WELCOME TO TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION 229
LU229
ABOUT.

WHO WE ARE:
The Teamsters are America’s largest, most diverse union. In 1903, the Teamsters started as a merger of the two leading team driver associations. These drivers were the backbone of America’s robust economic growth, but they needed to organize to wrest their fair share from greedy corporations. Today, the Union’s task is exactly the same.
The Teamsters are known as the champion of freight drivers and warehouse workers, but have organized workers in virtually every occupation imaginable, both professional and non-professional, private sector and public sector.
Our 1.4 million members are public defenders in Minnesota; vegetable workers in California; sanitation workers in New York; brewers in St. Louis; newspaper workers in Seattle; construction workers in Las Vegas; zoo keepers in Pennsylvania; healthcare workers in Rhode Island; bakery workers in Maine; airline pilots, secretaries and police officers. Name the occupation and chances are we represent those workers somewhere.
There are nearly 1,900 Teamster affiliates throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Being a Teamster member means that you belong to the strongest and most democratic labor union in the world. For more than 100 years the Teamsters Union has been a leader in setting the standard for higher wages, better benefits and improved working conditions for workers throughout the United States and Canada. The Teamsters Union is strong because of the participation of many of its 1.4 million members. Teamster members can find a variety of ways to participate to help build a stronger union in the workplace — from supporting coworkers in their struggle for justice or helping with the bargaining process to joining a local union committee or becoming a volunteer organizer.
SCHOLARSHIP INFO
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 229 SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNMENT 2023
WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE TEAMSTERS LU 229 SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL BE AUGUST 26 2023 at Stone Meadows Golf course, as held in the past. Let us know if you can attend! Flyer to be posted with information shortly
MEET THE TEAM

MIKE KOVALESKI
Secretary Treasurer/Principal Officer
Business Representative
Elected 2023-present
r

Joe Secor
Vice President/Business Agent (previous Board Member)
Elected 2023

DONNA GRAZIANO
Office Manager/Secretary/Titan Operator
Local Union 229 EXECUTIVE BOARD:
Eugene Allen- PRESIDENT
Ron Sieputowski- RECORDING SECRETARY
Bernadine Hoover - TRUSTEE
Anthony Angelo - TRUSTEE
James Bendowski - TRUSTEE
POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARDS
TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION 229
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
NEXT MEETINGS SCHEDULE FOR :
Please be advised that the Regular Monthly Membership Meetings will be held according to the below listed schedule.
All meetings are held in the meeting room of the Local Union 1260 O’Neill Highway, Dunmore Pa 18512 on the Second Sunday of the Month, and begin at 10:00 AM.
Meetings are scheduled for the following dates:
Sunday January 8, 2023
Sunday February 12,2023
Sunday March 12, 2023
Sunday April 2, 2023
Sunday May 7, 2023
All active Local 229 members in good standing are invited and encouraged to attend. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Local Union Office.
Fraternally Yours,
Mike Kovaleski
Secretary – Treasurer/Business Rep.
NEW PENN/YRCW MEETING
March 3, 2023
Meeting Notice for POSTING
TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION 229 MEMBERS
There will be a meeting for New Penn/YRCW immediately following the Local Union 229 monthly meeting on March 12, 2023, to answer questions and address concerns about the proposed change of ops. All members employed by New Penn Motor Express / YRCW are strongly urged to attend.
DATE: MARCH 12, 2023
TIME: IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
MEETING WHICH BEGINS AT 10:00 AM
LOCATION: 1260 O’NEILL HIGHWAY
DUNMORE, PA 18512
Fraternally,
Joe Secor
Vice President
Business Representative
The Secret Ballot Election for Officers and Business Representatives of Teamsters Local Union 229 was conducted on October 21, 2022. The official voting results are listed below:
SECRETARY-TREASURER/BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE – ELECT ONE (01)
131 VOTES – MIKE KOVALESKI – WINNER
98 VOTES – WILLIAM METZGER
PRESIDENT – ELECT ONE (01)
121 VOTES – EUGENE ALLEN – WINNER
80 VOTES – ROBERT MCGARRY
36 VOTES – RON POPLAWSKI
VICE PRESIDENT/BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE – ELECT ONE (01)
141 VOTES – JOE SECOR – WINNER
95 VOTES – JOHN MCADARRA
RECORDING SECRETARY/– ELECT ONE (01)
144 VOTES – RON SIESPUTOWSKI – WINNER
88 VOTES – THOMAS MATTHEWS
TRUSTEES – ELECT THREE (03)
130 VOTES – BERNADINE HOOVER – WINNER
129 VOTES - JAMES BENDOWSKI – WINNER
130 VOTES - ANTHONY ANGELO – WINNER
106 VOTES – SHANE KINGSBURY
83 VOTES – KYLE MCELROY
81 VOTES – JAMES LANZA
34 VOTES - GEHAD MAGHRABI
THANK YOU TO ALL THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE ELECTION
TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION 229 REQUESTS THAT YOU CHECK YOUR ADDRESS WITH THE LOCAL UNION AT 570-344-7219 IF YOU HAVE RECENTLY MOVED OR 911 HAS CHANGED YOUR ADDRESS.
POSTING
TEAMSTERS JC 53 -REQUESTS YOUR SUPPORT FOR L.U. 115
AUTHORIZED STRIKE
Teamsters LU 115 has an authorized strike in place against Waste Mgmt Camden, NJ. There will be ambulatory pickets following these scab drivers
Please honor this line while the active pickets are there.
229 ORGANIZING
Teamsters Local Union 229 has organized Eastern Region Pike CID Unit, congratulations to these hard working ,dedicated employees and now members of Teamsters Local Union 229!
LOCAL 229 HAPPENINGS
Teamsters LU 229 has successfully negotiated strong contracts for renewal for the following companies with L.U. 229 members:
Dickson City Borough DPW
Lower Lackawanna Valley Sanitary Authority
Lackawanna County Public Defenders
Olyphant Police Department
Wayne County Detective Unit
CONTACT US
TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION 229 OPEN: MONDAY THRU FRIDAY FROM 9:00 A.M. TO 4:45 P.M (HOURS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PLEASE CALL )
MEMBERS INFORMATION:
WITHDRAWAL CARD
Members not working at the craft for a complete calendar month for reasons other than sickness or injury may request, and be issued, an Honorable Withdrawal Card in accordance with Article XVIII of the International Constitution. Members off work for a complete calendar month because of sickness or injury should contact the Union office regarding the issuance of a withdrawal card.
Please note that any member who is not required to request a withdrawal card in accordance with the International Constitution but who requests and is issued a withdrawal card must be advised that the issuance of that withdrawal card may result in a break in their twenty-four month continuous good standing requirement for eligibility to:
· Hold local union office.
· Be a Delegate/Alternate Delegate to the next International Convention.
· Be a candidate to run for International Office; and
· Nominate/vote in the election of Union officers; the election of Delegates/Alternates; or, in the election of International Union officers.
· Any other continuous good standing requirements of Local Union No. 229 as stated in the Local Union By-Laws.
THE COST FOR A WITHDRAWAL CARD IS $0.50 AND YOU MUST BE IN GOOD STANDING TO OBTAIN ONE, FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WITHDRAWAL CARD CAN RESULT IN SUSPENSION FROM THE UNION, A DISCONTINUING OF SCHEDULING FOR WORK PURPOSES AND A RE-INITIATION FEE OF $50.00 AND ALL BACK DUES MAY BE REQUIRED TO CLEAR ARREARS.
ALSO, THE LOCAL UNION MUST BE NOTIFIED WHEN YOU RETURN TO WORK SO THAT YOUR WITHDRAWAL CARD CAM BE DEPOSITED.
WHAT DO YOU PAY DUES FOR:
Dues provide the resources to stand up for good jobs and benefits, decent working conditions and a better future for our families. That's why union members in private industry earn 38 percent more on average than nonunion workers. They also receive 54 percent more in benefits. None of this would be possible without the strength that comes from our Teamster dues.
REPRESENTING YOU THE MEMBER IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR CONTRACTS, ARBITRATIONS AND UNJUST TERMINATIONS are a few along with those
Most of your dues, 78 percent, stay with your local union in order to fund activities that give workers more power at the bargaining table, in the statehouse and in the community. Some of these activities include:
- Organizing expenses;
- Office equipment and regular administration expenses;
- Attorneys to assist in negotiations, grievances and arbitration;
- Training;
- Research into companies and industries to gather information for negotiations and organizing; and
- Accountants to analyze the company's books.
Members receive information about how dues money is spent by their local at regular monthly membership meetings, and local unions also file annual reports with the U.S. Department of Labor. The International Union publishes its annual audited financial statement in Teamster magazine, which is sent to every member.
What is the grievance procedure?
The grievance procedure is a negotiated article within your contract that enables the union to enforce the terms of the contract and protect the rights of workers. If management violates the contract, the grievance procedure allows the member to follow a process that can provide relief or justice.
Teamster contracts may define a grievance in several ways: It could be “a dispute between the union and management over the application and/or interpretation of the agreement,” or “any dispute or difference arising between an employee and management or between the union and management.” Each grievance procedure has specific steps with time limits that must be followed. The steps in a grievance procedure vary, but a typical one may include:
- Step One: The steward and the grievant meet with the supervisor within 10 days of the occurrence to resolve the grievance. Management has five days to respond.
- Step Two: If there is no settlement at Step One, a union representative, the grievant and a management representative will meet to try to resolve the grievance.
- Step Three: If still unresolved, the grievance will be heard by an arbitrator or panel who will render a decision.