After strike, union drivers for JA Frate in Crystal Lake OK new contract

Truck drivers and dock workers with Crystal Lake-based JA Frate narrowly accepted a contract Saturday that has been in negotiations since April.

Union members represented by Teamsters Local 710 walked off the job last month but agreed to go back to work a few days later while talks on a new contract continued. The vote was 35-32 – much closer than when the union rejected a contract offer by in a 55-10 vote in June.

Although he did not provide details on wages or benefits in the new contract, local union Secretary-Treasurer Mike Cales said there are some “positives” in the new contract. Since the contract proposal was rejected last month, union drivers have said that dozens of them have lost their jobs.

Jill Dinsmore, the company’s CEO, said Saturday after the vote that “our goal is to return the drivers to work as our customers’ shipments return.”

She said reaching an agreement “is good news for our team, our customers and our community,” and she is “grateful” for all the support the company has received.

“We listened to the drivers’ concerns regarding wages and rising health care costs and the impact on families, and provided an offer that addressed their issues but will also allow the company to remain competitive in today’s challenging economy,” Dinsmore said. “Our customers call us today because we did a good job for them yesterday. As a local carrier, our drivers and the entire team will work to regain that trust and move forward.”

Teamsters Local 710 represents more than 13,500 workers across the Midwest.

The union went on strike and picketed at the Crystal Lake headquarters on Pyott Road. The work stop action had affected all JA Frate terminals including those in McHenry, Waukegan, Elk Grove Village and Belvidere.