Teamsters Call on Loomis Leadership to Restore Workers' Rights in U.S.

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

May 19, 2011, 01:50 ET

Union Invites Loomis Chair Goransson and CEO Blecko to Meet and Resolve Dispute

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to protect the livelihoods of hundreds of workers, Teamsters International Vice President Rome Aloise formally called on Loomis AB's CEO Lars Blecko and Chairman of the Board Alf Goransson to meet with the Teamsters and restore the fundamental rights of their U.S. employees to be represented by the union of their choice. Last week, Aloise made a presentation at the Loomis AB shareholder meeting to raise awareness of the company's harmful and potentially illegal actions.

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The Sweden-based armored transport and cash processing corporation walked away from its responsibility to collectively bargain with the Teamsters Union in California after 58 years of representation. The decision has been devastating to the 400 affected workers and their families.

"Loomis would never treat workers in Sweden the way they are treating workers in the U.S.," Aloise said. "As I told Loomis shareholders last week, we will not allow the company to violate the rights of our members, strip them of their retirement security, make their health care unaffordable, and put their lives in jeopardy just so the company can make a quick buck."

Since the company walked away from the union, workers have lost their pensions and some can no longer afford health care coverage for themselves or their families because coverage is now so expensive—sometimes as much as $1,000 a month. Drastic cuts in staffing, training, and equipment have made the already dangerous jobs even more dangerous.

In a May 18 letter, Aloise makes the case that the company's unilateral decision to walk away from the union after decades of recognition not only violates U.S. law but internationally recognized labor standards established by the International Labour Organization, the United Nations and the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation and Development multinational guidelines as well.

The company's actions are also in blatant violation of the Agreement on the Development of Good Working Relations in the Securitas Group that Securitas AB signed with Union Network International and the Swedish Transport Workers' Union. Loomis AB is owned by the shareholders of Securitas AB, and Loomis Chairman of the Board Alf Goransson is also CEO of Securitas. The agreement is to be respected and applied throughout the Securitas Group, as well as within the Securitas sphere of influence, by all those with whom Securitas does business.

In the letter, Aloise reminded Blecko and Goransson that it is not the company's choice to select the union for its workers, and that it has a moral and legal responsibility to collectively bargain a contract with the union the employees chose and the company recognized.

Loomis Armored US, Inc. provides armored transport, ATM, cash processing, and outsourced vault services to banks, financial institutions, commercial and retail businesses, hospitality companies, sports facilities, governments, schools, pharmacies and health care businesses. Loomis is a subsidiary of Loomis AB, the Swedish cash logistics corporation.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.Teamster.org.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters