Anti-union propaganda in LA?

I still want to see a copy of that nice letter the Vanderpols sent to the IBT saying how they were more than willing to work with the union(ha ha) I'm sure the employees would love to see it,how about it? Do you wanna post it up?
 
davidvp said:
A suggestion to you all about improving conditions in the industry. Have a card signing party at the many non union competitors with inferior wages and benefits which drive the price of our services down.

That is a great idea. How about one day per week off so we can do this.
 
RedRollingRoadblock said:
That is a great idea. How about one day per week off so we can do this.


Or you can leave jsut the card in your break room....
 
Friend of the Frog nice remarks. Many either dont know of or do not remember Willig Freight Lines but I like many was a second generation employee. We were a strong Company in the west and a powerhouse in California for decades. I left the Company in 1985 partially because the shinny shoed Teamster Reps never had an answer to Viking or Con Way. Willig played fair with the Union and I can only remember 2 short strikes one in 1969 and one in the late 70's. The guys I worked with were proud of their Company and they realized that the Company paid their check not the Union. I never witnessed a Business Agent go out on sales calls, hostle in yards, make a delivery or dispatch. THat being said good luck to Oak Harbor, hopefully they can survive against the Big Boys both non-union, union and semi-union. At the end of the day, the owner carries(s) the risk.

Willigkid
 
Well, your experiences are your experiences, remember. I've had BA's who worked the docks and the city and the line and didn't forget where they came from. Same with company owners or executives, for that matter. And I've seen the opposite in both union officals and company management.

Some pay their dues, and some never have to and so don't know what the men and women out on the front lines are going through.

I work with guys who worked at Willig, and I know the score about what happened over there. Same with CF, same with NationsWay... and on and on. Oak Harbor is not operating under an extremely inflexible labor agreement, and they have their opportunities to be profitable without us having to sell the farm or work like indentured servants.

I would say the company statistics speak for themselves: roughly every five years historically we have doubled in size. We are competitive on price and service, and we have 90 years of history to back this up.

And we did it with Teamsters driving Oak Harbor trucks...
 
Shifterknob,

Your right each situation has it's own complexities. I just think some feel the union pays the way not the company. Oak Harbor is really the last private west coast carrier.To make that happen, it had to have taken hard work from both blue and white collar employees union or not. As far as the demise of Willig, I was gone 10 years when that happened. I always figured it was bad management towrds the end, CF's fate was sealed when Con Way was born.
 
Yes to both points. It's a shame about Willig, because everybody I know that worked for them liked them a lot.

And while I do agree that the company is the party that cuts the check, it is the union that makes sure the check is a good check, and that all of the negotiated points are being adhered to.

It takes two to tango in this business, because management cannot make it without labor, and it takes management to provide the jobs in the first place. We understand that.

Like I mentioned before, it makes no business sense for the union to drive a company out of business, but we do have standards and expectations as employees and as Teamsters of both the company and our union representation.

Being involved in both your union and your company makes it far likelier that you will have a satisfactory experience out of both...
 
allnightrain44 said:
davidvp. hats off to you for even comeing on here and speaking, you seem to have at least a open mind, and are at least trying here. i'm from the east coast, new penn motor express, i'm sure you've heard of us. from our begining, EH ARNOLD, the owner had a union company. and over our years of operation, we have been if not the most profitable ltl, at the top of the list, best o/r in the industry, best in claims, and on and on. before the roadway/ yellow deal. so let me say, it's not the or all the union that brings these companys down, or puts them out of business. we are living proof. management has to take reponsablity in that also. on the other hand, before the big buy-out, i can tell you this company did more work and moved more freight with less people than any i know of, the men were treated with respect, but most worked hard to keep us the best in the business. they were proud to work for npme. did more than they had to, worked when it was needed and there was really no bullshit, we were all includeing management working togather for all of us, but yes we were union and under the master freight aggrement.after that strike in 93-94, when i went back in the city, i needed another hand to count the customers that said to me, we didnt even know npme was a union company. management has since changed , additudes have also, we have supervisors with additudes worse than any or as bad as any teamster i have ever met, .it's a constant pissing contest. piles of grevienses, we still are good, but can't help but think how we could really be good if managements additude would'nt have changed. npme doesn't have total control over npme like it used to. men that remeber how to work are retireing, and can't find help, just hireing lots of body's, actually in my opion morons with know kind of work ethic, peroid. i know about your company, because of SHIFTERKNOB, who has taken the time to write it down, and provide news of your company. i see a comparison of your family co. and what npme used to be. while SHIFTERKNOB might seem like your, lets say, enemy, here. from his posts over the years, union or not, he probably cares more for your company than any dozen supervisors you could pick and your biggest non-union terminal combined. i say dont fear the union, these men have a right to decent pay and pension just as you do, they work hard like you do, npme is as flexable as any non-uniom company around, and even though all have tried, they still cant do over-night in the north-east consistantly like us. you still have total control over your company, and while you do listening and working with men like SHIFTERKNOB, who still care , and only want good pay and secure future and retirement, and respect, will benifit you and all of you in the end. if all your energy could be put into working the freight, management and employee's, instead of fighting the union, or each other at this point, think how much freight you left coast guys could really move.

Great post allnighttrain. Very well said
 
CFer said:
Great post allnighttrain. Very well said

Man, Drivers like allnighttrain is a dieing breed. Makes me think back when we had men working the docks and driving the trucks that really new how to work together.

Very good post makes me proud to be a truck driver. Hopefully we can get it back.
 
Skeeter said:
Man, Drivers like allnighttrain is a dieing breed. Makes me think back when we had men working the docks and driving the trucks that really new how to work together.

Very good post makes me proud to be a truck driver. Hopefully we can get it back.

Sure lot of great nostalgia going on here recently. It is cool!

:bananalama: :horse:
 
Shifter Knob -

I haven't had a chance to respond to your response to my post that got you a tad excited. I was too busy counting all of my money in my 401 K. It takes a long time!!! Just Kidding! Go ahead and laugh.

You responded well to my "If it is that bad, just leave". My guess is from your remarks that you are willing to admit that every once in a while a company that has been around for 90 years like Oak Harbor has made some good changes and good decisions. What bothers folks in management is that at times, no matter what changes they enact, it is never enough for some people. It seems like the only thing they know is how to criticize. Thats what wears down folks like David VP.

They are doing their best, attempting to survive, making the best decisions they can, yet it isn't enough. After a while, you feel like Jerry Quarry fighting Ali. Just how many shots can you take?

The problem that companies like Oak Harbor face is that if they allow their cost structure to get too far out of line vs. their competition, they can't make money. The fly-by-night bottom feeders that hurt you for a little while and then go away aren't the problem. Those guys are pretty much gone, or don't have a real impact. The real problems are the large, well run, technologically sophisticated non-union carriers that hold a significant cost advantage to union, or partially union, companies. These are quality carriers, who provide good service, yet they have a net cost advantage of 5% to 10%. They can charge less than organized carriers, yet still make a decent return. That's why carriers are resistant to unionization.

There is no doubt that unionized jobs in this industry pay well. But also recognize that if a carrier can't make a decent enough return to reinvest in their comapny, they won't make it. That is the situation Oak harbor is faced with.

David VP would probably love to give eveyone in his company a raise. But the market, and the prevailing pricing, is driven by forces outside of his company that he has no control over. The only thing he can really control is the cost structure within his company and that's what he is trying to do.
 
Everytime we go to negotiate contracts they cry poormouth.We say open the books up!
They say,oh no were not gonna do that,were a private company,so who do we believe? I certainly dont buy into the corporate rhetoric.
Oka harbor has more money then they know what to do with.If the employees knew how much they give to charity and the community
they would Sh@# themselves,dont get me wrong,i'm all about charity as well,but it starts at home.
 
freightpunk said:
Everytime we go to negotiate contracts they cry poormouth.We say open the books up!
They say,oh no were not gonna do that,were a private company,so who do we believe? I certainly dont buy into the corporate rhetoric.
Oka harbor has more money then they know what to do with.If the employees knew how much they give to charity and the community
they would Sh@# themselves,dont get me wrong,i'm all about charity as well,but it starts at home.


Way to dig a hole for yourself. Bash the company for giving to charity and back to the community.

God forbid they they help the less fortunate.

I am sure there are no poverty cases on the payroll. Everybody would like to get paid more and most of us deserve more, but to slam the guy for being generous with the under priviledged really sounds ignorant.

Sometimes you need to think twice before hitting that reply button.
 
Friend of the frog said:
Way to dig a hole for yourself. Bash the company for giving to charity and back to the community.

God forbid they they help the less fortunate.

I am sure there are no poverty cases on the payroll. Everybody would like to get paid more and most of us deserve more, but to slam the guy for being generous with the under priviledged really sounds ignorant.

Sometimes you need to think twice before hitting that reply button.
Are you blind or stupid? read the bottom of my post you idiot,I said i'm all about charity,but dont go around crying poverty.
It's obvious your a corporate loving slug and more power to you,but I have to work for a living.I dont have the privilige of Steak and lobster lunches and dry martinis on the company dime.And don't you ever tell me to think twice about the reply button,i'll tell you exactly how I feel pal,ain't nothing you can do about it.
 
freightpunk said:
Are you blind or stupid? read the bottom of my post you idiot,I said i'm all about charity,but dont go around crying poverty.
It's obvious your a corporate loving slug and more power to you,but I have to work for a living.I dont have the privilige of Steak and lobster lunches and dry martinis on the company dime.And don't you ever tell me to think twice about the reply button,i'll tell you exactly how I feel pal,ain't nothing you can do about it.


You obviously have no idea what you are talking about here, so I will just ignore your post from this point.

I was trying to be civil and help you to realize that you have plenty to gripe and B**** about without attacking the company for being charitable.

I did not attack you or call you names, which cannot be said about you.

Ease up on the caffeine and relax dude.
 
Friend of the frog said:
You obviously have no idea what you are talking about here, so I will just ignore your post from this point.

I was trying to be civil and help you to realize that you have plenty to gripe and B**** about without attacking the company for being charitable.

I did not attack you or call you names, which cannot be said about you.

Ease up on the caffeine and relax dude.
Yeah,that figures,runaway Florence Nightencompany.
 
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