ABF | “No Givebacks!”: ABF Bargaining to Start

[truxforever]

If the teamster at ABF get a good contract for 5 years in 2015 the guys at YRC can sign a me too contract. This would give them what we have, I think YRC will be looking for more concessions in 2015 with payments coming due.

 

[Docker]

ABf is a click or two in better financial shape then YRC. Negotiating in the ABF alone NMFA will not put you in a better position for a more favorable contract. McReynolds will be looking to reduce the cost gap between ABf and YRC not widen it. Get a freaken grip on yourselves

Just listen to this post of yours Joe...do you even have any idea what is being posted here? All you do is babble about things that everyone already knows and yet you try and claim that you are the only one realizing this. You really are desperate for attention...aren't you?

 

[truxforever]

ABf is a click or two in better financial shape then YRC. Negotiating in the ABF alone NMFA will not put you in a better position for a more favorable contract. McReynolds will be looking to reduce the cost gap between ABf and YRC not widen it. Get a freaken grip on yourselves

Mrs. McReynolds maybe looking to close the cost gap that does not mean she will. Concessions at ABF like that of YRC will not pass at ABF. Joe can you ever come on here and try to be part of the solution not the problem.

 

[canaryinthemine]

Good point, Brother Truxforever, but I think keeping afloat another discount carrier, who can cut rates on the backs of their employees, is going backward for us Teamsters in general. There are already enough non-Union cutrate carriers who adjust rates by cutting wages and benefits, and it seems the IBT has a hard time recognizing this problem, or doing anything constructive with it. I believe it's "do or die" in LTL freight...if we negotiate a concessions contract, we will end up doing it forever...every contract from then on will be a race to the bottom of whomever will do this work cheaper. The sales force will drive our contract...we will lose control of it. Anyone who needs to see an example of that can just look at the Truckload side of this business. For 20 years or more, Heavy Duty Truck magazine and various other management magazines have recommended wages for truckload drivers be raised, yet carriers have ignored them, and are content with a 90-to-100% turnover rate in employees. Wages and benefits are stagnant there as carriers use cheap labor costs to negotiate cheap freight rates. The drivers who do the actual work really have no say-so in wages or benefits. Trucking management in general wants us all to be in the same boat...drivers are irrelevant to labor costs...we will just have to adjust to whatever the sales force negotiates as freight rates. Or quit. The NMFA ...when it was strong....tried to standardize labor costs across the board...didn't matter who you worked for, wages were the same. Labor costs were the same. Having our own "stand alone" contract means that every contract time, we'll face concessions. We will never go up. Market forces will continuously force us down. And, of course, the spineless ones at the non-Unions will automatically be forced downward, too. And they'll bow their heads and take it. We've got to fight for a good non-concession contract in the hopes that other drivers will see that it can be done, grow a spine....or testicles... and realize what they're up against and organize,....or in the case of YRC,...refuse concessionary contracts.

 

[Deleted member 5115]

Frankly, I like the idea of a two year contract to fall in line with YRC's expiration of their multiple MOU's. My opinion of the mood of the guys who work at YRC is that if ABF employees can get a good contract with no givebacks, they'll demand the same at the end of their MOU's, and to blazes with what the company threatens. We can argue up or down as to whether the MOU's saved YRC , or merely cheated the employees out of wages and pension, but I think the guys there have had enough, and it'll be good contract,....equal to what we get at ABF,...or close the doors. My opinion.

I want us to have our own three year deal. YRC will never return to the wage and benefit levels we are at and alining ourselves with them will not do us any good. As for the mood of the workers there talk is cheap and I'll believe it when I see it. There are more of them than there are of us and we would be on the losing end of that deal. If they are doing that well and they want to vote a "me too" in 2015 then let them do it. We can all move forward from there. Otherwise let them do their own thing. I do not really like the idea but the reality of this situation calls for it.

 

[foxman042]

I want us to have our own three year deal. YRC will never return to the wage and benefit levels we are at and alining ourselves with them will not do us any good. As for the mood of the workers there talk is cheap and I'll believe it when I see it. There are more of them than there are of us and we would be on the losing end of that deal. If they are doing that well and they want to vote a "me too" in 2015 then let them do it. We can all move forward from there. Otherwise let them do their own thing. I do not really like the idea but the reality of this situation calls for it.

Three years? 8 or 10 would be better......for me! only since ill be retired by then as I have 7 years to go to get my 30. Now that Ive exposed my conflict of interest, I think the real fight is going to be on the supplemental agreements. This is where the company is going to play some real hardball on the regional work rules and the differences between the regions. I still submit that abf wants one big extra board with dispatch controlled by central at the Fort. This way they will get rid of dispatchers, give everyone a smart phone to take home and you will get your work calls from the computer. There will be no "going home" anymore. Where your hours end, thats where you will rest until you have hours again to run. I think they will start advertising 3 weeks out, 1 week off just like the TL guys. In case I forget, they will usually skip that 1 week off business and screw you out of time off as much as possible. What are you going to do about it when your e in bed 700 miles away from home with no time on your logbook? Oh, and I think that they will push hard for owner operators coming in to move the freight, ala UPS Freight. They will cry driver shortage and try to win that one as well. The teamsters gave that one to UPS already, so why not us? Up here in the east, the big UPS Freight dc is running almost one O/O to one UPS driver in and out of that terminal. All they need to do is to give out a raise in this deal plus this other stuff and guys will think, "hey, I thought we would be CUT, and we will get a raise? Im voting YES!" meanwhile, the driving situation goes from bad to worse.....

 

[Hoodock]

I think ABf would be more flexible on wages etc. if they weren't the only company paying full NMFA wages & benefits. If YRC was still paying what was agreed to on the last contract the playing field would be more level. If YRC was was paying the wages/benefits that ABF is that would pressure the non union companies to up their wages to attract & retain employees. ABF would then be competitive with pricing. That may be the reasoning behind a two year contract which would put YRC to the end of the wage reduction agreement if there isn't another extension given before 2015. The discounting that YRC gives takes ABF out of contention for a lot of freight. I don't any way to force YRC to pay full wages & start paying into the pension fund but that would solve a lot of ABF's problems.

YRC cut throats long before this.As far as them ever paying full wages and pension,will NEVER happen!

 

[papajohn]

I can't talk for anyone else, but there are 2 things that will get a no vote right away.
1. A 2 year contact will trigger a no vote just because it will put us back with YRC in 2015, and I really don't think YRC will ever pay full wages.
2. If the pension is not agreeable to both sides, abf and in particular ABF members it will also get a no vote from me.

I really don't think ABF is in as bad a shape as they say, I just don't think they have made as much as they protected.
This is in contact time and this is what companys do. They want to portray that they are in worse shape fianancially, but in 2011 they made a profit, bought Panther, and gave a 35% raise to a executive, so they can't be in as bad a shape as they want us to believe.
Stay informed,, and involved and most of all we need to all stay strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[canaryinthemine]

Gentlemen! Remember...the Union Brothers at YRC aren't the enemy. If we start thinking and acting that way....then management has won. A little less than half voted against the 3 memorandums...the other ones were terrorized into accepting concessions. And in the case of New Penn's "Vote until you get it right.".....we can clearly see who did the terrorizing. Union works ONLY through Solidarity. This is why management has launched an all-out war on Solidarity. They want us to be hateful and fearful of our own Union Brothers....that completely defuses any effective Labor movement in this country. Ummmm...."Divide And Conquer" anyone? In my humble opinion, it would be an absolute slap in the face of the ATA, Chamber of Commerce, and of course, Trucking Management, Inc. if we insisted on a contract length that had the potential to heal the rift between ABF and YRC Union employees. It would show them that the rank-and-file are concerned more with Solidarity and the power of the employees, as opposed to fear-mongering and threats. If....3 years from now....out of all the "manure" of the last 3 years....a new National Master Freight Agreement emerges uniting ABF, YRC, United Parcel Freight....and maybe a few other non-Union companies whose employees are inspired by our example of strength, I can practically guarantee you that you'll see very few concessions for the next 20 years....or until management concocts another weasel plan to divide us up.

 

[Docker]

Gentlemen! Remember...the Union Brothers at YRC aren't the enemy. If we start thinking and acting that way....then management has won. A little less than half voted against the 3 memorandums...the other ones were terrorized into accepting concessions. And in the case of New Penn's "Vote until you get it right.".....we can clearly see who did the terrorizing. Union works ONLY through Solidarity. This is why management has launched an all-out war on Solidarity. They want us to be hateful and fearful of our own Union Brothers....that completely defuses any effective Labor movement in this country. Ummmm...."Divide And Conquer" anyone? In my humble opinion, it would be an absolute slap in the face of the ATA, Chamber of Commerce, and of course, Trucking Management, Inc. if we insisted on a contract length that had the potential to heal the rift between ABF and YRC Union employees. It would show them that the rank-and-file are concerned more with Solidarity and the power of the employees, as opposed to fear-mongering and threats. If....3 years from now....out of all the "manure" of the last 3 years....a new National Master Freight Agreement emerges uniting ABF, YRC, United Parcel Freight....and maybe a few other non-Union companies whose employees are inspired by our example of strength, I can practically guarantee you that you'll see very few concessions for the next 20 years....or until management concocts another weasel plan to divide us up.

Nice post canaryinthemine but I think you directed at the wrong ones to start with...you said it yourself...."And in the case of New Penn's "Vote until you get it right.".....we can clearly see who did the terrorizing."

Situations like this are resolved from the top down...so..don't you think this should of first been presented to the ones who created the "Vote until you get it right."...after all...they're the ones that "did the terrorizing".

 

[Joe the plumber]

Gentlemen! Remember...the Union Brothers at YRC aren't the enemy. If we start thinking and acting that way....then management has won. A little less than half voted against the 3 memorandums...the other ones were terrorized into accepting concessions. And in the case of New Penn's "Vote until you get it right.".....we can clearly see who did the terrorizing. Union works ONLY through Solidarity. If....3 years from now....out of all the "manure" of the last 3 years....a new National Master Freight Agreement emerges uniting ABF, YRC, United Parcel Freight....and maybe a few other non-Union companies whose employees are inspired by our example of strength, I can practically guarantee you that you'll see very few concessions for the next 20 years....or until management concocts another weasel plan to divide us up.

If you believe solidarity is the answer to unionized freight's woe's then this contract of yours will make or break that assumption. Sorry to say, I believe in the power of negative thinking and paranoia

McReynolds + Panther = big bonu$

 

[canaryinthemine]

Nice post canaryinthemine but I think you directed at the wrong ones to start with...you said it yourself...."And in the case of New Penn's "Vote until you get it right.".....we can clearly see who did the terrorizing."

Situations like this are resolved from the top down...so..don't you think this should of first been presented to the ones who created the "Vote until you get it right."...after all...they're the ones that "did the terrorizing".

Absolutely right, Brother Docker! However,.... the IBT leadership...as it were...seems to be floundering a bit. Negotiating away a pension is either criminally incompetent,...or criminally complicit. A stark and glaring example of how our leadership has lost touch with the very working people they represent. Of all the occupations I can think of, you don't take pensions away that were promised to someone who's literally wearing himself out physically...in one of the most lethal occupations in this country. With the side-stepping of Mr. Johnson, I think the IBT finally woke up a little as to how much lost faith there is in their bargaining skills. IF....and only IF...the IBT can negotiate us a good contract...one that recognizes that ALL Teamsters should be paid the same, instead of directly competing with each other to see how cheaply management can cut our wages and benefits so they can grab more freight.........at our expense...If they can hold the line on pensions and raise wages to where they should be.....that'll go a long way to restoring Solidarity. And,....yes.....a good contract may finally inspire some of the non-Unions to grow some testicles and organize too. By the way, I don't see the IBT offering a card-check to the employees of Panther...or Albert Moving and Storage even though we have that language in our contract (Article 2, sec.3) Wouldn't that be a great strategy?

 

[canaryinthemine]

If you believe solidarity is the answer to unionized freight's woe's then this contract of yours will make or break that assumption. Sorry to say, I believe in the power of negative thinking and paranoia

McReynolds + Panther = big bonu$

Joseph................I started in 1975 and had 9 carriers close under me. You and I are both Pre-Deregulation drivers....we saw what it was when Solidarity was strong, and meant everything. How did you lose the faith, Brother?...... And how come I didn't lose mine after 9 lost jobs? Starting over 9 times meant that my wife and I raised 4 kids in a two bedroom home......I'm still paying for things that happened 20 years ago.....shouldn't I be the bitter, negative, paranoid one? Ms. McReynolds + Panther = big bonu$ we all see you get how dumb you must think we are maybe you shouldn't have been so greedy and waited until after the negotiations before you grabbed the money it's kind of hard to plead poverty when you're dragging moneybags down to the bank or maybe it's just arrogance and disdain for the very employees who are providing you the profit through hard work and not sitting in an air-conditioned office filing your fingernails wondering how many tax loopholes you need in your higher tax bracket those dummy truck drivers put you into..................and on and on ad nauseum.......

 

[Docker]

I believe in the power of negative thinking and paranoia

Now...why doesn't this surprise me?

 

[Joe the plumber]

Joseph................I started in 1975 and had 9 carriers close under me. You and I are both Pre-Deregulation drivers....we saw what it was when Solidarity was strong, and meant everything. How did you lose the faith, Brother?...... And how come I didn't lose mine after 9 lost jobs? Starting over 9 times meant that my wife and I raised 4 kids in a two bedroom home......I'm still paying for things that happened 20 years ago.....shouldn't I be the bitter, negative, paranoid one?

Ms. McReynolds + Panther = big bonu$ we all see you get how dumb you must think we are maybe you shouldn't have been so greedy and waited until after the negotiations before you grabbed the money it's kind of hard to plead poverty when you're dragging moneybags down to the bank or maybe it's just arrogance and disdain for the very employees who are providing you the profit through hard work and not sitting in an air-conditioned office filing your fingernails wondering how many tax loopholes you need in your higher tax bracket those dummy truck drivers put you into..................and on and on ad nauseum.......

That is only ‘your’ version of it. No canaryinthemine, let me say there are two reasons for my negativity and paranoia. It has nothing to do with disdain or hate or any other nonsense I get.
As you mentioned..before deregulation there was world class teamster solidarity. The companies had no defense against our might. Deregulation ended that power we enjoyed brother canaryinthemine. One needs to understand the terrible effect dereg had on teamster bargaining power. Dereg is just catching up to YRC and ABF after 30 years. Dereg was strike one. Strike two is the fact that 20 million + people are out of work. That fact creates the perfect storm for attacks on unions.

Even FedEx is cutting cost big time. Overnight delivery to Asian countries got too expensive. It is curtain time bro. They are coming to take you down. To make matters worse we are locked down for another four years of no growth. A simple fact of capitalism..if they ain't making enough money..nobody is making enough money. There is no way I could sugar coat the situation..it has nothing to do with disdain for anyone..all to do with reality. On a positive note if you're working and paying the bills all is well. Remember, some day you have got to die so you have nothing to lose no matter what happens

 

[Docker]

Absolutely right, Brother Docker! However,.... the IBT leadership...as it were...seems to be floundering a bit. Negotiating away a pension is either criminally incompetent,...or criminally complicit. A stark and glaring example of how our leadership has lost touch with the very working people they represent. Of all the occupations I can think of, you don't take pensions away that were promised to someone who's literally wearing himself out physically...in one of the most lethal occupations in this country. With the side-stepping of Mr. Johnson, I think the IBT finally woke up a little as to how much lost faith there is in their bargaining skills. IF....and only IF...the IBT can negotiate us a good contract...one that recognizes that ALL Teamsters should be paid the same, instead of directly competing with each other to see how cheaply management can cut our wages and benefits so they can grab more freight.........at our expense...If they can hold the line on pensions and raise wages to where they should be.....that'll go a long way to restoring Solidarity. And,....yes.....a good contract may finally inspire some of the non-Unions to grow some testicles and organize too. By the way, I don't see the IBT offering a card-check to the employees of Panther...or Albert Moving and Storage even though we have that language in our contract (Article 2, sec.3) Wouldn't that be a great strategy?

You make a good point canaryinthemine...a good point indeed.

 

[Docker]

That is only ‘your’ version of it. No canaryinthemine, let me say there are two reasons for my negativity and paranoia. It has nothing to do with disdain or hate or any other nonsense I get.
As you mentioned..before deregulation there was world class teamster solidarity. The companies had no defense against our might. Deregulation ended that power we enjoyed brother canaryinthemine. One needs to understand the terrible effect dereg had on teamster bargaining power. Dereg is just catching up to YRC and ABF after 30 years. Dereg was strike one. Strike two is the fact that 20 million + people are out of work. That fact creates the perfect storm for attacks on unions.

Even FedEx is cutting cost big time. Overnight delivery to Asian countries got too expensive. It is curtain time bro. They are coming to take you down. To make matters worse we are locked down for another four years of no growth. A simple fact of capitalism..if they ain't making enough money..nobody is making enough money. There is no way I could sugar coat the situation..it has nothing to do with disdain for anyone..all to do with reality. On a positive note if you're working and paying the bills all is well. Remember, some day you have got to die so you have nothing to lose no matter what happens

Now...there's no doubt that canaryinthemine made a good point...if Joe disagrees...after all Joe...you said it yourself:

I believe in the power of negative thinking and paranoia

Thanks for helping us out Joe!

 

[Joe the plumber]

Thanks for helping us out Joe!

I'd be happy to help you out..which way did you come in?

 

[Docker]

I'd be happy to help you out..which way did you come in?

Ask your buddy Billy Z...by the way...get your tail over to the "Get it off your chest thread"...I'm highly disappointed in you not sticking up for hero...what...are you scared?

 

[Joe the plumber]

Ask your buddy Billy Z...by the way...get your tail over to the "Get it off your chest thread"...I'm highly disappointed in you not sticking up for hero...what...are you scared?

There is a Zollars thread working at the YRC forum as you know..a lot of venting and getting it off your chest going on. You know it's funny people are still blaming Bush for the bad economy we have today..after four years of Obama they still blame Bush I gave a brief outline of events that took the giant down on page 2. Come on down..I'm thinking Judy learned a lot from Bill

I got your hero​