ABF | ABF Negotiations Open

As most know I’m extremely anti-union but for once I agreed with this statement. It’s time to make a stand. You guys must call ABF’s bluff and make no mistake that will bluff. You do have leverage because if you strike they will lose millions in market share to the competition. It’s a double edged sword that has risk. But IMO it’s a risk worth taking this time. You have sacrificed enough. And enough is enough.


There's no need to be anti-Union, Brother.....The right of collective bargaining was legally and successfully argued as having a basis in First Amendment rights. That's why even the Robber Barons of the early 20th century couldn't just outlaw union organization and membership.........And,...believe me, they tried.....

Judging from your post, I believe you know that just the existence of a Union benefits everyone in that particular industry,......Union and non-Union. Sometimes industry-wide benchmarks of wages, benefits, and conditions are established through years of collective bargaining,........and certainly not out of the benificence of the employers. All we need to do, is look at the near 100% turnover rate, lack of meaningful pensions and benefits, and brutal conditions family-wise, in the just about completely non-Union Truckload sector of our industry,.......to give us an idea of how trucking company owners would treat all of us if there were no Unions........

The leverage we have now,....is only a double-edged sword if ArcBest wants to get out of LTL trucking. That will be the "bluff" game ABF is playing. Whether they use lies and deceit to trick their workforce once again into concessions should be watched very closely by all of the non-Union carriers. That would mark a new era of companies deciding that dishonesty is the new norm in treating with their employees.
Instead of honest negotiation, a policy of disinformation and distrust would make short work of solidarity in Union employees.....

And,.....if it works so well with the Union employees,.......think how well it would work in a non-Union setting. "Fake news", indeed.......

I don't know who your employer is,......but they are probably members of the American Trucking Association. I keep on making the point that there are non-Union and Union drivers and employees in trucking,......but just about ALL trucking companies are members of the ATA and various other groups.

THEY are far more "organized" than WE are..............And,.....they all discuss their employee "problems" together.......Managing US,....you and me,....Union and non-Union,.....is the biggest topic whenever trucking executives convene at their......Association("Union").....meeting......

You may have a good, cushy, private deal where you work, where you don't want any Union...."interference"....to mess it up.....Well,.....that's good,......But,........what if your fellow co-workers don't have those same advantages? And,.....what if your company decides your cushy deal is a little too ....expensive,.......?

I've worked non-Union,......and I saw what companies can do with a little intramural jealousy to ruin conditions.

( Actually,.....that was the reason Unions were started a century or so ago....)

Remember,....the Union employee is not your enemy,.......Neither are you our enemy, Brother. The enemy is the one who want us to work harder for less under unsafe conditions,......and then lie to us to tell us how....lucky....we are to have a job........

(...As if they could do without us.....)
 
There's no need to be anti-Union, Brother.....The right of collective bargaining was legally and successfully argued as having a basis in First Amendment rights. That's why even the Robber Barons of the early 20th century couldn't just outlaw union organization and membership.........And,...believe me, they tried.....

Judging from your post, I believe you know that just the existence of a Union benefits everyone in that particular industry,......Union and non-Union. Sometimes industry-wide benchmarks of wages, benefits, and conditions are established through years of collective bargaining,........and certainly not out of the benificence of the employers. All we need to do, is look at the near 100% turnover rate, lack of meaningful pensions and benefits, and brutal conditions family-wise, in the just about completely non-Union Truckload sector of our industry,.......to give us an idea of how trucking company owners would treat all of us if there were no Unions........

The leverage we have now,....is only a double-edged sword if ArcBest wants to get out of LTL trucking. That will be the "bluff" game ABF is playing. Whether they use lies and deceit to trick their workforce once again into concessions should be watched very closely by all of the non-Union carriers. That would mark a new era of companies deciding that dishonesty is the new norm in treating with their employees.
Instead of honest negotiation, a policy of disinformation and distrust would make short work of solidarity in Union employees.....

And,.....if it works so well with the Union employees,.......think how well it would work in a non-Union setting. "Fake news", indeed.......

I don't know who your employer is,......but they are probably members of the American Trucking Association. I keep on making the point that there are non-Union and Union drivers and employees in trucking,......but just about ALL trucking companies are members of the ATA and various other groups.

THEY are far more "organized" than WE are..............And,.....they all discuss their employee "problems" together.......Managing US,....you and me,....Union and non-Union,.....is the biggest topic whenever trucking executives convene at their......Association("Union").....meeting......

You may have a good, cushy, private deal where you work, where you don't want any Union...."interference"....to mess it up.....Well,.....that's good,......But,........what if your fellow co-workers don't have those same advantages? And,.....what if your company decides your cushy deal is a little too ....expensive,.......?

I've worked non-Union,......and I saw what companies can do with a little intramural jealousy to ruin conditions.

( Actually,.....that was the reason Unions were started a century or so ago....)

Remember,....the Union employee is not your enemy,.......Neither are you our enemy, Brother. The enemy is the one who want us to work harder for less under unsafe conditions,......and then lie to us to tell us how....lucky....we are to have a job........

(...As if they could do without us.....)
I work for SAIA. I will only say that there are two sides to every story. Corruption has plaqued the Teamsters for decades and that’s just one reason why I’m anti-union. I won’t debate you because it would be pointless. I’ve travelled that road too many times. I just hope ArcBest does the right thing this time.
 
I work for SAIA. I will only say that there are two sides to every story. Corruption has plaqued the Teamsters for decades and that’s just one reason why I’m anti-union. I won’t debate you because it would be pointless. I’ve travelled that road too many times. I just hope ArcBest does the right thing this time.

Well....I’ll agree that sometimes our.......bumbling ......leadership, becomes our own worst enemy. I’ve seen them at their worst, too.

But,.....the perfect ideal of a Union is a noble cause,........an honorable endeavor in support of the working man.

The same as if corporations were honorable and trustworthy in their dealings with working people. If they were, we would have no need of Unions.

Since neither of those two are.........shall we say?......perfect,.....working people are left to use whatever .....”tool”........is available to level the playing field in the workplace.

Thank you for your support of the ABF guys, though. It is appreciated......ArcBest “doing the right thing” ,.....in this instance, means negotiating honestly,.......without trickery and phony “offers” to buy or sell,...........and with regards to industry conditions and fairness.

The Teamsters job is to call them out when they suspect negotiations aren’t quite on the level,.......as it were.

........(......the rank and file’s job.....is to keep an eye on the Union leadership.....)........
 
Well....I’ll agree that sometimes our.......bumbling ......leadership, becomes our own worst enemy. I’ve seen them at their worst, too.

But,.....the perfect ideal of a Union is a noble cause,........an honorable endeavor in support of the working man.

The same as if corporations were honorable and trustworthy in their dealings with working people. If they were, we would have no need of Unions.

Since neither of those two are.........shall we say?......perfect,.....working people are left to use whatever .....”tool”........is available to level the playing field in the workplace.

Thank you for your support of the ABF guys, though. It is appreciated......ArcBest “doing the right thing” ,.....in this instance, means negotiating honestly,.......without trickery and phony “offers” to buy or sell,...........and with regards to industry conditions and fairness.

The Teamsters job is to call them out when they suspect negotiations aren’t quite on the level,.......as it were.

........(......the rank and file’s job.....is to keep an eye on the Union leadership.....)........
The bottom line is this. It will be up to the brothers in the end. Just vote no. Don’t vote yes and then cry about it for years. I don’t have faith in ArcBest to do the right thing. They will bluff and you can’t back down. Not this time.
 
The bottom line is this. It will be up to the brothers in the end. Just vote no. Don’t vote yes and then cry about it for years. I don’t have faith in ArcBest to do the right thing. They will bluff and you can’t back down. Not this time.

You and I definately agree on that. I believe it's called having the " courage of your convictions"
 
I agree (as usual) with you, canary. There’s something immoral about abandoning your convictions. PM me sometime...I’d love to chat.

Remember..........you're dealing with a curmudgeon and a truck driver to boot......

Highly opinionated and plenty of time to pontificate.......

Careful what you're asking for, Brother.......
 
I think most people are already putting away close to 15%. If I remember correctly, Social Security taxes are about 7% and the employer puts in another 7%, I think. The only problem is the government gets their grubby hands on it and sooner rather than later no one will see anything from it. I could be mistaken on that but I'm pretty sure I'm correct.
That's about right. 15 or 16 percent social security of every dollar you report if you are 1099. Then, at least 12 percent for federal & 3% in Indiana. So 30% a week from you gross working for yourself is what you should hold back. Now, how much of that is cash income & how much do you report? Uh hu. That's what I thought. von.
 
So What going on with the talks ? March 31st coming up soon !

Well,......according to the Only Person on the Two Man Committee in this area......No progress on anything, except that the "hair sample" drug testing, and the "fitness for duty" provision have been withdrawn from the company proposals.......

Maybe the company is done throwing stink bombs..........Air the room out, and get down to the reality of chronic driver shortages and 15% company tax windfalls........
 
So they are going to meet again on March 12th in Kansas City. Said they discussed ABF role in the ArcBest corporation. Ernie said the next round of economics, health and welfare, and pension will be difficult. I thought they were discussing that this round. To me, it sounds like nothing of importance has been accomplished
 
So they are going to meet again on March 12th in Kansas City. Said they discussed ABF role in the ArcBest corporation. Ernie said the next round of economics, health and welfare, and pension will be difficult. I thought they were discussing that this round. To me, it sounds like nothing of importance has been accomplished
And so it goes. Relentless foot-dragging, and more wasted time discussing who has the biggest dong. Meanwhile, us dockworkers and drivers are working our tails off for less money than ever if you factor in inflation. I pray the rank-and-file has the stomach for a walkout, because I definitely see that coming.
 
So they are going to meet again on March 12th in Kansas City. Said they discussed ABF role in the ArcBest corporation. Ernie said the next round of economics, health and welfare, and pension will be difficult. I thought they were discussing that this round. To me, it sounds like nothing of importance has been accomplished
Played some golf and ate some good food.
 
The new way of negotiating....let the current contract expire so the company gets a few more months under the current cut-rate deal. Company blames Union, Union blames Company for slow talks. When the "strike hammer" used to be a "real thing" we would have already been voting on the second offer by mid March....looking like July or August again.
 
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