ABF | Contract Poll
- Thread starter AkitaDog
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Who wants to go through this in another 2 years......not me.....
vongrimmenstein
I stand for our flag, & kneel for the fallen
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5 years of Labor Peace.
Fat Albert
TB Lurker
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A 5 year would be nice.
The 2 year proposal was a cop out by the Union to face reality. Did any of the workers want or ask for a 2 year deal ? Nope but thats what the Union said we wanted. The Union is hoping to escape being the bad guy when the cuts come, if we are aligned with YRC then the cuts would be guaranteed with the combined votes. The Union should be questioned why that proposal was even made.
canaryinthemine
Retirement....The Job I Was Born To Have!
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Ummm....sorry, guys, but that was a proposal I made...a two year agreement that would end when YRC's MOU's end. Namely for solidarity...you can't say that YRC Teamsters will drag us down. A little less than half of the YRC guys....and a majority of the New Penn guys...voted against cuts. I know ABF management is adamant about not restoring ALL the carriers back into the NMFA....and actually, that would be none of their business...a labor agreement is for Labor to decide and vote on ...after management makes their proposals. I can see a future when we have three different groups of Freight Teamsters,...UPS Freight, ABF, and YRC.....and I can see the ATA playing one group off against the other...I can actually see Teamsters crossing other Teamsters' picket lines. After all, we all get our revenue out of the same freight docks and customers' docks. Don't forget, in the last freight strike we had Teamster carriers running.....and the IBT thought it was a great strategy! A second point to think about is the volatile economy we are in. Three years ago, nobody would've guessed the shape we are all in , now. If we lock in a 5 year....or longer..agreement in a roller-coaster economy, we might regret it...the economy might shoot to the moon, and ABF will be snickering art how badly we've under-priced ourselves, long-term. Conversly, if the economy tanks....it does not matter how long the agreement is,...ABF will be whining about re-opening the contract.....heck....they might do it anyway in the next 6 months irregardless of what length was negotiated. We've got to recognize we are under attack....and we will not be able to buy any length of "Labor Peace" no matter how badly we want it. I'm close to retirement, and it would be in my own selfish best interests to say 5 or 10 years...but I'm also a realist, and I realize Trucking Management wants to "divide and CONQUER" the Teamsters...completely de-fuse them as a factor in trucking....and the easiest way is to start mistrusting our leadership...and , more importantly,..our Brothers and Sisters in other companies. If we are all back together in 2015, and the big fear is that the YRC guys will vote themselves another sub-standard contract, and drag us along by sheer weight of numbers...I think we are discounting the anger that's built up at YRC after the last MOU. And...we're not even talking about the anger of the New Penn guys....just give them another chance at a vote and see what happens. ABF guys won't be the only ones saying "NO CONCESSIONS!"
How about a 5 year contract that yrc has to merge into with all wages and pension contributions being equal at the end of their two year extension. That'd give YRC 2 more years to sink or swim and ABF would only have 2 more years of feeling their at such a disadvantage. Hell, why not include UPS freight into that as well.
With all due respect brother canary,last time there was a strike there was still a lot of union freight outfits still around.Sorry to say but the NMFA is dead in the water thanks to YRC's special deals!And if anybody thinks for one second that in 2015 their magically going to find the money to resume full wages and pension contributions is kidding them selfs! And I wouldn't be surprised if they want another extension on their mou.So with that being said,do we really want to be caught up in that mess?
Cab Lizzard
TB Veteran
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A little information here for you..
Back in the good old days 25 years ago or so
When the Teamsters walked at one TMI member company the other TMI company's would lock their employees out.
The government would invoke the Taft-Hartly Act and force us back to work while the two sides worked out a contract.
The Teamsters would then strike only a few carriers nation wide to put the hurt on the company's to sign a contract
The rest of these deregulated company's were getting real greedy and thought they could haul it all NWTP comes to mind on our last strike. The TMI employer group was falling apart and would not back each other. That is why some carriers worked while other stood the line.
Back in the good old days 25 years ago or so
When the Teamsters walked at one TMI member company the other TMI company's would lock their employees out.
The government would invoke the Taft-Hartly Act and force us back to work while the two sides worked out a contract.
The Teamsters would then strike only a few carriers nation wide to put the hurt on the company's to sign a contract
The rest of these deregulated company's were getting real greedy and thought they could haul it all NWTP comes to mind on our last strike. The TMI employer group was falling apart and would not back each other. That is why some carriers worked while other stood the line.
D
Deleted member 5115
Guest
I am for neither. I like a three year contract for a lot or reasons. #1 being that it make most economical sense for both sides. YRC is not any more a part of my picture than R&L is.
Boilerpeddle
Drawing found in trailer
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OK good point about the built up anger. It's sure present in me. They took the best job I ever had and made me quit it.
And if it really got teamsters back together I would even think it might be worth some slight concessions. You seem like a very smart person Canary. Do You think its possible to save organized labor in this country? There have been some major setbacks and no gains that I can see, even under president who should be labor friendly.
Doesn't matter. 2 or 5. Either way we're screwed.
A few months ago I was feeling good about the up coming negotiations.
Now that we're in the middle of it, and I read all thr crying, class warfare crap in the ABF forum from my so called union brothers growing convinced that this will end badly for us.
I'm not saying I believe all of ABF's claims, but we do need to give somewhere. And it seems as if most are not willing to give anything.
A few months ago I was feeling good about the up coming negotiations.
Now that we're in the middle of it, and I read all thr crying, class warfare crap in the ABF forum from my so called union brothers growing convinced that this will end badly for us.
I'm not saying I believe all of ABF's claims, but we do need to give somewhere. And it seems as if most are not willing to give anything.
bad slavin
TB Lurker
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If my memory is correct, you were all for the wage concessions when the company was asking for them. What are you willing to give up when you say "we need to give somewhere ".? Just state what you would be willing to give up.
The question is there anyplace we can give? I say yes. But all I see from most here is "no" to anything.
But why do you have union brothers calling ABF greedy? That kind of Drama Queen doesn't help.
I'm all for pension reform, and 401ks for new hires. A pay freeze for a whole contract and changes in work rules.
Boilerpeddle
Drawing found in trailer
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401k seems like a very unpopular option around here. I don't think the IBT will let that one go to a vote.
They keep harping on pension reform like they want us to vote for something but in the next breath they say there is nothing that we can do about it until legislation is passed.
I am hoping its only a pay freeze but I fear more.
And as far as everyone not willing to give, it was the same way on every vote in the various yrc forums and only New Penn followed the trend on TB so just because it seems like everyone is against it doesn't mean it won't pass
D
Deleted member 5115
Guest
Is the company preaching pension reform? With the unfunded liability being what it is I think the company is not looking to get out.
What, may I ask, is wrong with a 3 year deal, the way it used to be (I know you want to get out in four and have peace of mind in the meantime).
As much as I hate to see and say it I see some meestering going on here, 401K for new drivers, 5 year deal because I'm out in 4 etc. Maybe I'll jump right on that bandwagon and join in...How 'bout we turn ALL road jobs into utility jobs and those guys can start at aaa say 4 PM, come to my terminal, break their set, load their outbound freight and go back home with it to finish out their 10 hr day. Let's make them all 4 tens to eliminate or minimize OT. Then let's freeze vacation accrual at 3 weeks for those who aren't at 3 only, the rest of us can keep what we have, will save the company gobs in the future, especially as us elderlies hit the retirement trail. I also believe that the more time we have with the company the more we should make and they should start with the newbies receiving no raise for five years and the rest of us get raises based on seniority, the more years we have the bigger our raises, this can continue for five years as well and after those five years we can all get percentage based raises, which will give more to the drivers with more tenure as it's a percentage of a higher number. I believe that if we go with this it would make the company happy, make me happy and we could all flourish in the future.
What, may I ask, is wrong with a 3 year deal, the way it used to be (I know you want to get out in four and have peace of mind in the meantime).
As much as I hate to see and say it I see some meestering going on here, 401K for new drivers, 5 year deal because I'm out in 4 etc. Maybe I'll jump right on that bandwagon and join in...How 'bout we turn ALL road jobs into utility jobs and those guys can start at aaa say 4 PM, come to my terminal, break their set, load their outbound freight and go back home with it to finish out their 10 hr day. Let's make them all 4 tens to eliminate or minimize OT. Then let's freeze vacation accrual at 3 weeks for those who aren't at 3 only, the rest of us can keep what we have, will save the company gobs in the future, especially as us elderlies hit the retirement trail. I also believe that the more time we have with the company the more we should make and they should start with the newbies receiving no raise for five years and the rest of us get raises based on seniority, the more years we have the bigger our raises, this can continue for five years as well and after those five years we can all get percentage based raises, which will give more to the drivers with more tenure as it's a percentage of a higher number. I believe that if we go with this it would make the company happy, make me happy and we could all flourish in the future.