What's new

XPO | Xpo Union Thread.

Status
Not open for further replies.
icuicp said:
Thank you , upnorth. Specifically , what I was trying to understand is - will those that did nothing , and/or were not involved in trying to unionize ( or may be against unionization ) benefit if unionization is successful?

Regardless of the state they may be in , can a person at one of the pending union terminals ( once a deal is finalized and ratified ) just say "I'm in" and BOOM!!! - like that , you've added a new member and they did nothing to help you accomplish your victory?

I'm guessing , the answer is you will accept then just like that ( even though they did not help because you want to grow your numbers )
Click to expand...

Yes, they can and we will accept them.
 
icuicp said:
If , IF unionization is successful and you adapt it to XPO in the way you are describing as Teamsters , this would pressure them to change a lot of what happens at the NMFA companies right?

You won't be in a pension , right?

You won't have all of the different job classifications , right?

And ( this will be scary to the other big non-union LTL's ) you will be operating in a predominantly non-union environment as union members ( if successful )

I would think the Teamsters would put everything they have into making you succeed ( just for business purposes ) Do you think you are getting the total and complete support of the IBT on a national level?

Do you see how your possible success could conflict with the preexisting union freight companies?
Click to expand...

They are not obligated to change anything unless a terminal files for certification, wins an election and negotiates a contract. They may change things for the better, if only to discourage those companies from attempting to unionize. I don't see a pension coming in a first contract. We will bargain for it, as there is already a pension plan in place for senior drivers (pre 2006). That pension fund, by the way, has a surplus of several hundred million dollars. Job classifications will most likely remain. We are receiving tremendous support from the IBT in nearly all areas of this campaign. In Miami, for example, we have been at the table for over 3 years and the IBT continues to provide business agents and attorneys for every negotiating session. AT the one day strike, over 30 organizers from around the country travelled to Miami and stood with us in solidarity. To date, we still have not paid one dime in dues. I'm not sure that our success will effect current union companies, as our goals do not attempt to exceed what benefits they enjoy.
 
Hollywoodz said:
I will say this. After deregulation around 1980, all of us began to be conditioned to the "New Market". It became all about cost, and service to the customer , although still important, took a back seat. Wages and compensation packages stagnated because these companies still wanted to maintain the profit margins they enjoyed prior to deregulation. Somehow, we were lulled into the concept that what we got was all we could get. Fast forward to the present time, Profits are at record highs and productivity is soaring. This applies to both union and non union companies alike. The problem, at least as I see it, is that companies now look at next quarter results instead of long term viability. The people like us, who actually do the work have become second fiddle to CEO salaries and bonuses, stock prices, dividends to shareholders and outright greed. I just want all of us to be invited to the party instead of standing out by the dumpster waiting for the scraps.
Click to expand...
HEY! YOU GONNA EAT THAT?
 
Hollywoodz said:
They are not obligated to change anything unless a terminal files for certification, wins an election and negotiates a contract. They may change things for the better, if only to discourage those companies from attempting to unionize. I don't see a pension coming in a first contract. We will bargain for it, as there is already a pension plan in place for senior drivers (pre 2006). That pension fund, by the way, has a surplus of several hundred million dollars. Job classifications will most likely remain. We are receiving tremendous support from the IBT in nearly all areas of this campaign. In Miami, for example, we have been at the table for over 3 years and the IBT continues to provide business agents and attorneys for every negotiating session. AT the one day strike, over 30 organizers from around the country travelled to Miami and stood with us in solidarity. To date, we still have not paid one dime in dues. I'm not sure that our success will effect current union companies, as our goals do not attempt to exceed what benefits they enjoy.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info ( always ) but you miss what I'm saying...At an established unionized company you don't havevthings going on ( or you are not supposed to ) like XPO has.

A driver hooking his set.
Fueling his tractor.
Loading his trailer.
Filling in for a supervisor.
Doing a city turn.
These are examples of ordinary occurrences at XPO. Unionize a terminal at XPO ( and most of the other terminals are non-union ) and you most likely will have to agree that business as usual will be the law of the land.

In other words , work rules would be whatever company policy is at the time or even if you carry a copy of your contract with you , whatever it says will lead back to the union drivers not doing anything that stops business as usual , right?

This is what UPS Freight , YRC companies , and ABF have been trying to inch towards ( if I am understanding the threads correctly) : utility drivers and blending of job classifications. Blurring the lines and sending the lower paid driver to do the higher paid work.

If this goes in the union's favor ( at XPO ) it will ultimately be a step in the favor of management at the established unionized companies because it makes a case for further tearing down the traditional system they have in place.

I would go so far as to say you can negotiate all you like , but you won't get this regime at XPO to give certain things to you ( and I am guessing it comes from the top )

I say that based on how crazed for EBITDA things have become. When a TM resigns at a nearby terminal and his last OR was 77 before he quit. He was STILL getting blasted on conference calls as if he was a loser.
 
whip1 said:
Why wouldn’t that be your goal? I’d think the goal would be having every contract set the bar. Why settle for less?
Click to expand...

You may be right and it should be our goal, but I'm trying to be realistic here. Our economic proposals are quite generous on our own behalf. I expect to get a percentage of what we've proposed. Exactly what percentage will be determined in the near future. We don't want the company to be at a competitive disadvantage in the market. Really, we don't.
 
icuicp said:
Thank you for the info ( always ) but you miss what I'm saying...At an established unionized company you don't havevthings going on ( or you are not supposed to ) like XPO has.

A driver hooking his set.
Fueling his tractor.
Loading his trailer.
Filling in for a supervisor.
Doing a city turn.
These are examples of ordinary occurrences at XPO. Unionize a terminal at XPO ( and most of the other terminals are non-union ) and you most likely will have to agree that business as usual will be the law of the land.

In other words , work rules would be whatever company policy is at the time or even if you carry a copy of your contract with you , whatever it says will lead back to the union drivers not doing anything that stops business as usual , right?

This is what UPS Freight , YRC companies , and ABF have been trying to inch towards ( if I am understanding the threads correctly) : utility drivers and blending of job classifications. Blurring the lines and sending the lower paid driver to do the higher paid work.

If this goes in the union's favor ( at XPO ) it will ultimately be a step in the favor of management at the established unionized companies because it makes a case for further tearing down the traditional system they have in place.

I would go so far as to say you can negotiate all you like , but you won't get this regime at XPO to give certain things to you ( and I am guessing it comes from the top )

I say that based on how crazed for EBITDA things have become. When a TM resigns at a nearby terminal and his last OR was 77 before he quit. He was STILL getting blasted on conference calls as if he was a loser.
Click to expand...
 
icuicp said:
Thank you for the info ( always ) but you miss what I'm saying...At an established unionized company you don't havevthings going on ( or you are not supposed to ) like XPO has.

A driver hooking his set.
Fueling his tractor.
Loading his trailer.
Filling in for a supervisor.
Doing a city turn.
These are examples of ordinary occurrences at XPO. Unionize a terminal at XPO ( and most of the other terminals are non-union ) and you most likely will have to agree that business as usual will be the law of the land.

In other words , work rules would be whatever company policy is at the time or even if you carry a copy of your contract with you , whatever it says will lead back to the union drivers not doing anything that stops business as usual , right?

This is what UPS Freight , YRC companies , and ABF have been trying to inch towards ( if I am understanding the threads correctly) : utility drivers and blending of job classifications. Blurring the lines and sending the lower paid driver to do the higher paid work.

If this goes in the union's favor ( at XPO ) it will ultimately be a step in the favor of management at the established unionized companies because it makes a case for further tearing down the traditional system they have in place.

I would go so far as to say you can negotiate all you like , but you won't get this regime at XPO to give certain things to you ( and I am guessing it comes from the top )

I say that based on how crazed for EBITDA things have become. When a TM resigns at a nearby terminal and his last OR was 77 before he quit. He was STILL getting blasted on conference calls as if he was a loser.
Click to expand...

Of course, there are certain things that they will never concede. They will never remove the cameras. We only want them to use the properly and fairly. Speaking only for myself and my terminal, I don't think we are looking for these specific job classifications. Other than filling in for a supervisor, I have no problem personally hooking a set, reworking my trailer, or doing a city or line haul turn. What we are concerned with are issues like a supervisor consistently doing bargaining unit work. If an outbound supervisor spends an unusual amount of time on a fork lift, the company should be willing to hire an additional dock worker. We want to keep our work in house and limit their ability to use outside contractors. If all our guys are working and their is an overflow, we have no problem with them calling in an outside contractor to keep our customers happy. However, if they use an outside contractor on a regular basis, then it's time to hire another driver. We want the job security offered by a grievance and arbitration process. We demand a quality and affordable health care plan, nothing even remotely like the garbage plan we have in place at the current time. You know, regular stuff that we have earned by working hard for the company every day. We would love a pension plan that will provide us with a secure retirement. It is not our intention to break the company, on the contrary, we want the company to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. We reject the notion that we are lucky to have a job. We reject the status quo that causes many of us to believe that what we have is enough and it's all we can get. AND, so should you. We are better than that.
 
Hollywoodz said:
Of course, there are certain things that they will never concede. They will never remove the cameras. We only want them to use the properly and fairly. Speaking only for myself and my terminal, I don't think we are looking for these specific job classifications. Other than filling in for a supervisor, I have no problem personally hooking a set, reworking my trailer, or doing a city or line haul turn. What we are concerned with are issues like a supervisor consistently doing bargaining unit work. If an outbound supervisor spends an unusual amount of time on a fork lift, the company should be willing to hire an additional dock worker. We want to keep our work in house and limit their ability to use outside contractors. If all our guys are working and their is an overflow, we have no problem with them calling in an outside contractor to keep our customers happy. However, if they use an outside contractor on a regular basis, then it's time to hire another driver. We want the job security offered by a grievance and arbitration process. We demand a quality and affordable health care plan, nothing even remotely like the garbage plan we have in place at the current time. You know, regular stuff that we have earned by working hard for the company every day. We would love a pension plan that will provide us with a secure retirement. It is not our intention to break the company, on the contrary, we want the company to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. We reject the notion that we are lucky to have a job. We reject the status quo that causes many of us to believe that what we have is enough and it's all we can get. AND, so should you. We are better than that.
Click to expand...

My father worked 8 hours a day and my mother stayed home and took care of my brother and myself. We certainly weren't wealthy but we had all we needed. My dad earned a very good living and when he retired, he enjoyed a quality of life provided by his pension and social security. That was the norm back then. CEO's earned 10 or 20 times the median salary of their employees. Now, they earn between 700 to 2000 times their employees median wage. Health care was a part of most compensation packages and union shops were nearly 40% of the work force. The middle class was strong and vibrant and the economy was booming. What the F#$K HAPPENED! How have we come to accept this? Fathers and mothers working, sometimes 2 jobs just to make ends meet. It's not the way it's supposed to be and we must fix it before it's too late.
 
Hollywoodz said:
Of course, there are certain things that they will never concede. They will never remove the cameras. We only want them to use the properly and fairly. Speaking only for myself and my terminal, I don't think we are looking for these specific job classifications. Other than filling in for a supervisor, I have no problem personally hooking a set, reworking my trailer, or doing a city or line haul turn. What we are concerned with are issues like a supervisor consistently doing bargaining unit work. If an outbound supervisor spends an unusual amount of time on a fork lift, the company should be willing to hire an additional dock worker. We want to keep our work in house and limit their ability to use outside contractors. If all our guys are working and their is an overflow, we have no problem with them calling in an outside contractor to keep our customers happy. However, if they use an outside contractor on a regular basis, then it's time to hire another driver. We want the job security offered by a grievance and arbitration process. We demand a quality and affordable health care plan, nothing even remotely like the garbage plan we have in place at the current time. You know, regular stuff that we have earned by working hard for the company every day. We would love a pension plan that will provide us with a secure retirement. It is not our intention to break the company, on the contrary, we want the company to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. We reject the notion that we are lucky to have a job. We reject the status quo that causes many of us to believe that what we have is enough and it's all we can get. AND, so should you. We are better than that.
Click to expand...
 
Hollywoodz said:
You may be right and it should be our goal, but I'm trying to be realistic here. Our economic proposals are quite generous on our own behalf. I expect to get a percentage of what we've proposed. Exactly what percentage will be determined in the near future. We don't want the company to be at a competitive disadvantage in the market. Really, we don't.
Click to expand...
You have to start somewhere, everything takes time. If XPO thought the union would not effect them in any way, then why are they fighting so hard to keep them out?
 
A
Hollywoodz said:
Of course, there are certain things that they will never concede. They will never remove the cameras. We only want them to use the properly and fairly. Speaking only for myself and my terminal, I don't think we are looking for these specific job classifications. Other than filling in for a supervisor, I have no problem personally hooking a set, reworking my trailer, or doing a city or line haul turn. What we are concerned with are issues like a supervisor consistently doing bargaining unit work. If an outbound supervisor spends an unusual amount of time on a fork lift, the company should be willing to hire an additional dock worker. We want to keep our work in house and limit their ability to use outside contractors. If all our guys are working and their is an overflow, we have no problem with them calling in an outside contractor to keep our customers happy. However, if they use an outside contractor on a regular basis, then it's time to hire another driver. We want the job security offered by a grievance and arbitration process. We demand a quality and affordable health care plan, nothing even remotely like the garbage plan we have in place at the current time. You know, regular stuff that we have earned by working hard for the company every day. We would love a pension plan that will provide us with a secure retirement. It is not our intention to break the company, on the contrary, we want the company to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. We reject the notion that we are lucky to have a job. We reject the status quo that causes many of us to believe that what we have is enough and it's all we can get. AND, so should you. We are better than that.
Click to expand...
Well put.
 
Hollywoodz said:
My father worked 8 hours a day and my mother stayed home and took care of my brother and myself. We certainly weren't wealthy but we had all we needed. My dad earned a very good living and when he retired, he enjoyed a quality of life provided by his pension and social security. That was the norm back then. CEO's earned 10 or 20 times the median salary of their employees. Now, they earn between 700 to 2000 times their employees median wage. Health care was a part of most compensation packages and union shops were nearly 40% of the work force. The middle class was strong and vibrant and the economy was booming. What the F#$K HAPPENED! How have we come to accept this? Fathers and mothers working, sometimes 2 jobs just to make ends meet. It's not the way it's supposed to be and we must fix it before it's too late.
Click to expand...
No coincidence that this all paralleled the decrease in union membership. Xpo is the perfect example of what you spelled out here with the inequity in compensation. The middle class is so focused on issues such as gun rights as an example that they don't see what's happening to the workers rights by the same people they voted for. Bamboozled .
Get informed and get involved in the political spectrum to fight those who are trying feverishly as I write this to take your rights as a worker . While your focused on the headlines they are working at this moment to further diminishing your rights.
 
Last edited:
Hollywoodz said:
Of course, there are certain things that they will never concede. They will never remove the cameras. We only want them to use the properly and fairly. Speaking only for myself and my terminal, I don't think we are looking for these specific job classifications. Other than filling in for a supervisor, I have no problem personally hooking a set, reworking my trailer, or doing a city or line haul turn. What we are concerned with are issues like a supervisor consistently doing bargaining unit work. If an outbound supervisor spends an unusual amount of time on a fork lift, the company should be willing to hire an additional dock worker. We want to keep our work in house and limit their ability to use outside contractors. If all our guys are working and their is an overflow, we have no problem with them calling in an outside contractor to keep our customers happy. However, if they use an outside contractor on a regular basis, then it's time to hire another driver. We want the job security offered by a grievance and arbitration process. We demand a quality and affordable health care plan, nothing even remotely like the garbage plan we have in place at the current time. You know, regular stuff that we have earned by working hard for the company every day. We would love a pension plan that will provide us with a secure retirement. It is not our intention to break the company, on the contrary, we want the company to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. We reject the notion that we are lucky to have a job. We reject the status quo that causes many of us to believe that what we have is enough and it's all we can get. AND, so should you. We are better than that.
Click to expand...
hoo rahh
 
Maltman said:
No it’s not. If the company feels like they have fairly compensated their drivers why would it be bad faith? As a non teamster driver, if my compensation package equals X, are you entitled to more than me just because you organized? No. So if you want better insurance we’ll that means less hourly, if you want better retirement, then less PTO. That way your package and my package still equal X. Those are just theoretical possibilities but I think that would be common sense negotiating not bad faith.
Click to expand...
If this logic is followed then how would wages ever increase? If all companies packages are equal then why would one ever increase? What causes wages to go up?
 
Tao said:
And we work in LTL, an industry systematically built to make job hopping within it regressively painful. Pay scales and seniority make switching employers far more painful than most industries, imo. Our bosses tell guys with 20 years "you don't like it, go to FedEx..." and of course they dont. Not because they don't want better top pay, they just don't want to work nights and work back through the pay scale as they're paying mortgages and sending kids off to college.

LTL was such a bad choice, lol.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the turnover in companies as well. So many go out of business every year. And even the big ones like Con-way get swallowed up by something. Pjax got bought by Vitran and then that got bought by Central Transport. The job hopping is not always the drivers option. Sometimes you come in to work and they have applications for you to fill out if you want to have a job.

That's a big fear here at XPO. We know he is gonna sell us. And what will the outcome of that sale be ? Are you better off to take another opportunity or wait and then this job is taken from you and you are on the street hoping for an opportunity ? You'll find a job right away. That won't be a problem. But will you find what you need on short notice ? Think you will get that lucky ?
 
Last edited:
Maltman said:
I believe you will try to bargain wages up. Maybe in 3 to 4 years when you get around to that part of the negotiations. I still don’t quite understand how you think you’ll get more than your non-union counterparts. If the company were to agree to anything other than an equal compensation package then you union guys would get your wish because the flood gates would open. Good luck. the nlrb can’t make them pay you more than the rest of us, if they could it would not be a negotiation
Click to expand...

If the company can continue to delay a contract for another 3-4 years it's a huge win for them. Baby boomers retiring monthly. The old guard is disappearing. And XPO LTL will certainly be sold off at least once in that time. What will be the circumstance of employment in 3-4 years ? How can you bargain anything in such uncertainty ? They'll be renegotiating the negotiations of the previous renegotiations for years.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top