XPO | Xpo Union Thread.

Status
Not open for further replies.
I thought the union was to do what the member votes for. When 54% vote no on a contract it still gets ratified. It seem the teamster really don't have it members as top priority.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/...ontract-vote-teamsters-drivers-feel-betrayed/
Complacency of drivers who make near 40/ hr with excellent free healthcare and a company paid pension. Nobody stopped them from voting .You with you had such problems.
They could work for FedEx and make half or that money an hour and pay dearly for lesser healthcare and no pension . Always could be worse.
 
Last edited:
more severe. And I can assure you we would be losing everything if not for the prescience of the Teamsters. The company has drastically cut back on all their "reforms" for fear of driving every terminal to the Teamsters doorstep. Most of you guys dont realize what could be happening without union presence OR, more importantly what WILL happen if the Teamsters go away. Pray that doesn't happen.
I respectfully disagree with the statement of more severe discipline. My barn has drivers caught stealing time, doing a 38 mile go around both way for no reason, talking rudely to TM, go wrong way in yard and being seen and almost have accident with FOS doing yard check. I feel as long as you don’t steal freight, have a major safety violation , fisticuffs, you can’t get fired.
 
I respectfully disagree with the statement of more severe discipline. My barn has drivers caught stealing time, doing a 38 mile go around both way for no reason, talking rudely to TM, go wrong way in yard and being seen and almost have accident with FOS doing yard check. I feel as long as you don’t steal freight, have a major safety violation , fisticuffs, you can’t get fired.
Pretty much the same at mine. Do your job, ignore the petty ::shit::.
 
I respectfully disagree with the statement of more severe discipline. My barn has drivers caught stealing time, doing a 38 mile go around both way for no reason, talking rudely to TM, go wrong way in yard and being seen and almost have accident with FOS doing yard check. I feel as long as you don’t steal freight, have a major safety violation , fisticuffs, you can’t get fired.

I've heard similar from other barns and I would suggest that you don't get too comfortable with that situation. The company policy AND enforcement can change dramatically...at their whim. Maybe the driver shortage has something to do with it, or your local management team is choosing to overlook certain things. The point is that the policy is written by corporate and all the time and GPS issues are a matter of permanent record. They can retroactively enforce and discipline at any time. You will have no affect on their decision and you have no recourse, unless you have several thousand dollars to retain an attorney. You also have to consider that this is another thinly veiled attempt at keeping you guys away from the Teamsters door. I'll concede that there may be many factors for their lack of enforcement, however, those rules are still on the books and you are subject to them. Personally, I'd prefer a contract, so I will always know what I have to deal with.
 
The company can choose to give raises or choose not to. The law says every employee must be treated the same. If you give a raise, everyone gets it. If you dont, nobody gets it. That was what the ruling was all about.
That’s not true. The ruling was made because the teamsters produced a Q and A flier from Conway after the recession that stated they wanted to get back to yearly raises.Your case was that it was a general rule for them to give annual raises so since it was status quo it shouldn’t be halted after your vote. Using the same logic XPO should have argued that it was status quo for them to change insurance premiums and discipline policy every year and y’all should have been exactly where the rest of us are. So in essence I agree every employee should be treated the same. You should be held to the same standard I am. For the record I do not begrudge you guys getting your back pay I just think y’all made a hypocrite’s argument.
 
Last edited:
more severe. And I can assure you we would be losing everything if not for the prescience of the Teamsters. The company has drastically cut back on all their "reforms" for fear of driving every terminal to the Teamsters doorstep. Most of you guys dont realize what could be happening without union presence OR, more importantly what WILL happen if the Teamsters go away. Pray that doesn't happen.
I admire your commentment to the ideology. Chicken little. How many terminals do we have? You’ve said 300 something, right? How many have had a successful union drive? Half a dozen. You are making a correlation into a causation. I would say the driver shortage is playing a much bigger role in the changes, but don’t let me get in the way of your demagoguery. Proselytize on brother.
 
That’s not true. The ruling was made because the teamsters produced a Q and A flier from Conway after the recession that stated they wanted to get back to yearly raises.Your case was that it was a general rule for them to give annual raises so since it was status quo it shouldn’t be halted after your vote. Using the same logic XPO should have argued that it was status quo for them to change insurance premiums and discipline policy every year and y’all should have been exactly where the rest of us are. So in essence I agree every employee should be treated the same. You should be held to the same standard I am. For the record I do not begrudge you guys getting your back pay I just think y’all made a hypocrite’s argument.

For the record, all insurance premium increases were paid retroactively as part of the settlement. Our current choices are the same you have for 2019. Our future Health Plan will be determined by the terms of the pending contract. Disciplinary policy has no status quo. They can change it at any time. That's why it was frozen to 2014 status pending the terms set forth in the contract. So, I would submit that it's not hypocritical at all. Referring to my argument as hypocritical is offensive to me.
 
For the record, all insurance premium increases were paid retroactively as part of the settlement. Our current choices are the same you have for 2019. Our future Health Plan will be determined by the terms of the pending contract. Disciplinary policy has no status quo. They can change it at any time. That's why it was frozen to 2014 status pending the terms set forth in the contract. So, I would submit that it's not hypocritical at all. Referring to my argument as hypocritical is offensive to me.
Well I wasn’t accusing you personally if you will reread the post I said the argument the case made is what I felt was a hypocritical argument. Unless you were the lawyer I don’t think I was talking to you personally but if your that fragile about being called a hypocrite you need to lighten up because I learned long ago we all have a tendency to become a little hypocritical when defending something we care about. If someone calls you out don’t get so offended just check and see if it’s true. When your passionate about something it’s easy to look over any faults someone else might see as critical that you don’t.
 
I admire your commentment to the ideology. Chicken little. How many terminals do we have? You’ve said 300 something, right? How many have had a successful union drive? Half a dozen. You are making a correlation into a causation. I would say the driver shortage is playing a much bigger role in the changes, but don’t let me get in the way of your demagoguery. Proselytize on brother.

I conceded that the driver shortage has played a role in the lack of enforcement in some areas. We have no shortage of available drivers here in Miami. The amount of terminals who have had a successful union drive is irrelevant. Nobody thought this would be quick or easy. The lack of a successful union drive, in many cases, is directly proportional to the cognitive dissonance of drivers who refuse to believe the reality staring them in the face. Far more have complained about the company on these boards than those who are satisfied with the situation. So, why aren't they doing something about it? Unless you stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
Saying that the driver shortage is playing a much bigger role in the changes is making a correlation also, isn't it? So, don't let me get in the way of your cognitive dissonance brother. Keep believing that the company cares about you more than the profit you generate.
 
Well I wasn’t accusing you personally if you will reread the post I said the argument the case made is what I felt was a hypocritical argument. Unless you were the lawyer I don’t think I was talking to you personally but if your that fragile about being called a hypocrite you need to lighten up because I learned long ago we all have a tendency to become a little hypocritical when defending something we care about. If someone calls you out don’t get so offended just check and see if it’s true. When your passionate about something it’s easy to look over any faults someone else might see as critical that you don’t.

Maybe I'm not as offended as I first thought. After reading my reply, I hope you understand that it's not a hypocritical argument at all. Status quo refers to things that recur on a regular schedule. Their policy cannot be considered status quo as it changes continually and at will. For the record, if you are satisfied with your working conditions, my posts are not intended for you. My ideology is meant for all the guys who are NOT happy with their working conditions and my purpose is letting them know that there is something they can do about it. Based on what I have read here, I believe that there are far more drivers who could benefit from a union contract than not.

Ultimately, it's ALL corporations drive for profit that concerns me, not just XPO. Profits are at record highs, along with productivity. Yet, wages have stagnated since 1980 or so. CEO's used to make 10 times the amount of the average wage of the workers in their respective companies. Now, in some cases, they take 10,000 times the average wage. Shouldn't the people who actually do the work benefit from the profit they generate? CEO's and upper management deserve to be well compensated for their leadership, especially if the policies they put in place enhance the companies earnings, but 500 million a year as opposed to 70K per year is obscene.

I'm hoping there's an old school driver here who can tell us what they earned per hour in 1980. That information should tell us whether or not we're being fairly compensated.
 
Last edited:
I've heard similar from other barns and I would suggest that you don't get too comfortable with that situation. The company policy AND enforcement can change dramatically...at their whim. Maybe the driver shortage has something to do with it, or your local management team is choosing to overlook certain things. The point is that the policy is written by corporate and all the time and GPS issues are a matter of permanent record. They can retroactively enforce and discipline at any time. You will have no affect on their decision and you have no recourse, unless you have several thousand dollars to retain an attorney. You also have to consider that this is another thinly veiled attempt at keeping you guys away from the Teamsters door. I'll concede that there may be many factors for their lack of enforcement, however, those rules are still on the books and you are subject to them. Personally, I'd prefer a contract, so I will always know what I have to deal with.
The union drive and driver shortage have drastically change the situation when it comes to tolerance. One or both subside and there would be a change in the other direction.
 
I conceded that the driver shortage has played a role in the lack of enforcement in some areas. We have no shortage of available drivers here in Miami. The amount of terminals who have had a successful union drive is irrelevant. Nobody thought this would be quick or easy. The lack of a successful union drive, in many cases, is directly proportional to the cognitive dissonance of drivers who refuse to believe the reality staring them in the face. Far more have complained about the company on these boards than those who are satisfied with the situation. So, why aren't they doing something about it? Unless you stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
Saying that the driver shortage is playing a much bigger role in the changes is making a correlation also, isn't it? So, don't let me get in the way of your cognitive dissonance brother. Keep believing that the company cares about you more than the profit you generate.
Well first I’d like to say that I think my cognitive functions are as harmonic as Chopin’s “Concerto in E minor” but I try not to self aggrandize.

Second, I don’t think the company cares more about me than profit but that does not leave me jumping in the bed of the IBT as the only option. I admire your zeal for your cause I really do but I would hate to see the drivers of this company left in the hands of the Teamsters. The IBT has proven to me that it is more about trying to find a way to sustain itself then actually caring about its members. They run their organization like a college activists group always floating propaganda with the zeal of a Stalinist and forever ready for the over the top photo op of sticking it to the man while bending over at the negotiating table. To say the least, I am not a fan.

Last, yes it is also a correlation but I am not the one saying if it wasn’t for the teamsters they would have taken everything you hold dear away by now.

So I do believe in standing for something but I’m not falling for the Teamsters. I wish that we would look at other ways to show our collective dissent.
 
Maybe I'm not as offended as I first thought. After reading my reply, I hope you understand that it's not a hypocritical argument at all. Status quo refers to things that recur on a regular schedule. Their policy cannot be considered status quo as it changes continually and at will. For the record, if you are satisfied with your working conditions, my posts are not intended for you. My ideology is meant for all the guys who are NOT happy with their working conditions and my purpose is letting them know that there is something they can do about it. Based on what I have read here, I believe that there are far more drivers who could benefit from a union contract than not.

Ultimately, it's ALL corporations drive for profit that concerns me, not just XPO. Profits are at record highs, along with productivity. Yet, wages have stagnated since 1980 or so. CEO's used to make 10 times the amount of the average wage of the workers in their respective companies. Now, in some cases, they take 10,000 times the average wage. Shouldn't the people who actually do the work benefit from the profit they generate? CEO's and upper management deserve to be well compensated for their leadership, especially if the policies they put in place enhance the companies earnings, but 500 million a year as opposed to 70K per year is obscene.

I'm hoping there's an old school driver here who can tell us what they earned per hour in 1980. That information should tell us whether or not we're being fairly compensated.
New York Times delivery drivers were at 27.00 hr 20 + years ago if I remember right. DHL drivers in are area driving box trucks make 31.00 hr and of course Ups feeder drivers are close to 38.00 hr.

Yes, we face an industry wide problem not just Xpo alone. Take a look at the thread here where a driver applied to Tampa with 15 yrs driving experience and was offered 20 hr to start. Really ? What a joke.
 
Last edited:
Maybe I'm not as offended as I first thought. After reading my reply, I hope you understand that it's not a hypocritical argument at all. Status quo refers to things that recur on a regular schedule. Their policy cannot be considered status quo as it changes continually and at will. For the record, if you are satisfied with your working conditions, my posts are not intended for you. My ideology is meant for all the guys who are NOT happy with their working conditions and my purpose is letting them know that there is something they can do about it. Based on what I have read here, I believe that there are far more drivers who could benefit from a union contract than not.

Ultimately, it's ALL corporations drive for profit that concerns me, not just XPO. Profits are at record highs, along with productivity. Yet, wages have stagnated since 1980 or so. CEO's used to make 10 times the amount of the average wage of the workers in their respective companies. Now, in some cases, they take 10,000 times the average wage. Shouldn't the people who actually do the work benefit from the profit they generate? CEO's and upper management deserve to be well compensated for their leadership, especially if the policies they put in place enhance the companies earnings, but 500 million a year as opposed to 70K per year is obscene.

I'm hoping there's an old school driver here who can tell us what they earned per hour in 1980. That information should tell us whether or not we're being fairly compensated.
If you want to help the little man I’m all for it but if it’s more about resenting the rich I’m not down with that at all. If we fall prey to acting out of resentment it will not be long until we are in Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago

As far as wage stagnation, I think that has a whole lot to do with the introduction in mass of women to the workforce.(this may come across misogynistic but I don’t mean it that way). If you view labor as a commodity what happens when you double the abundance of a commodity? The value goes down. From the 50’s to the 80’s we doubled the size of the workforce by integrating women, again not a bad thing but a supply and demand hypothesis would hold true on this. This is kind of off topic but really it’s not. I will disclaim this by saying I am not an economist so I could be completely wrong. I could cite economists who argue both sides of this issue but it just seems logical to me.
 
If you want to help the little man I’m all for it but if it’s more about resenting the rich I’m not down with that at all. If we fall prey to acting out of resentment it will not be long until we are in Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago

As far as wage stagnation, I think that has a whole lot to do with the introduction in mass of women to the workforce.(this may come across misogynistic but I don’t mean it that way). If you view labor as a commodity what happens when you double the abundance of a commodity? The value goes down. From the 50’s to the 80’s we doubled the size of the workforce by integrating women, again not a bad thing but a supply and demand hypothesis would hold true on this. This is kind of off topic but really it’s not. I will disclaim this by saying I am not an economist so I could be completely wrong. I could cite economists who argue both sides of this issue but it just seems logical to me.
I’m not touching that one:nonchalance:
 
If you want to help the little man I’m all for it but if it’s more about resenting the rich I’m not down with that at all. If we fall prey to acting out of resentment it will not be long until we are in Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago

As far as wage stagnation, I think that has a whole lot to do with the introduction in mass of women to the workforce.(this may come across misogynistic but I don’t mean it that way). If you view labor as a commodity what happens when you double the abundance of a commodity? The value goes down. From the 50’s to the 80’s we doubled the size of the workforce by integrating women, again not a bad thing but a supply and demand hypothesis would hold true on this. This is kind of off topic but really it’s not. I will disclaim this by saying I am not an economist so I could be completely wrong. I could cite economists who argue both sides of this issue but it just seems logical to me.

For me, it's not a question of resenting the rich. Some have inherited their wealth and although I have more respect and admiration for those who created their own wealth, I do not begrudge anyone of their economic status in life. It's ALL about helping the "little man", my friend. Wealth begets power and absolute power corrupts...absolutely. I'd give credit for the quote but I can't remember who said it.

What chance does a working man like ourselves have against multi billion dollar corporations? Someone invents a product that benefits millions of people. Millions of people buy his product and he is fully entitled to the economic rewards he reaps. This person couldn't possibly market, manufacture and ship his product all by himself, so he hires people to do that for him. Aren't those people entitled also to the fruits of their labor?

As to your analysis on women in the work force, I'll just say that as populations increase, so does the demand for products and services. More labor is needed to produce and/or supply these products and services and it was only a matter of time before women were called upon to take these jobs. I am no economist either, but you may find equally convincing arguments for both supply side and demand side economics.

We are a consumer based economy. Our economy is dependent on people having enough disposable income to afford to purchase goods and services other than just food and shelter. When unions were at their peak post WW II, it was the most vibrant middle class this country has ever seen. Corporate tax rates were 91% during the Eisenhower administration and reduced to 75% with the Kennedy/Johnson administration. These corporations still made billions of dollars and the only difference between now and then is now, they are keeping a much greater share of their profits and relegating stagnant wages to a supply and demand situation. It's a race to the bottom and. at the moment, we're the bottom. As the middle class dissipates, we are faced with the unfortunate situation that causes corporations to say" There are 100 other guys on line who would be grateful to have your job." Trucking may be one of few exceptions, but it is a fact throughout the blue collar labor force. Still, in our industry, the driver shortage is proof positive that these greedy bastards will only give the minimum they deem necessary to put a body in the drivers seat. If they truly cared about working people, wouldn't they offer a compensation package that actually ATTRACTS people to this profession. The money is there, as evidenced by their quarterly statements.

So, to answer your question, it is not at all about resenting anybody. It's all about a fair days pay for a fair days work. It's about giving people something to look forward to on vacations and weekends, besides sitting on the porch with a six pack and a pack of cigarettes. It's about rewarding someone after 40 years of hard work and allowing them the security of a decent retirement without worrying about outliving their money. It's about fairness and decency.

Please excuse my rant and for going off topic. Maltman made me do it. :479::479:
 
Well first I’d like to say that I think my cognitive functions are as harmonic as Chopin’s “Concerto in E minor” but I try not to self aggrandize.

Second, I don’t think the company cares more about me than profit but that does not leave me jumping in the bed of the IBT as the only option. I admire your zeal for your cause I really do but I would hate to see the drivers of this company left in the hands of the Teamsters. The IBT has proven to me that it is more about trying to find a way to sustain itself then actually caring about its members. They run their organization like a college activists group always floating propaganda with the zeal of a Stalinist and forever ready for the over the top photo op of sticking it to the man while bending over at the negotiating table. To say the least, I am not a fan.

Last, yes it is also a correlation but I am not the one saying if it wasn’t for the teamsters they would have taken everything you hold dear away by now.

So I do believe in standing for something but I’m not falling for the Teamsters. I wish that we would look at other ways to show our collective dissent.

When you say left in the hands of the Teamsters, what exactly are you referring to. The Teamsters collect dues and provide a service for that investment. The fact that you have someone to stand behind you, especially in legal matters is worth the price of admission.

What commercial entity doesn't look for ways to sustain themselves? They all do, including XPO and other corporations. The simple reason to sustain is in order to continue to provide services to their members. I look at Teamcare and I already know that 17.00 a week in dues will have already paid for itself. The grievance and arbitration process can't protect drivers guilty of egregious violations. They're gone. But what it does protect against is frivolous discipline handed down by petty or disgruntled supervisors. A contract provides a guaranteed compensation package, usually better than the competition. Most importantly, a contract provides a set of work rules that must be agreed upon in a collective bargaining agreement. Where's the downside?
 
If you want to help the little man I’m all for it but if it’s more about resenting the rich I’m not down with that at all. If we fall prey to acting out of resentment it will not be long until we are in Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago

As far as wage stagnation, I think that has a whole lot to do with the introduction in mass of women to the workforce.(this may come across misogynistic but I don’t mean it that way). If you view labor as a commodity what happens when you double the abundance of a commodity? The value goes down. From the 50’s to the 80’s we doubled the size of the workforce by integrating women, again not a bad thing but a supply and demand hypothesis would hold true on this. This is kind of off topic but really it’s not. I will disclaim this by saying I am not an economist so I could be completely wrong. I could cite economists who argue both sides of this issue but it just seems logical to me.

Okay, and how many women truck drivers are there ? Sorry, but in this industry that argument don't hold water.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top