Editor's Note: This story has been updated. Please follow this link for the latest developments.

In a vote of 70% to 30%, a majority of Teamsters Union membership covered by the Central Region Local Cartage Supplement has chosen not to authorize a strike at less-than-truckload carrier ABF Freight.

Photo: Evan Lockridge

Photo: Evan Lockridge

On its website the union says it is now going to poll the ABF Master Negotiating Committee to determine whether to accept ABF’s final offer on the last remaining open supplement.

After receiving the company's most recent offer on the supplement, Central Region Local Cartage employees received strike authorization ballots in early October.

A majority of Teamster employees at ABF ratified the national agreement in June that includes an immediate 7% wage reduction that is recovered by the fifth year of the contract, while 26 of 27 supplements were ratified by mid-October in earlier votes, with some votes occurring more than once.

The national contract was supposed to have taken effect Aug. 1 but cannot until Teamsters members have approved all of the supplements.

ABF and the Teamsters have agreed to another contract extension for an additional few days through and including Nov. 2, in order to allow the parties to address the one remaining supplement.

ABF Freight is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation.

0 Comments