Leaders from Local 89 in Louisville, Kentucky with help from General President Jim Hoffa have saved 435 Teamster jobs at a carhaul rail-loading and vehicle-handling company in the city.

Since 1956, Teamsters have been loading Ford vehicles since Ford’s Louisville Assembly plant opened that year. Teamsters have also loaded Ford vehicles since its Kentucky Truck plant opened in 1969.

The Teamsters are now employed by RCS Transportation, which currently has the contract to haul Ford vehicles. Workers earn $20 to $22 per hour and receive excellent benefits under the Teamster contract.

Earlier this month, Local 89 learned that Ford plans to terminate the services of RCS on June 1. Starting June 1, Ford is switching to a Canadian company called Autoport, which has replaced Teamster workers at other locations with members of the Machinist’s Union.

Upon hearing the news, Hoffa put Local 89 President Fred Zuckerman in touch with Bob King, Vice President of the United Auto Workers (UAW), who set up a meeting between Ford and Zuckerman.

“That meeting went very well,” Zuckerman said. “We informed Ford that our friends in state government were concerned about giving Ford economic development incentives while they were destroying good paying Kentucky jobs. We had Congressmen, state senators and state representatives follow up with letters to Ford. We also had labor support in the community from the UAW, Change to Win, and the AFL-CIO who went to the local Machinists folks denouncing their plan to take these jobs. The Machinists have since sent a message that they do not represent, nor will they represent this group.”

Zuckerman met with Autoport on Tuesday, May 27 and the company agreed to hire all Local 89 members, in seniority order, for the jobs immediately.

“Autoport has agreed to give Local 89 recognition and immediately start negotiating a rider to the national contract,” Zuckerman said. “This is a huge victory for us in preserving these jobs that we have represented for over 50 years. I want to thank everyone who helped, especially General President Hoffa.”