Teamsters Join UFCW in Petition to Prevent Future Sugar Plant Explosions

[Teamster]

February 20, 2008 (Washington, DC) – The Teamsters Union joined today with the United Food and Commercial Workers in calling on the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to issue an emergency standard on combustible dust following last week’s deadly explosion at a sugar plant in Georgia.
The Teamsters and UFCW filed a petition today with the Labor Department, demanding that OSHA follow the 2006 recommendations of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.





Teamsters Demand That OSHA Issue Emergency Standard on Combustible Dust

[UAW Local 2322 VP]

It is great that the UFCW and IBT can work together on issues such as this, but why did they have to fight in the FreshDirect organizing struggle? I think that was a sad moment in warehouse organizing, and it played a role in bringing down the effort. Perhpas some jurisdictional issues need to get resolved here... Aren't the Teamsters supposed to have jurisdiction voer warehouses? (International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, WAREHOUSEMEN and Helpers of America, as the old name for the IBT was...)