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.

 

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.

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.