Chicago PTS Workers Rehired By Union Company

Ford Awards Contract to Jack Cooper Transport

Chicago-area Performance Transportation Specialist drivers are headed back to work with Jack Cooper Transport after a month-long picket. 

Approximately 70 former PTS workers will now be employed by Jack Cooper Transport.

The Teamster Local 710 members went on strike on June 9 to protest the company’s 15 percent wage reduction, but focused their picket on Ford’s non-union replacement after PTS closed on June 13. 

After nearly a month of picketing United Road Services, Ford announced it would permanently replace PTS with the union company Jack Cooper Transport.  The car hauler intends to hire all of the former Chicago PTS workers. 

 “We are happy that Ford made the right decision and replaced PTS with a good union company,” said Michael Sweeney, Teamsters Local 710 Vice President and Director of Organizing.  “We have been out here for more than 30 days, and it is great to know we have made our point and got what we wanted.”

Approximately 1,250 workers around the country took part in the strike.  PTS had terminals in New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Delaware and Minnesota.

Teamsters Local 710 represents 14,000 members in the Chicagoland area in a variety of industries including truck load freight carriers, United Parcel Service, auto transportation, meat packing, manufacturing, food distribution, bulk tank carriers, rendering, local cartage, piggyback rampmen, iron and steel, magazine distribution, office workers and warehousing.

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