(BUFFALO, N.Y.) – Thirty-five ready-mix concrete drivers at three different facilities employed by United Materials in Buffalo, N.Y., have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 449. “These drivers joined our union because they know that with a Teamster contract, they can get not just a voice on the job, but parity
with other workers in the ready-mix industry,” said Jeff Brylski, Local 449 President. “We already represent drivers at the two biggest ready-mix contractors in the area, Lafarge and Iroquois Bar. We plan on fighting to increase wages, employer-sponsored health care coverage, and retirement benefits to the same standard at those companies when we go to negotiate a contract for United Materials.” The organizing campaign started in May, and the workers filed for an election on October 18. Despite an anti-union effort by the company, the drivers stuck together and organized. “I’ve never been in a union, so this is a new adventure that I’m looking forward to,” said Chris McCrobie, a United Materials driver with 20 years of experience in the industry. “The way I look at it, by going with the Teamsters, we can bring everybody up. This will benefit not just my batch plant or me as an individual, but the entire profession – even the non-union drivers.” Teamsters Local 449 represents workers in freight, construction, and a wide variety of other industries throughout Buffalo, New York and the surrounding communities.
