Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 5, 1994 TAG: 9404050156
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Officers of Teamster freight locals are scheduled to meet this afternoon in Washington to plan for a strike against freight haulers. The work stoppage is scheduled to start at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday unless the union and Trucking Management Inc. reach a settlement.
``We told the company that we were prepared to meet over the weekend, but they weren't interested,'' said Teamsters spokesman Bernie Mulligan. ``It looks like they're forcing the issue.''
Last week, the union's negotiators rejected what the industry termed its final offer. Members of the union have authorized a strike but agreed to extend the expired contract until midnight today.
Union officials said the industry's offer would weaken employee grievance rights, allow trucking companies to use more part-time workers and eliminate thousands of jobs.
Arthur H. Bunte Jr., president of TMI and chief negotiator for 23 trucking companies covered by the contract, said the industry's offer balanced job security for workers with the freight firms' need for ``greater operating flexibilities.''
Bunte said union unwillingness to consider the industry proposal ``threatens not only our negotiations and customer confidence but the companies and Teamster jobs.''
The 23 companies handle about 50 percent of less-than-truckload shipments, typically consumer goods, furniture or machine parts. Most food shipments are handled by private fleets and would not be affected by a strike.
by CNB