Labor Section E2
5
kokomoperspective.com/ Salute to Labor Oct. 20, 2010 Kokomo Perspectiv e E5 the company. Recently, things have been good, he said. Members of Local 135 are a part of one of the largest Teamsters unions in the country and like Local 710, it covers multi- ple states, he said. “We are Local 135, we are 15,000 to 16,000 strong and we’re in 57 counties in Indiana, seven counties in Michigan and three counties in Illinois,” he said. “We are a big local. We are probably the second of third largest local in the country.” Being a larger union does have its advantages, he said. “The upper echelon of the Teamsters listens be- cause we are a big local.” Those in the Teamsters are out in the public every day, unlike their white- collar counterparts and those in many other unions. “The Teamsters are out there doing it day in and day out,” Adams said. “The management people really don’t see the rank- in-file customer where the Teamsters are. They see these people day in and week out. The manage- ment doesn’t see this that often. The Teamsters are on a first-name basis with the representative compa- nies (like Kroger) and they do a good job.” T eamster s, t he face of many comp anies MAKING DELIVERY — Coca-Cola’s Gary T rent unloads his truck to restock Kmart’s shelves. He has worked with Coke for nearly 30 years. Perspective photo / Peter Adelsen Teamsters Local 135 represents employees at Irving Materials, Wonder Bread, E&B Paving, Highway Materials, Speedway Concrete, Waste Management, Coca-Cola A lot of what hap- pens in our lives could- n’t have been done with- out those in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Teamsters are the face of many companies. These faces may end up making a person smile. If a person is waiting for a delivery from UPS, that delivery man is a Teamster. If a per- son is going to the grocery store to pick up some soft drinks, it was a Teamster who delivered the bever- age to the store and placed it on the shelf. “That guy who is out making the delivery in many cases that is the face of Coca-Cola,” said Craig Severns, general manager at Coca-Cola Bottling of Kokomo. “Most of the cit- izens and the merchants there don’t know who I am. They don’t know me. They know the guy that’s delivering their product to them. That’s Mr. Coca- Cola to them.” Severns continued say- ing that the delivery man even does more than his title. “That’s the guy they see and takes care of whatever their needs might be,” he said. “That route man is not only delivering the product merchandise, if they see a vending ma- chine out there that is not working properly, he will get that word back to us, so we can dispatch some- body to get it fixed.” At the Coke bottling plant, Teamsters union members work as ware- house workers, drivers, hourly delivery, cooler re- pair and mechanics. Between Coke and the Teamsters union there has been a partnership that has lasted for a long time. “Neither side is trying to get one better than the other,” said Tim Know- land, Coca-Cola Bottling Coca-Cola Bottling of Kokomo serves about a 35-mile radius around Kokomo and includes the cities of Logansport, Peru, Tipton, Elwood and Del- phi. Throughout Kokomo, the Teamsters from Coke may be the most likely to be seen by the majority of the public, but there is far more this union represents. Teamsters Local 135 represents employees at IMI (Irving Materials, Inc.), Wonder Bread, E&B Paving, Highway Materi- als Inc., Speedway Con- crete and Waste Management. “I have a good relation- ship with all of them,” said Chico Adams, Teamsters Local 135 business agent. Another local company , UPS, is also represented by the Teamsters, but not the Local 135. It is instead represented by Teamsters Local 710 out of Chicago. However, UPS in Marion That guy who is out making the delivery in many cases that is the face of Coca-Cola. Most of the citizens and the merchants there don’t know who I am. They don’t know me. They know the guy that’s delivering their product to them. That’s Mr. Coca-Cola to them. Craig Severns general manager Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Kokomo by Peter Adelsen staff writer [email protected]
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E5
the company. Recently,things have been good, hesaid.
Members of Local 135are a part of one of thelargest Teamsters unionsin the country and likeLocal 710, it covers multi-ple states, he said.
“We are Local 135, weare 15,000 to 16,000strong and we’re in 57counties in Indiana, sevencounties in Michigan andthree counties in Illinois,”he said. “We are a biglocal. We are probably thesecond of third largestlocal in the country.”
Being a larger uniondoes have its advantages,he said.
“The upper echelon of the Teamsters listens be-cause we are a big local.”
Those in the Teamstersare out in the public everyday, unlike their white-
collar counterparts andthose in many otherunions.
“The Teamsters are outthere doing it day in andday out,” Adams said.“The management peoplereally don’t see the rank-in-file customer where theTeamsters are. They seethese people day in andweek out. The manage-ment doesn’t see this thatoften. The Teamsters areon a first-name basis withthe representative compa-nies (like Kroger) and theydo a good job.”
Teamsters, the face of many companies
MAKING DELIVERY — Coca-Cola’s Gary Trent unloads his truck to restock Kmart’sshelves. He has worked with Coke for nearly 30 years.
Perspective photo / Peter Adelsen
Teamsters Local 135 represents employees at Irving Materials,Wonder Bread, E&B Paving, Highway Materials, Speedway
Concrete, Waste Management, Coca-Cola
Alot of w h a th a p -p e n sin ourl i v e scould-
n’t have been done with-out those in theInternational Brotherhoodof Teamsters.
Teamsters are the faceof many companies. Thesefaces may end up makinga person smile. If a personis waiting for a deliveryfrom UPS, that deliveryman is a Teamster. If a per-son is going to the grocerystore to pick up some softdrinks, it was a Teamsterwho delivered the bever-age to the store and placedit on the shelf.
“That guy who is outmaking the delivery in
many cases that is the faceof Coca-Cola,” said CraigSeverns, general managerat Coca-Cola Bottling of Kokomo. “Most of the cit-izens and the merchantsthere don’t know who Iam. They don’t know me.They know the guy that’sdelivering their product tothem. That’s Mr. Coca-Cola to them.”
Severns continued say-ing that the delivery maneven does more than his
title.“That’s the guy they seeand takes care of whatevertheir needs might be,” hesaid. “That route man isnot only delivering theproduct merchandise, if they see a vending ma-chine out there that is notworking properly, he willget that word back to us,so we can dispatch some-body to get it fixed.”
At the Coke bottlingplant, Teamsters union
members work as ware-house workers, drivers,hourly delivery, cooler re-pair and mechanics.
Between Coke and theTeamsters union there hasbeen a partnership that haslasted for a long time.
“Neither side is trying toget one better than theother,” said Tim Know-land, Coca-Cola Bottlingof Kokomo sales manager.“It’s both of us trying toexist together and for thebetterment of the companylong term, which is prettygood job security.”
Coca-Cola Bottling of Kokomo serves about a35-mile radius aroundKokomo and includes thecities of Logansport, Peru,Tipton, Elwood and Del-phi.
Throughout Kokomo,the Teamsters from Cokemay be the most likely tobe seen by the majority of the public, but there is farmore this union represents.
Teamsters Local 135represents employees atIMI (Irving Materials,Inc.), Wonder Bread, E&BPaving, Highway Materi-als Inc., Speedway Con-crete and WasteManagement.
“I have a good relation-ship with all of them,” saidChico Adams, TeamstersLocal 135 business agent.
Another local company,UPS, is also representedby the Teamsters, but notthe Local 135. It is insteadrepresented by TeamstersLocal 710 out of Chicago.However, UPS in Marionand Anderson is repre-sented by 135, he said.
Adams’ job as a busi-ness agent is to come inand settle all the disputesbetween the members and
That guy whois out makingthe delivery in
many cases thatis the face ofCoca-Cola.Most of the
citizens and themerchants theredon’t know whoI am. They don’tknow me. Theyknow the guy
that’s deliveringtheir product tothem. That’s Mr.
Coca-Cola tothem.
“
”Craig
Severnsgeneral
managerCoca-Cola Bottling Co.
of Kokomo
by Peter Adelsenstaff writer
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kokomoperspective.com/ Salute to LaborKokomo Perspective Oct. 20, 2010
E6
MAKING DELIVERY POSSIBLE — Mechanic Jeff
Vanover repairs a Coca-Cola semi. Perspective photo / Peter Adelsen
MAKING DELIVERY — A Coca-Cola delivery truck sitsbehind Kmart as driver Gary Trent makes a delivery.
Perspective photo / Peter Adelsen
REFRESHING PRODUCT — Tons of Coca-Cola’s bev-erages await the time to be distributed for delivery.Perspective photo / Peter AdelsenVENDING — Larry Carden, a Coca-Cola cooler repair
man, tweaks a vending machine.Perspective photo / Peter Adelsen
MOVING THE PRODUCT — Coca-Cola warehouse forklift-operator Leonard Harris moves Coca-Cola products sothey can be ready for delivery.
Perspective photo / Peter Adelsen
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E7
Wh e nK o k o m omayor GregGoodnight
had to make the difficultdecision to layoff firefight-ers a little more than a yearago, the former unionleader didn’t think hewould be in the position heis in today.
Goodnight enjoys a verycomfortable relationshipwith the local unions,which have bought in tohis philosophy of findingways to keep costs downand everyone employed.
“The last couple yearshave been very difficult,and I have seen a lot of leadership in our bargain-ing units in our city unionswho have understood thetimes we are in,” saidGoodnight. They havehelped us work through
some things such as theNovia clinic.”
On Aug. 4, Jason Burton presented a proposal to theBoard of Works which would extend the current Frater-nal Order of Police Lodge 78 contract through 2012. Thecontract is the same as the current contract and no onewould receive raises, but the union got a guarantee thatthere would be no involuntary layoffs.
BOW president and city controller Jim Brannon wasvery thankful for the FOP’s decision.
“We appreciate the efforts of the FOP,” said Brannon.“It is a clear indication that the FOP understands the sit-uation the city is in. We applaud your efforts. I think wespeak for every one of the taxpayers in the city of Kokomo when we say thank you so much for agreeing to
an extension. Hopefully things will get better and someday we will be voting on a pay increase; not sure whenthat will be and I am not making any promises.”
Earlier this year the Kokomo Professional FirefightersLocal 396 also agreed to extend its contract.
Goodnight said the ex-tension really helped thecity plan for its budget.
“The FOP was not evenscheduled to go into nego-tiations until next April,”said Goodnight. “Theyhave extended their con-tract with a voluntary payfreeze from now until theend of 2012. I hope theyget the proper recognition.Jason Burton, John Web-ster, the rest of the FOPleadership, and the rank
and file deserve thanks forrecognizing and puttingthe city’s interests ahead of their own personal interest.They deserve a lot of kudos for their leadership.”
Goodnight said the at-tention the national econ-omy has received is whyhe felt that the contract ne-gotiations went sosmoothly.
“Their leadership, andmaybe their rank and file,is very aware of the stateeconomy and the national
economy,” said Goodnight. “Keep in mind when we firstcame in office we had to start negotiations my first fourmonths in office. There was maybe a little bit of uncer-tainty what the country’s financial situation was. Theremay have been a little mistrust and apprehension on theirpart, a little bit of uncertainty.”
Goodnight said a positive reflection on how his ad-ministration has worked with the unions is the lack of grievances filed.
“Obviously we have had some cutbacks, but the griev-ances we have received have been minimal,” said Good-night. “I don’t think we have had an FOP grievance inthree years. The only IAF grievances I think we have hadinvolved layoffs back a couple years ago. I am reallyhappy with that.”
Goodnight said he is proud of the work that has beendone by all the union leadership in the city, and he hopesthat they can continue to have a positive working rela-tionship.
Administration grateful to havegood working relationship
with city unionsThe last couple years
have been verydifficult, and I have seena lot of leadership in ourbargaining units in ourcity unions who haveunderstood the times weare in.
I think we speak for every oneof the taxpayers in thecity of Kokomo when wesay thank you (to theFOP) so much foragreeing to an extension.Hopefully things will getbetter and some day wewill be voting on a pay
increase.
“
“
”
”
GregGoodnight
mayor
JimBrannoncontroller
by Tim Turnerdigital media manager
FILES — Kokomo police officers Jeff Catt and DonWhitehead go over files.
Perspective photo / Tim Turner
CRIME LAB — Kokomo Police Department detectiveSean Kinney and crime lab assistant Alisha Caslerprocess a firearm for fingerprints.
Perspective photo / Tim Turner
ON DUTY — Officers respond to a call of “shots fired.”Perspective photo / Tim Turner
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Page E8 Kokomo Perspective Oct. 20, 2010
Building&Construction T
SUPPORTING ALL HARDWORKING MEN & WOMEN OF HOWARD COUNTY!
PRESIDENT. . . . . . . .
CHICOA DAMS
V ICEPRESIDENT. . .
DONK EITH
SECRETARY . . . . . . .
BRUCEJ ANSSEN
TRUSTEE. . . . . . . . . .
SHANEH ARRIS
TRUSTEE. . . . . . . . . .
DONBOUGH
TRUSTEE. . . . . . . . . .
RICKY WILLIAMS
BoilermakersLocal No. 374
International Unionof Bricklayers and
Allied CraftworkersLocal Union No. 4
United Brotherhoodof Carpenters And
JoinersLocal No. 615
InternationalBrotherhood of
Electrical WorkersLocal 873
International Association of
Heat/FrostInsulators and
Asbestos WorkersLocal 18
International Association of Bridge, Structuraland Ornamental
Iron WorkersLocal 147
IronworkersLocal 22 Laborers’InternationalUnion
Local 274
United Brotherhoodof Carpenters &MillwrightsUnion 1029
InternationalUnion of OperatingEngineersLocal 103
United Union of Roofers,
Waterproofers, and Allied Workers
Local No. 205
Sheet Metal Workers’
International Association
Local No. 20
InternationalBrotherhood of
TeamstersLocal No. 135
InternationalUnion Of Paintersand Allied Trades,
AFL-CIO, CLCDistrict Council 91Local 469 - Local 669
Local 1165
Plumbers &Steamfitters
Local Union 166
Plumbers &Steamfitters
Local Union 440
OperativePlasterers and
Cement Masons’International AssociationLocal No. 692
Road SprinklerFitters
Local 669
