Teamsters Ready for Strike as Penske Contract Deadline Approaches

Teamsters at Penske Signal Readiness for Strike as Contract Deadline Approaches

Contact Information: Maura Drumm Phone: (215) 510-3735 Email: MDrumm@teamster.org

(WASHINGTON) – As the deadline of June 30 for the regional master contract nears, Penske employees represented by Teamsters locals 79, 512, 541, 618, and 769 have voted decisively to authorize a strike. Nearly 250 members fall under the Southcentral and Southeastern Regional Master Agreements.

Rocco Calo, Director of the Teamsters Industrial Trades Division, expressed the union's frustrations, saying, “Penske is a multibillion-dollar corporation that can more than afford to offer Teamsters a fair contract.” He criticized the company's approach of transferring their management burdens to the workers by refusing reasonable wage increases, proposing pension freezes, and rejecting the established attendance system, stating, “Teamsters won’t stand for it, and this strike authorization should make that abundantly clear to Penske leadership.”

The union also accused Penske of illegal and regressive bargaining practices, citing a recent incident where the company altered a health care proposal that had already been tentatively agreed upon.

Mike Schanuth, a Penske Teamster from Local 541 and part of the bargaining committee, commented on the situation: “The fact the company already agreed to our current health care and then shows up this morning and proposes drastic changes to it is a complete slap in the face.” He emphasized the urgency, saying, “It’s long past due for our employer to get serious. The clock is ticking.”

Negotiations are set to continue until the June 30 deadline. Without a satisfactory agreement, a strike by Teamsters at Penske seems imminent.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, established in 1903, represents 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more details, visit Teamster.org. Stay connected with their updates by following @Teamsters on Twitter and “liking” them on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.