Do you know HOFFA appointed all the Trustees from the union side sir because I do. Do you know HOFFA has complete say so as to who can and can not be organized. So you see his people let UPS opt out of CENTRAL STATES. Listen to your post you said HOFFA has nothing to do with organizing come on you know that is not true. Just for the record go to Central States web site and look at how many new members were brought into the fund last year. It damn sure wasn't 40'000 I'll tell you sir. Didn't HOFFA call for the strike that was done at OVERNITE several years ago? I know it was him because I helped during the strike. He is the President of all TEAMSTERS so yes he does have a say so in all matters. I can understand if you are a HOFFA supporter but please don't try and tell me a thirty years plus TEAMSTER about how great of a job he has done. And you are right we are now a very small part of the TEAMSTERS and you say that none of that is HOFFA's fault well sir I disagree. So if you lose your job as a Trucker you might get on as a railroad worker or a graphic artist or a Police Officer but chances are you wouldn't qualify for such jobs. But hey you keep telling me how great HOFFA is if it makes you feel better. They traded our pension fund for UPS Freight. You explain why my employer has to pay more for me than the richest Trucking company owner in America. Does that seem like a fair deal HOFFA gave UPS over YRC and ABF? All that the UPS Freight brought to the TEAMSTERS was a lot of dues paying people not Health and Welfare or they damn sure aren't helping in our retirement funds now are they? So please don't tell me what a great job he is doing.
You are entitled to your OPINIONS. I respect the OPINION of other Teamsters.
First what I said was:
Any inference that Hoffa, and the elected leaders below are solely responsible for organizing, is a farce.
I stand by that statement as being factual and the truth. I know what the HUGE undertaking organizing is. How many of the 40.000 new union members did your local organize? Our Local 710 was over one thousand, without, the new membership from UPS Freight.
I think that there are plenty of Executive Board members of the Joint Councils and Locals who would take issue with the appointment issue of the fund trustees. In our Local which is autonomous, voting trustees vote in vacancies, as they become available. As a matter of Law, if the non-appointed Union Officials get involved in anything to do with the day to day operations of any of the funds is a Federal crime. Any and all inferences of illegal tampering are quickly investigated by an appointed special prosecutor, assigned by the IRB. If the allegations are sustained, indictments are issued, and they have to answer to those charges, all of which are noted in the back of the Teamster Magazine, or easily found on the DC Circuit Court records. In addition, the Central States issue is a fraction of all of the programs in the system, so naturally you will not see 40,000 new contributors to that particular fund.
Hoffa is the General President. I think my Secretary-Treasurer, and President of Local 710 just might have almost 101% to say what goes on in the four walls of our union.
To be honest, I believe the strike at Overnite was voted on by the prospective membership, wasn't it? In addition, did you not know that the Court ordered Union Pacific Corporation to the table to negotiate a first contract? Further, did you know that the Union Pacific Corporation told the union that they can fight and fight all they want they will exhaust every penny in our bank in legal fees before they even think about going to any bargaining table? Did you write your Senators and Congressman to encourage the government to withdraw any further government subsidies the Union Pacific RR gets, still to this day, thereby funding their unfair labor practices?
I do not know what this means.
They traded our pension fund for UPS Freight.
I am still at a loss to understand what you mean by this.
Does that seem like a fair deal HOFFA gave UPS over YRC and ABF?
If you mean is it fair that UPS Freight got their own contract? To be honest about it, you would probably have to ask the UPSF people if they are happy with their contract.
Every new employer brought to the table brings different issues. Every employer by law is allowed to negotiate a fair contract with the union. What did Hoffa give away? I don't think Hoffa had any choices given the anti-union government we have in place. We have to follow the letter of the law. Otherwise, the employer opts out of the unionization by default, via the Federal District Court.
ABF had their golden opportunity to withdraw from the pension funds, and an opportunity to get their own contract. The problem is they beat us over the head with their "q-reports and team and safety reports" that eventually outlined their intentions. All this time knowing full well that our bargaining agents are our elected officials. Had they held their plans for the bargaining table, as they should have, things just might have gone their way.
Would I have supported a new contract for us here at ABF? Perhaps. I would have to be able to read in full all the agreed to terms. Would I have supported a withdrawal from our pension plan at 710? NO. Would I have supported a withdrawal from CSPF? If they gave the same deal as UPS package, yes. Any of the other funds? I cannot speak for anyone else on that matter.
In order to be brief, in another post you said this union is twenty years behind times. You also go on to say we organized railroad engineers, that of course is not true. The BLET and BMWED were existing unions that recognized the power and the forward momentum of the Teamsters, and merged in with us. As for the twenty years behind comment, you are right. A guy named Ron Carey, nearly bankrupted the International, gave away our right to strike with the NMFA and brought in the three tiered pay progression, and other major give away items, so he is the culprit that you need to focus your anger. Carey was also defeated by default when he was convicted of crimes that put this union in shame, and was lifetime banned from membership.
No you will not hear me say that I am a thirty year Teamster. I have been in the transportation industry for over thirty years. I have been a Teamster for nine of those years. I resisted joinng this union for years because of the members that talked against the union leaders.
Guess why organizing is as hard as it is?
Just as an aside, where do you derive your facts specifically about Mr. Hoffa? Just curious.