Here is what I know. You guys take it for what it is worth.
When the IBT allowed a vote to YRC on a concession plan, the company was on the verge of closing. Had the economy kept pace, they wouldn't have needed help. The IBT did what they thought they needed to do save 40,000 jobs. The worst of it, the guys in Chicago, said loud and clear, not once but three times to shove it, and the IBT took unprecedented moves to shut them up by screwing the Chicago area Local's by abolishing their agreements. So now, it's our turn at bat.
Over the past 18 months, ABF has gone to the IBT hat in hand for a concession of their own. They have refused to corral 15% of the stock to collateralize the concession, they've refused to open their books, and now, that they have been successful at moving enough money around, pised away money like drunken sailors, they have manufactured a case of a give back. Wes said that they didn't take several million dollars in raises, just an advancement in position that gives them a different compensation package, therefore, are entitled to a multi-million dollar compensation package. So, a raise is not a raise, just a different venue. What the feck is the difference? So, if the company executives think that they deserve a boost and we deserve a cut, and we give them the concession, who will benefit directly from our loss? Fart Schmitts mahogany row residents, in full, and it would be my guess that a bump in the form of a bonus getting this screwing of the production employees. IF THEY WERE SO CONCERNED BY THE MONETARY LOSSES THEY WOULD DEFER THESE RAISES UNTIL WE REACH PROFITABILITY.
The company has acted in bad faith in the months past. Here is why. How many times have you set in hotels, and waited until after your 8 hour layover, to pull empties home? How many times have you shown up to work to wait on the bench an hour or more? How many times have you gone to the "almost ready line" to find obvious defects in equipment needing to be brought to the shop? How many times have you seen bid men forced to bed outside their bid, only for the company to have to pay 8 hours penalty? How many times do guys sit on the bench at turnarounds waiting hours for freight, when 30 minutes after they leave to have other turn drivers take empties back?
The biggest money pit is the RPM. That hasn't made a penny since inception, and they are running regular line haul freight mostly. But the IBT has allowed them to fill the trailers to avoid running empty all the time. Millions and millions of dollars, just to keep that thing running for when the economy turns around, which I think will be in the next six to nine months.
The worst of it is this. Pay attention. If ABF is allowed to give us the full screwing that they want to give us will allow them to cut rates below YRC, and put them out of business. This is their goal. In other words, they want us to fall on our own sword. Also, the value of working for this company will be gone, and give many of us the reasons we need to move on to other companies. Yeah the job market is lousy, but how many companies would turn away dozens of million, two million and three million miles safe drivers? How many companies would turn away award winning city drivers?
We are in the middle of of a power struggle between the IBT and the company. The simple answer is yes boss, give it to me in the ash. We need to tell TJ to look at the facts, get the company to open the books at ABF and ABC, show us where they are hiding the money, and report the truth. If they need these concessions escrow 20% of the companies stock, then we will talk.
Don't let the company take it's new policy in hand. The new unwritten policy is beat the mule till it's dead, kick it aside and get a new mule.
My vote will be NO to any concessions until they start managing this company the way it used to. Time to get back to basics Wes. This finely engineered piece of loss is so obvious that you need to try something else.
