Tsk, tsk; you can't make a valid point with facts, so you have to resort to personal attacks. Sorry to tell you, but your "slip is showing". Not only have you clearly shown that you're out in left field (as in very far off-base), but here's some facts to scare the living daylights out of you:
1) The choice to turn the safety functions over to the rank-and-file wasn't made lightly. According to the "higher-ups" who explained it to me, they realized that we know far more about what goes on behind the wheel than they do.
2) It was substantially the executive management that ran us "into the ground"; that I agree with. Sadly, they had lots of help from SOME of the rank-and-file. Some of the management became as frustrated as many of us at what they were seeing (James Welch was among them). They left the company, many of them to Con-Way.
3) In case you haven't heard, we have a target on our collective back from FMCSA because of vehicle maintenance problems. Some of it is due to "old" equipment, but most of it is due to inadequate pre-trip inspections. One of the reasons that we have Safety trainers from the rank-and-file is to make a show of good faith to FMCSA that we as a company are aggressively tackling these problems, which we as a company are doing.
4) I can't speak for ALL of the Safety trainers across the company, but certainly can for myself. Anytime you would like to compare resumes, just let me know.
5) Have I turned in my card? Actually, my Local hasn't issued paper dues receipts for many years. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that I have "held a card" far longer than you have (think mid-1970s).
6) Since you refer to "us" as bums, let's compare photographs and resumes. Are you "in"?
'Nuff said?