I think we'll see another contract. But.....the big question is: Who will be negotiating for us? All of us in Freight, UPS, UPS Freight, Carhaul,.....We all know that our current "leadership" has..........let me put this diplomatically, because I am giving them credit for being Union Brothers............the current "leadership" has .....uhhh.....lost their "focus" on how to negotiate good contracts.
In a time of growing Labor and qualified driver shortages,......that all of us at the coffee counter at truckstops have been aware of,...and talking about,.....for the last 5 years (at least),........why,....in the name of Beelzebub, .....did they negotiate a cut wage/ cut benefit contract? Why did the company have to use "tricks",....like "releasing" a potential buyout "offer", and using that......"offer"..... to terrorize a little more than half of us into accepting this cut-rate deal? Why didn't our..."leadership"....shut down negotiations completely until the validity of the so-called "buyout" could be proven?
Why did our...."leadership"....have to alter the IBT bylaws to prevent any more supplemental votes on the UPS contract, and thereby now have the language to accept any contract....WITHOUT A MEMBER VOTE.....if they feel that the contract offered by the company is in the "member's best interests"?
Why did they negotiate "bonus" language without also negotiating strict guidelines as to how the company accounts for their profits?
Why do they allow the company to make up words like "customer-facing" that aren't in the contract, that
allows the company to discriminate against certain groups of employees?
Why do they lackadaisically allow "contract creep"?......in which the company establishes practices which aren't specifically addressed in the contract, yet violate seniority.
Why does it take a year or more for a grievance to be heard? In the case of our Uniform grievances, I suspect everyone is dragging their feet until April. Isn't that the month that Cintas established the uniform contract with ABF? Does Cintas have a one year contract?
Why doesn't our...."leadership"....understand that in the face of a massive driver shortage,....we actually have the companies by the metaphysical throat, as it were. FedEx drivers have gotten at least five pay raises since we've ...."ratified"....our contract. ABF employees are the SECOND-LOWEST paid LTL drivers out there. YRC drivers are the lowest.
Why,....in the name of all the Holy Irish Saints,.....am I paying for my HAZ-MAT license? Why are they allowed to fire me if I refuse to take money out of my household and pay for a HAZ-MAT license, background check, and re-re-re-re-take my fingerprints,.....for an additional set of responsibilities and regulatory headaches,......and potential jail,.......so that my employer can advertise that "they" are a HAZ-MAT carrier. It's MY license,....I'm the HAZ-MAT carrier......
Convention's coming in June, guys. Who do you want negotiating your next contract? Sorry if I'm breaking your hearts , Gordon and Tyson,....but you guys certainly haven't done us any good. ABF upper management are wearing out their collective sleeves snickering into them,.......They really think they've tricked you guys into thinking this company was....."going under",....when in reality, they were looking for the capital to finance their foray into logistics,......and eventually, fewer and fewer Teamster jobs.....Keep on....."negotiating"....the way you've been,.....and 10 years from now, you can represent the 30 or so ABF teamsters that are left that the company will keep around as an anachronism,....and to say that they are a "Teamster" company........