Teamsters Overwhelmingly Authorize Unfair Labor
Practice Strike

Strike Option to Serve As Available Resource in Contract Fight

Thousands of Teamsters employed by the City of Chicago have voted overwhelmingly to authorize an unfair labor practice strike, if such action is necessary in the union’s fight to force the city to honor its contract.

Members of Teamsters Local 700 voted three-to-one via mail-in ballots to give union officials the right to call a strike. A possible unfair labor practice strike is one of the Teamsters’ strongest available resources to defend workers and enforce their rights.

“The strike authorization vote has come on the heels of numerous unfair labor practice charges the union has filed against the City of Chicago for contract violations,” said William P. Logan, Local 700 Assistant Trustee. “We aren’t asking the city to renegotiate the contract; we’re only asking the city to honor the agreement it signed.”

If the Illinois Labor Relations Board upholds the unfair labor practice charges filed by Local 700, the Teamsters can be permitted to take additional action, including the possibility of an unfair labor practice strike. Local 700 has advised members no action is to be taken without the union’s express direction.

Teamsters currently serve the City of Chicago across several departments, including Streets and Sanitation, Transportation, Aviation and Water and Fleet Management.

The results of the secret ballot election were tallied on March 2, 2010 in accordance with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Teamsters Local 700, an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, represents more than 13,000 public service employees throughout Illinois.

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