Teamsters President Jim Hoffa announced Monday that nearly 10,000 new union members at UPS Freight have ratified a new contract that will improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The contract will expire in July 2013.

"This is the largest organizing victory in the freight industry in 25 years," Hoffa said. "We were amazed that at the 90-day mark of our national campaign, 9,900 workers had signed cards. This shows the workers' commitment in joining a union that will give them a strong voice in the workplace."

The workers at UPS Freight, previously called Overnite Transportation, ratified the agreement by more than 89 percent of their votes.

Teamsters Package Division Director Ken Hall, who is also president of Teamsters Local 175 in South Charleston, attributed the organizing success to the card-check agreement the Teamsters won from UPS in December 2007.

Under a card-check agreement, workers sign cards to join a union at each local, rather than going through a voting process. A majority of workers in a bargaining unit must sign cards, which are then certified before the company recognizes the union.

UPS Freight has 73 employees and four terminals in West Virginia, located in Nitro, Parkersburg, Bluefield and Fairmont, Hall said.

"The national contract covers them also," Hall said on Monday. "More than 80 percent of them voted on the contract and 90 percent of those people voted in favor of the contract."

"The 89 percent approval rate in the national vote is the highest acceptance rate I can ever recall during my time with the Teamsters," he said. "There were a lot of people who were skeptical. But the fact we organized almost 10,000 workers in 90 days is proof it was a good strategy.

As many as 3,600 UPS Freight workers, in addition to the 9,900 who already joined, could become Teamsters in the near future, Hall said.

"Since we made the announcement this morning, several employees, from several areas in the country, who have not joined called us and said they want to talk with the Teamsters," he said. "I would expect to see most, if not all of them, join the Teamsters in the next 90 days."

Teamsters President Jim Hoffa announced Monday that nearly 10,000 new union members at UPS Freight have ratified a new contract that will improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The contract will expire in July 2013.

"This is the largest organizing victory in the freight industry in 25 years," Hoffa said. "We were amazed that at the 90-day mark of our national campaign, 9,900 workers had signed cards. This shows the workers' commitment in joining a union that will give them a strong voice in the workplace."

The workers at UPS Freight, previously called Overnite Transportation, ratified the agreement by more than 89 percent of their votes.

Teamsters Package Division Director Ken Hall, who is also president of Teamsters Local 175 in South Charleston, attributed the organizing success to the card-check agreement the Teamsters won from UPS in December 2007.

Under a card-check agreement, workers sign cards to join a union at each local, rather than going through a voting process. A majority of workers in a bargaining unit must sign cards, which are then certified before the company recognizes the union.

UPS Freight has 73 employees and four terminals in West Virginia, located in Nitro, Parkersburg, Bluefield and Fairmont, Hall said.

"The national contract covers them also," Hall said on Monday. "More than 80 percent of them voted on the contract and 90 percent of those people voted in favor of the contract."

"The 89 percent approval rate in the national vote is the highest acceptance rate I can ever recall during my time with the Teamsters," he said. "There were a lot of people who were skeptical. But the fact we organized almost 10,000 workers in 90 days is proof it was a good strategy.

As many as 3,600 UPS Freight workers, in addition to the 9,900 who already joined, could become Teamsters in the near future, Hall said.

"Since we made the announcement this morning, several employees, from several areas in the country, who have not joined called us and said they want to talk with the Teamsters," he said. "I would expect to see most, if not all of them, join the Teamsters in the next 90 days."

Provisions of the new contract include:

The United Parcel Service bought Overnite Transportation in 2005 from Union Pacific Railroad and renamed the company UPS Freight. Hall was already the lead negotiator for UPS contracts.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million people in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

To contact staff writer Paul J. Nyden, use e-mail or call 348-5164.