With this being the last year of our contract and negotiations beginning for our next contract, I feel that now would be a good time to express our feelings as to what we might like to see in the next contract. We need a strong contract to take us ahead in the future not step us back into the darker ages.

1) NO weekly contribution by employee for health care.

2)Bring our wages up to where they should be, everything has skyrocketed except our wage. Even company profits have went way up. Now is the time for them to SHARE those profits with the people who made them the profits in the first place...........The Rank and File Teamsters. I would like to see $1.50, $1.25, $1.50, $.75 and $.75 or any break down of $6.00 over the life of the contract.

3) H & W paid on all hours worked not just the first 8 per day. Or at least if they are only going to pay on 40hrs make it the first 40 you work, because if you only work 3 days you get only 24 hrs contributions instead of the actual hours you work. I know that you can get 38 or more hours in 3 days.
This would maybe do 2 things ......cut back on the excessive overtime and or maybe put more people on the list.

4) Change the cartage language, to something like if the co. uses cartage they must guarantee the list for the rest of the week. This would help out the bottom men.

I'm sure that there a lot more issues that are on people's minds and I feel that if we start to air them now and communicate these issues with our co workers and find out their needs ........................... WHEN......................................... the Teamsters Union sends us their survey to find out what we want and ..................... now for the important part....................... when we ALL and I mean All of us.......... there is no room for apathy here fill out the surveys and return them in a timely manor and they all are in agreement They will have no choice but to negotiate for what we want. Again this is going to take a major commitment on our part and if the proverbial ball is dropped we are F****D. Be proud do you part, and remember UNITY = STRENGTH

Johnny