To whom it may concern,
My name is xxxx xxxxxxxx out of xxxxx xx. (xxx). I’m writing this letter on behalf of 99.9% of employees at this facility regarding concerns and issues that we have here at Con-way. With me being a senior driver of 13yrs I would like to start out with the issues that us senior drivers have. Senior meaning regular employee hired before January 1st 2006.
First, it was in our compensation package to have a retirement pension better then what the company currently offers. We would really like for the company to reevaluate the pension plan and try to revamp it to make it better than what it is now. We know that Con-way started matching our 401K a little better but that has not been good enough. With the way the economy is most of us have lost a majority of our money. We really think that there is some changes that could be made for the better and we would hope that Con-way would try and to fix this problem.
Second, is our vacation, which is another thing that was part of our compensation package when hired on with the company. We are all unable to comprehend why Con-way would do something like this to the backbone of the company. This is a major issue that Con-way needs to address. We would hope that you all would reconsider the plan that Con-way has in effect and try and make it more beneficial and feasible for all. This here is one of the most important to us drivers we work long and hard for this company and we know that Con-way will do the right thing.
Third, are sick days, which once again was originally part of our compensation package. This issue is not as big as an issue as the others. It is just a point that we are trying to get across to the company that a majority of us where promised these things and they have all been taken away.
Forth, health insurance that originally was no cost to us, which is not the case now. WOW those where the days, now we hear that medical expenses are going up which is true but wouldn’t you think that a company of our size would shop around to find a better health care provider for their employees that offers better coverage. Because over the years we started paying 1% of our gross with pretty descent coverage, then they decided to go to a flat rate and we started paying more for doctor visits. And now we pay $35.00 dollars a week for 90% coverage. We found out about this change through the mail, however, we should have been advised via video. We see videos on everything else but this one must have slipped through the cracks. It’s a shame that someone dropped the ball on explaining this to their employees instead of letting us find out the way we did.
Fifth, making the senior drivers drive these older trucks on longer runs which would not be a bad idea if Con-way would repair issues that the drivers write up to make our job a lot easier for us. It’s also a shame how the drivers tear up the equipment that the company has purchased for us to do our job. If the company would hold the terminals accountable for their equipment and give it to terminals with drivers that would take care of company equipment. But back to the issue at hand in our eyes it seems to us that Con-way is trying to run off the senior drivers so they can put drivers that make less money, but more money for the company. We would hope that they would not do this because that would be showing us how the company really feels about us. We really don’t believe that Con-way wants to put more miles on the older trucks we think it’s an easy way for them to try and get a senior driver to quit. Think about this you drive 550 mile turn in a truck that has no a/c and in some cases no heat and is better off in a junk yard. You are also scared to death that it might leave you on the side of the road. How would upper management feel about driving a 10yr old company car on a daily basis? We all know that this is not going to happen but its okay for the backbone of the company to do it. This is another issue that needs to be addressed promptly. We’re hoping once again that Con-way will make the right decision on looking into this matter.
Next we would like to address the 5% pay cut, 10% for upper management and stoppage of our 401k match for every employee. It’s kind of funny that a month and a half before these latest changes everyone in upper management got their stock options. We ask the question why and we were told that this is part of their compensation WOW doesn’t that sound familiar they got to keep there’s but ours was taken from us. Now on with the pay cuts we don’t know about upper management but 5% for us is a lot of money. We’re okay with the 5% if the company truly needed it to stay afloat, all that we ask is when the economy gets better can we please have it back but we know that this is not going to happen. It is going to take three years to get it back once the economy gets better. We all would rather have our 5% back instead of the matching of the 401k when we meet our 95% for two straight quarters. Now with the 10% (only FedEx management lost this not their drivers) that upper management supposedly lost we feel that this should have been enough for the time being. This has been the problem with Con-way for years. When something is not going as planned management panics and then that is when we get the short end of the stick. Con-way will keep putting their hands in to their employee’s pockets when we think there are other ways to save money which is another topic that we will touch on later in this letter.
Now with everything listed above and the economy back to the way it used to be what would the company have to offer new drivers besides a job? Absolutely nothing when you can go to one of our competitors that have left their employees pay and/or benefits untouched, through what we have been told, is hard times. It’s a shame because I can remember a time when you would look at what Con-way had to offer, and you could not believe everything in front of you. Free health insurance, 10 sick days, two weeks’ vacation after one year of service, and a retirement pension. Also back in the day this use to be a company that really cared for their employees but it seems to us that it is all about the almighty dollar now.
How about the senior drivers that we have, do you think that they will really stay around when the economy gets better? From what I have been hearing it really doesn’t look like they will unless Con-way makes some drastic changes which we all hope they will. Con-way really has a great bunch of people that work for them and I would really hate to see anyone go somewhere else because then Con-way would have to spend money on new hires, training them and everything else that is involved in hiring a new employee.
Now about the surveys that we did a couple weeks back I think that was a great idea for the company to see how we really feel and I hope that everyone throughout the company answered the questions honestly. If so, then Con-way should be able to see that this is not just isolated issues. I know that in xxxxx we where as honest as we could be. We hope, once again, that Con-way will look at the surveys and really take them to heart because we really do have a problem with this company that needs to be addressed. We know, or hope, that upper management opens their eyes and really does something to make this a better place to work.
Concerns
In our eyes it looks to us that Con-way is being run the same way that CF was and we know what happened to them. I sure hope not because I really wanted to retire from this company but it is really looking like that might not happen because each and every day that I get up and go to work I’m sick and tired of the moral and attitudes around this company. I can remember a time when I enjoyed coming to work because it used to be a great place, but now it’s just another trucking company I’m really ashamed to say that but it’s the truth. The company can really do something about this it could be something as little as a hot dog once a month. Or even to hear “YOU REALLY DID A GOOD JOB TODAY”. This alone would go a long way. I know the company is trying to save money any way they know how but come on there are other ways of doing this.
First, company cars the only ones in the company that need them are AE because they go out and meet with our customers and take them out to lunch or to sporting events. If everyone who has a company car drove it every other week just think of the money the company would save or better yet do away with them for everyone else. NOW think of the money that the company would be saving no more lease payments, no insurance, no gas, no maintenance, and no more paying for over mileage. This alone would save the company A LOT of money. The problem with Con-way is that they got too big to quick and now everyone is scrambling to keep our share holders happy.
Second, videos that we see like every week could be done by the internet with the technology that we have today. I know videos don’t cost a lot of money but its money. And it all adds up on the bottom line.
Third, DR’s I don’t know how much they cost but once again its money. I see a lot of DR’s that are printed and the only thing on them is the phone # to our customer service. The company needs to look at ways to fix this because on any given morning there will be a minimum of 50 DR’s that have been torn off and thrown in the trash.
Fourth, are posters and all of the other stuff that the company wastes money on. Conway could tell us in a memo or at out weekly meeting. We are not a bunch of school kids that you have to keep reminding. You tell us once and there is no reason that we have to see it plastered on every wall everywhere you look. Once again it all costs money and less profit on the bottom line.
Next thing that we would like to touch on is pay scales for the company, we have been hearing this for years that the company is working on it and nothing has changed. This needs to be addressed immediately. Because it’s not right that 2/3rds of the company gets overtime after 8 and we get it after 50 hours a week. We would like to know how many drivers that are making overtime after 8 are really working 50 to 55 hours a week. We’ve also heard that the company is looking into the pay scales for different areas of the country if this is the case great that is a step in the right direction.
Now onto our core values:
COMMITMENT:
Commitment entails management making the right decisions which would result in happy employees that feel appreciated. In the long run this would pay off for Con-way, because we would be more willing to go that extra mile.
INTEGRITY:
Integrity consists of keeping your good name or maintaining your respectable character. Adherence to a code of values: utter sincerity and honesty. We all think that this has been lost here at Con-way. But this is an issue that can be fixed easily. It is up to upper management to turn this around.
EXCELLENCE:
Excellence is what this company used to be. Excellent in every aspect of the LTL business but in recent years Con-way has lost sight of this core value. I don’t know if they have lost sight or if it is just arrogance. It might be a little bit of both. Once again it’s up to upper management to turn it around.
SAFETY:
Safety is really not that bad of an issue here at Con-way. It is one of the safest places that I’ve ever had the privilege to work. Safe drivers are respectfully acknowledged and rewarded. If Con-way would put forth the effort on Commitment, Integrity, and Excellence as they do for Safety then this would put us at the top of our game ONCE AGAIN.
In closing, we would like to say that we all know about the EFCA which President Obama wants. God forbid this passes with the way the employees feel here at Con-way I would hate to think of what would happen to this company and our future. And I hope that with me writing this letter it doesn’t put a bull’s eye on me. I’m trying to be as professional as I can when writing this letter and I would hope that the company would appreciate me taking the time to do this on behalf of the employees in xxxxx as well as throughout the entire company. We are not trying to talk bad about our company; instead, we are wanting it to be the place it once was. We just thought we would write this letter and send it to management, letting them decide what is best for us and our future. It is time for management to step up and listen to what we really have to say. Our careers are in your hands so please try and not let us down. We know things are not going to change overnight. It is going to take some time but if we all do our part things will move a lot quicker and we will be able to get to the top ONCE AGAIN!
Sincerely,
Xxxx xxxxxxxx
On behalf of everyone at Con-way
.And then a whole lot of smoke and mirror's. We are looking in to that and we are looking at this and YEAH,YEAH,YEAH:BlahBlah:. Just like the political answers i thought i would hear not surpised at all:BS:.And to all the people that kept saying nice working with you or you really have a set.I still have my job for now and we still have a open door policy so i did my part and i feel a whole lot better now then a did before.Now that everthing is out in the open on the way we feel, oh i'm sorry,the way i feel.I will come in and do my job to the best of my ability:wink1:and look out for myself because i finally realized that the company we work for definitly does not care for us,Damn i keep forgetting, the way that i feel.I am really ashamed that it has took me this long to realize this i thought my parents raised me better then that.But then again i fell for everything that was being told to me just like other people have but it is time for me to move on and keep doing what i do best. So i hope everyone enjoyed this thread and if anything happens from here on out i will be sure to let everyone know.
:. They want to stay in business and keep their jobs as much as you do. If we turn a profit, we will all see the benefits. This is a company like no other. The actually care, and sometimes that means they have to make hard choices.