Loon
We all perform our jobs in the utmost professional manner as we should , I also want this company to prosper and grow , I also want to see my fellow brothers return from layoff, and I also continue to go the extra mile with My customers and will continue to do so just as you in a SAFE manner. I wrote this in deference to the audacity that those who do not want to Recognize and Respect those of us who day in and day out provide them with their paycheck and lifestyle , with the professional work and like investment in this venture and with the dedication that we as individuals and as a group perform on a daily basis.
All we ask in return for this kind of dedication is Respect and to share in the fruits of our hard work and dedication , the demands that the locals and the membership have requested are not preposterous , they are fair and they are flexible , they have even been willing to negotiate a contract that could be flexible in the sense of fruition of years , with the changing economic times . If as we are aware the economy is in a slump at the moment why not on both sides of the bargaining table be open to negotiate say a 2 or 3 year contract ? I know that the Union side would be willing court with this , those who follow the trends of economics through out time as the officers of Industry do and the officers of labor realize fully that the economy swings up and down in cycles ranging and differing in years , we just happen to be in a down cycle at the moment and it is not one of the most dramatic on it seems that it is with the hype we get in the media and the new way that manufacturing has shifted over seas , and into lanes not traditionally abundant in industry due to Higher taxes in the original locations. If you have noticed the freight we now move and the freight that other company's move is not the traditional freight that we and they have built reputations on , we are now servicing the service industry more and more with home delivery's and store delivery's were in the past we moved freight that was dedicated to the manufacturing industry , we still do but the shift is in motion and we all are adapting to this just as the whole country is adapting to the shift into a service society from a manufacturing society.
I want to reiterate the Economy moves and swings in cycles and the Unions are willing to adapt and be willing to negotiate in kind , The negotiation comity for L705 have been willing to adapt and to be flexible with the proposals , it is in evidence when you review the proposals put forth so far , just as it is evident that the negotiating committee for the Companies are not and are not negotiating in Good Faith , the reasons for such a stance is a mystery and many theory's have been bantered around ranging from shifting the freight to non union entity's such as YRC LOGISTICS that a good many of us have noticed , to other theories I will not mention.
The main thing that needs to be taken into perspective is that even with the recent down turn in the economy and in the overall volume of freight to be had , is that Holland has been around since the late 1920's and survived through the Great Depression , World War II , the Korean War , the Vietnam War, Gulf War I and II , Repressions , Oil Shortages , Deregulation , and much , much more it was Proper leadership and guidance , dedication and perseverance of the rank and file that enabled us to not only survive but to grow and prosper , it was the Respect shown to the employees by the former officers of this company and by the mutual respect given in turn that made this one of the top ranked company's in the LTL industry to not only work for but to do business with and customers recognized this and became loyal to this company , this is one of the main things lacking any longer , mutual respect which in turn leads to the juncture of were we are at as a whole in this company and with other companies with their officers and with their employees. If YRC was dedicated in moving forward and grow and prosper not only with this company but all the companies under it's umbrella they would do whatever it took to get this contract wrapped up whether it be to be flexible just as the Union is willing to do. It is said that around a third of all freight either originates or is destined to the Chicago land market why would anyone who looks at profits and growth want to miss out on the opportunity to expand and grow this market but intern lets it detract and move to other companies in the market place , some of the most ardent demands by the employers are not what made these companies viable and able to provide the high quality of service that we have always been able to provide , and to regress into a model that for the most part customers complain about is not going to continue the viability and differences that set us apart from the main stream non-union carriers , it is common business sense that if you are going to pay more you will expect more , and the direction that we are witnessing is not the same overall model that has built these and this company and that sets us apart from the crowd , I understand that some flexibility and change does need to evolve to grow with the changing times but if you have noticed as many have a large portion of these companies we now see in the market place modeled themselves after the model we perfected and we continued to perfect over time , how else do you justify the fact that Holland was always the leader in the industry and that customer service , Employee respect and loyalty was always the top factor and not pricing , we have seen this wain recently with the ever evolving way and direction the Officers of this company decide to try and remake the wheel , and move away From what has and have made this company what it is and was.
"We live thick and are in each other's way, and stumble over one another, and I think we thus lose some respect for one another."
Henry David Thoreau
