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ABF | What does "old school" mean exactly?

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I have offended several older teamsters with a previous post when I reported that a few "old schoolers" we're not only milking the clock, but were demanding that I do the same. I have been given the impression in my time with Abf that old school didn't refer to age. I've always thought it referred to those that take advantage of our protection we have by being a teamster. (Milking the clock is just one example of that behavior). Am I way off base? If so, let me know. Maybe I need to chose different words to express my point.
 
Yes, IMO you are way off base. I've been around a long time and I can't recall even hearing the term "old school Teamsters" until a couple of old friends started a website by that name. I've seen my share of slouches, sandbaggers, lazy workers, freight *****s and dinosaurs but "old school" didn't mean anything of that sort to me.
 
"Old school" was cool before it was cool to be old school. It does not matter where you go or if you work under a collective bargaining agreement or not you will find slackers with no work ethic doing as little as possible to get by, and yes they might ask or tell you to slack off. BUT they way you come off as if everybody at your barn is a slacker and demanding you be the same has a smell.... and it's not roses
 
I wasn't going to respond to this since it looks more like a troll than sincerity. To me an "Old School Teamster" is one who has always believed in a days work for a days pay. He or she lives by the contract & expects management to do the same. This person will probably gives 100% to the job & doesn't like parasites who want others to do their work. This person knows the company has to make a profit to stay in business & works accordingly. An "Old School Teamster" has probably walked a picked line at his jobsite & probably walked with others who were organizing or on strike because their employer chose to violate the conditions of a contract. An "Old School Teamster" can look back with pride on their accomplishments. These people "Blazed The Trail" for younger workers & helped them have better working conditions & fair wages.
 
DCM_Doc said:
I wasn't going to respond to this since it looks more like a troll than sincerity. To me an "Old School Teamster" is one who has always believed in a days work for a days pay. He or she lives by the contract & expects management to do the same. This person will probably gives 100% to the job & doesn't like parasites who want others to do their work. This person knows the company has to make a profit to stay in business & works accordingly. An "Old School Teamster" has probably walked a picked line at his jobsite & probably walked with others who were organizing or on strike because their employer chose to violate the conditions of a contract. An "Old School Teamster" can look back with pride on their accomplishments. These people "Blazed The Trail" for younger workers & helped them have better working conditions & fair wages.
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Thank you DMC_Doc, I felt a really good sense of pride while reading your post. Now whenever I hear the term "old school Teamster" It's meaning will be the qualities that you have posted.
 
I also appreciate and respect your post - it's definitely clear that I was greatly mistaken in my interpretation. I will certainly chose my words differently from now on.

If I may, I'd like to sincerely apologize for misusing this term and offending any true old schoolers. Everything I've posted is genuine and true other than the post that I deleted (which was obviously a fictional story to prove a point) but I do regret offending those who have taken offense. Sorry from the bottom of my heart
 
DCM_Doc said:
I wasn't going to respond to this since it looks more like a troll than sincerity. To me an "Old School Teamster" is one who has always believed in a days work for a days pay. He or she lives by the contract & expects management to do the same. This person will probably gives 100% to the job & doesn't like parasites who want others to do their work. This person knows the company has to make a profit to stay in business & works accordingly. An "Old School Teamster" has probably walked a picked line at his jobsite & probably walked with others who were organizing or on strike because their employer chose to violate the conditions of a contract. An "Old School Teamster" can look back with pride on their accomplishments. These people "Blazed The Trail" for younger workers & helped them have better working conditions & fair wages.
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DCM_Doc you are spot on Old School Teamsters are who built this union and gave us what we have today. Old School Teamster are the guys who walked or were on the picket lines in cold and snow. The guys who had to live on the strike funds to get us the wages and working conditions we have today. The guys that live, fought, died and took part in the 1905 great Chicago Teamster strike. An Old Teamster would never leave another Teamster hanging or out in the wind. This Union was built on the backs of Old School Freight Teamsters. Old School Teamsters are the guys who built ABF into one of the most respected freight carriers in the United States. Old School Teamsters do not just give away the things that were fought for by our Predecessors .Its because of Old School Teamsters that Union freight drivers were the pride and most respected drivers in the freight business. The problem is there are very few still around. Every tree has a few bad apples in it, You can hold your head up high with pride because of the Heritage left by an Old School Teamster.
 
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truxforever said:
DCM_Doc you are spot on Old School Teamsters are who built this union and gave us what we have today. Old School Teamster are the guys who walked or were on the picket lines in cold and snow. The guys who had to live on the strike funds to get us the wages and working conditions we have today. The guys that live, fought, died and took part in the 1905 great Chicago Teamster strike. An Old Teamster would never leave another Teamster hanging or out in the wind. This Union was built on the backs of Old School Freight Teamsters. Old School Teamsters are the guys who built ABF into one of the most respected freight carriers in the United States. Old School Teamsters do not just give away the things that were fought for by our Predecessors .Its because of Old School Teamsters that Union freight drivers were the pride and most respected drivers in the freight business. The problem is there are very few still around. Every tree has a few bad apples in it, You can hold your head up high with pride because of the Heritage left by an Old School Teamster.
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Excellent response to a good post that really defines what an "Old School" Teamster is. Although I too hate the term, because "old or not", ALL of us in the IBT need to return to those not so old ways. After 32 years in the IBT, I have walked the line, gotten arrested, hit by ***** (and given back to those ***** as good as I got, or better). I have honored all picket lines and on occasion, picked up a bat or two. (Although the new gutless Teamsters Union would never acknowledge or approve of such behavior). Time was, when you took a man's livelihood, you paid in blood..I too have always given a fair days work for a fair days pay and had the privilege of knowing many union brothers and sisters who do the same. "Old school" ? I don't know..I just thought that's what being in a union was all about. Too many of us take for granted the sacrifices of those that came before us in organized labor. And, it could be one of the reasons labor is in trouble nowadays.
 
An acronym for dried blood covering a wound is edited out ? How about "temporary replacement worker" ? Is that better ?
 
DCM_Doc said:
I wasn't going to respond to this since it looks more like a troll than sincerity. To me an "Old School Teamster" is one who has always believed in a days work for a days pay. He or she lives by the contract & expects management to do the same. This person will probably gives 100% to the job & doesn't like parasites who want others to do their work. This person knows the company has to make a profit to stay in business & works accordingly. An "Old School Teamster" has probably walked a picked line at his jobsite & probably walked with others who were organizing or on strike because their employer chose to violate the conditions of a contract. An "Old School Teamster" can look back with pride on their accomplishments. These people "Blazed The Trail" for younger workers & helped them have better working conditions & fair wages.
Click to expand...

truxforever said:
DCM_Doc you are spot on Old School Teamsters are who built this union and gave us what we have today. Old School Teamster are the guys who walked or were on the picket lines in cold and snow. The guys who had to live on the strike funds to get us the wages and working conditions we have today. The guys that live, fought, died and took part in the 1905 great Chicago Teamster strike. An Old Teamster would never leave another Teamster hanging or out in the wind. This Union was built on the backs of Old School Freight Teamsters. Old School Teamsters are the guys who built ABF into one of the most respected freight carriers in the United States. Old School Teamsters do not just give away the things that were fought for by our Predecessors .Its because of Old School Teamsters that Union freight drivers were the pride and most respected drivers in the freight business. The problem is there are very few still around. Every tree has a few bad apples in it, You can hold your head up high with pride because of the Heritage left by an Old School Teamster.
Click to expand...

Here are two great post... What is said in both of these post are true, and as close as I have read so far...

Nextgenteamster I was offended and still am with your post... I have to tell you that there are guys who are lazy, and slack off, Your accusing old school teamsters of doing this, and pressuring you to do the same... If this is happening then it isn't coming from old school teamsters!!!...I JUST DON'T BELIEVE YOU...
 
papajohn said:
Here are two great post... What is said in both of these post are true, and as close as I have read so far...

Nextgenteamster I was offended and still am with your post... I have to tell you that there are guys who are lazy, and slack off, Your accusing old school teamsters of doing this, and pressuring you to do the same... If this is happening then it isn't coming from old school teamsters!!!...I JUST DON'T BELIEVE YOU...
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I certainly understand you and others being offended, but did you read the previous post? I admitted that I was misunderstanding the term "old school". Then I apologized from my heart. I honestly don't understand what it is that you don't believe
 
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