"...Every Teamster barn I know of has full MOB, at Con-Way they pay 1%..."
You are wrong. Not every Teamster freight barn has full MOB. Even in Master Freight, you don't truly have full MOB, as defined in the same way as the OHFL agreement.
In the NMFA, you have a flat amount of money dedicated towards H&W and pension. Your H&W increases determines whether or not you have any pension bumps at all, depending on the amount of the increases. Master Freight's pension was frozen for much of the last contract, was it not?
Reddaway's NW agreement is much the same way. Full MOB is not as common as it used to be in freight or in any other industry the union represents, and to have kept it as long as we have in this day and age is a testament to our resolve.
"...The wage increases were long overdue, they didn't even put you above your non-union competition. In your contract disloyalty is cause for termination as is poor performance. The attendance policy that was added to the contract is crazy, as a member could be fired for using the sick pay that has been bargained for them, thats your give back. To claim it to be the largest increase ever might be a bit of a stretch, maybe in actual dollars, but adjusted for inflation I am sure as a MF Co. OHFL saw some better increases in the 70s..."
Of course the reference was the best wage increase since OHFL left the NMFA in the mid-Eighties. It is the best increase (yes, even adjusted for inflation) that we have ever had since leaving the NMFA. Two contracts ago, we got a whopping $.06/hour wage bump.
As far as keeping up with the non-union competition, when you look at the overall package, it's actually relatively close (wages, H&W, pension). That being said, of course we see a great deal of room for improvement.
"...It is really dirty in my opinion that every contract year the owners avoid contact with the union and wait for it to expire, they want you to feel uncomfortable. They want you to be in constant fear for your job, and they want you to associate that burden with your union. The new contract should have a strike guarantee in lieu of the companies propensity to not bargain in good faith, if a new agreement is not reached prior to the expiration of the previous agreement its a automatic strike..."
Under federal labor law, the employer is not required to even begin bargaining with the union until after the contract expires. One of those little details you seem to not be clear on. Also, the IBT is not going to authorize strike action until certain steps have been taken, and that's just the way it is. If you have complaints about the process, I suggest you address them to the NLRB and General President Hoffa.
"...Yes, it is easy to sit on the sidelines without a dog in the fight and poke fun at the process. But, I should note, I am indirectly affected by the outcome of OHFL negotiations in a several ways. The first being I am a member of a local with a very small member base and OHFL is also covered by that local. So if OHFL was to decertify, lockout, close down ect. we would almost certainly have to merge not to mention the resources a action like that would drain from our locals bankroll..."
I understand your concerns, but you are coming at this without a lot of knowledge as to what is going on, and your completely negative opinions do nothing to help your brothers at OHFL. Try trusting just a little bit that your fellow Teamsters know what is at stake, and are fighting very hard to get a good deal. It may not be what you want to see, or even what I want to see, but as long as we maintain what we need to maintain, and move forwards even a little bit, we are making positive changes.
"...Also, concessionary contracts drag us all down..."
I don't disagree. I kind of feel that way about your vaunted NMFA agreement sometimes, especially the tentative deal currently being voted upon. Let me point out a few concessionary issues comparing OHFL to the NMFA:
1.) Hours needed to get benefits: Under the OHFL agreement, a CDL driver only needs 40 hours a month. Under the current NMFA it is 60 hours, and under the proposed NMFA, it goes up to 100 hours. Wow.
2.) Progression rate: Under the OHFL agreemet, an experienced CDL driver usually starts at 90%, with a one-year progression. Under the current NMFA, it is a two-year progression, starting at 75%. Under the proposed NMFA, it goes up to
three years, starting at 80%.
THREE YEARS!
3.) Work week: Monday through Friday at OHFL. Under the NMFA? Bye-bye personal life and family time...
My point being is that concessionary is in the eyes of the beholder, and the way YRC Corp. is looking these days, I think we all have a great deal to worry about as far as the future of freight goes. We don't need nit-picking, we need support.
"...The fact is I do care, I do want a satisfactory resolution, but I am skeptical that can even happen given the disposition of the owners of this company, in my mind, I think they have gone well above and beyond any kind of reasonable provocation for a strike. The websites, the DVD's, the fliers, I find them offensive, and I feel they belittle us all. I have a hard time grasping how anyone who works for a living could rationalize or even downplay the severity of these actions..."
Who is downplaying them? The IBT has stepped up to the plate, and the rank-and-file is showing more resolve than they have ever shown before, and I for one AM PROUD OF THEM! We will win this fight, and we will prevail, and all of the doom-and-gloom you and other naysayers try and cast over this process means diddly-squat to those of us who are fighting this fight!
:gathering: If you think this is not true lets post the last three year contract next to the one before it and the whole world will know your not being honest sometimes the truth hurts sorry
it amazes me how people post and dont have the facts. Sometimes the ttruth hurts even if its in your face
: Correct me if I am wrong shifterknob!!!