Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 745 and Teamsters International Vice President of the Southern Region, Brent Taylor, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed his time with the union. Taylor also talked about the new contract at Solvay and the aftermath of the Yellow Freight bankruptcy.
Being a Teamster is all Taylor has ever known, as he grew up in a union home and worked only union jobs. He credited this upbringing for now having an increased awareness of the day-to-day issues with his Union Brothers and Sisters. He began working for the Teamsters in 1998 as a business manager and later became Local 745 Secretary-Treasurer in 2004. Taylor’s love and devotion to the labor movement paid off, as he recently became one of two Teamsters International Vice Presidents in the Southern Region.
The Teamsters who work at Solvay, a production facility that makes essential materials for commercial airlines and military helicopters and airplanes, recently scored a big win with a new contract. These highly skilled workers are difficult to replace and serve an essential part of the helicopter and airline manufacturing supply chain, Taylor noted. Had the members not shown complete solidarity, the negotiations would not have been as successful. It is not the contracts or the leaders who make the Local; it is purely the members who make the Local and earn the major contract wins, he added.
Taylor began his career working for Yellow Freight, where he spent 14 years. Sadly, the freight company declared bankruptcy in August, which greatly impacted him and the Local. Local 745 lost about 700 members due to the announcement, including members and friends of the union. Yellow’s bankruptcy came as a result of bad business operations, Taylor said. He explained why the Teamsters did not cause Yellow’s bankruptcy, as Local 745 members had conceded nearly $5 billion since 2010 to try and improve company operations.
Hear more from Taylor by clicking play on the episode above.
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