Teamsters Protest Diesel Engine Company at GATS

by Jake Tully - Published: 8/31/2017

As truckers and decision-makers in the industry look back at last week’s Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, Texas, some may recall the presence of the Teamsters and their protests in regards to diesel engine maker Cummins Inc’s current health care plans.

According to the Teamsters, the organization spent Thursday August 24 to Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) alerting attendees about what they report to be high deductibles for Cummins Inc employees.

The Teamsters reports that Cummins mechanics in West Virginia who are represented by Teamsters local 175 support the movement to push back against the company in order to establish better health care options for its workers.

"No one should be forced to gamble with their health," said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer and President of Local 175, Ken Hall. "Cummins' high deductible plans are a danger to all of our kids and all of our families. We will continue to push back."

According to the Teamsters, Local 745 members distributed a reported figure of thousands of handbills to GATS participants as well as demonstrated with banners that read, “What’s Gone Wrong With Cummins?”

Rod Cuevas, business agent in Dallas with Local 745 reported in a Teamsters press release that the alleged high cost of health care is troubling not only in an economic sense, but for truckers who have some level of brand loyalty and familiarity with Cummins.

"As Teamsters, many of us drive trucks with Cummins engines, on the job, and in our personal lives,” said Cuevas. “We're very troubled by how this once great American company is now cutting access to affordable family health care for its employees. Everyone deserves health care, and what Cummins is doing to its employees is a threat to all of us."