The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation issued a special legal notice for 10 Roads Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 44) drivers subject to Teamsters union bosses’ recent strike order against the company.
More than 500 drivers at 10 Roads Express, one of the largest private contractors for the United States Postal Service, went on strike February 18, accusing the company of unfair labor practices and refusing to bargain in good faith. Drivers there kicked off a unionization campaign in 2023.
The legal notice sent by the Foundation informs affected drivers of their right to resign union membership and continue working for the Carter Lake, Iowa-based company should they choose to do so. The notice also gives workers who want to exercise their right to work information on how to avoid fines and punishment that could be imposed by union officials.
The 500 striking workers spread across eight states represent just under 20% of 10 Roads' more than 2.600 drivers, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data.
“Teamsters union officials’ propaganda surrounding this strike hides the fact that many workers may simply want to continue working to support themselves and their families, something that they have an absolute right to do no matter what Teamsters bosses may say,” said National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix.
Mix speculated that Teamsters officials are also unlikely to acknowledge the fact that they are demanding that 10 Roads Express management bargain with them on a national level and not in individual workplaces, which may very well be a lead-up to the Teamsters thrusting 10 Roads Express drivers into a large national unit "designed to lock workers into Teamsters ranks in perpetuity."
“Such a gambit would also stop 10 Roads Express drivers in a single workplace from asking the federal labor board to hold a vote amongst their colleagues to remove the Teamsters from that one facility, as the work unit would encompass hundreds if not thousands of drivers from across the country who have likely never met each other,” added Mix. “Workers who are interested in continuing to do their jobs and avoid such legal maneuvering by Teamsters bosses in the future should read the Foundation’s legal notice and quickly seek Foundation legal aid if they encounter any obstacles to exercising their rights.”
CCJ reached out to 10 Road Express and the Teamsters union Monday for comment but did not receive a reply.
