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Teamsters approve strike at ABF Freight if needed

Secret-ballot vote comes as parties negotiate labor contract

The Teamsters are currently negotiating several collective bargaining agreements that expire this summer. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

The Teamsters union said Wednesday that a strike authorization had been approved by members covered under ABF Freight’s national master freight agreement. The action is likely a negotiating tactic on the part of the union and a sign of potential next steps if talks between the two parties are unable to yield a new agreement.

A letter obtained by FreightWaves from John Murphy, Teamsters national freight director and co-chair of the organization’s negotiating arm, to the local unions said the secret ballot produced “a very good turnout,” with 97.73% of votes cast in favor of the measure.

“The members’ show of support comes at a critical time as we head into the final phase of bargaining,” the letter read.

On May 12, the Teamsters said in a statement that bargaining with ABF, ArcBest’s (NASDAQ: ARCB) less-than-truckload subsidiary, had resumed but “the parties currently remain far apart on economics.” The notice said negotiations on the “tough issues,” like the use of outside transportation, autonomous vehicles and inward-facing cameras, all of which the union has historically opposed, were beginning.


“While it is the committee’s desire to avoid a strike and reach a new negotiated collective bargaining agreement, we need to be prepared for all eventualities,” Murphy told members in an April 28 letter.

At the end of 2022, ArcBest had more than 8,600 union employees. The current labor contract stipulates a 2% annual increase to wages and benefits. The deal also has a profit-sharing component paying up to 3% based on the operating performance in ArcBest’s asset-based unit, which includes LTL operations. The maximum payout has been achieved by the unit in each of the past two years.

“ABF is aware that its Teamster members voted to authorize a strike at ABF Freight as part of the negotiation process,” a spokesperson from ArcBest told FreightWaves. “This type of strike authorization is common during bargaining processes and has occurred in the last several of our contract negotiations, which were resolved without any such strike taking place.”

The spokesperson noted “productive negotiations” between the two parties this week and that negotiations will resume next week.


ABF’s current labor deal with the union expires on June 30.

The Teamsters negotiating committee is also working on collective bargaining agreements with UPS (NYSE: UPS) and TForce Freight (NYSE: TFII), both of which expire on July 31.

The union has also agreed to pull forward labor talks with Yellow Corp. (NASDAQ: YELL) by a year as the two parties have been unable to reach terms on the carrier’s proposed changes to operations.

“We appreciate the patience of our employees, our customers and all of our stakeholders as we push forward diligently toward a tentative contract agreement that will be put to ABF Teamster members for a vote,” the spokesperson said.

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5 Comments

  1. Freight Zippy

    In 30 days the contract expires. Shippers need to begin shifting their business away now if they have any desire to protect capacity. In the event of any strike capacity will dry up immediately and carriers will once again advise shippers they want a 90 day commitment on new business or they will let freight sit on the loading dock.
    Why gridlock your network to make a union strike successful? Advise last minute shippers they need to make that commitment if you are bailing them out in the event of a strike…. Or begin to move lanes now to protect your organization and your customers. Obviously the union does not care about your customers…

  2. Bradley Sterner

    inward facing cameras is and invasion of privacy and also job discrimination to the drivers unless everyone in the company has a camera in there work station,desk,office,or company car, vehicle, or forklift period

  3. Dick Bischoff

    These teamsters are getting mouthy at exactly the worst time possible as the economy continues to contract. Fifty years ago the teamsters controlled more than 60% of the freight LTL market, it’s now around 17% and shrinking as Yellow and TForce bleed market share. Whose next to join the LTL Union Boneyard, my money is on Yellow.

  4. Scott

    How about you quit and go to work for a non-union carrier then. Deal with Teamsters not ok with invasion of privacy!

  5. Erik Richard

    Inward facing cameras don’t make any difference if your doing what your supposed to be doing. LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT.

Comments are closed.

Todd Maiden

Based in Richmond, VA, Todd is the finance editor at FreightWaves. Prior to joining FreightWaves, he covered the TLs, LTLs, railroads and brokers for RBC Capital Markets and BB&T Capital Markets. Todd began his career in banking and finance before moving over to transportation equity research where he provided stock recommendations for publicly traded transportation companies.