Citing "egregious falsehoods and baseless insults," Yellow (CCJ Top 250, No. 6) Senior Vice President Trucker Relations Bryan Reifsnyder, in a letter sent Thursday to John Murphy, National Freight Director International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), laid bare that the carrier intends to move forward with its network consolidation plans, painting the union representing more than 22,000 Yellow employees as an obstacle that to-date has acted in "bad faith."
Yellow last week met with union leadership to discuss a proposed change of operations, which would consolidate its YRC Freight, New Penn and Holland linehaul network and terminal operations as part of the Overland Park, Kansas-based carrier's efforts to create a "super regional carrier." Based on discussions with more than 100 local unions and with Freight Division leadership over the course of several months, Reifsnyder said he thought the purpose of the meeting would be to iron out several remaining issues prior to a scheduled hearing next week.
"Unfortunately, rather than discuss any additional modifications and clarifications to the proposed change, the Teamsters chose gamesmanship and saber rattling," Reifsnyder wrote in his letter, a copy of which was obtained by CCJ, "using the hour-long meeting as a photo op and a platform to try and derail the change and launch a public campaign to spread misinformation about the One Yellow transformation."
Yellow is in the second phase of its One Yellow strategy to improve efficiency, speed, choice and value for its customers. Phases 2 and 3 of One Yellow, which include aligning operations in the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and Central regions, are set to take place this year. Phase 1, integrating the linehaul networks of YRC Freight and Reddaway in the Western region to support both regional and long-haul services, was completed last year with union approval.
In a memo to union members Wednesday, Murphy said Yellow's proposal seeks to "force road drivers to work on the dock, to modify and merge seniority lists, and to alter established dispatch and work rules. The proposal violated various agreed upon local union agreements concerning the use and protection of 'dock-only' workers," and the changes violate National Master Freight Agreement.
Reifsnyder contends that the plan does not violate the agreement and cited "Yellow’s contractual right to complete its One Yellow merger" in his communication to Murphy Thursday, adding "that it is incredible for you to even make that suggestion because the change scheduled for hearing next week was crafted based on IBT feedback. As you well know, the change simply builds on an existing agreement that has an outstanding track record of success over the course of the fifteen years it has been in operation, and merging seniority lists (where applicable) significantly increases follow-the-work opportunities."
The union last week canceled the hearing next week; another sticking point for Reifsnyder.
