Wall RSS FeedReprimands stay in File for 24 months!
The argument that the Union will insist on, is that any reprimand you get and is 6 months old, it will not be held against you. Now! They can look at the past two years and see what type of employee you are, and base a decision on what is in that file. Like a good friend told me today! It’s like going to court and your whole rap sheet is presented in front of the jury. If that doesn’t work in court of law, then it should not be in the union. This will only get us fired and replaced by two-tier drivers.
July 12th, 2008 at 4:53 am
Anything will be done that can be done, to fire a full rate worker for a two or three tier replacement worker. Hell if this rule was in effect the last ten years, i would have been shit canned several times.
We can not let this garbage pass. We have to have the same results at every local meeting from here on out. Our meeting up here in Western n.y. is on Sunday, we will do what we can to send the same message.
NO CAN DO …
July 12th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
The companies have wanted this two teir wage scale for many years thats what Ryder walked the picket line fro. Now once again they are hot after this, I feel if they are sucessfull in acheiving this we all will have alot to fear. This two teir will work in many differant way, first the way the companies have been abusing Art 40 and the whole time telling the Union that its just a nessasary paper trail for the manufactors for all these reprimand for minor scratches (12 1’s and 2’s). Be ready for the driver who is recieving full rate and getting 2,3,4 or 5 weeks vacation to be replaced with a newbee at a dicount rate and the companies will just be exhausting there rights under a progression of disapline under Art 40 to be discharged. Second you put in the factors of the revised language of Art 22 amd when it comes to back hauls the senior driver will be getting all the new bussiness at running mile and the newbee will be running the frozen/flat rate loads less 15%. So I guess this contract has done exactly what the Union claims it will do there will be new job (which would just be replacing older driver that are paid full rate) and it will enable the companies to keep the trucks loaded (full rate driver to haul new bussiness and newbee’s to haul regular work at a dicount rate). Somebody please tell me if the Union was even pressent for the negotiations or did they just tell the companies to submit there requests.
JUST VOTE NO !!!!
July 12th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
I’m glad that there are some folks with a little common sense and can read the writing on the wall. Vote no!
July 13th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Charlie that thinking put Swift out of business. Everyone knows it takes years to make a carhauler. New hires just lose money for the company fu*king things up. Be real. This isn’t freight.
July 13th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
They need to go back to the table. A no vote will get us some improvements in this heretic of a contract. We have nothing to loose sending them back to the table, and potentialy some things to gain.
no-one gets its it right the first time. practice, practice, practice…
July 14th, 2008 at 10:11 am
As a lifetime Teamster carhauler I can only say one thing, REMEMBER PTS. All the drivers there thought that refusing a settlement would improve their situation. It sure did…UNEMPLOYMENT for more than 50% of them. I have read and reread the contract. I support it. Everyone keeps complaining about the new hire rate and the employers will just get rid of the older drivers…bull crap. You have any idea how much it costs an employer to recruit, train and hire a new employee, that group has an 80% washout rate. do your job without damages and accidents and you don’t have to worry about getting fired. Be a man about your job. They can keep my record forever, I let it speak for itself. Sure I have had damages, and I accept them and do a better job of inspecting them and talking to the check in guys at the dealership and with my supervisors. Limiting the company to 5 tours is better in many ways to what we have today. My company is over 60% short haul traffic. They cannot send us out on the road and still keep up with our traffic. However, if I want to get out on the road I at least know that I can get back in 5 days, not 5 weeks later!Carhaulers need to get their heads out of their butts. Look around, Allied - bankruptcy, PTS - bankruptcy and out of business, Active - bankruptcy. The industry needs to change. And it is not limited to union carriers, Swift and Blue Thunder could not get or keep drivers, so much for being able to hire. I think the entry level rates will improve the job security for those already employed.The one thing that the Union put in the contract that will keep the employers honest is the ability to completely take away the two way haul if they abuse the contract. The companies cannot survive without backhaul. The fear and threat of the loss will change the way they do business. Just ask Allied management what happened when they got stung in Kentucky for abusing Article 48, and that was before they could have totally had two ways taken away.I support this contract. I don’t have to but want to continue working for another 10 years. This contract protects my pension contributions and welfare contributions. I actually thought that I would have to start paying for a portion of my welfare contributions. Face it, the industry is down and will not return for 3-4 more years. This contract should help us to get through that period and place us in a position to prosper when the industry returns. If you think nonunion is big now, just reject this contract and see where you are employed in a year from now. It sure won’t be at a union company.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:57 am
It sounds like you are one of those drivers that only NEEDS a year or two and then can retire and not have to worry about it, it is those of us who have 10+ years in but need many more years that have to worry about the FUTURE FOR US AND THE NEXT GENERATION of car haulers. If it were 10 years ago and you knew that you had to put in many more years I think you would take the blinders off and read this junk for exactly what it is.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Gonzo….I don’t know you and you don’t know me. However, don’t ever think for me! I have spent a career in carhaul. I have been a committeeman and a union steward during my time. I know how negotiations and the grievance panels work. I know a good BA from a bad BA. And I have always understood that a contract must work for everyone, not just a few. However, I have also always known that I must be willing to stand on my performance and not expect or demand that someone else protect me just because I am in a union. I don’t wear binders, unlike you….I have seen the future and unfortunately it is not good in this industry. We need to change to be prepared for the future, so we all have jobs and an industry to support. It is easy to be radical and a complainer….takes courage to stand up and do the right thing. Voting down this contract is not the right thing for this industry. If we do so, we will be much smaller next time there is a contract to negotiate.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
As a former steward and also versed in commitee decisions I will most defiantely have to diagree with you. Some of the decisions that this commitee comes up with now with current language amazes me and many many others and whne a BA is terribly afraid to take a solid greivance to the commitee because of bad decisions , I for one am willing to vote for anything that by any means would give the company any leverage on Art 40. Not to meantion all the language removed from ART 22,48 not me no way even though as far as giving them the flexability for more legs I think thats good, but when you incorporate Art 22 with 5 legs NO WAY
July 14th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
LIFETIME TEAMSTER, YOU SAID YOU READ THE CONTRACT BUT WHAT DOES ALLIED ABUSING ARTICLE 48 IN KENTUCKY HAVE TO DO WITH THIS CONTRACT, THEY CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT TO WITH THERE TRUCKS, THEY CAN BACKHAULE YOUR SHORTHAUL TRAFFIC IF THEY WANT TO.I’M LOOKING AT LOSEING 15% PAY THE FIRST YEAR AND PROBABLY CLOSE TO 25% PAY IN THE LAST YEAR OF THIS CONTRACT, PROBABLY $25,000.00 DOLLARS A YEAR. THE ONLY RUNS THAT THIS CONTRACT WILL NOT EFFECT IS THE TERMINALS THAT HAVE TRAFFIC THAT THE DRIVER GOES OUT AND COMES BACK IN EVERY DAY, AND LOCAL WORK, AND THIS COULD EVEN BE AFFECTED SOMEWHAT. YOU WILL PROBABLY SAY CURRENT WORK IS PROTECTED THEN WHY DON’T IT SAY THAT IN PROPOSAL, BECAUSE IT’S NOT PROTECTED, THEY CAN LET A SCAB HAVE IT, PUT IT ON THE RAIL, SEND IT TO ANOTHER TERMINAL, THEN GET IT BACK 1 YEAR AND 1 DAY FROM WHEN THIS THING GOES INTO EFFECT, AND IT’S RUNNING MILE.IF YOU’VE BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY AS LONG AS YOU SAY YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE SEEN DOWNTURNS BEFORE, IT’S ALL A CYCLE, AND DO YOU HONESTY THINK THAT 3 YEARS FROM NOW, WE WILL RECOUP ANYTHING THAT IS LOST IN THIS CONTRACT, BY THAT TIME WE COULD HAVE 70 TO 80% RUNNING MILE. THEN THEY WILL WANT 1/2 OF RUNNING MILE RATE, WE GAVE THEM ARTICLE 22 FULL/HALF LAST CONTRACT DIDN’T CREATE ANY JOBS,WE ALSO TOOK A 2 YEAR WAGE FREEZE THEN ALSO, I GUESS I’M JUST NOT A GIVING PERSON.PTS WAS MEANT TO FAIL, THE GROUP THAT BOUGHT E&L, LEASEWAY, AND HADLEY ORIGINALLY IS A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR A YEAR COMPANY, THEY BOUGHT THEM, TOOK THE ASSETS THEY WANTED THEN SPUN THEM OFF ON THERE OWN TO FAIL, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID , WE WERE TOLD THAT ALLIED IS NOT MAKING ANY MONEY WITH A 17% CUT, NON OF THE OTHER COMPANIES ARE MAKING MONEY, SOUNDS A LITTLE LIKE AMERICAN AXLE, KEPT THE WORKERS ON STRIKE FOR WHAT 3 MONTHS, CRYING BROKE THE WHOLE TIME, THEN AFTER IT’S ALL SAID AND DONE THE CEO GETS A 8.5 MILLION DOLLAR BONUS, HOW IS ONE PERSON WORTH THAT KIND OF MONEY, IT’S ALL CALLED CORPORATE GREED, AND I THNK VOTING DOWN THIS CONTRACT IS EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO, JUST FREEZE EVERYTHING LIKE IT IS FOR 3 YEARS, THEN GO BACK TO THE TABLE.THE FUTURE IS PRETTY BRIGHT IN THIS INDUSTRY , CARHAUL, IT TAKE A SKILL, YOU CAN’T TAKE ANYONE WITH A CDL TO DO THIS JOB, WE ARE IN DEMAND, AND I HAPPEN TO THINK I’M WORTH MORE THAN WHAT THIS CONTRACT IS WILLING TO PAY ME, BUT THEN AGAIN I’M JUST THINKING FOR MYSELF HERE. iF I’M NOT WILLING TO DO IT FOR A UNION COMPANY FOR WHAT THERE WILLING TO PAY ME, I’LL LEAVE, I CAN DRIVE A REGULAR TRUCK AND MAKE THE MONEY WERE TALKING ABOUT BY THE END OF 3 YEARS.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Amen texascarhauler, A payfreeze right across the board I could just barely live with, When you factor in the increased cost of living that we are all dealing with right now.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:40 am
OK! I feel that I’m versed in the contract and understand what I read. Last I checked the union needs to back it’s members and make decisions that we can all live with. That’s why we vote and the reason why I spend my spare time speaking to our brothers and sisters about this raw deal we are getting. If I hear about the economy one more time I’m going to vomit! Like I have said before, in the late 70s and early 80s interest rates were through the roof, and the auto industry was in bad shape. The manufactures put out a fraction of what they do today and to top it all, there were more car haulers than today. Allied was a Juggernaut and the others made fortunes off our sweat. Do you remember the 1984 contract that was turned down? Then, the industry boomed 6 years later! In the past 10 years we have lost a little more and more each contract, and this one is a bust for us all. Suckerman makes a $246,000 a year and walks around with his buddy Ron Burkle like if they are new found brothers. This is a disgrace to our brotherhood and we are suppose to support him? Your nuts! The union has pulled away from us and has forgotten our grass roots. Hoffa is another embarrassment that I cant stand for! You talk about BA that are good and bad. In Hoffa’s world it doesn’t work that way! If your a BA and you disagree with Mr. Hoffa you no longer are a BA and or President. These guys have gravy jobs and make damn good money. They all follow what Hoffa says and no one person can really speak out, and have an opinion of there own. Hoffa can go into politics and Suckerman I’m sure has several offers from his new found brother. They will leave our union and our industry in shambles. This is why we are so negative toward this contract! You smell what I’m stepping in? If you mention Kentucky, then odds are that you are a friend of Suckerman and if thats the case you are sold out as well. Any union rep that goes to a local with security has something to hide and knows hes sold us all out.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:54 am
One more thing! In todays corporate world bankruptcy means nothing! They are all following in Allied’s foots steps and just want to make the unions go away. Thats what it’s all about the all mighty dollar! If they could bring in 10,000 Mexicans from down south, and pay them $10 an hour to do this job, you better believe you wouldn’t be a lifer in this industry, unless you spoke Spanish and were a dispatcher. Allied went BK because they never managed it correctly and funneled the money into other business ventures. Remember before the Ryder merger, there was only Allied Systems. Then came Allied Automotive Group, Allied Logistics, and all the others. Who do you think got the profits? Not AAG!
July 15th, 2008 at 8:52 am
About 20 years ago I was in a grievance hearing with Anchor Motor Freight. They had a guy that led their labor department, Dan Sandy, Sr. He had been around forever. We were arguing an issue and he made a statement that has always stuck in my mind. He said, “Doors and fences are made to keep people out, not in. If you do not like your job or the expectations of the customer, leave. If not, help make the job and job place better for everyone, the employees and the company. Neither of us will ever survive or succeed if our approach is one sided.” It took me a long time to really understand what he was saying but once I did my outlook changed and my attitude improved. What is good for the company is good for me.Now, most will say here is a management guy or a management suck up. Think whatever you want, but I am my own man and have taken strong stances against management when their decisions do not support both sides. There are people in management that would support me and many that would just as soon see me gone. But I can say one thing, my opinion is respected and often sought out.Because of our superior seniority provisions in our contract I have gone from Anchor to Allied. No I am not from Kentucky but did suffer the inability to backhaul from both Louisville and Bowling Green while Allied was penalized under Article 48. I have been able to overcome the wage reduction at Allied because of my seniority, and changing the way I picked trips. Do I work a little harder, yes, but that is the reality of business and this industry.Bankruptcy, the ignorance about that subject really amazes me. The only ones that got rich were the attorneys, the consultants, and in Allied’s case, Hugh Sawyer. I was amazed that the Rutland family lost everything and Sawyer still walked away with a hugh payout. Make me mad, of course. Make me bitter, no. He is gone and we have new management. I am willing to see where Yucaipa takes this company. I believe that they will not seek long term ownership. I am hopeful that they will allow the employees to invest in the company, similar to how UPS did before they went public. I truly believe that Allied has the worlds best carhaulers, taking nothing from my brothers and sisters at Cooper, Cassens, and Active. However, I can see that growth at Cooper has changed their employees attitude and it appears that there are a few spoiled Cassens employees that like to cry sour grapes. Perhaps it is the guys from Missouri and they are upset over Chrysler closing the plant. I remember when all the GM plants closed on the east cast. Many of the Teamster drivers there blamed Anchor management. Plant closes, blame someone attitude. What does management have to do with those decisions?Again, I support the proposed contract. This industry has to change to survive. If we continue to do the same we will get the same results. We will continue to shrink and the business will go nonunion. The message that would be sent to the manufacturers by turning down the contract would be a death notice. They will simply direct business to non-union companies. It may take a few years but the remaining union carriers would most likely face bankruptcy like PTS and I doubt that there would be financing available to support them and they will end up liquidating like PTS. You think the Cassens and Cooper families are anxious to put more of their money into those companies? Think about it. To those that think I am a Zuckerman supporter, I don’t personally know the man. I can tell you that I think this industry is better off than with the guy from KC that negotiated the contract in 2003. Doc was stuck in the 1960’s and would not change. Just look at how much business was lost while he was the carhaul director. He was the best thing going for nonunion carriers.As I said, I want another 10 years for myself and I want a future for all the hard working Teamster carhaulers. However, I know that neither will happen if we simply think that rejecting this contract is the way to go. Just the fact that the Union was able to protect us from co-payments for health and welfare, getting the employers to agree to language that could totally take away two way haul ability if they abuse the contract provisions, and were able to keep COLA in the contract tells me that they pushed and pushed the employers during the negotiations. I for one do not think that we can improve the future by rejecting the contract. If we do, the next contract could be worse. There is no guarantee and I am not willing to gamble on it.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:07 am
DAN SANDY SR. WAS AROUND A LONG TIME AS WAS HIS SON DAN SANDY JR. HE WAS A LABOR GUY THAT WAS AT ALLIED FOR A TIME, THEN THEY LET HIM GO, HE WENT TO WORK AT THE GATE FOR ALLIED AT THE FORD PLANT IN HAPEVILLE GEORGIA PLANT, A TEAMSTER, THEN HE WENT INTO BEING THE BA AT THE TEAMSTER LOCAL THERE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE, THEN HE QUIT THERE, AND HE WAS WORKING WITH BURKLE WHEN HE BOUGHT ALLIED, AND IF YOU WORK FOR ALLIED WHEN YOUR FUELING UP YOUR TRUCK, IT’S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE 11,000 GALLONS OF FUEL BURKLE IS PUTTING IN HIS 757 , HIS PRIVATE JET.I DIDN’T THINK DOC WAS DOING A GOOD JOB FOR US EITHER, BUT ZUKERMEN MAKES DOC LOOK LIKE A GENIUS”GETTING THE EMPLOYERS TO AGREE TO LANGUAGE THAT COULD TOTALLY TAKE AWAY TWO WAY HAUL ABILITY IF THEY ABUSE THE CONTRACT PROVISIONS”
YOU ARE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ARTICLE #48 , TELL ME WHAT PART OF 48 IS LEFT THAT THEY CAN ABUSE, THEY CAN SEND YOU ANYWHERE, ANY DIRECTION, ANYTIME THAT THEY WANT, IF THEY DON’T GET YOU HOME IN 5 TOURS, THERE IS NO PENALTY, THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU TO FILE A GRIEVENCE, YOU CAN FILE A GRIEVENCE THAT YOU WASN’T HOME IN 5 TOURS, THEY WILL TAKE IT TO THE PANEL AND COMPANY WILL SAY YOU 1. DIDN’T MAXIMIZE YOUR DRIVE TIME, OR 2. CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THERE CONTROL. OR 3. WE MISCALCULATED HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE, AND IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN, EVEN IF THEY ADMIT IT’S THERE FAULT, YOU WILL RECEIVE NO MONEY, NOTHING, NOTA, AND IF ANYBODY THINKS THEY WILL EVER TAKE THERE BACKHAUL AWAY, IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.TELL ME WHAT THE EMPLOYERS CAN ABUSE IN ARTICLE 48?????YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT EVEN A DRIVER, BUT I’M GLAD YOUR TALKING LONG TERM HERE 10 YEARS,,,WHAT A JOKE,, ,,, WHAT ABOUT THE GUYS THAT ARE JUST NOW BEGINNING THERE CAREER IN CARHAUL,MAYBE THEY GOT 30 YEARS LEFT, WHAT ABOUT THEM, YOUR JUST AS BAD AS THE NEGOTIATERS IN THIS DEAL, ONLY THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF, ME,ME,ME, I’M GLAD THE PEOPLE THAT WAS REPRESENTING ME BEFORE THIS CONTRACT WERE THINKING LONG TERM.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:12 am
YOU MENTION “COLA” THAT’S GREAT, BUT THERE IS NO INCREASE, NO COLA INCREASE THE FIRST TWO YEARS AT ALL, SURE THEY CAN GAMBLE A LITTLE ON THE THIRD YEAR, BUT COLA WILL ONLY TAKE PLACE IF THE CPI-W EXCEEDS 3.0%, WERE GOING TO HAVE RAMPANT INFLATION THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, WHAT ABOUT 08 AND 09 , WE GET NOTHING, NO COLA, NOTHING, AND BY THE 2010 THEY WILL HAVE SO MUCH RUNNING MILE COLA WON’T MEAN ANYTHING,
July 15th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Wat to go Texas he sure does sound like what we call a “ME OMLY MOTHER F*****” guys like him is why Allied now has this pay cut there feeling, please just let it last a year or two more so I can get my pension, it sure seems that the older real union guys might be dwindling but thats OK because the next generation is strong and will make sure that this can continue to be the best job in the trucking industry and I would sur ask that you, Lifetime Teamster, just step aside you got your time in like you said the cut was no big deal cause you has plenty of senority the rest of us that strugle could never vote this shit in. And by the way Texas Dan Sandy Jr also was a card holding teamster just after Allied let him go in Tampa on a Drive out crew, driving the gravy freight out of the yard, so mch for your senority Lifetime
July 15th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
TEAMSTER sorry I can find no I in that word
July 15th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Hey Lifetime Teamster I was sitting here thinking about what you were saying about that the companies cannot survive and the hard financial shape they are in like Zuckerman says. Well at our Allied terminal I can tell with most of the union work force on lay off we have only 22 drivers and 3 mechanics working and to handle ALL those union workers we have 8 supervisors and 1 temp worker. So just why when you are in such bad financial shape would you need 1 supervisor for every 2.7 union employee. You need to wake up and see the big picture
July 15th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
THAT MUST HAVE BEEN FLORIDA WHERE SANDY WAS,NOT GEORGIA, AND HE WORKED HIS WAY UP TO BA IS WHAT I HEARD, BEFORE GOING TO WORK FOR BURKLE ON THE ALLIED DEAL, HE PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR, MAY HE REST IN PEACE. WE ALSO HAVE MOST OF OUR UNION WORK FORCE ON LAYOFF, IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR, WE ONLY HAVE A PART TIME JOB, IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY SENIORITY, BUT THEY NEVER LAYOFF, THE NON-UNION LABOR.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Darn It Boys! Then the plot thickens! I don’t have a problem with the contract if you get rid of Art 2 sec 8, Art 12 sec 5, Art 22, economic settlement, Art 40 note 3, and Art 53 (Which promotes Double Breasting!) Have you looked over these Articles Lifetimer? Art 48 is not a problem if you add the the 20% rule. This protects your board funny man! Oh! Your on the top of your board, so it doesn’t effect you.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
It is guys like Lifetime Teamster that forced some of us to take what was advertised as a 15% cut (in all actuality 17 1/2%). When you stop and say to yourself oh times are hard for the company, maybe we should give a little bit more and I can get in a few more years and retire there is a problem.
The cut that we took at Allied is ridiculous, have you ever stopped to think that EVERYTHING is going up costwise and here we are stuck at wages that were worked at in the mid 90’s????
I’m tired of give, give, give. It is time to stand up and make the negotiating committee actually work for us like they are supposed to. It seems to me that they bent over backward to try and get us to take it up the tail pipe, and I’ve had it.
Wake up and smell the coffee Lifetime, and see that if this goes through like you want it to then we will be moving BACKWARD not forward. If you really think that this is the best job in the world then stand up and fight.
My bills don’t get cheaper, and rates keep going up on everything like I said, and here you are willing to lock in for another 3 years at cut rate wages just so you can retire, for me, at the rate that the Teamsters are going no matter how hard I work and how much the company puts in to my pension it will be gone by the time I retire. With that said it appears to me that you are greedy, looking out for just yourself, and want us younger tenured guys to take it up the tail pipe once again.
July 27th, 2008 at 2:12 am
lifetime reading your article made me sick.If you would take time to really read this contract you would see that all these people care about is cutting wages down to frieght wages and making you live on the road.well mr lifetime you sound like a older driver so you dont care to see your family but i do .I have a wife and kids that want to see me.and bye the way if you ever want to sit down with me I will debate this contract with you any time