Teamsters Local 767 Members: News from the rank and file

In 2006, UPS violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it refused to allow Brent Camp, a longtime Marine and high seniority, part-time UPS ramp employee, to come back to work after his second deployment to Iraq expired. After months of requesting assistance from Teamsters Local 767, Brent turned to his Judge Advocate General (JAG) for military legal enforcement of the labor law. As it turned out, there was a simple mix-up in paperwork, and the matter was cleared up shortly after he contacted military counsel. It was the last thing Brent needed after having dedicated many years of his life to serving our country and American way of life, which includes UPS’s freedom to operate in a capitalist economy as well as workers’ rights to choose unionization. Sadly, our local initially failed Brent in its lax approach to resolving the violation, but he’s not letting that stop him. Brent wants to make sure his Teamster brothers and sisters who are veterans and families of Teamster veterans are not forgotten.

When Billy Smith and candidates from the Members First slate learned about Brent’s story, they were shocked. Billy stressed, “That is exactly the sort of thing that reinforces my decision to head this slate. My family has heavily decorated military personnel in its history, and I would never do anything to disservice an individual who served our country — regardless of anything. The women and men who serve in our military are extended family, as far as I am concerned, whether they are Teamsters or not.”

When the Members First slate takes office, look for your opportunity to participate in the Veteran Appreciation Committee. This is your chance to make a difference within the community and to interact with those who have risked their lives so that we can carry the Teamster torch at home. Brent Camp will be heading up volunteer programs to show support to troops overseas as well as those returning home. He will also need your help in various programs to send packages to troops and their families. Please contact Brent directly so that he can add you to the list of supporters:   brent.camp[at]sbcglobal.net    (replace “[at]” with @). You can also contact Billy, Scott, Carlos, and the rest of the Members First 2009 slate here.

The time is now to show these men and women, as well as their families, that Teamsters Local Union 767 stands in solidarity and support of all they do for us. We want to see pages like this on our official Teamsters website! We want people of our local to understand the important military history of our Teamsters. With nationwide Teamster programs like Helmets to Hardhats, there is no doubt of the heavy relationship between the American servicemen and servicewomen and the American workers.