Workers at the DHL Express US air hub at Wilmington, which is facing closure, have mostly voted infavour of being represented by the Teamsters transport union which recently sealed a nationwide
agreement with the company.The Teamsters announced that in a vote for union representation at the Wilmington gateway, itwon more votes than the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) or the option of no unionrepresentation. However, it did not reach the NLRB-required threshold of 50% plus one vote to bedeclared a winner. A runoff election will therefore be held at a yet-to-be-determined date todecide whether the workers prefer the Teamsters or no union representation.
“The Gateway workers in Wilmington have shown that they want Teamster representation and weare confident that they will choose the Teamsters Union in the upcoming election,” said BillHamilton, Director of the Teamsters Express Division. “In these somewhat uncertain times at DHL,it’s more important than ever that these workers have a strong union like the Teamsters to worktirelessly to represent their best interests and to secure their future.”
According to the Teamsters, DHL Gateway workers in Wilmington have deep concerns over DHL’splanned deal with UPS for North American airlift. The Teamsters said that while the final dealbetween DHL and UPS is not yet complete, it is using its bargaining, contractual and politicalclout to ensure fair treatment for DHL System workers. More than 200,000 Teamster members work atUPS and more than 12,000 Teamster members work within the DHL System.
In May, more than 7,000 Teamster members working at DHL Express ratified their first nationalagreement by a solid 82%. The agreement boosts wages and benefits, improves working conditions andstrengthens job security for members at dozens of DHL Express locations across the United States.Prior to the DHL agreement, UPS extended its contract with the Teamsters for the next five years.
