I'm #2 at the 029 terminal and have been with ABF since 1990 and started before the Carolina deal.
We had Cintas into our barn last Thursday morning, and I declined to be fitted for the uniforms. I ended up in the TM's office with my Steward (30 plus years from the Carolina side of the family).
Basically, part of my position with the TM was that I couldn't wear their Uniform until I knew more about how the program worked. He didn't have anything in writing and seemed to be making things up as he went along. I wanted to know if I'd be required to take the uniforms home, which I wouldn't volunteer to ever do. I wanted to know what chemicals that Cintas would be using and if they had a method of dealing with employees who had either sensitive skin or insensitivities to chemicals. I also questioned the allotment of uniforms and tried to explain to him that in order to utilize both shorts and short sleeved shirts in the summertime, that there wouldn't be enough clean uniforms on the second week, and that you would again have the same issue in winter.
I heard back things like, he'd buy me special laundry soap so I could wash "my" uniforms myself at my own home, and that no matter what, I had to be ready for work at my appointed time in "my" uniform. My TM was quite frustrated and I calmly continued to advise him to give me a letter, so that I could either protest, and or grieve it. Our exchange ended when he eventually gave up and told me to go back to work. At the end of shift on Friday I still hadn't received a letter.
Today I submitted the following to our Business Agent after our monthly meeting
I thought this strategy might be helpful to other barns. Basically, by never taking the uniforms home, and changing into them at the terminal before starting my shift, I hope ABF will be forced to take full responsibility for the costs of implementing their uniform policy.
Luckily our Terminal (an old Carolina term), used to be a bunk house, so there are 2 showers upstairs and plenty of empty rooms to install lockers and a bench. Which at this time, isn't what my TM has in mind.
Also, by changing at the Terminal, it will force ABF to renegotiate their contract with Cintas to provide either more uniforms into the mix, or to have a much quicker turn around with their clean laundry delivery.
My advice would be to tell your fellow employee's to insist on changing before their shift, especially if you're in a part of the country with 4 seasons. Then enjoy the show at your dispatch window when you complain that you're out of uniform pants and only have shorts available in the middle of winter.
At the end of my post is how I laid it out to our BA. He said he was both going to both forward it up the chain, and come over and inspect our disgusting little men's room, and check out the old bunkhouse and shower facility.
I also have an official copy of the Uniform Policy that ABF sent to the IBT, who forwarded to my local on April 13th. The 4th policy statement says that "the uniform is not to be worn off duty or for personal use, except to be worn to and from work."
Brothers, I think that we should all change from street clothes into our Uniforms at work, and then back into our own clothes before leaving work, and let ABF deal with the full consequences of spending our giveback this way.
The following was submitted to L.U. 317's Business Agent today.
ABF Uniform Issues
2 Issues that prevent implementation
*No adequate locker room to change clothes before or after shift. (1st issue)
Reasonable requirements as follows for a locker/changing room.
-Far enough into the building as to not track water and snow into the locker room-Full height lockable lockers to secure street clothes, shoes, towel, and toiletries.
-Benches in locker room
-Shower facility adjacent to locker room.
-Clean uniform pickup and soiled drop bin in the actual locker room area, or at the very least, on the same floor.
-Cleaning of locker room area, and shower 3 times a week, unlike the brief once weekly cleaning of our drivers room bathroom.
*Clear definition on the ability to wear our own shorts in the summertime as granted in Article 12 of contract. (2nd issue)
My understanding of ABF's Cintas contract is that there is not an option to have enough shorts to wear in the summertime unless the employee takes the uniform's home to wash themselves.
Only 11 changes of pants and/or shorts, with the number of each picked at initial fitting, with one weekly exchange of dirty for clean uniforms by Cintas.
Example: If wanting to wear shorts in the summertime, an employee would have to pick the option of having 6 pants, with the rest being shorts. If Cintas is picking the clothes up for wash, and on week number 1 you've worn shorts each day to work, you're not able to wear shorts again until the 3rd week when they are returned clean.
Reverse this process in the wintertime and you'll quickly realize that an employee will not be able to have clean pants to wear for 4 days of the 2nd week, unless they are taking the uniform home to wash themselves. (Only 6 pants to make it through a 2 week cycle)
This issue again repeats itself, with having to choose long sleeve versus short sleeve shirts , with the total being 11.
Will there be disciplinary action by ABF, when we wear our own clothes in the wintertime for 4 days of the second week, or for 5 days of the second week in the summertime?
Does our union really think that an employee of ABF should have to wash their uniform's themselves, in order to not be in the position of only having enough winter clothing for 6 days out of 10 in a 2 week work cycle. (5 out of 10 in the summer months)
Also please note, our Terminal is not heated or air conditioned.
The implementation of this uniform program should be prohibited until there is
#1: clear decision on ABF having to providing necessary locker/changing room and shower facilities before requiring uniforms to be worn, and those facilities available fully beforehand.
#2 Enough uniforms supplied to have a full 2 week rotation of both summer and winter wear, with clear protection from disciplinary action on ABF's part due to their own shortsightedness in setting up a mandatory uniform program.
