Shifterknob
The Last Wordslinger
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Well, son... you seem to forget a few things here. One major item is that some of theose other labor agreements you refer to with the competition are first-time labor agreements, and what they may lack on the benefits end, they make up for in light-years ont he wage end. On other words, their labor costs are still higher than OHFL by a damned sight.
Secondly, you also seem to forget their are other companies out there such as ABF that are paying amongst the highest in labor costs (NMFA), but seem to be weathering the last year far better than most of their competition, both union and non-union.
Why are they different? Management. As in better management.
We are simply trying to keep what we have always had, and what we feel we deserve for our labors. The VP's have never claimed an inability to pay... they simply want to line their pockets even further at our expense, and that just isn't going to fly anymore...
Reliable sources from within management is where I have this particular item from, and from someone I know would have had access to this information. I don't think they are going to put that into their DVD, though.
Not really a morale-booster, know what I mean?
The union has tried negotiating in good faith all along. The company's negotiators have responded by removing important items and proposing ludicrous new language in order to get us to negotiate hard just to get back to where we were before. Not exactly the actions of a company who wants a deal quickly or easily.
In addition, the company has engaged a massive propaganda campaign aimed at destabilizing the union workforce with veiled threats, innuendo, and instructions on how to cross picket lines, which quite frankly is a spit in the eye to the union and the union workforce.
So let's get off of the high horse here, and while we're at it it... how many times exactly have you sat at the negotiating table? I mean, you want to give us lessons on how to negotiate, so I figure you must have a lot of experience at it.
And as for Art... well, he had plenty of reasons to go after our customers, labor dispute or not, and as you well know. Axes to grind, and so forth. And trust me, he's not the only competitor salesman circling around like a vulture waiting for the last gasp of breat from the dying animal known as OHFL.
And the point truly is that in this industry at this time, it ain't going to take much to kill Oak Harbor if they push us into it. It really is their choice. Come to an agreement and prosper... or take us on and suffer an ugly demise...
What little works right around Oak Harbor has little to do with either Dave or Ed. It usually has to do with the often under-appreciated front-line employees who have to suffer through mismanagement, hare-brained operational schemes that ultimately fail (can you say "route-optimization? Can you say "cross-docking"), mis-spec'ed equipment, and a corporate culture bent on trying it's best to **** off the customers and ignoring the experienced advice of it's own employees.
Anyone can pay lip service to the employees, and Dave and Ed often do in their little DVDs and newsletters, but it's down where the rubber meets the road where appreciation counts. And that's where Dave and Ed seem bent on sticking the screws to their own employees, union and non-union. The only difference is... the union employees have a choice to not take such treatment, and we certainly have a great deal of support on the non-union side, whether anyone wants to believe it or not.
It's called hearing it straight from the horse's mouth, dig?
To sum up my feelings on the state of things, let me say this: Oak Harbor's management and owners have a distinct choice to make in the next round of negotiations. The choice is to come to an agreement the unionized employees can live with, and I think we all know that has to include Teamster H&W and pension; or take the road of disagreement, conflict and ultimately... demise.
We've always been willing to bargain... up to a point. But we have our line drawn in the sand, and we plan on sticking by it, so I highly suggest the VP's get off the dime, and start getting real, or we are going to war...
