![\"DHL_spring_2026_thumb.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DHL_spring_2026_thumb.jpg\")
The contract campaign is a coordinated effort between Cincinnati Local 100, Kentucky Local 89, and the International Union.<\/p>\n
DHL Teamsters are organizing a contract campaign as they prepare for negotiations covering nearly 3,000 Teamsters at the company\u2019s largest air hub, at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky airport (CVG).<\/p>\n
The contract campaign is a coordinated effort between Cincinnati Local 100, Kentucky Local 89, and the International Union.<\/p>\n
Local 100 represents ramp and tug Teamsters who load and unload air packages. Local 89 represents Teamsters who work inside the hub sorting and loading packages.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re building a team across our two locals united to fight for the contract improvements we deserve,\u201d said Jenny Poynter, a ramp and tug Teamster and Local 100 Trustee.<\/p>\n
Key issues include wage improvements, quality healthcare with no premium, improved retirement benefits, and a fair attendance policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another major issue is scheduling. DHL forces employees to stay past their scheduled shift or to come in on their days off, sometimes for only an hour or two \u2013 a practice called \u201cmandating.\u201d Often mandates are a blanket order, and premium pay is not guaranteed.<\/p>\n
Teamsters want protections against this practice, including minimum guaranteed pay when they are called in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How We Got Here<\/p>\n
Ramp and tug workers first voted to join Local 100 in April of 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When DHL stonewalled in contract negotiations, they went on strike over peak season in December and extended picket lines to 15 locations, disrupting the company\u2019s operations nationwide and winning their first contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were the first Teamsters to get enhanced strike benefits, and it made a huge difference,\u201d said Poynter. \u201cBetween the stations shut down nationwide, and members joining our picket line after realizing they could still pay their bills while on strike, DHL had to come back to the table.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing on strike for the first time was scary,\u201d said Poynter. \u201cThankfully we weren\u2019t alone. With the support of our brothers and sisters we quickly got our first contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
The strike victory secured members\u2019 precedent-setting safety language, wage increases, free healthcare, paid break time, job security, and a path to organize 1,200 hub workers into the Teamsters as part of their first contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ripple Effects<\/p>\n
The strike victory sparked more organizing, and not just at DHL.\u00a0<\/p>\n
First, the contract required DHL to recognize the Teamsters if a majority of sort workers in the hub signed union cards \u2013 a process called card check recognition. Under the card check recognition agreement, the workers could bypass the election process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1,200 workers in the hub used this right to join Teamsters Local 89.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI immediately got involved and started to organize,\u201d said Tiani Stevenson, Local 89 hub steward. \u201cA lot of my co-workers were afraid because rules were changing inside the hub before we were under the contract.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teamster organizers didn\u2019t let fear shut them down. \u201cEverything we\u2019ve been doing for the past year and a half has been to prepare for this contract \u2013 we\u2019ve never stopped organizing,\u201d said Stevenson.<\/p>\n
Amazon workers also got into the action. Shortly after the strike at DHL-CVG, Amazon workers at KCVG who had been organizing with Amazon Labor Union reached out to bring their organizing drive into the Teamsters. KCVG is the largest air hub in Amazon\u2019s network.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"tiani_stevenson_300.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tiani_stevenson_300.jpg\")
There\u2019s Power in a Union<\/p>\n
\u201cThree years ago, sort workers weren\u2019t in the union yet and management could undercut the ramp and tug strike\u00a0
by pulling from the sort. This time, it\u2019s all of us together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can shut the whole hub down. We\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0– Tiani Stevenson
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 CVG Hub Steward, Local 89, Louisville<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Uniting to Win<\/p>\n
The DHL contract at CVG doesn\u2019t expire until March of 2027, but workers are organizing to build power now, drawing on proven strategies from winning Teamster contract campaigns, engaging members early, and taking escalating steps toward action as contract expiration gets closer. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Kentucky is a Right to Work state. Members are reaching out to their co-workers who have not joined the Teamsters. Stewards and activists circulated surveys in June and July.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been building trust for the past three years, and now we\u2019re getting ready for contract time,\u201d said Tim Owen, ramp and tug steward. \u201cIt\u2019s given us an opportunity to start asking members questions, to find out where people are at. We\u2019ve gotten new memberships during the survey process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been letting everyone know that joining the union will give all of us a stronger voice at the table,\u201d said Stevenson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Local 100 and Local 89 are holding proposal meetings and bargaining committee elections, followed by joint proposal meetings with members from both locals involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 2023, we\u2019ve been identifying and working with unit leaders to improve communication and organization,\u201d said Poynter, \u201cIn such a large unit it\u2019s hard to keep everyone informed. It\u2019s going to take more than just our bargaining committee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local 89 and Local 100 are building a united Contract Action Team to work alongside the bargaining committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Contract Action Team is organizing inside the sort, and the ramp and tug. We\u2019ll be working together, keeping everyone updated, planning days of action,\u201d said Stevenson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThree years ago, sort workers weren\u2019t in the union yet and management could undercut the ramp and tug strike by pulling from the sort. This time, it\u2019s all of us together,\u201d said Stevenson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can shut the whole hub down. We\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DHL Teamsters are organizing a contract campaign as they prepare for negotiations covering nearly 3,000 Teamsters at the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76718,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21057],"tags":[21073,21072],"class_list":["post-76717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dhl","tag-deutsche-post","tag-dhl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}