Bringing Estes under a low cost Union
I have had people ask me in the past about helping start a union for Estes Express Lines. But I didn't feel interest was high enough to warrant investing alot of time and money.
It seems like conditions for many have gotten more stressful recently. I get alot of complaints from dock workers and truck drivers. And it seems like a few supervisors as well.
I have listened to many people's complaints about unions with other companies.
I am new to this site. And I am basically going to be here, taking notes, listening to complaints, listening to how you percieve management and how management is running things, checking about unethical practices and such.
I would like to try to set up a union that provides more benefits than what most unions do. I want a project I can feel good about. When I meet God someday, I want Him to to tell me I did good. I don't want to be responsible for underhanded deals that hurt the company or the workers. I want to create a union, which after it is created, actualy helps the company as a whole.
I will be upfront about a few things. I do not believe in a union which protects lazy employees. It will eventually hurt the entire company.
I would like to see drivers compensated if they have to wait for loads. Here you are, waiting around, not getting paid, and every hour you stay awake before you go out on the road, means you will not be as fresh and as alert when you hit that road. Yes, initially you are fine for the first 6 or so hours. But what about the last couple? If you had left earlier, maybe those last couple of hours you were on the road wouldn't be so rough? And I feel like things can be done to insure you don't have to wait as much.
Much of many companies problems can be attributed to management and their ability to plan and problem solve.
So what I'm looking to do with this union, is force the owner of the company to re-evaluate the people he has in place and their methods.
What I seem to be hearing from people is that upper management does alot of whip cracking, yet they never come up with reasonable solutions. Obviously from emails I recieve and conversations I have with people, your work environment sounds miserable.
Work doesn't have to be a place you like. But when you do a good job, you should feel respected. There are times when you push yourself hard for this company, and they treat you with disrespect, like they forgot what it was like to actually be on the road or working on the dock.
The company seems to use archaic systems, when there are faster and more efficient systems. They want you to work at a certain speed, yet they won't provide you with equipment to make the production more achievable. How can they hold one terminal which is well equiped to the same standard as an ill-equiped one?
I'm still trying to formulate exactly what all functions and benefits the union will provide. But I was thinking of just trying to keep it very basic, help you have a little more strength in your voice and help good workers feel more secure. Force management to change things it needs to change. There are just practical things Estes should do out of the sake of courtesy. ANd alot of times, when a company does the right thing, it is not only good for the worker, but good for the company as well.
The main goal of me being here is just to gather information about the problems people see, and forming a union that helps alleviate those problems.
Thank you for reading this.