Totally agreeI'll agree with you that there is most definitely more than 1 percent support. However how does it help without petitions filed and elections won?
Totally agreeI'll agree with you that there is most definitely more than 1 percent support. However how does it help without petitions filed and elections won?
Ok swampy I've been a little busy, wasn't ignoring just busy. I'm not going to go back and quote all of your posts that seems counter productive so I'll hit them here if I miss a point let me know.
Starting with your contract language argument, I will GUARANTEE you will NOT get language in there that makes decertifying easy besides that I'm not sure the NLRB will allow it. The rules for decertifying a clear and unions are good at getting around them and have fought very hard to keep it that way you will not change it in contract language.
As far as your support argument goes, lets look at it more like the electoral college than a simple majority. I AM IN NO WAY trying to go political just using the construct to make my point. You listed the centers and their respective voting percentages, but until they officially join other than moral support it means nothing to Fedex. Back to my electoral college point, In California all the support goes to democrats, in Texas all the support goes to Republicans. Does that mean they're aren't Republicans in California and Democrats in Texas that don't support their partie? Of course there are but it means nothing until they have the majority. That's the same as it is with this campaign, until the other centers put their money where their mouth is it means nothing. In the companies mind (you have to agree with their thinking even if you don't agree with their goal) the movement only has the support of 4 centers out of 300+ and two of those have at least shown a weakness of support even if it was for nothing. So all the company has to do is beat these four centers back with drawn out or bad contracts and it could and might discourage he other centers. We have beat this poor horse until all that's left is the saddle, yet I still think there are those among you that think you will put forward a sweetheart contract and fold your arms until the company signs it. That's not how it works and never will, you don't get to keep voting no until you get your way. The Louisville regional supplement is a good example, they voted no and yet there it is. If this is a more appropriate venue I would be glad to delve further into that one.
The FACT is you have 4 centers out of over 300 that have voted to go forward so that's your percentage like it or not. The other centers could have 99% support but until they have a successful vote they are on the sidelines looking in.
I look forward to your response.
Red, The CLT number may have changed due to challenged votes being included in the final tally. My numbers came from voting day results,Although your numbers are a little off in some cases, and the percentages wouldn't change that much, it does make all the difference!!
E.g.: CLT's final tally was 110-99 making a difference of 11 votes or meaning all we need to turn is 6 drivers to win a decert election by one!! There's been over 6 pro-union drivers to the either retire, terminate themselves, or leave the company on their own to turn the tides our way, not to mention all of the former pro-union drivers that now side with us....and the best part is we didn't have to work hard to get them, the words (lies) and actions of the pro-union guys pushed them right to us!! Now some are trying to rebuild those bridges with more lies and fear mongering...they still don't get it!!
Now back to our original debate....I agree with JD, you can't apply these numbers/percentages to the masses without proof of support. Your numbers deal with the actual elections (good job), then you try to apply those numbers to centers that have yet to vote without anyway of knowing exactly how those centers would vote. Must I remind you that you guys "thought" the six centers that voted NO would in fact vote YES? That has you at 40% correct without factoring in the centers who filed then pulled their petitions, and the shear fact that so many petitions were filed then pulled due to lack of support proves that the perceived support isn't what it was once thought to be...and the fact that no new petitions have been filed in the last year and a half proves that the perceived support isn't there. The law says 30% support is needed to apply, if the IBT demands more, that's on them, but we'll never know the true support unless an election is held...and even then, as proven above, there's still no guarantee as to the degree/percentage of that support. With that being said, and providing that your numbers are correct, the total amount of yes voters of those who have actually voted still equals at or around 1%...and we already know that even that number has changed by the two decert petitions that were filed (70% & 80% respectively), regardless of their legality.
I deal with reality, you can deal with probabilities, speculation, or even truncated averages all you wish but there's zero evidence to support your claim of 36%-53% support for the union company wide!!
The evidence by those who have voted says around 1% company wide, to assume what the support is by those who haven't voted is speculation!!
The evidence by those who have voted says around 1% company wide, to assume what the support is by those who haven't voted is speculation!!
Thanks for going there Swamp,Wonder if pilots would be interested in a Freight division? Have they ever been approached on this matter? Great relationship with Fed Ex already in place!Independence Day special: (Far too long)
Finally, all sides in this debate have the potential to move things along at a much more expedited pace. I've said before, I'm more committed to getting results, than any particular allegiance, for allegiance sake.
1st off, if you want to break the logjam/stalemate that currently exist, either side could get significantly more aggressive. The Union, The Company, the anti side, and the pro side, all have potential. Potential that is unrealized, thus far.
1) The Union side could most certainly be more aggressive in building relationships and utilizing support that certainly exists. Continuing to use the methods of old, waiting for the Drivers to gather up and document support to a level suitable to petition is not going to expedite the process. Being slow to react while missing out on momentum (as it presents itself) has not played well, so far. Making petitions even more difficult to file is not going to add to support. It may reduce the risk, but it also limits potential. Winning a potential 40% of anything seems better than winning 100% of nothing. Fear of failure has the potential to paralyze.
2) On the Company side, a more public formula for the GPD (payscale), elimination of the road/city vacation benefit gap, and stability/improvement of the insurance and retirement benefit package would pay dividends in many areas, including ending this movement, as well as wasted turmoil and resources spent on the protracted opposition.
Also, this practice of quietly revised policy (changes to Short term/Long term disability status, most recently), seems to reduce the credibility of the PSP philosophy (People/Service/Profit). Why are we not updated on changes to existing policy? Is it not reasonable to expect a monthly/quarterly "notice of changes report"? Even an intranet page showing "recent changes" Is it necessary to have a binding contract to insure stability? Does the Company want to create turmoil? Unrest? Or it this a strategy of getting their ducks in a row, prior to upcoming negotiations? Just questions...
3) The anti side: Rather than cheer lead every move the Company makes, you could join in vocal opposition on the issues of relevance, as they come up. That could assist in encouraging the Company to do the right thing, showing it to be in their best interest, rather than making excuses for everything from flawed a GPD to policies subject to change without notice.
4) The pro side: Other than those who have already done their part, and voted (I can't really criticize them), there is more that the rest can do. For example, those with significant numbers but unable to file due to Teamster reluctance without a super majority, yeah you, perhaps a more aggressive strategy in is order.
We need to know that the Teamsters are not the only game in town. Yeah, I'm going there... Perhaps approaching a competing organization might be in order. Even though the Teamsters might be the most suited, if they continue to be reluctant to file, at some point shopping the marketplace could be what is needed to bring (to use a FedEx term) a sense of urgency into play. There are a number of other Unions out there, and if a few locations were to file with an alternate (and more palatable to some) organization, that might force the Teamsters to rethink their current requirement. Leverage as well as competition has it's benefits.
Finally, waiting to see what happens is a flawed strategy, by any measure, IMHO.
That should be plenty to make everyone a little uncomfortable... But the desired results are possible, and achievable, if we can think out side the box.
The Company seems willing (happy even) to drag this out indefinitely, preferring to make only the most measured calculated moves. They have been successful, even though that means it will be an ongoing/never ending endeavor, always lurking. The Teamster seem to be in it for the long haul, in no hurry to test the new laws and the effect thereof. Meanwhile we sit between two giants, both a little stubborn, who have nothing but time. That leaves the two sides within the driver workforce, chasing our tail, neither (as a group) quite willing to make the moves necessary for truly successful results.
I refuse to waste too much time bickering about the details, since I'm not on anyone's payroll for this purpose. Just one opinion, for what it's worth. Hopefully worth the price of admission...
Just some things for all sides to consider. Independence Day seems to be as good a time as any, and time allowed for it.
Too long, naw...you covered quite a bit.Independence Day special: (Far too long)
Finally, all sides in this debate have the potential to move things along at a much more expedited pace. I've said before, I'm more committed to getting results, than any particular allegiance, for allegiance sake.
1st off, if you want to break the logjam/stalemate that currently exist, either side could get significantly more aggressive. The Union, The Company, the anti side, and the pro side, all have potential. Potential that is unrealized, thus far.
As a few of these issues may be important to some, again, I feel you fail to realize that most employees aren't worried about them. As for the GPD, perhaps adjustments "could" be made but you'll always have guys complaining when someone makes more than themselves...some people will never be happy. I'll agree with city vacation pay. Insurance and retirement could always be better but most realize what the company offers is better than what most (family & friends) receive, perhaps not within our industry, but we also receive other perks that offset these shortcomings...and obviously most agree that increased wages/bennies in exchange for joining the union is worth the tradeoff!!2) On the Company side, a more public formula for the GPD (payscale), elimination of the road/city vacation benefit gap, and stability/improvement of the insurance and retirement benefit package would pay dividends in many areas, including ending this movement, as well as wasted turmoil and resources spent on the protracted opposition.
Also, this practice of quietly revised policy (changes to Short term/Long term disability status, most recently), seems to reduce the credibility of the PSP philosophy (People/Service/Profit). Why are we not updated on changes to existing policy? Is it not reasonable to expect a monthly/quarterly "notice of changes report"? Even an intranet page showing "recent changes" Is it necessary to have a binding contract to insure stability? Does the Company want to create turmoil? Unrest? Or it this a strategy of getting their ducks in a row, prior to upcoming negotiations? Just questions...
"Cheer lead"...really??3) The anti side: Rather than cheer lead every move the Company makes, you could join in vocal opposition on the issues of relevance, as they come up. That could assist in encouraging the Company to do the right thing, showing it to be in their best interest, rather than making excuses for everything from flawed a GPD to policies subject to change without notice.
Again, you don't seem to understand the process, not saying that I agree with it either. I personally would've liked for our one year clock to have started a year and a half ago and we could've decertified by now but that decision is above our pay grades.Finally, waiting to see what happens is a flawed strategy, by any measure, IMHO.
That should be plenty to make everyone a little uncomfortable... But the desired results are possible, and achievable, if we can think out side the box.
The Company seems willing (happy even) to drag this out indefinitely, preferring to make only the most measured calculated moves. They have been successful, even though that means it will be an ongoing/never ending endeavor, always lurking. The Teamster seem to be in it for the long haul, in no hurry to test the new laws and the effect thereof. Meanwhile we sit between two giants, both a little stubborn, who have nothing but time. That leaves the two sides within the driver workforce, chasing our tail, neither (as a group) quite willing to make the moves necessary for truly successful results.
You're on the company's payroll...unless you work for free...and the union would be on your payroll, although you'd have to agree to their constitution....do as they say, not as they do!!I refuse to waste too much time bickering about the details, since I'm not on anyone's payroll for this purpose. Just one opinion, for what it's worth. Hopefully worth the price of admission...
Just some things for all sides to consider. Independence Day seems to be as good a time as any, and time allowed for it.
How do you know? It really is up to the employees correct?Revised above post...."and obviously most agree that increased wages/bennies in exchange for joining the union isn't worth the tradeoff!!"
I understand fully, how the process works. You should notice that much of what I post is a solution to a problem, either real or perceived. That and correcting the record, when necessary.Too long, naw...you covered quite a bit.
I think you fail to realize that this was always going to be a long, drawn out process. The company explained to everyone from the beginning what their intentions were (due process) and they followed through with their intentions. The IBT will certainly do the same with ULP's, some frivolous, (due process) during negotiations and at decert time...it is what it is!! Attempting to put the cart before the horse (no pun intended) by urging everyone to become "more aggressive" will do more harm than good IMHO.
As I can't speak for the union or the pro-union side, I'll address the ones that I can relate to.
As a few of these issues may be important to some, again, I feel you fail to realize that most employees aren't worried about them. As for the GPD, perhaps adjustments "could" be made but you'll always have guys complaining when someone makes more than themselves...some people will never be happy. I'll agree with city vacation pay. Insurance and retirement could always be better but most realize what the company offers is better than what most (family & friends) receive, perhaps not within our industry, but we also receive other perks that offset these shortcomings...and obviously most agree that increased wages/bennies in exchange for joining the union is worth the tradeoff!!
What changes to STD/LTD do you speak of?? I keep hearing this scare tactic but have yet to see evidence of any change...other than Cigna used to administer the plan, now it's administered by Aetna. Perhaps the letter sent out by Aetna to those who are a few months into STD, which is more direct than the one Cigna used to send out, may have caused the stir/misunderstanding, but from what I've seen, this is the only change with the plan....who administers the plan is not that big of deal to me. Surely Mr Swamp didn't buy into the hype/fear mongering before researching the issue for himself??
I guess the company could've informed us of the admin change but I'm guessing most don't care....as long as it's there when needed.
"Cheer lead"...really??
We do voice our opinions with issues of relevance, (making excuses??), it's obvious our issues differ from those of the pro-side...with the exception of city vacation pay, I'll give you that one.
Again, you don't seem to understand the process, not saying that I agree with it either. I personally would've liked for our one year clock to have started a year and a half ago and we could've decertified by now but that decision is above our pay grades.
You're on the company's payroll...unless you work for free...and the union would be on your payroll, although you'd have to agree to their constitution....do as they say, not as they do!!
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, it's worth is up to the reader.
THAT is creative thinking. Not sure if they were approached on this topic, or if they'd consider it. if not, there are several other options.Thanks for going there Swamp,Wonder if pilots would be interested in a Freight division? Have they ever been approached on this matter? Great relationship with Fed Ex already in place!
Much of what you posted were suggestions based on your opinion that could possibly lead to solutions that benefit some but not all.I understand fully, how the process works. You should notice that much of what I post is a solution to a problem, either real or perceived. That and correcting the record, when necessary.
If you were paying attention, you'd see, I was actually more critical of the Teamsters, at this stage. I hear frustration on the street, from those concerned with the silence as well as the obstacles being put in place. I'm just throwing a couple solutions out there. The Company has done several positive things, and been successful enough to slow the movement, but not enough to completely put it to rest. I offer solutions to them too.
I doubt the Teamsters or the Company really wants my advice. They both have paid professionals for that.
The point of not being on payroll for this purpose, it's hard to justify wasting time on nonsense. There has been a lot of that and you should know what I mean. There are solutions, if we are serious and if we choose to explore them. Or we can continue to do the same things, expecting different results. I'm not a fan of the latter...
Correct, but the lack of petitions and yes elections says it all!!How do you know? It really is up to the employees correct?
It says "something", for sure.Correct, but the lack of petitions and yes elections says it all!!
I'm going with....a big fat Noooo!!!It says "something", for sure.
Could it be that the potential petitions, that I had complained about, are being held for the optimum date, in order to assist your guys in negotiation?
Honest question. Feel free to speculate...
I personally don't know. If I did, I wouldn't be at liberty to discuss it.
Revised above post...."and obviously most agree that increased wages/bennies in exchange for joining the union isn't worth the tradeoff!!"
Not speaking for them puppet, the lack of petitions speak for themselves!!And most don't agree with a company parot speaking for them just sayin.
Not speaking for them puppet, the lack of petitions speak for themselves!!
But is doesn't say less than 1 %, does it?Not speaking for them puppet, the lack of petitions speak for themselves!!