Teamsters Local 350

Teamsters Local 350
Name	Teamsters Local 350
Country	United States
Affiliation	International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Founded	20th century
Members	unknown

Teamsters Local 350 is a regional labor union local affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters representing workers in freight, warehousing, and related industries. It negotiates collective bargaining agreements, provides member services, and engages in political outreach and community organizing in its jurisdiction. The local participates in multi-union coalitions, interacts with municipal authorities, and has been involved in notable labor disputes and litigation.

History

The local emerged amid the expansion of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters during the 20th century alongside contemporaries like Teamsters Local 399, Teamsters Local Union 705, and national organizations such as the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. During periods shaped by events including the Great Depression, the New Deal, and postwar industrial growth influenced by leaders comparable to James R. Hoffa, its development paralleled labor struggles seen in the Pullman Strike, the Memphis sanitation strike, and the campaigns of the United Farm Workers. The local's history intersects with regulatory actions by agencies like the National Labor Relations Board and legislation such as the Taft–Hartley Act and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. It has navigated relationships with municipal figures such as mayors of its home cities and with statewide authorities like the California Labor Federation or equivalents in other states, while engaging with unions including the United Auto Workers, the Service Employees International Union, and the United Steelworkers in joint initiatives.

Organization and Membership

Local governance typically mirrors structures in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters with an elected executive board, stewards, and shop committees similar to those in Teamsters Local 287 and Teamsters Local 671. Membership comprises drivers represented in negotiations reminiscent of contracts with carriers like UPS, longshore workers represented by entities such as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and warehouse clerks analogous to members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The local maintains affiliations with pension funds comparable to the Teamsters Pension Fund and health plans akin to the Teamsters Health and Welfare Fund, and coordinates with legal counsel experienced in labor law from firms that have represented unions in cases before the United States Court of Appeals and state supreme courts. Training and apprenticeship programs reflect standards promoted by the Department of Labor and regional workforce boards like those connected to the Employment Development Department.

Major Contracts and Bargaining

Major bargaining campaigns have involved employers in sectors resembling national carriers like FedEx, regional haulers similar to firms in the Trucking Industry Defense Association, and large warehouses operated by corporations such as Amazon (company), Walmart, and logistics firms akin to J.B. Hunt. Contracts often address wages benchmarked against agreements like those negotiated by Teamsters Local 399 and include provisions on pensions, health coverage, grievance procedures, and seniority similar to clauses in historic accords like the New York City Transit Authority contracts. Bargaining sometimes involves multiemployer trust negotiations comparable to those with the Central States Pension Fund and coordination with multiunion coalitions such as collaborations with the AFL–CIO and the Change to Win Coalition on regional bargaining strategies.

Strikes, Disputes, and Legal Actions

The local has engaged in labor actions and grievances that parallel high-profile disputes like the UPS strike of 1997, the West Coast longshore strike, and the TEAMSTERS strike in 1970s era walkouts. Legal challenges have involved litigation strategies seen in cases before the National Labor Relations Board and appellate litigation similar to disputes adjudicated in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit or state courts. The local has faced injunctions and negotiated settlements, using precedents established in cases such as those involving the Taft–Hartley Act and decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States that shaped secondary boycott rules and picketing standards exemplified in rulings like NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation-era jurisprudence.

Political Activity and Community Involvement

Political engagement includes endorsements in elections at levels like city councils, mayoralties reminiscent of contests involving figures such as Ed Koch or Rahm Emanuel in other locales, and coordination with political action committees similar to the Teamsters Political Education Program. The local participates in issue advocacy on matters paralleling municipal negotiations over public contracts with entities like Port of Los Angeles or New York City Department of Transportation, and collaborates with community groups such as chapters of the NAACP, AFL–CIO central labor councils, and faith-based coalitions modeled on partnerships with organizations like Interfaith Worker Justice. Its voter registration drives and get-out-the-vote efforts are consistent with practices used by unions during presidential campaigns involving figures like Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Notable Leaders and Key Figures

Leadership profiles include elected presidents, secretaries, and business agents whose roles resemble those of officials in larger locals such as Teamsters General President-level figures and regional leaders who have interacted with personalities like Jimmy Hoffa and Ron Carey. Legal counsel, chief negotiators, and prominent shop stewards have engaged with labor academics from institutions such as Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and policy analysts connected to think tanks like the Economic Policy Institute. The local's leaders have participated in conferences alongside representatives from the AFL–CIO, the International Transport Workers' Federation, and regional labor councils, contributing to policy discussions reflected in labor history scholarship at archives like the Tamiment Library and research centers such as the Kellogg School of Management.

Category:Trade unions in the United States Category:International Brotherhood of Teamsters locals