New contract for union drivers at JA Frate in Crystal Lake, OK after strike – Shaw Local

Truck drivers and dockworkers from the Crystal Lake-based JA Frate union on Saturday narrowly accepted a contract that had been under negotiation since April.

Union members, represented by Teamsters Local 710, walked off the job last month but agreed to return to work a few days later while negotiations on a new contract continued. The vote was 35 to 32 – far closer than in June, when the union rejected a contract offer by a vote of 55 to 10.

Although he did not provide details about wages or benefits in the new contract, local union secretary-treasurer Mike Cales said the new contract contains some “positive aspects.” Since the contract proposal was rejected last month, dozens of union drivers have lost their jobs.

Jill Dinsmore, the company’s CEO, said Saturday after the vote: “Our goal is to get drivers back to work as soon as our customers’ deliveries start arriving again.”

She said reaching an agreement was “good news for our team, our customers and our community” and she was “grateful” for all the support the company had received.

“We listened to drivers’ concerns about wages and rising healthcare costs and the impact on families and made them an offer that addresses their issues but also allows the company to remain competitive in today’s difficult economy,” Dinsmore said. “Our customers call us today because we did a good job for them yesterday. As a local carrier, our drivers and the entire team will work to earn that trust back and move forward.”

Teamsters Local 710 represents over 13,500 workers in the Midwest.

The union went on strike and held protest marches outside Crystal Lake’s headquarters on Pyott Road. The walkout affected all of JA Frate’s terminals, including those in McHenry, Waukegan, Elk Grove Village and Belvidere.