droppingaduece
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FedEx Freight | What is your main reason to vote in a union at FedEx Freight ?
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Consistencies throughout the system as related to the standard of living....I agree.
The guy doing the same job as me should have the ability to have the same standard of living given the same priorities.
If I am paid by the mile and have to drive in severe weather or severe traffic my compensation per mile should be different than the guy able to average 65mph for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year....or are you suggesting their pay per mile should be the same?
If so, how do you find the guy able and willing to drive a maximum of 350 miles a shift without paying the guy doing 500 miles a day way more than you need to?
The guy doing the same job as me should have the ability to have the same standard of living given the same priorities.
If I am paid by the mile and have to drive in severe weather or severe traffic my compensation per mile should be different than the guy able to average 65mph for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year....or are you suggesting their pay per mile should be the same?
If so, how do you find the guy able and willing to drive a maximum of 350 miles a shift without paying the guy doing 500 miles a day way more than you need to?
The consistencies I refer to have to do with rules and seniority. I know some want a national pay rate. I understand the need for varying rates in different areas, and that is not MY issue, and we agree. I do take issue with some areas' pay that is more inline with the competition while in my area, (as of Jan. 4th) we'll be between $1.27 & $1.73 BELOW our non union competitors, namely Conway and OD. In other areas FXFE drivers are within a few cents of the prevailing wage.
As for the road runs, seniority does dictate that the senior gentleman, can take the easier path to higher pay. Likely he started with the less popular run and worked his way up to that position of seniority. He may also, at some point want to take a shorter less challenging run as he ages and needs less income. The city should be no different. Some run are easier than others, the senior man/woman should be able to pick what he/she feels capable of, IMHO. (please no ball payer analogies :Poke:)
There may be less inconsistencies with our road operation, others can chime in on that, but in the various city operations, some bid routes, some do not. some do occasionally, some do always. Inconsistent.
How about brothel analogies? ;)
I get that. The issue I have is when you have a "city" run that is 50 miles out before the first stop. Senior guy bids it because it suits his desires. Then as that area grows in population, there is a point where that senior guy can't quite get that route all done in a day and the service is starting to falter. The union guy will say, break it into 2 runs, get him some help. Problem is, that area is still too remote to support another run, and a younger guy could get that route done. He's basically bitten off more than he can chew, and the logistics of the route don't support breaking it up. We need reasonable, logical folks making some of the decisions.
Crazy Trucker
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Your argument makes no sense, if they break it into 2 they can give each guy stops on the way to the area so they both have plenty of work.
I'm your huckelberry. So is it age or could it be other factors? Poor routing for starters. Taking breaks on schedule is another. Quite frankly, I won't work through my breaks. If the work load on that route is too heavy to accommodate this, who is to blame? Should I run my tail off for 8 or 10 hours without stopping to correct that issue? I can look at my route in the morning with high hopes of completing the task until I get a better look at how it's loaded and realize I have been set up to fail. Personalities come into play also. A hard worker that does the job by the numbers vs a worker that cuts corners to appear to be a better worker. Seniority does play a part in this. The old farts don't need a pat on the head to prove their worth. Give the senior worker the benefit of the doubt. I can still run circles around the youngsters in this area.
Not bad Ex, BUT... (You knew there would be a but, right?) Bids are not "Lifetime" bids. No area grows at such a pace as to be altered significantly in a 6 month period. Historically, bids (generally) last no longer that 6 months, and are conducted at "center discretion", when the need arises. Long distance runs typically have fewer stops, and more miles. Therefore most time is spent "in transit", between stops. There is little time (efficiency) to be gained there, other than route selection. Speeding and unsafe driving actually saves very little time as to not be a factor. Knowledge of the customer base (and their idiosyncrasies), shortcuts, anticipated delay areas etc, make the difference on these bids. If a route grows to a point that it becomes too labor intensive, the guy will likely bid something else, and so on, until ultimately he must retire.
Under a your perfect scenario, the highest earnings would come during the early several years of a career, when (generally and presumably), the production numbers are at their highest. That is not the system we work under. UPS (package) may have the closest (outside of pro sports), as they make TOP shelf wages during their prime, and they generally seem to retire earlier than most. Fair, considering we see few 60+ year old package guys. UPS Freight also takes quite good care of their retirees, making an exit from the rigors of LTL, a real possibility for an aging driver that is no longer able to continue.
Under the umbrella of "safety first", we don't really want drivers to be in competition,"racing" to out perform the next guy, in order to get a choice route. Do we?
Oh, and the brothel analogy...
Surely that (union) adult service provider has good retirement benefits, so she can move into the lower demand, specialty or "niche" market.
We hope, for the customers sake.
A reason why we don't need system-wide consistencies. There are areas of the Country where there aren't ANY stops between the service center and that spot 50 miles away. The service center was built on the outskirts of the metro area. Another smaller metro area is coming closer, but not yet there. It's 50 miles of no man's land. You want 2 guys driving side by side out there just to do 3 more stops combined than the slow guy could do on his own?
At the LTL's I've worked at had annual bids. You definitely have areas that grow/shrink over that period. S N O W B I R D S. Rural university towns, too. Where their population doubles during school and turns ghost-town like during the summer. There comes a point when that driver that bid that run can do it, successfully 75% of the year, but not the other 25%. So, now you have to send him help with a ton of transit miles relative to the stops it's not exactly the most cost effective way to do things. Or he's out there twiddling his thumbs after he made his 3 deliveries because none of his pick ups are ready yet.
Yes, when a guy has been running a route for a while he's not looking things up on his GPS or gasp...in his Thomas guide to find it. He knows folks' break schedules. He is more likely to be able to arrive at a stop during a break once in awhile and get some help. All those things add up and have value. I get that.
[QUOTE="Swamp Ratt]Under the umbrella of "safety first", we don't really want drivers to be in competition,"racing" to out perform the next guy, in order to get a choice route. Do we?[/QUOTE]
Nope. Just want them efficient/cost effective. Saving me one hour of OT per day is going to save me about $10K annual in wages and payroll taxes. Not too many $10K traffic collisions involving a tractor. I'd rather them work smart and efficient....and I want the ability to decide who is best served where.
If Ol' Buck is safe, knows his route well. Enjoys his route and it includes 100 miles of transit time then who better for that route? I don't want the kid that can crank out 15 stops and 10 pick ups a day out there holding her straight and steady for hours a day.
Damn ex396 why dont you just fire the old guy after he has already given the company the best years of his life..now that hes gotten older and is not as fast as he used to be you can be the first ballw#sher to go in the office and figure out with the tm how you can take his run with the little seniority that you have.oh yeah how many guys do you work with are walking around with your knife in their back?
One problem I see with your analogy is this, when the company set the bar, you are at their mercy. Today you might be able to get the route done, but tomorrow they want more and no matter how hard you try, it's not enough.
Guardrail
He is also wrong in assuming we bid routes in the city. Just start times here. We are at their mercy everyday.
joes bar and grill
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Got a mouse in your pocket?
billybigriggr
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Yep, we all deserve respect, and to vote the union in just for that reason alone is a good one. I remember back in 99 when AF was up you at least had some control over what you did, and you did get respect. But, to bring the union in now won't necessarily solve the problems. It will probably be trading one set of problems for another. Us drivers want some power, so we can better control and leverage the situations we face otj. The truth is all of us drivers are important. Each one plays a vital role in his position.
Let's go back and think of why we became drivers in the first place? I wanted to be outside, travel, and to earn a better way of living.
Have any of us really reached our goals? Why do they force us into being dock workers. Truth is I became a Driver so I would not have to work the dock.
Can a union help us achieve a better quality of livin? Can I work reasonable hours like an 8 hour day and get better pay with regular increases with more paid vacation and home time?
Better pay? Benefits? Forced respect? How about profit sharing, company paid benefits, and better respect from management realizing our jobs are just as important as management?
How can the union change the situation? And, how much will it cost? Just what is the union really offering here? Will it make any difference?
What will life be like working with FedexF 2 years from now with the union in place? different or the same soup warmed over?
Let's go back and think of why we became drivers in the first place? I wanted to be outside, travel, and to earn a better way of living.
Have any of us really reached our goals? Why do they force us into being dock workers. Truth is I became a Driver so I would not have to work the dock.
Can a union help us achieve a better quality of livin? Can I work reasonable hours like an 8 hour day and get better pay with regular increases with more paid vacation and home time?
Better pay? Benefits? Forced respect? How about profit sharing, company paid benefits, and better respect from management realizing our jobs are just as important as management?
How can the union change the situation? And, how much will it cost? Just what is the union really offering here? Will it make any difference?
What will life be like working with FedexF 2 years from now with the union in place? different or the same soup warmed over?
It will be different, no doubt. Some plusses and some minuses. Whether or not the plusses outweigh those minuses will depend on your priorities and just what type of price you place on your work environment.
Richard Cranium
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Right now that environment has little value.
IMHO
1) The Union will be us, not some mystical force, and the change comes from a seat at the table, a voice, as of yet unheard.
2) Cost is 2 1/2 hours pay per month
3) The union offers stability, continuity, and some say in matters related to your employment.
4)Yes, it will make a difference. There seems to be consensus on this. Even the company seems to agree.
5)NO one can say exactly what 2 years after union representation will bring, but it will most certainly be better for the drivers, in many ways, than the last 2 years without.
6)Same soup warmed over, would be if the effort were to fail.
Question for you: Do you like generic, low quality soup, or premium top shelf soup? I prefer stew, or gumbo, with some MEAT in it!
IMHO
1) The Union will be us, not some mystical force, and the change comes from a seat at the table, a voice, as of yet unheard.
2) Cost is 2 1/2 hours pay per month
3) The union offers stability, continuity, and some say in matters related to your employment.
4)Yes, it will make a difference. There seems to be consensus on this. Even the company seems to agree.
5)NO one can say exactly what 2 years after union representation will bring, but it will most certainly be better for the drivers, in many ways, than the last 2 years without.
6)Same soup warmed over, would be if the effort were to fail.
Question for you: Do you like generic, low quality soup, or premium top shelf soup? I prefer stew, or gumbo, with some MEAT in it!
UPS Freight:
1-1-2015 wages mileage .6906 7-1 2018 .7287
1-1-2015 hourly $27.15 7-1-2018 $28.65
This is what our dues got us...
I might add same wages nationwide...
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