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ABF | am I getting brainwashed?

T

ttman

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It almost seems "fashionable" to say you are voting NO on this contract and I know for myself, the more I read the proposal over, I come away with a different view. I'm not sure how to explain it, but we really need to keep an open mind. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT for howdy and his policies, I believe a guy that draws 3.8 million a year and worries about my health and welfare payments being too costly really sucks. No other need for discussion there. But we do need to keep in mind that things are changing big time in freight. And like it or not, we're going to have to face up to it and change.
Don't beat me up too much on this...... Believe me I am against trucker bob and all his cohoorts making all that big $$$ and trying to be our "fellow employees". That's hogwash and I don't trust any of them with my well being. Now I will step aside and listen to what others have to say.
So bring it on.
You are all thinking it, I got the b*lls to say it. (the guy from boston.com)
 
peg leg said:
Former Red Star employee---- was glad with what I was getting and now NOTHING
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Yeah, well that is what I am hoping to avoid here. And by the way, I lived in kittery years ago. Picot rd. So, hello, neighbor!
 
peg leg said:
Former Red Star employee---- was glad with what I was getting and now NOTHING
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Yeah I agree Brother...What the Union allowed USF Holland to get away with where Red Star was concerned turned me against the all mighty Union. Sorry but I can never forgive the Union for allowing that to happen..Glad I was able to get enough time in to retire. The Union even made that part hard to do.
 
Dirtball said:
Yeah I agree Brother...What the Union allowed USF Holland to get away with where Red Star was concerned turned me against the all mighty Union. Sorry but I can never forgive the Union for allowing that to happen..Glad I was able to get enough time in to retire. The Union even made that part hard to do.
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I worked for redstar back in 1986 out of local 170. I was only casual, but weren't they under a different contract other than freight?
 
ttman I don't think that you are brainwashed. It is good that you have read the new contract closely & not just jumped on the bandwagon.....IMO the IBT weakened the NMFA by giving UPSF/Overnite their own contract & now we are paying for that with these givebacks in this new YRC contract.....Future new contracts will be designed for FedEx & DHL leaving the NMFA to shrivel up & die.

I don't know which side to believe, I think that ABF & the IBT are playing a dangerous game & customers are starting to ask why ABF isn't part of the contract. ABF salesmen don't know what to tell them.
 
I'm not sure if we aren't all getting brainwashed by everything being said by both sides in this... I do agree with 2631 that this is a dangerous game that could backfire on all the players who think they have nothing to lose. I tried to look at the contract with an open mind, and even though there are parts that don't make me very happy I feel that overall, it's not a bad deal... But then again, I'm not a road driver...
 
the more I look into it, the more I wonder if it isn't all that bad. I mean, it's cool to sit in the break room and talk tough and say sh*t NO, we won't stand for that! WE'LL WALK THE PICKET LINE RATHER THAN GIVE BACK etc etc etc. I've walked picket lines before. There was a time and a place for them. This is not the time and place for one. I find it very unpleasant to give into howdy if it will increase his multi million dollar income. I find that very offensive. Disgusting corporate greed at best. The nerve of him commenting on how much my health and welfare costs.
But, I do know that abf is at a very unfair disadvantage over the way the nonunion companies run their operations. Common sense dictates that we have to change to compete. I don't want to sound like a cheerleader for howdy by no means. Believe me, I am NOT a company man.
Not for that man.
But change is inevitable. Like it or not?
Read the contract. Put it down and read it again tomorrow. Then repeat. You cannot fully understand this contract by skimming through it. If anyone sits in a breakroom and listens to other drivers blowing off steam and talking tough and you make a decision solely on what you hear in that breakroom, you are doing yourself a very big disservice. This is too important to listen to that "breakroom BS". Make an intelligent, informed decision.
Just my 2 cents. Let me hear yours.
 
schuyler said:
" the only thing we have to fear is fear it self" think about it. ABf IBT WILL work this out.
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ditto on that brother
the sales force are just lackeys for corporate
they are being used by big bob to put fear in our hearts
big bob likes to talk tough let's see how he reacts when his feet are held to the fire
like i stated before, this contract is not half bad for the companies so whats the problem
if i can live with it so can they

i guess abf is crying boo hoo over the ibt not letting them out of the pension funds
hey big bob put up one billion and put it on the table and maybe just maybe the ibt will change it's mind
but to want to pay it down ( the withdrawal fee ) over 10 - 15 yrs , no way jose!!!!!!:toxic::biglaugh::hysterical::smilie_132:
 
ttman don't fret
this contract ain't half bad
we have seen worse in the near past
if was a truly concessionary deal like TDU makes it out to be we would not get anything in return for those "concessions'
hell, drivers doin dock work is not new
yrc companies outside of chicago and the ny nj area have been combo for years
holland has had the hoffa sr dispatch since the 50's which in reality was the model for PSE and what is now utility men
abf is combo everywhere already so there is no real culture shock at least with us
$1 per hour H&W plus the usual raise is not bad, aint the best but a few pennies more to strike over - i think not
in fact in exchange for a little flexibility another buck an hour i feel is better than the .20 we got with PSE
you are right like bob dylan used to sing"them times are a changin"
 
Good Title- Brainwashed

After reading big steve's last 2 posts, (& a pm explaining in detail his views on what ABF is trying to do), I have come to realize that I was being brainwashed.

Watching ABF salesmen walking around with a worried look on their faces because they didn't know what to tell their customers.

Management asking drivers what we thought would going to happen.

Not understanding why the IBT was not negotiating with ABF & why they wouldn't allow them to buy out of the MEPFs

The "doom & gloom" talk amoung us drivers on the street.

The IBT filing NLRB charges against ABF & telling us to vote "yes" because ABF wants us to vote "no"

I thought that I was smart enought to see right through ABF's propaganda videos & news letters, but it was what ABF didn't say or do, that is what I was falling for.

Looking at the stock quote at the top of this page it reads ABFS up $3.94. I guess some people know a lot more about whats going on than I do.
 
big steve said:
ttman don't fret
this contract ain't half bad
we have seen worse in the near past
if was a truly concessionary deal like TDU makes it out to be we would not get anything in return for those "concessions'
hell, drivers doin dock work is not new
yrc companies outside of chicago and the ny nj area have been combo for years
holland has had the hoffa sr dispatch since the 50's which in reality was the model for PSE and what is now utility men
abf is combo everywhere already so there is no real culture shock at least with us
$1 per hour H&W plus the usual raise is not bad, aint the best but a few pennies more to strike over - i think not
in fact in exchange for a little flexibility another buck an hour i feel is better than the .20 we got with PSE
you are right like bob dylan used to sing"them times are a changin"
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Yes, we've seen worse in the past. I keep reading the contract and one time I am not sure I like it, then I read it some more and I think it is not as bad as it could be etc. All in all I am not sure it is worth worrying over to try and get a little more. I really do think the times are a changing and even though we don't like it, we're pretty much going to have to accept some form of change and learn to make the best of it? The $1 an hour for the utility driver for city/dock/yard employees is ok, but for road drivers it really amounts to a $9-$10 decrease for us because on most of our runs we can average about $31 per hour. So if a utility employee does take a run away from the road he will run it for only $23 an hour. I'm not sure I am explaining that very clear. It's not good for the road and I know they said it will not affect the road, but they said that about pse and meet/turn and it was disastrous for some of the roadmen. We were just very fortunate that our local got us protection and our drivers were reimbursed for the lost wages. But this time we may not be able to get that protection. Time will tell. Overall, I am almost ready to accept this package, not quite sold yet, but leaning towards it.
 
I'm from Rdwy so probably have no business here but don't forget the other stuff guys. $14 dollar part timers, (they don't get a vote) 3 days instead of 2 for H & W,(I'm laid off on call not lazy) NON UNION Linehaul(how much depends on who you listen to). And to be perfectly honest if we do give into this the Ceo's will just find some other reason they can't compete. Management has always looked for a way to blame us for all their short comings. Make the work force look like chit so they don't smell so bad. I'll go back where I belong now:smilie_132:
 
wolf we are all Brothers. Your opinion is welcome here. You belong as much as the next brother. I remember when we were all Teamsters working for different companies.
 
wolf said:
I'm from Rdwy so probably have no business here but don't forget the other stuff guys. $14 dollar part timers, (they don't get a vote) 3 days instead of 2 for H & W,(I'm laid off on call not lazy) NON UNION Linehaul(how much depends on who you listen to). And to be perfectly honest if we do give into this the Ceo's will just find some other reason they can't compete. Management has always looked for a way to blame us for all their short comings. Make the work force look like chit so they don't smell so bad. I'll go back where I belong now:smilie_132:
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Yes, I know exactly what you are saying. And that is what keeps me AND many, many others sitting here wondering which way to go. I know I sit here and listen to the union side and it makes sense and I want to grab a sign and get ready to walk, then I listen to the company side and I don't know, as much as I distrust our ceo (and believe me, I find him extremely offensive with his greed) I still find myself thinking some of the things he is saying has some measure of truth to it. And if you knew me, you would know how much I cringe at saying what I just said because I have no use for a greedy person like this who is capable of telling me any lie he needs to say to convince me of his greedy ways. I can see that if we give in to his greedy needs, he will just find other ways to say that we need to give more so that we can compete. I guess this is what contracts are all about and I guess this is why we have a union that is supposed to get the best they can for us under these conditions?
 
hillbilly frog said:
wolf we are all Brothers. Your opinion is welcome here. You belong as much as the next brother. I remember when we were all Teamsters working for different companies.
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Yes, hillbilly, I can recall working out of the hall. We would report there to see who had work that day. I had 21 w2's one year. We were all truly brothers back then!
Over the years we were bothers, we were family now we are fellow employees?
 
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