Yellow | What are people’s thoughts on Teamsters union

Not all unions are good I admit that but what needs to be done is to get rid of the bums and find a union that has your best interest . I know its not easy but sometimes ya have to fight for whats right . Whats posted here is picked up by the nonunion management and used against organizing . Not all unions are bad or worthless there many good ones that are being attacked by the negative comments . I think theres ways of airing your opinion with out bringing down the whole union community .Give credit where credit is do.
I never said Unions were bad, if I thought they were I wouldn’t be in one, but I also wouldn’t want to be in one where members are censored or under some gestapo gag order. In our Union we have the right and freedom to speak our minds.

I don’t think non Union management needs to look here for info, what goes on is public knowledge. They follow what happens on contracts like the ones UPS freight, UPS small package and ABF just went through.
The YRC mou’s were public everywhere. These are publicly traded companies.

The issues discussed here aren’t used to stop organizing. What is used is every news article on the few corrupt officials hurting the reputation of the union, at least here people get the whole story including how that bad apple has been removed and charged thanks to members participation in their locals.

And of course the pension plans that are in trouble are used against us. But again at least on this site people can see for themselves that members are discussing ways and ideas to fix them and even see that ALL the pension funds are NOT in trouble.
 
Me and several other casuals were getting full-time pay instead of casual pay .. And according to the union contract 30 days at full time pay they can't do nothing to you and we basically did the 30 days and then they were like it was a mistake and let us all go .. Other union job they closed the location down because we were making too much money
 
So whats your plan on attracting new members ? Yes union officials that are not doing their jobs in a manor that benefits the members should be dealt with . I blame a lot of this on members that won't vote . Last time a vote was taken only 18% bothered to take a moment to vote . Then they have time to come here on T/B and knock the union . If ya have a problem with the union then go to your monthly union meeting and address the problem there and bring a enough of members with to show there is strength in numbers . Airing your laundry on T/B isn't helping to bring in new members . Having said that I think Hoffa's time has come . Not all unions are bad ,there are plenty of good hard working unions out there doing whats right for their members but ya would never know it after reading whats posted here .
Get rid of Hoffa and get some decent leadership in there! The rest will take care of itself! Damn Canadians!
 
They suck if your in a right to work state quick paying dues. If you want to see how bad they become watch this contract. Sell all the Teamsters assets and put them in the pension fund. The end.
 
Please educate me then. My research comes up with similar numbers.
1.3 million members in 2013. Where are you getting 75,000 from?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Brotherhood_of_Teamsters
1.3 million members, but later in the wiki article it sites the numbers covered by the NMFA had dropped from 500,000 in the 1970's to less than 200,000 in the 1990's. 200,000 is much closer to 75,000 than 1.5 million. Not many nurses contributing to central states pension
 
Per Wikipedia, ABF shows 10,000 employees, YRC shows 19,000. Can't figure out where 1.3 million comes from that has relevance to LTL freight. Don't believe you can count UPS in that count. As they negotiate on their own and don't participate in Central States Pension Fund.
 
Tell me other than Central States which Teamster local is going broke ? Many of the Teamsters union through out the country are doing fine . Western Conference IS DOING GREAT . Local 705 and 710 have plenty of money .
Only because UPS still contributes to their funds!
 
Per Wikipedia, ABF shows 10,000 employees, YRC shows 19,000. Can't figure out where 1.3 million comes from that has relevance to LTL freight. Don't believe you can count UPS in that count. As they negotiate on their own and don't participate in Central States Pension Fund.
You have to realize that Truck Drivers are too hard for Hoffa and the boys to BS, they prefer to represent workers in other fields like maids at motels that think eight dollars an hour is a lot of money. Much less work to make happy and still pay dues, I bet if you gave Hoffa the opportunity he would cut the truck drivers loose in a heartbeat! I don't know if anyone has a chart of what percentage of Teamsters truck drivers are but I bet it is pretty small.
 
Per Wikipedia, ABF shows 10,000 employees, YRC shows 19,000. Can't figure out where 1.3 million comes from that has relevance to LTL freight. Don't believe you can count UPS in that count. As they negotiate on their own and don't participate in Central States Pension Fund.
1.3 million is the total number of dues paying members. As far as who puts into the pension, that’s a whole different topic.
 
You have to realize that Truck Drivers are too hard for Hoffa and the boys to BS, they prefer to represent workers in other fields like maids at motels that think eight dollars an hour is a lot of money. Much less work to make happy and still pay dues, I bet if you gave Hoffa the opportunity he would cut the truck drivers loose in a heartbeat! I don't know if anyone has a chart of what percentage of Teamsters truck drivers are but I bet it is pretty small.
The number I’ve repeatedly heard is 3%
 
You have to realize that Truck Drivers are too hard for Hoffa and the boys to BS, they prefer to represent workers in other fields like maids at motels that think eight dollars an hour is a lot of money. Much less work to make happy and still pay dues, I bet if you gave Hoffa the opportunity he would cut the truck drivers loose in a heartbeat! I don't know if anyone has a chart of what percentage of Teamsters truck drivers are but I bet it is pretty small.
Divisions
 
A Union is a Corporation just like any other Corporation. Their main concern is to protect the Corporation.

I will take the flak on that, and have been on both sides of the issue. What most are not taking into account is the evolving shift in the industry. That shift is real and many that have been in a bubble at companies like YRC and Holland can not see it. I admit I didn’t while I was at Holland for 20 yrs even though it was there right in front of us..

There will always be a place for Unions, good or bad, but the industry as a whole is shifting and the system that YRC in particular operates is archaic in many respects.

With all due respect, as Jimmy G pointed out, many non union outfits have become very attractive to those with experience. The retirement bennies are actually a better option these days over what Unions are offering, even the 705 and 710 locals if you invest and manage it as you are supposed to.

Currently yes medical at the Unions tend to be better, but even non’s are stepping that up a bit to bring in experience. As far as protections, with respect many of the dock and drivers that should have been let go were “protected” I have witnessed this many, many times and believe it or not it is actually counterproductive over all to keep many of those employees.

Could there be a revival of Unions?
Yes and No.

Today you have many in the labor market that want nothing to do with Unions for many reasons. When you look at all the underfunded pensions, both public and private, as well as the fact that many Unions are nothing more than political arms many folks become extreamly turned off even if the promises were gold plated, to which they are no longer feasible.

It is truly sad, but we as members current and former sealed the deal back in 2009 and then again in 2014 with the extension to 2019. We did so under good faith even knowing once we gave it away, that in all reality we would never fully get it back. Since then the trucking industry has changed on the outside in many ways in who it attracts to do the job. Looking back in from the outside I appreciated my years in the brotherhood and I pray that some semblance would return, but the best decision I made was leaving. Speaking with many of my friends from my old terminal the general consensus is wait to see what the contract holds, or buy the last couple years till 25.. what happens after that is you start to lose experience and once gone it really is not replacible in today’s market short term. This is why YRC is moving to logistics with HNRY, that is the new direction and other companies non and union will have to adapt no matter how much union officers chest pump.

Again hate all you want, but over all as I opened with - A UNION is nothing more than a Corporation and it’s intrests and bottom lines come before it’s clientel, just like any other Corporation.
 
1.3 million is the total number of dues paying members. As far as who puts into the pension, that’s a whole different topic.
I understand that, that is why I stated those with relevance to LTL freight:500,000 in the 70's, fewer than 200,000 in the 90's, and now 29,000 between YRC and ABF. I'll grant maybe another few thousand scattered here and there for say 35,000 including YRC and ABF, but RELEVANT TO LTL, I consider a plummet from 500,000 in the 70's to a generous figure of 35,000 in 2018 a significant drop.
If YRC goes on strike, do strike benefits come out from other divisions. Will other divisions of the overall teamsters support the LTL guys with more than words?
I'm not anti union, came up in a blue collar family and was a teamster myself for a short time. I'm not here to bash the concept of the union, just to bring up realistic questions. The teamsters have a checkered past from Shea to Tobin to Presser to Hoffa Jr and Sr.
it is a good concept that has been executed with malfeasance and incompetency and criminal action through its long history. The problem is not the rank and file but the leadership
 
Teamsters are penalizing the retirement of the ones that are still working what kind of crap is that. I had 23 years paid in at full rate before the 25% these last 10 years. What would anyone with half a brain think about the Teamsters. That’s BS and they don’t care about there members.
 
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