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ABF | Utility drivers.

T

ttman

Guest
wow, we went through this already at 042. It didn't go very well and we won many grievances over it. Now it is simply being reintroduced under the name of utility driver.
It's a dangerous thing for EVERYONE, dock, yard, city and road. When they did the same thing here last year under the meet/turn deal it was disasterous. Many road drivers sitting at home. Over $100,000 worth. And the best part is ABF had to pay them for sitting at home. lol. good for them! Now they want to ram it through as utility driver. Sounds innocent enough. But it will keep our guys sitting at home and this time they will not be able to collect. NO GOOD can come out of this.
 
The only problem I see in that language is the fact that if a road driver bids Utility and moves to the local cartage board, he has no rights to go back to linehaul. Curious how all of this might occur here in Chicago, with there being two local Unions involved.

Is this the advent of the company trying to combine our locals?

That might be a stupid question, but, with all the other stuff going on, who knows?
 
Does the Utility employee give the company to much flexibility.
Will it do away with short line and use them as Utility employee.
How about limited P&D bids and most Driver's be UE.
How about start times,will it be unlimited.
Will they need hostler's.
Will it 5 days at 12 hour days.
Will it be a 4 day bid that we better pack a over night bag as you will have hours to get back on the 5 day.
There is alot of gray area in this contract.
 
Double barrel said:
Does the Utility employee give the company to much flexibility.
Will it do away with short line and use them as Utility employee.
How about limited P&D bids and most Driver's be UE.
How about start times,will it be unlimited.
Will they need hostler's.
Will it 5 days at 12 hour days.
Will it be a 4 day bid that we better pack a over night bag as you will have hours to get back on the 5 day.
There is alot of gray area in this contract.
Click to expand...

First of all we don't yet know what utility will look at ABF what we have all heard is YRC's deal.
The president of my local said Utility will be 5 eights or 4 tens no lay downs home every night.
Hourly pay ONLY (no road pay) and no retreat rights back to the road.
40 hours a week guarantee.
I don't know about start times.
250 miles one way limit.
I don't think the company will jump a making thousands of drivers utility at $1 over top pay.
Yes there is allot of gray area.
I don't like not being able to come back to the road if it doesn't work out!
 
yes i know from what i heard that it was hourly. i dont like that and if this dont work why cant we just come back to road side this s333ks ya lot of flex in whos favor not ours.just venting:ranting2:
 
just a possible question the way ABF has its NDXP set up model aka PSE how many utility drivers will each barn really need ?
 
rujac said:
just a possible question the way ABF has its NDXP set up model aka PSE how many utility drivers will each barn really need ?
Click to expand...

The PSE language is gone in YRC's new NMFA it seams like we would need the same number utility as PSE at least till business increased.
My BA said at first Utility would only be offered to the road till the first bid ends then high seniority city can come in and knock you off the job. NO THANKS.
 
Double barrel said:
Does the Utility employee give the company to much flexibility.
Will it do away with short line and use them as Utility employee.
How about limited P&D bids and most Driver's be UE.
How about start times,will it be unlimited.
Will they need hostler's.
Will it 5 days at 12 hour days.
Will it be a 4 day bid that we better pack a over night bag as you will have hours to get back on the 5 day.
There is alot of gray area in this contract.
Click to expand...

first of all; if the company wants to make everyone or most everyone a utility man then your raise just became a $1.50 per hour.
so that's their choice and does not sound like a bad deal
there is not as much gray in this language as you think as you have to actually read several times to really grasp it.
in the ny nj supplement area we have set start times and the company has to adhere to those with that slide time application. in your area it will depend on what your supplement language is for start times. for example if there are no set start times then they can do what they want.
in terminals where there are two boards, road and city the roadies will have an option to cross over and dovetail into the city operation but he cannot go back and there is no usual 30 day window
utility men have to return to their point of origin/home terminal at the end of their shift or the company will pay you time and half until you do.
this classification will serve to allow the company to enhance and expedite most linehaul as is done currently with the winston/avenel lane
you will see more of that from various other breaks to a relay point which will effectively shave a day or two off transit times
by engaing guys to take utility bids it will open up job opportunities almost automatically in the p+d ops
as it will also allow affected linehaul guys an opportunity to work

it gives them enhanced flexibility for a better wage
too much? i think not as these companies have to be able to provide a reason for shippers to use us, and enhanced transit times are a better answer than discounts are
discounts tend to hold down wages brother as we all know that from deregulation
 
big steve said:
first of all; if the company wants to make everyone or most everyone a utility man then your raise just became a $1.50 per hour.
so that's their choice and does not sound like a bad deal
there is not as much gray in this language as you think as you have to actually read several times to really grasp it.
in the ny nj supplement area we have set start times and the company has to adhere to those with that slide time application. in your area it will depend on what your supplement language is for start times. for example if there are no set start times then they can do what they want.
in terminals where there are two boards, road and city the roadies will have an option to cross over and dovetail into the city operation but he cannot go back and there is no usual 30 day window
utility men have to return to their point of origin/home terminal at the end of their shift or the company will pay you time and half until you do.
this classification will serve to allow the company to enhance and expedite most linehaul as is done currently with the winston/avenel lane
you will see more of that from various other breaks to a relay point which will effectively shave a day or two off transit times
by engaing guys to take utility bids it will open up job opportunities almost automatically in the p+d ops
as it will also allow affected linehaul guys an opportunity to work

it gives them enhanced flexibility for a better wage
too much? i think not as these companies have to be able to provide a reason for shippers to use us, and enhanced transit times are a better answer than discounts are
discounts tend to hold down wages brother as we all know that from deregulation
Click to expand...

Utility is a big cut in pay for a road driver. But Utility is a better schedule.
 
as far as offering it to roadmen first, i do not see where that is stipulated in the language at all
it reads as a straight seniority bidding process period
 
there is no language as to the total number of utility drivers.suppose we come in to find the road board is done away with and no road drivers bid for utility spots?here in fl our farthest point for single men is charlotte but we may send 1 man a week there. all our runs in fl are less than 250 miles one way. we are not allowed to run north to atlanta.aman on a miami bidmakes 275 a trip(.554 x497 miles) x 6 day a week bid =1652.under the utility driver he would get approx 24 an hour x 10 hours(240)x6 days a week =1440. we lose 212 a week . this may or may not be how it works out ,just wondering out loud
 
big steve said:
as far as offering it to road men first, i do not see where that is stipulated in the language at all
it reads as a straight seniority bidding process period
Click to expand...

If i understood the President of my local correct the language where it is offered initially only to road men was something added on late he said he had it in a letter it is to be in the final language of the contract.
 
Read For Yourself

Don't believe everything you are told, even if it is from your Local President. This is a very important decision and each one of us had better take the time to study this contract for our self. Yes, they will tell you this and that, but PLEASE read for your self. Your famly is at stake!!
The president of my local said Utility will be 5 eights or 4 tens no lay downs home every night.
Hourly pay ONLY (no road pay) and no retreat rights back to the road.
40 hours a week guarantee.
I don't know about start times.
250 miles one way limit.
I don't think the company will jump a making thousands of drivers utility at $1 over top pay.
Yes there is allot of gray area.
I don't like not being able to come back to the road if it doesn't work out![/QUOTE]
 
ya gotta bid to get on utility, and if the company abuses the program the committee can straighten them out when you file.

Any road driver with any seniority wont go near this, and no they cant make everybody utility carte blanche.

read the explaination posted on teamster.org
 
12pack said:
If i understood the President of my local correct the language where it is offered initially only to road men was something added on late he said he had it in a letter it is to be in the final language of the contract.
Click to expand...

I didnt hear anything about that in chicago.

hey 12pk, did ron c. road driver retire?

If he did tellum i said to enjoy, i will see him in june, at the retirees party.
 
12pak i think there will be more utility drivers than many people think. The $1 per hour seems like a lot but I am a PSE driver currently and we make a good bit more now than we will as utility drivers. currently we get mileage +our time not driving at hourly rate. This is a bad deal for the PSE drivers. The road drivers will be hurt from this as well , many road drivers have been opposed to PSE. They havent seen anything yet if ABF changes to the utility hourly with no mileage. The freight is going on the utility truck you can bet on that.
 
nuckinfutz said:
I didn't hear anything about that in Chicago.

hey 12pk, did Ron c. road driver retire?

If he did tellum i said to enjoy, i will see him in June, at the retirees party.
Click to expand...

No Ron C. has not retired yet but he is getting close. He told me he is going but he hasn't put the paper work in yet. I will say HI to him for you when i see him. He works at 00:01 and i work at 18:01 so i don't see him very often.
 
j2edge7 said:
12pak i think there will be more utility drivers than many people think. The $1 per hour seems like a lot but I am a PSE driver currently and we make a good bit more now than we will as utility drivers. currently we get mileage +our time not driving at hourly rate. This is a bad deal for the PSE drivers. The road drivers will be hurt from this as well , many road drivers have been opposed to PSE. They havent seen anything yet if ABF changes to the utility hourly with no mileage. The freight is going on the utility truck you can bet on that.
Click to expand...

Well I will be very interested to see the language on Utility in the ABF contract. I thought the PSE was a good deal with mileage and hourly i just wanted the road to have a shot at the work also. There is a committee to over see the utility i hope like hell we can generate some freight and jobs out of this deal.
 
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