David Smith Jim Gookins Cynthia Powe
The Business Agents for the Local Union are responsible for the representation of the Members. Each Business Agent is assigned to Members of specific employers. They work with the Shop Stewards to enforce the contracts and process the Member's grievances. Business Agents also negotiate collective bargaining agreements (contracts) with Employers. Additionally, they prepare cases to represent Member's grievances (that cannot be resolved locally) to regional grievance panels/committees, or in some cases, all the way up to binding arbitration.
Brother Smith, Brother Gookins and Sister Powe are responsible for representing almost 2000 Local 991 Members, in three states, at dozens of work sites.
Seven day work-weeks, and 14 hour days are not uncommon!
Brother Smith is a 26 year Teamster who got his start working at UPS in Mobile, Al as a driver. He has been a Steward for most of those 26 years aiding the Local Union in processing grievances. David has always given a helping hand to the Local in local Organizing Campaigns, giving up his weekend time to promote organized labor. He even swings a pretty level hammer when it comes to building the framework on the Labor Day Parade float. David accepted the position of Business Agent for Local 991 in October 2006,, replacing John Sholtes. He also serves as the Director of Organizing for the Local, an Executive Board member of the Southwest Alabama Central Labor Council, as well as being a Delegate to the: Northwest Florida Federation of Labor, Pascagoula Metal Trades Council, Jackson County-Mississippi Central Labor Union, and the Mobile/Pensacola Building and Construction Trades Council (all AFL-CIO affiliates).
David represents the Members that work at Allied Waste, Blue Linx, Miller Transporters, MBC United, Northrop Grumman, and UPS centers in Mobile, Evergreen, Thomasville, Robertsdale, Al. David also handles the Teamsters Building Trades/Construction and movie projects that fall within the Local's jurisdiction, Standard Furniture in Bay Minette, and Dairy Fresh Corp. in Mississippi.
David is married, has 2 children, 1 grandchild, and currently resides in Mobile, AL.
Brother Gookins is a 25 year Teamster and a former UPS package car driver from the Tallahassee, FL center. In 1988 Jim was elected as Shop Steward and held the position for 15 years. In 2001, he was appointed as a Trustee for Local 991. In 2003, Jim was hired as a Business Agent, and in 2005 was appointed, by the Local 991 Executive Board, to replace retiring Charles Sullivan as the Secretary-Treasurer and Business Manager of the Local Union. He also serves on the Joint Council 75 Executive Board as a Trustee.
Jim represents almost 800 Members that work at United Parcel Service, as well as the Members who work at Dairy Fresh in Prichard, Al and Dothan, Al, Coca Cola Consolidated, and those working under the National Master Freight agreement.
Jim was born in Brooklyn, NY, and graduated in 1972 from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Jim then relocated to Florida and graduated from Florida State University with a Master of Science degree in Education. Jim has 3 grown children, one grandchild and currently resides in Daphne, AL.
Sister Powe is a 15 year Teamster, and has been working for Local 991 since 1991. Cynthia is an Assistant Business Agent who has recently been assigned to represent the Local 991 members at Coca-Cola Consolidated. This is in addition to her Office Staff obligations.
(Click here to see Office Staff)
Cynthia is married, has one child, and resides in Mobile, AL, where she was born and raised.