Star Tribune drivers have moved step closer to a walkout that could paralyze the bankrupt paper's print operation. According to a memo from publisher Chris Harte, the drivers voted Tuesday night to authorize a strike if U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain grants the company's request to throw out their contract.

Teamsters Local 638 business agent Bob Moore refused to confirm the news, saying only, "If that's what Chris Harte says, that's what Chris Harte says."

Harte notes that Drain is scheduled to hear the matter June 9. Though Harte contends the drivers are being asked to take the same cuts other unions have accepted, members would suffer disproportionate pension cuts because of rules governing the Teamsters Central States Fund.

Union and company leadership has agreed on all other cuts aside from the pension. Harte notes that despite the strike authorization vote, bargaining will continue Thursday.

Drain probably wouldn't rule on June 9, but this winter, he told the Teamsters pressmen at a similar hearing he would quickly abrogate their contract if they didn't agree to a deal. A bargain was struck days later.

Should the drivers strike, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters sanction the walkout, the pressmen and Teamsters mailers would be under pressure to respect the picket line. That would shut down print operations, barring a strike-breaking plan by management.

Even though many Strib locals have agreed to cuts, all except the janitors retain the right to strike. However, it's unclear whether any locals would ultimately back the drivers.

Here's Harte's memo:

Tuesday night, Star Tribune Fleet employees, who are members of Teamsters Local 638, voted to authorize a strike if their contract is voided in bankruptcy court.

It is important to understand that a vote to authorize a strike is not the same thing as voting to go on strike, and a union may not legally strike while a valid contract is in place.

The Company and the Fleet are scheduled for a hearing before the bankruptcy court on June 9. The Company has asked for the bankruptcy court’s involvement. All key issues except pension-related issues have been agreed upon, and we are continuing to negotiate on the pension issues. We have another bargaining session scheduled for this Thursday.

The pension plan serving our Teamster drivers, administered by the Central States Pension Fund, is by far the most expensive and underfunded of the seven multi-employer pension plans that serve our unions. The Company has proposed withdrawing from this plan to reduce expenses and future liabilities. The Company likely cannot emerge successfully from bankruptcy if it faces the enormous withdrawal liability from, and ongoing escalating payments to, the Central States Plan. This is true for many reasons, including the fact that our lenders will likely not accept that risk.

Because this is such a complicated issue, last Friday the Company sent a letter to the Fleet employees, explaining our position as we have explained it in negotiations. In the spirit of trying to give every employee as much information as possible on how we are trying to reduce our expenses and emerge from bankruptcy, I am attaching a copy of the Fleet communication so that you see the Company’s position just as we are stating it at the bargaining table.

What we are asking from the Fleet is no greater sacrifice than what we are asking of all Star Tribune employees.

I realize that talk of even the possibility of a strike can be distressing. Please know that we are working diligently to resolve our issues with the Fleet, and we have communicated our view to Fleet representatives that a strike is both unnecessary and unwise.

As we said in our attached letter to Fleet employees, we have preparations in place and would continue to operate if a strike were to occur. And while the Company would replace striking workers — at least temporarily and possibly permanently — in order to continue running its business for its other employees, advertisers and readers, we very much hope that it will not come to that.