I, too, really want the pension to be there when I retiree... (I'm a seven year Teamster...going to pay your way...(you got yours)... am I going to get mine, slick?

Apparently your are misguided. How can you call your self a Teamster when you compliment a contract that sacrificed some of you Brothers because you got what you wanted. Me, Me, Me. That is our biggest problem, the Me, Me, Me people that do not take the time to educate themselves on the complete issue.

Misguided? How? How does this sacrifice anyone elses position? Please explain how this is, or my comment is selfish in anyway.

I wish you would educate me on the facts that you have. I get my facts from my Sec-Treas, and President of our Union Local. Being that I am in the position I am in, I cannot afford to be mislead by forces outside of the Local Unions official standings.

If you have any information to rebut my claim, please post it here, at your earliest convenience. Otherwise, your personal attack on my integrity can only be explained by your membership in TDU. (Teamsters to Destroy the Union)

You know the more I think about it, I just have to ask you, and do this intelligently, if you can, what is the downside to this contract? Don't say the substitute service purchased transportation, that is a non issue, and being the informed Teamster you are, surely know this. The Utility Employee language, is what is going to make us more competitive in the industry, this is already proven.

Just explain to me what you mean by sacrificing the Brotherhood for my selfishness. I am at odds trying to think of what your argument really is. The complete issue, what do you mean by this?

I know I am not the brother you addressed, however let me take a stab at pointing out what I believe the major problems are with the contract.

1) although I agree that the UE will help gain some competetive edge, there was no need to give the company a blank check on it's utilization... it should have been capped at least long enough to experience the ramifications it was going to have on the membership.

2) at my local the Sec/Treas and Pres. told us all kind of things that weren't true about this contract and I have heard that same thing from an overwhelming number of Teamsters from different locals... whatever the position you are in let you be misled by your local officials, in the future I would suggest reading the language for yourself and get involved with some people in your local who do just that and decipher exactly what is trying to be sold to us.

3) while this is a little off topic I think it goes to your concerns over the protection of our pensions... why is UPS freight not in the NMFA and/or the pension?... why was UPS parcel allowed to withdraw?

4) for the first time ever the NMFA allows part-timers... they will be used to diminish overtime and to slow the hiring of full timers to jobs that pay living wages and benefits.

5) and the grand-daddy of all... this NMFA allows Teamster work to be snatched away and giving to non-union subcontractors... seek out and ask some of the line-haul brothers and sisters at Yellow in K.C. about the loss of scheduled team runs to USF Glen Moore... and look out in Chicago and Dallas, Glen Moore is putting on a massive recruitment campaign in those cities.

finally, while I am not a TDU guy, don't fall into the trap that many Local Officials have set: " if a member questions anything we do, just call them TDU " Question authority, Question intentions and most of all Question the provisons of labor agreements that dictate our future

I gave you some reps but I just had to say again EXCELLENT post!