Before I jump to any real conclusions. I want to hear from people that work for our company in different states and at different terminals on this. So here goes.. Here @ 024 HAR, the remaining dock men (the ones that haven't quit, been fired or laid off and not brought back) are getting the sneaking suspicion that they (Estes or 024 management) do not intend to hire many or any more full-time dockworkers. We are short 20 dock men as compared to this time last year. Now giving the company the benefit of the doubt, which I never like to do. They claim freight levels are down this year from the same time last year, which I also highly doubt. (We've had 4 weeks this year so far of mandatory OT, which we probably had all of 2007) They put a sign up out front hiring for only PT Dockworkers, they also haven't placed up all of the bids left open by the departure of people. Some we're posted, probably 5 at most. It also seems like they're really trying to start weeding people out more so than usual. Filling out "green sheets" left and right for simple little misloads that were caught before the trailer was sealed up and sent out. I say thats no harm, no foul territory. It's not like the freight went 300 miles the wrong direction. From other things I've posted here about the Philly terminal and what they did to the dock men there, how they had some fulltime dock men @ 015 WMP (who worked split shifts), when laid off.. were replaced late last year with PT dock and drivers doing some of the dockwork.

So to get to my point, are any of these things going on elsewhere? Has anyone heard anything? Some people here @ 024 have the wool pulled over their eyes, and can't bring themselves to read the writing on the wall. While the rest are starting to realize it just might actually be time to start looking into some type of job protection. Only time will tell, but I have a pretty good feeling that we will not go down without a fight.

On a side note to this.. I was also informed that they are now hiring PT P&D drivers at certain locations.. Is this happening where you are? Let's help each other out here, keep your eyes and ears open.