Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023:
Teamsters at Northeast Transportation Services — a third-party contractor for DHL Express — have secured a new contract with improved health care coverage, wage increases, more holidays and vacation time, and more paid time off, ending a strike that dragged on for seven months.
The 40 express drivers are members of Teamsters Local 251 in Providence, R.I.
Drivers went on strike June 22, 2022 and returned to work Jan. 17 under the terms of the previous contract after receiving notice of Northeast Transportation Service's departure. The company on Tuesday rescinded its decision and announced that it will remain a contractor for DHL Express in Pawtucket, R.I.
"Our seven-month strike has been life-changing. It brought us together stronger and allowed us to secure this historic contract," said Tiffany Thompson, a driver at Northeast Transportation Services. "Solidarity is at an all-time high after a long fight like this."
Secretary-Treasurer of Local 251 and Eastern Region International Vice President Matt Taibi noted "the gains made in the contract will set the tone for workers looking for better conditions in the contractor-model of the growing logistics industry."
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling certain 2017-2023 Freightliner Cascadia, 2022-2023 Western Star 47X, Western Star 49X, and 2022 Freightliner 114SD vehicles. The brake modulator valves on the front axle may corrode and cause the vehicle to pull to the affected side during braking initiated by Electronic Stability Control (ESC) or Roll Stability Control (RSC).
