How about a perspective from an 18 year veteran with only a year and a half as a Teamster... I will never go back to a nonunion carrier for work again unless I absolutely had to and had no other choice. I would more than likely leave the industry altogether since I have some ASE certs to put to use in my own garage. One thing I have learned in this industry, and I have worked for two mom and pops LTL carriers, a big LTL carrier, a chemical company on its private fleet, Holland, ABF, and UPS package, is that you have to look at the big picture of compensation and not just that hourly wage. Those Conway drivers got that raise which pushes up their top rate, but what is it going to cost later on? Will their health insurance go up, thus eating up that .50¢ per hour? Not hard to imagine these days... Even though our pensions are kinda in the
ter right now, I believe that the union pension still pays more than most of the nonunion LTL 401ks. Does that justify the state of the Teamsters pension right now? No, it does not. The pension, the work rules, seniority, the benefits, the overtime, are all reasons why the Teamsters Union exists in the first place. For the first 8 years of my driving career, I had no idea what OT pay was. I was working the hours but sure as hell wasn't getting the pay for it. I had decent benefits at the first real LTL I worked at, but I was also single.... Didn't have a family to provide for, just me. I knew what I was getting into when I finally applied to a Teamster job. I understood what sacrifices were made in the contract that is currently in place. Yeah, no paid vacation for 2 years. I look at it like this... Been on lay off for the majority of 2015, still am as I type this. So I haven't had full 5 day work weeks, but I still made good money last year. Yeah a paid week of time off isuch better than a 2 or 3 day check, but the big picture of last year for me is that I did fine. Yeah, I also went to UPS package for Christmas and that helped me. I do what I have to do to string a paycheck together... Have a wife, daughter, mortgage, etc... But I don't have car payments and much debt. I drive a 2001 and my wife a 2004. I fix 'em and keep them going. No car payment until I am lay off proof... Someday...
Anyway, I guess the point I am trying to make is that while the nonunions make more per hour than us right now, that is all they have on us. We have established work rules. Seniority means everything in our world. None of us will be fired because some ops person has a bug up their ass or didn't get laid last night. Our company invests almost $800 a week into health, welfare and pension before we ever punch the time clock. Their is as much or as little overtime as you want. Yeah, their are issues with how the Teamsters have been handling our contracts and it seems at times that we are nothing more than a dues payment, but that is something we are going to have to work on and work on hard. I will admit that I was jealous of you guys back in the late 90's and early 2000's because of how much better a Teamster driver had it. I couldn't beat you, so I joined you. And I will never drive nonunion again if I can help it. It ain't perfect in Teamster world, but it isn't bad. I respect the opinions and words of wisdom from our senior brothers on this board. I hope one day that we can flip this thing around and get it back to where it once was. You know the nonunion drivers are reading this thread and are probably saying WTF? Well, it isn't all roses here in Teamster world, but at the end of the day, it's nice bringing home over $1100 a week in less than 60 hours. Sorry for the long read, but I wanted to give an honest take on it from a mostly nonunion turned Teamster driver.