I don't remember ABF doing any discounting as you claim. In fact ABF has consistently had the highest rates of all of the carriers & only superior service has enabled ABF to attract & retain customers. ABF pays the highest wages & benefits in the industry. YRC hourly employees are not responsible for the discounting this company has done which violated the agreement not to discount when wage concessions were implemented & pension payments were halted. I don't know of any ABF employee that wants to see YRC go belly up. The loss of ABF or YRC would take the Teamsters out of the freight industry.
ABF | Not an easy answer
- Thread starter vongrimmenstein
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vongrimmenstein
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There will be NO strike, there WILL be changes in work rules. There WILL be a raise, however, there WILL be greater deductibles on our insurance, ABF will put it in one pocket and Central States will take it out of the other pocket. Most likely a 5 yr. deal and ABF WILL get their separate contract. If they are forced back on the same timeline with YRC by the Union, the former lawsuit against the IBT/YRCW that had no standing could quickly grow legs. There WILL be multiple votes if it doesn't pass the first vote, so don't hyperventilate, just mark the thing YES, have a couple beers and life goes on. Pension will get a addressed down the road when YRCW has to go back to full contributions and they can't make full contributions, because they're in debt up to their eyeballls. Government will step in and force plan modifications when the funds become too underfunded and ABF is the only one making full contributions. I would almost bet the thing is already printed and the big dogs are smoking $10 cigars, drinking scotch and brandy waiting to give us 2 weeks to vote it in and they'll say, "We threatened to strike em', boys and girls, and this is a good contract, best you're gonna get, better ratify it, non-unions are just waiting to gobble up your market share." I know you have all heard that line. Don't worry friends. it's all gonna be all right, Praise the Lord, and vote your conscience.
I would like to think this post is not even close to being the truth, but sadly I have to agree with what you just said. To close to what might happen. We just haven't reached the 9th inning yet.
Von, I've been in this old Union a long time, and I'm proud of it, in spite of it's imperfections. But, I don't think I'm too far off in my assessment of the situation, and I was just trying to bring a little lighthearted sarcasm to the discussion. The Company is in a pretty good bargaining position and we had about as well admit it. I just tend to say what most people are already thinking.
I think we have a good chance to win a decent contract, but we have to pay attention to what is negoiated into our contract. Why should we be in a race to the bottom. I really disagree that we have to give away everything that those before us, and what we have worked for. I don’t know how you can be ok with a company that will bankrupt many, and not even care who they will hurt.
There are many older drivers with ABF, that are wanting to retire soon, and may not get the opertunity. If you think that you will be better off with a sub par contract, you are saddly mistaken. I do agree that work rules can be changed that will make good buisness sense and benefit the company.
If part-timers are allowed, most overtime will be elimated. They will lay off more employees and take layed off employees and make them part-timers, making less pay and with no benefits, no pension payments, or health insuranceon their behalf. I don’t know about you, but do you want to give up a good job just to work part-time, with no benefits, 20 hrs a week? No one will be able to make a living doing that.
They also keep mentioning part timers. I feel those positions would be used just that way, EOL using them for meet and greets when freight dictates. JMHO
Do you think Part timers will be a good thing?
papa, You know it all depends on how it's written. And you know, sometimes part timers are the answer, you have freight spike for a couple weeks. This avoids hiring people thinking they are getting fulltime, you know that drill. I think that if it is carefully written it would be a benefit and not used to make this a part timer company like who know who's.
D
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IF they have to make pension and h&w payments for them but they receive no benefits it could work in our favor.
vongrimmenstein
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Yea, From the talk @ the barn & on this board more of us are on that same wavelength you mentioned than I care to admit to.
I respect what you are saying, but the phrase part timers scares the crap out of me, Seems once it is in place companies just abuse the heck out of it. I always thought that's what casuals were for. If its like everything else, we are told that they won't abuse it or use it against anybody, Kind of reminds me of the seat belt law. They said it is no big deal, and to start with they would not write any tickets for not wearing a seat belt, but once it was in effect, it became a major infraction, and quite a money maker.
I have a hard time trusting I have seen it to many times, they say one thing, but do the opposite, once it is place. I know another union company that has part timers, and they lay off drivers just to make them into part timers. If part timers are to used they should only be only used if no one is laid off (everybody must be called back to work), and there should be penalties if they work to many part timers, or they work over a percentage of hours, which should trigger the company to hire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They bust it much at ABF and they won't be getting called, they will move on down the line, part-timers that don't give a **** won't last too long at ABF, they will be held to our high standards by full-timers as well as management
I hope this is true but I don't believe it. Once the company see's how much they will save with part timers they will abuse them as much as they can. Part timers will be paid much less, so I don't know how they will get any drivers or dock workers with experience to work.
Not if they are damaging freight.
vongrimmenstein
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How right you are.
What a bunch of bull. If ABF only cared about cheap labor and not freight damage, they would have been out if business long ago.
And it not all bout the money with you?
Bwaahaaaahaa! Keep telling yourself that. When the company can pay someone $5 per hour less with no bennys and only have to give them a 4 hour guarantee, you will see how fast the standards will lower!