Posted by : admin in (Health)
Teamsters Picket Oak Harbor Freight Over Plans to Slash Health Care
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AUBURN, Wash., July 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Retired Oak Harbor workers and Teamsters began informational picketing outside Oak Harbor Freight Lines’ headquarters in Auburn today. Since contract negotiations began in August 2007, the regional trucking company has been pushing to eliminate health care coverage for all of its retirees.
“If Oak Harbor gets their way, our retirees — the ones who built this company — will be orphaned with no health insurance,” said Al Hobart, Teamster Vice President and Joint Council 28 President. “We cannot allow that to happen.”
Oak Harbor Freight Lines, one of the largest and most profitable trucking companies in the Northwest, pulled in $117 million last year.
“I am very shocked and disappointed that Oak Harbor is trying to eliminate our health care plan,” said Dan Goede, a former pick up and delivery driver. “My wife and I rely on our plan and it was one of the reasons I stayed with the job over the years. If this plan is eliminated, it will be an extreme hardship for many of us.”
About 40 retirees and their families would lose their health coverage if Oak Harbor implements its current proposal.
“After working for 34 years, I would have to go back to work if we lost our health insurance,” said Ron Getty, a former local driver. “We built that company. Retaining our health care plan is worth fighting for.”
Teamsters local unions across Washington and Oregon have represented Oak Harbor employees for over 40 years. Currently, the Teamsters Union represents more than 600 current Oak Harbor employees.
Teamsters Joint Council 28, Tukwila, WA
