Truck drivers in two states seek removal of Teamsters Union leaders

Alyssa K. Hazelwood | Staff Attorney (2016-Present) | NRTWLD&EF, Inc

By Sky Industry News

Dec 9, 2024

Two groups of truck drivers in California and Georgia have initiated petitions to remove Teamsters union officials from their workplaces. Edward Kilgore, a driver for PepsiCo Beverages North America in Stockton, California, and James Shiflett, a driver for BFI Waste Services in Georgia, have filed decertification petitions with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). They received legal assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.

Kilgore's petition seeks a vote to remove Teamsters Local 439 union leaders, while Shiflett's petition targets Teamsters Local 728. The NLRB oversees federal labor law enforcement and conducts elections for union certification or decertification.

Both petitions reportedly exceed the required number of signatures needed under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to initiate a decertification vote. If successful, the union officials would lose their bargaining authority at these workplaces.

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In California, where there are no Right to Work protections, unions can mandate dues as employment conditions. In contrast, Georgia is a Right to Work state where membership and dues are voluntary. Regardless of location, unions can impose uniform contracts on all workers within a facility.

Edward Kilgore stated his opposition to what he described as forced funding of unwanted representation by the union: “My coworkers and I are not just opposed to Teamsters officials so-called ‘representation’ but especially offended that currently the union has the power to enter into a contract that forces us to fund the very union we oppose,” he said. “This is about giving workers the power to make their own decisions.”

The process of requesting decertification elections has become more challenging following recent policy changes by Biden-Harris NLRB appointees. These changes allow unions to use "blocking charges" against management allegations and prevent workers from seeking votes through traditional secret-ballot processes.

Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation, commented on this trend: “Workers across the country are rejecting union officials top-down agendas both inside and outside the workplace,” he said. He criticized Teamsters leaders like Sean O’Brien for pushing policies that increase control over workers while opposing Right to Work laws nationwide.