Teamsters File Unfair Labor Practice Charges
Against Village of Oak Park

Press Release from Teamsters Local 705

Says Village Out Of Control, Intimidating Workers For Exercising Their Rights And Calls March 20th Trumped Upped Charges "Final Straw"

Teamsters Local 705, which represents members in the Village of Oak Park Streets Department, has filed charges with the Illinois State Labor Relations Board, stating that the Village has engaged in a pattern harassment, intimidation and baseless and unfair discipline against Streets Department employees.

"Village management is out of control" said Local 705 spokesman Paul Waterhouse. "Yesterday's ridiculous allegations against two of our members is the most transparent and cynical attempt at harassment and intimidation I've ever seen practiced by a Village administration,"

Waterhouse also said-that Village management has shown contempt for the collective bargaining process with other Oak Park unions and their members, but the administration's "slash and bum tactics of firings, threats and intimidation of Local 705 Teamsters has made their abuse of other union members seem like petty misdemeanors in comparison"

At least, five of the nineteen Streets Department employees have been caught up in the turmoil thus far. "Five people may seem like a small number" Waterhouse said "But that's more than 25 of our membership in the Village - and those five men are now facing economic disaster in a crumbling economy"