Holland | 2008 NMFA; worse than it appears

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At the contract meetings this weekend I pointed ot the shell game regarding the reduction of rail miles from 26% to 24% in the first year of the contract, this happens at the front door. Mean while at the back door 4% of the annual road miles is going to non-union carriers. This essentially raises the amount of work not perfromed by Teamsters from 26% to 28%. As the contract would go through it's term the rail miles continue to reduce as the allowed subcontracted miles continue to grow in such a manner as to maintain the 28% diversion of work. Basically, here you go we'll give you something and as soon as your back is turned we'll take it back and then some.

Now here is where it gets really bad.

In response to this Local 200 Sec/Treas Tom Millonzi produced and read a lengthy Letter of Memorandum regarding the "preferred companies"

Before I breakdown what I and the rest of the Brothers and Sisters heard, it must be stated that this letter was not provided as part of the material provided (i.e. NMFA and Supplement proposals)
When questioned as to why Millonzi stated he was instructed by the IBT not to hand out this Letter of Memo to the membership. Even when it was pointed out to Millonzi that this was inappropriate, by the entire membership in attendance he still refused to give us copies.

I and several other Freight brothers attending both the Saturday and Sunday meetings, we heard this letter read twice and on Sunday demanded a line by line discussion of the letter.

Here's this jist of it;

Preferred companies were defined as non-union companies that would perform the hauling in and out of terminals of specific freight.

The preferred company would be reqiuired to pay wages and benefits equal to the NMFA companies while they were performing this specific work.

The preferred companies would have to agree to Card Check neutrality should the Teamsters decide to attempt organizing. However both parties, the preferred carrier or YRCW can sever the business realtionship at any time with or without reason.

The specific freight was defined as Non-NMFA freight. Non- NMFA freight was defined as anything not currently handled or business acquired hereafter. In other words any New Business.

Now please sit down here comes the bomb;

The preferred company may be assigned Non-NMFA without limitations, restrictions or regard to road driver protections in Article 29.

Conclusions:

If the Teamsters attempt an organizing drive at a preferred company, that preferred company and/or YRCW well simply terminate the business relationship to avoid being Unionized.

All new business will be hauled by the preferred companies. And the 4% to 9% restrictions on the amount of annual miles run by the preferred carriers that the IBT is trying to tell us exists is a lie, and if you don't believe that ask yourself why won't they give the members a copy of the Letter of Memorandum.

This, in my estimation is the CF/Con-way situation all over again. Bleed off the Union carriers giving all the New Business to the Non-Union Carriers leaving the crap freight that don't pay for the Union carriers.

I'd like to hear from other frieght members as to whether this Letter of Memo was presented to them at their meetings and if not get after your local leaders and ask why and ask to see the letter or at least demand a line by line discussion of it. And get this information out to the rank and file. As bad as this agreement is where we've been allowed to shine some light on it, it is even worse with all the stuff that is being hid from us. And why for heavens sake is the IBT hiding this.
 
I don't want to say "I told you so", but I did make a post last year about what a Yellow manager had told me "Kick and Pick" is a coming. Utility-Holland's form of kick-n-pick, same thing. With new language, this utility man can work-out for both parties. GRIZZ
 
LOL, go back and read it again. It also says if both parties don't select a preferred carrier, the rail percentage goes back to 26%.
If YRC doesn't pick one, they get 30% to start. The remedy it makes you think we are getting, if you refer back to the rail section is laid off Teamsters. The other thing is this. We lose the freight from point of origin, not railhead. California freight, originating in Baltimore, will not be taken to Cleveland, then to Chicago. Nor will it be picked up in California by a driver. It will eliminate 2 linehaul runs and 1 local. They could accomplish the same thing w/a Teamster Sleeper Team, trading off in Kansas City.
 
LOL, go back and read it again. It also says if both parties don't select a preferred carrier, the rail percentage goes back to 26%.
If YRC doesn't pick one, they get 30% to start. The remedy it makes you think we are getting, if you refer back to the rail section is laid off Teamsters. The other thing is this. We lose the freight from point of origin, not railhead. California freight, originating in Baltimore, will not be taken to Cleveland, then to Chicago. Nor will it be picked up in California by a driver. It will eliminate 2 linehaul runs and 1 local. They could accomplish the same thing w/a Teamster Sleeper Team, trading off in Kansas City.

Nice catch, I went back and compared the langauge and you are right it could provide 30%. Either way we are getting screwed. This is what happens when they put stuff in all different areas of the proposal, have wordy letters of memo that can only be read to us and then give us less than a week to review and make a decision. Hell, the local leaders, at least at my local admitted from the podium that they haven't had enough time to fully understand this proposal. Thank you for being active in exposing this proposal for what it is, I am glad to see I'm not the only one reading this thing over and over. I may not have figured out all of the pitfalls but I understand enough to know the only vote is a NO vote
 
City with company seniority

I don't want to say "I told you so", but I did make a post last year about what a Yellow manager had told me "Kick and Pick" is a coming. Utility-Holland's form of kick-n-pick, same thing. With new language, this utility man can work-out for both parties. GRIZZ

:1036316054:

If I bid out from the road to Utility Driver and by some chance the next bid rotation I get bumped off my Utility run I get to go in the city with full seniority... I figured out saturday I'd be number 19 on the city board. (pretty cool huh?) Too bad I have no retreat rights for the road or I'd go back in my seniority spot on the road.
But the city ain't a bad deal when your number 19:smilie_132::funky:
 
At the contract meetings this weekend I pointed ot the shell game regarding the reduction of rail miles from 26% to 24% in the first year of the contract, this happens at the front door. Mean while at the back door 4% of the annual road miles is going to non-union carriers. This essentially raises the amount of work not perfromed by Teamsters from 26% to 28%. As the contract would go through it's term the rail miles continue to reduce as the allowed subcontracted miles continue to grow in such a manner as to maintain the 28% diversion of work. Basically, here you go we'll give you something and as soon as your back is turned we'll take it back and then some.

Now here is where it gets really bad.

In response to this Local 200 Sec/Treas Tom Millonzi produced and read a lengthy Letter of Memorandum regarding the "preferred companies"

Before I breakdown what I and the rest of the Brothers and Sisters heard, it must be stated that this letter was not provided as part of the material provided (i.e. NMFA and Supplement proposals)
When questioned as to why Millonzi stated he was instructed by the IBT not to hand out this Letter of Memo to the membership. Even when it was pointed out to Millonzi that this was inappropriate, by the entire membership in attendance he still refused to give us copies.

I and several other Freight brothers attending both the Saturday and Sunday meetings, we heard this letter read twice and on Sunday demanded a line by line discussion of the letter.

Here's this jist of it;

Preferred companies were defined as non-union companies that would perform the hauling in and out of terminals of specific freight.

The preferred company would be reqiuired to pay wages and benefits equal to the NMFA companies while they were performing this specific work.

The preferred companies would have to agree to Card Check neutrality should the Teamsters decide to attempt organizing. However both parties, the preferred carrier or YRCW can sever the business realtionship at any time with or without reason.

The specific freight was defined as Non-NMFA freight. Non- NMFA freight was defined as anything not currently handled or business acquired hereafter. In other words any New Business.

Now please sit down here comes the bomb;

The preferred company may be assigned Non-NMFA without limitations, restrictions or regard to road driver protections in Article 29.

Conclusions:

If the Teamsters attempt an organizing drive at a preferred company, that preferred company and/or YRCW well simply terminate the business relationship to avoid being Unionized.

All new business will be hauled by the preferred companies. And the 4% to 9% restrictions on the amount of annual miles run by the preferred carriers that the IBT is trying to tell us exists is a lie, and if you don't believe that ask yourself why won't they give the members a copy of the Letter of Memorandum.

This, in my estimation is the CF/Con-way situation all over again. Bleed off the Union carriers giving all the New Business to the Non-Union Carriers leaving the crap freight that don't pay for the Union carriers.

I'd like to hear from other frieght members as to whether this Letter of Memo was presented to them at their meetings and if not get after your local leaders and ask why and ask to see the letter or at least demand a line by line discussion of it. And get this information out to the rank and file. As bad as this agreement is where we've been allowed to shine some light on it, it is even worse with all the stuff that is being hid from us. And why for heavens sake is the IBT hiding this.

1. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Employer shall be permitted to utilize companies for over-the-road purchased transportation substitute service. The parties shall designate at least one (1) Preferred Company for over-the-road purchased transportation substitute service under this Section. Until December 31, 2009, the maximum amount of over-the-road purchased transportation shall be limited to 4% of the Employer’s total miles as reported on line 301 of Schedule 300 of the BTS Annual Report during any calendar year.

In the event the parties fail to designate at least one (1) Preferred Company for over-the-road purchased transportation substitute service, the maximum amount of rail miles provided for in Section 3(b)(4) of the Article shall be returned to 26% for the remainder of this Agreement.
I believe i am reading this correctly they can have up to 30% of the freight. I may be wrong it may just be the 26% rate!

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:1036316054:

If I bid out from the road to Utility Driver and by some chance the next bid rotation I get bumped off my Utility run I get to go in the city with full seniority... I figured out saturday I'd be number 19 on the city board. (pretty cool huh?) Too bad I have no retreat rights for the road or I'd go back in my seniority spot on the road.
But the city ain't a bad deal when your number 19.
You wouldn't have to get bumped off your U bid....you could simply choose not to take it again and bid whatever city position you could hold.
 
:1036316054:

If I bid out from the road to Utility Driver and by some chance the next bid rotation I get bumped off my Utility run I get to go in the city with full seniority
If you have one seniority board it is cool. If you have one year and a day its cool too. But if you have a separate city and road board in your supplement that when you crossover to either, you go to the bottom, then it sounds like a class action lawsuit. You and everybody else knows its not right to all of the people that have went to the bottom all these years and now they get messed over. I vote NO! For them and because it is the right thing to do, period.
 
:shock:check this link out it sayes it all.Logistics Management Print Page

Oh !!!! But we 're supposed to trust the union and agree to what they say that ISN'T IN THE CONTRACT, but is in their supplemental info. WE ARE ALSO SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE the union will never allow non union carriers to haul our freight, even though it ISN'T IN THE CONTRACT, but says so in their supplemental info.

NEW FLASH GUYS, the supplemental info is equivalent to a car salemen promising you the world, then changing everything when you pick up the car and sign the papers.

I had one car dealer, gave me the paperwork to sign and lied to me about the rate I was getting. When I saw it and started out the door, the saleman said "You can't leave, we already put the license plates on your new car !!!" I told him the same thing I'm telling the union, "Fix the contract, or we DON'T HAVE A DEAL !!!"
 
If you have one seniority board it is cool. If you have one year and a day its cool too. But if you have a separate city and road board in your supplement that when you crossover to either, you go to the bottom, then it sounds like a class action lawsuit. You and everybody else knows its not right to all of the people that have went to the bottom all these years and now they get messed over. I vote NO! For them and because it is the right thing to do, period.

I have already heard rumor of some "short timers" at my barn saying they would go utility just to bump into city next bid time. City drivers said that the whisper from TM is that bottom 10% of city boards jobs would be laid off (gone). Doesnt sound good to me.:thumbsdown:
 
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