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ABF | ABF Makes Bid To Bolt NMFA

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It’s now official: ABF has pulled out of Trucking Management Inc (TMI), the employer association which bargains the National Master Freight Agreement. Freight members need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to maintain one freight standard and one freight contract.

ABF management has let it be known for some time that they would split. ABF CEO Bob Davidson has already stated he wants to pull out of Teamster pension plans and force ABF employees into a 401(k). We need to let him know this isn’t going to happen: ABF always has been part of the NMFA and always will be.

In the past, other carriers have split off. Yellow Freight, for example, bargained separately. The union held them—and all split-off carriers—to the NMFA. This unity has always been Teamster policy, through many General Presidents. ABF needs to hear that this policy still stands. THIS WAS ON tdu web site. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS @ TEAMSTER.ORG. Any truth to this?
 
mustache said:
It’s now official: ABF has pulled out of Trucking Management Inc (TMI), the employer association which bargains the National Master Freight Agreement. Freight members need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to maintain one freight standard and one freight contract.

ABF management has let it be known for some time that they would split. ABF CEO Bob Davidson has already stated he wants to pull out of Teamster pension plans and force ABF employees into a 401(k). We need to let him know this isn’t going to happen: ABF always has been part of the NMFA and always will be.

In the past, other carriers have split off. Yellow Freight, for example, bargained separately. The union held them—and all split-off carriers—to the NMFA. This unity has always been Teamster policy, through many General Presidents. ABF needs to hear that this policy still stands. THIS WAS ON tdu web site. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS @ TEAMSTER.ORG. Any truth to this?
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I heard the same thing from our local freight business agent Thursday? I guess it must be.
 
On the 2nd Qtr report video that we were required to watch he said that at one time there were over 1100 members in TMI, now there are only 5, & 4 of them are YRC companies. He said that ABF would be outvoted 4 to 1 on any issues of disagreement. I don't know if it is that big a deal or not because YRC has made it clear that any relief UPSF gets from the NMFA in their new stand alone contract, YRC expects the same thing. So maybe ABF wants different concessions than what YRC is asking for....The video kept repeating that ABF needs more flexiblity in its workrules & its intension on buying out of all the MEPFs.....My guess is that there will be some changes in the next contract that we will not be too happy with.
 
Company differences

You need to look at the overall. YRC and ABF are way different companies and the way YRC operates and ABF operates are really different even though they are both trucking companies. What is good for YRC is not always good for ABF. ABF got hosed in the last contract because ABF went along with the group. I don't see this going well for ABF if they continue to be tied to the same agreements that YRC has. If ABF does not get certain agreements in the contract that they feel will make them competitive vs. the non-union carriers and UPSF, the future may not be bright.
 
Just watched the second quarter report this morning, and one thing I am afraid I have to agree with is if ABF is still hamstrung with all the work rules concerning classifications after April, we will be lucky to last to the end of the next contract period...
There has to be a way to protect our rights and still give the company the freedom to be able to move the freight in a timely manner...
I worked for CF till they went under, went to Roadway for almost three years (till Yellow took over and started their "hard layoff" routine), now I've been at ABF for two years.. I agree with Mister Freight that ABF is very different from YRC, and it may well be the best thing for us to negotiate separately from them... Time will tell, but I'm afraid the days of the union telling the carriers what they are going to give them are long gone... Fed-Ex and the other non-union carriers would love to see us go past the first of the year without a tentative contract, so they can start their scare tactics to try and take our best customers...
 
Until we control the LTL freight sector again we can hardly control the way things are ran. Unfortunatly the non-unions control LTL right now. To stay competitive and make sure we are around long enough to turn things back around, we may have to give some to ensure our survival long enough to see that things change back into our favor down the road.
 
I firmly believe that all trucking is not created equal. ABF has in the 25 years I've been here made money. Unforturnately now it has become creatively. 33 years ago UPS made 25-30cents more per hour now it's what $6? If I now have to carry in and set up exercise equip., medical equip. and everything else under the sun that some brainchild sales rep.can concock to make quota or bonus then my pay should reflect that also. Our new work assignments has put me on comp. twice in the past 2 years, none in the previous 31 years. With the 1st vote at UPSF going south what can we as a deminishing entity expect from what was a once family owned buisiness to what is now just a stockholders investment. When Robert Young walked out the door i believe so did our future. I would like to believe that as a seperate negotiation our specific needs would be met realisticly for both sides. Just as a point in closing where I'm coming from I have 33 good years in the very solvent New England Pension Fund and could walk away now,but would like to get 2 more years. I know what it's like to start at the bottom been there twice(not counting the carolina deal). No one wants to give up what they have few leave to try something else hoping it's better. I can't tell you how many non-union drivers want to switch to us but the fear of working nights and layoff in the winter keep them away. Our bottom men can make more in 9 mo. here than 12 at some other companies. Lastly I have a company 401k that has tanked in the last 3 weeks thank God my Teamster Pension hasn't. Hope only the best for all you drivers that have a long row to hoe!!!
 
hey guys don't panic
so what abf pulls out of tmi, big deal!
abf management doesn't want to be part of what happened in 1994
all the smaller tmi carriers got sucked into the strike
cf and roadway back then provoked that strike as they had non union capability
cf 's was extensive with ccx
roadway was a lot less with the roadway regional group
everyone else had none
everyone else got bit in the *** something fierce
when you look back in retrospect cf' s interests boomed whereas conway wouldn't be what it is currently without the strike
roadway's non unions were dogs so they did not fare up to expectations
everyone else took a major hit for sure
after 2-3 weeks they were all screaming to settle as they realized what was happening to their business as it was being siphoned off by ccx and the roadway regional group
everyone was pulling out of tmi at that point but the damage was surely done
the only smart carrier was carolina as they agreed with the union's stance concerning part timers

in this current scenario it is a little different you have yrc controlling the unionized segment with abf standing alone
abf seems to want a say in their destiny much like ups's sentiments of not wanting to be part of any multi employer anything

what we will probably see here is a NMFA with an ABF addendum much like we saw when yellow was not part of tmi

yeah will work rules differ? sure they will but have a profound effect? probably not as they differ greatly now as there really is no true consistency throughout the country now
it will come down to what we the members will be forced to live with period
the sooner we realize that fact the easier it will be to swallow
being a realist and basing my thoughts on past situations, the companies usually get what they ask for not completely but close
 
big steve said:
what we will probably see here is a NMFA with an ABF addendum much like we saw when yellow was not part of tmi

the sooner we realize that fact the easier it will be to swallow
being a realist and basing my thoughts on past situations, the companies usually get what they ask for not completely but close
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I agree!!! The sooner we accept the fact that the union trucking companies no longer control the LTL trucking industry & that we have to play catch up in order to compete, then it will be easier to accept....I don't want to give anything back, but lets face it, the nons are cutting rates & getting all the good accounts thus leaving us to try & squeeze a profit out of the, shall we call them, not such good accounts.
 
also keep in mind boys the fact that competitive equity must be the standard
if it isn't acheived in the ltl segment whether it be the ups freight contract or anywhere else it would only serve to be self defeatist at best
favoring any one carrier or group of carriers is a bad move
it hasn't been done really before so why start now
should we at abf give our company the extreme competive advantage it seeks?
hell no
:nutkick: as then the next company would go even further and so on
a downward spiral
as we the workers suffer these concessions the companies will benefit alone
someday we'll be paying them to come to work:nutkick:
 
National Nothing

To all my carpet bagger brothers out there.
Pretty soon we all will be riding the rails like hobo's. Big Steve from New York is on the money. His comment on If we keep lowering our standards to compete with non-union, Non-union will simply keep lowering there standards and we are off on a race to the bottom. I have 4 children and barely making ends meet now. My only hope left now is hitting the mega millions lottery jack pot. ABF is after part timers and the people in the South will be working for less. The working man doesn't have a chance. Pretty soon you will start to see tons of foreign help. I use to be very proud to be a ABF'er. I keep Robert Young in my prayers, And pray he comes back and gets behind the wheel and keeps us from jack knifing. I'm sorry for being so depressing. The positive side of all this is welfare doesn't drug test. We can apply for section 8 housing and lay on the couch all day with the best benifits and collect a check. I love all you guy's and I'm not gay. But I will always always be proud to be a TEAMSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
What!

Teamster Hitman said:
To all my carpet bagger brothers out there.
Pretty soon we all will be riding the rails like hobo's. Big Steve from New York is on the money. His comment on If we keep lowering our standards to compete with non-union, Non-union will simply keep lowering there standards and we are off on a race to the bottom. I have 4 children and barely making ends meet now. My only hope left now is hitting the mega millions lottery jack pot. ABF is after part timers and the people in the South will be working for less. The working man doesn't have a chance. Pretty soon you will start to see tons of foreign help. I use to be very proud to be a ABF'er. I keep Robert Young in my prayers, And pray he comes back and gets behind the wheel and keeps us from jack knifing. I'm sorry for being so depressing. The positive side of all this is welfare doesn't drug test. We can apply for section 8 housing and lay on the couch all day with the best benifits and collect a check. I love all you guy's and I'm not gay. But I will always always be proud to be a TEAMSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ABF is after part timers and the people in the South............WHAT ARE YOU SAYING THE SOUTH IS WEAKER? WE HAVE CLASSIFICATIONS, SEPRATE BOARDS, (ROAD,CITY) BID TOWMOTOR MEN ,PLUS MUCH MUCH MORE.THE EAST,NORTH AND WEST GAVE UP YEARS AGO! THE SOUTH IS THE LAST OF THE TRUE TEAMSTERS.. ILL PUT THE SOUTHERN REGION NMFA UP AGAINST ANYWHERE IN THE U.S..............................
 
I am not saying the South is weaker relax. If you were around during the last strike the companies wanted to pay regionally, The company was trying to break us up. They said since the cost of living was cheaper in the south they felt they should pay less. I went on stike for 5 1/2 weeks in support of my southern brothers. Stop be so defensive.
What i'm saying is your great Southern agreement the one I helped defend is under attack. Let's not fight among ourselves. I'm sorry you took it that way. I should have been more detailed. I might be moving down south so I can be with last of the true Teamsters. Y'all be good now, Here.
 
Brothers....you need to contact your Local BA and ask to see the 1991-1994 YELLOW FREIGHT NMFA that was negogiated when Yellow Freight pulled out of TMI before the end of the 1990 NMFA negogiations.....this ain't new.....been done before and Yellow came back into TMI before the 1994 strike.

Just a little bit of TMI history for you.....KK
 
Divide and Conquer! That's Our Employer's Plans!

ABF is just jumping on the bandwagon of DHL who also wants to pull out of the NMFA, and also UPS Freight who wants no part of the NMFA! Let's be REAL CAREFUL about busting up a National Contract that we've worked under since 1964! James R. Hoffa knew that the only way to stay strong and get respect in this union in trucking was with a NATIONAL CONTRACT! Once the NMFA is busted up by ABF and YRC, we can kiss the IBT Freight Divison goodbye! We should be demanding that DHL stay in the NMFA, that UPS Freight be organized under the NMFA, and that our health and welfare and pension plans be strengthened by organizing new members into them...not busting them up and weakening them! We need some "creative thinking" on the part of our Union officials and our Health and Welfare and Pension Fund trustees to stem the tide of our employers grabbing and stealing away the benefits and protections we have fought for for 43 years! LET'S MAINTAIN THE STANDARDS, NOT LOSE THEM! STAY UNITED AND SHOW ABF, YRC, and UPS THAT WE WILL FIGHT LIKE DOGS TO PRESERVE THE NMFA AND ALL NATIONAL CONTRACTS!:USA:
 
freightmaster1 said:
ABF is just jumping on the bandwagon of DHL who also wants to pull out of the NMFA, and also UPS Freight who wants no part of the NMFA! Let's be REAL CAREFUL about busting up a National Contract that we've worked under since 1964! James R. Hoffa knew that the only way to stay strong and get respect in this union in trucking was with a NATIONAL CONTRACT! Once the NMFA is busted up by ABF and YRC, we can kiss the IBT Freight Divison goodbye! We should be demanding that DHL stay in the NMFA, that UPS Freight be organized under the NMFA, and that our health and welfare and pension plans be strengthened by organizing new members into them...not busting them up and weakening them! We need some "creative thinking" on the part of our Union officials and our Health and Welfare and Pension Fund trustees to stem the tide of our employers grabbing and stealing away the benefits and protections we have fought for for 43 years! LET'S MAINTAIN THE STANDARDS, NOT LOSE THEM! STAY UNITED AND SHOW ABF, YRC, and UPS THAT WE WILL FIGHT LIKE DOGS TO PRESERVE THE NMFA AND ALL NATIONAL CONTRACTS!:USA:
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unfortunately my friend, Jr. has already conceeded defeat to the corporations. remember in the years of slavery that you had a character that was a "Sambo" ? a typical "Yes Boss, whatever you need boss!" well that's Jr. in a nutshell speaking to the corp.
 
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