Maersk, Teamsters meet over truckers’ grievances

Maersk, Teamsters meet over truckers’ grievances    Officials of A.P. Moller-Maersk met International Brotherhood of Teamsters union officials and three independent truck drivers from the United States Tuesday to discuss allegations of harassment, intimidation and others complaints made by drivers who have worked for the big Danish company as independent contractors.
   Charles O’Connor, vice president of Maersk Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk, said both sides met for several hours in Copenhagen Tuesday. The Teamsters delegation, which has sought to unionize port drivers for years, was led by Ron Carver, assistant director of the port division of the Teamsters.
   Maersk told the drivers it would not object to them carrying Teamsters stickers on their trucks or joining a union, O’Connor said.
   “They’re free to join any organization, including unions — it does not change their status,” he told American Shipper.
   The Teamsters said last week the Copenhagen-based company was harassing, intimidating, and terminating non-union port truck drivers who demand fair treatment and improved working conditions. On Labor Day, Teamsters officials delivered documents to Danish embassy officials in the United States “asking the Danish government to intervene and instruct A.P. Moller to abide by United Nations labor conventions,” according to the union.
   Following the meeting, O’Connor said Maersk would contact its local offices to investigate whether any inappropriate actions have been taken against independent drivers, contrary to company policy, and would stop them if any were found. Truck drivers said they have been harassed for displaying Teamsters stickers on their trucks.
   Maersk denied any anti-union stance, saying that over half of its employees in the U.S. belong to unions.
   Bridge Terminal Transport, a Maersk trucking subsidiary, uses some 2,300 truck drivers in the United States.