Teamsters, YRC Worldwide contract takes effect

The five-year labor agreement was approved by Teamster-represented workers on May 3 but went into effect Tuesday after the final supplement contract was approved.

   The five-year labor agreement between Teamsters and three YRC Worldwide operating companies immediately went into effect Tuesday after the final supplement contract, the Joint Council 40 Supplement, was approved this week, the union announced Tuesday.
   Teamster-represented workers at less-than-truckload units YRC Freight, Holland and New Penn voted May 3 to ratify the national master portion of the YRCW National Master Freight Agreement by a 60%-to-40% margin. The Joint Council 40 supplemental contract was the only one of the 27 supplement contracts that was not approved at the time.
   The new labor agreement, which runs through March 31, 2024, covers about 24,000 employees and its economic improvements are applied retroactively to April 1, YRC Worldwide said Wednesday.
   “Having a five-year agreement is a very positive event for YRC Worldwide, supporting a more market-competitive wage and benefit package for our employees while providing operational benefits that will allow us to provide reliable and efficient services to our customers,” said Darren Hawkins (pictured above), YRC Worldwide CEO, in a statement.
   The contract includes a $4 wage increase over five years, prohibitions against using driverless trucks, restores a week of vacation and provides an increased YRCW contribution to health and welfare benefits.