost everything. Our hearts and prayers go out to them in their time of need.  So how can you help, you can make a donation to the Red Cross by texting "redcross" to 90999 and you will make a $10 donation. 

Petillo is working with the IBT, Joint Council 73 and other New Jersey unions to coordinate rescue and relief efforts. He asks members to donate food, water and clothing. And, he writes:

Our Sanitation Companies have already begun the monumental  task of the massive clean up efforts.  Our DPW's and first responders have worked diligently from the onset of the storm.   Our hats are off to them.

The Los Angeles Times gives us an idea what it's like for a sanitation worker in New York City (represented by Teamsters Local 831):

City workers like Nick Lombardo have been pulling 16-hour shifts since the storm to bring basic services back to the hardest-hit parts of New York’s five boroughs. It’s slow going. Down the block from the fire hydrant, Lombardo was working to drain a 30-foot-deep pool of sewage and sea water out of the tower block's main sewage station. 

Electricians were in the pit below, hot wiring the sewage pumps to a diesel generator. 

“They'll have working sewage tonight,” Lombardo, a New York City sanitation worker, said Saturday. Below a grate was waste water. The smell doesn't bother him any more. “I could stand over this grate and eat a sandwich,” he said.

Brother Kevin Murph, a member of Teamsters Local 812, grew up in hard-hit Rockaway, Queens. He posted this request on the Teamsters Facebook page:

Hello Brothers and Sisters my name is Kevin I am a local 812 member. I live in long beach grew up in Rockaway. We need help not money we need able hard working bodies. Just come to breezy Rockaway. Bring shovels gloves and gives us a hand. Dont matter which block just walk up and help I am on 131 street. I seen every other union down there lets show that Teamsters care to. An for my union brothers and sister there Thank you. One thing every body is looking for Heavy machinery please send me contacts for any companies that have and can help 

Many Teamsters locals in the Northeast closed due to damage from Sandy. Teamsters Local 237 in Lower Manhattan will open Monday. Phone lines and power have been restored. An emergency food and supplies drive is being held today for members and people on the South Shore of Long Island, which was devastated by the storm.
Teamsters Local 177 in Hillside, N.J., is making available applications for disaster in the union hall.

Brother Kevin Duval, a sanitation worker with Teamsters Local 831, asks for any kind of donation:

DSNY has been out there around the clock. People who have experienced flooding are putting out all their destroyed furniture, walls, carpet, clothes, appliances, etc for us to collect. It's bad, really bad. People have lost everything, living without power and hot water. Any type of donations to help the NY/NJ region would go a long way to help

A good way to help is to make a monetary contribution to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. Find out how to donate (you can even donate online) here.

Consider donating to Sandy victims

Lines for fuel in NYC.

Power outages make it hard to get specific information about our Teamster brothers and sisters suffering the effects of Sandy. We hear that every single Teamster local in New York City is without power, and so are many in New Jersey. At least one local will be dark for a month.

Plans are being made for relief efforts, but they aren't final yet. We will share them when we know what they are. We do understand that two Teamster tractor trailers are lined up to deliver food in the region.

Many members can't get to work as there is a terrible fuel shortage and the subway hasn't been running. Some members may lose their jobs if their places of work were wiped away by the storm.

Residents of Queens have have been without heat for three days, and heating oil is in short supply. Some power is restored, but millions of homes and businesses still have no electricity. The National Guard was called out to rescue victims, distribute food and water and prevent looting. Some people lost their homes and all their possessions.

We understand the best thing you can do right now to help these disaster victims is to make a monetary contribution. You can donate money to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. It is a 501 (c)(3) charitable fund to help disaster victims. You can donate online with a major credit card here. It takes only moments (but be sure to create an account if you haven't already).