United Transportation Union - Strategic Alliances

Strategic Alliances

In July 2006, the United Transportation Union announced that it was entering into a strategic alliance with the United Steelworkers (USW), to address a range of common issues in the transportation industry.

Effective 2008 the UTU was to have merged with the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association to become the Sheet Metal, Air, Railroad, and Transportation Union (S.M.A.R.T.). On December 27, 2007 the federal district court in Akron, Ohio issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) until February 8, 2008, halting the implementation of this merger. That TRO was transformed into a permanent injunction, pending appeal to the Sixth Circuit court of appeals with a scheduled hearing date of April 21, 2009 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

UTU International President Mike Futhey said the 30-day extension "was agreed to by parties so that we might explore all possibilities of resolution consistent with the interests of our members. I intend to use this period to clear up the lack of information and misinformation that previously was provided our membership." Complainants argued, among other issues, that the UTU membership, which ratified the merger in early August, had not been provided sufficient information.