King County Washington Puts KeyBank Contract Out for Bid
March 18, 2009
Churches Urge Officials to Consider KeyBank’s Support of Workers’ Rights Violations
WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Metropolitan King County Council decided to bid out the financial services contract for the entire county on Monday. KeyBank (NYSE: KEY) held the contract for at least the past five years. At Monday’s hearing testimony was given by a worker at Oak Harbor Freight who was illegally suspended from her job and from a representative of Seattle’s churches against retaining KeyBank. KeyBank is the primary lender to Oak Harbor Freight, an Auburn, Washington-based firm that caused its Teamster union workers to go on strike for 157 days due to unfair labor practices. The National Labor Relations Board has found merit in the Union’s claim that Oak Harbor violated the workers’ rights under federal labor law.
“Oak Harbor Freight Lines, which receives its funding from KeyBank, broke American labor law and violated international labor standards over the past two years in an ongoing effort to punish its workers and their families,” said
Ann Erikson with the Seattle Council of Churches representing 419 faith communities. “Teamster members are fighting to protect their standard of living and to save Oak Harbor retirees’ health care.”
Angel Emerson, an 11 and 1/2-year Oak Harbor Freight employee urged the Council to support the workers at Oak Harbor Freight. “Earlier this year the National Labor Relations Board found merit to our allegations that Oak Harbor violated federal labor law and bargained in bad faith with its employees,” Emerson said. “After the strike concluded I returned to work, but then I was illegally suspended from Oak Harbor Freight for standing strong with my fellow co-workers during the strike.”
“We believe that King County values social responsibility,” said
Al Hobart, International Vice President of the Teamsters Union. “The thread of social responsibility weaves through many of their outreach programs so we hope that it also enjoys a central role in their choice for a new financial services contract for the county.”
Account maintenance, deposit services, wire transfer services and warrant services are the main elements of the financial service package being bid.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was founded in 1903 and represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Source: newswire
