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ABF | Dash-cam / Personal Entertainment

GO40 said:
Outward facing camera.
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Ahh,.....10-4! I get fixated on the ......criminal IMO, use of Driver-facing cameras to the point where I forget that,......a bored TM,...twiddling his fingers at the desk,...and worrying that his dishonest employees may be cheating him out of 5 minutes of "productive" time,.....
....will absolutely figure out a way to use any sort of surveillance device as a means to cudgel drivers into submission,...by reminding them constantly that....Big Brother Is Watching!......After all,..it works real well with kindergarteners.....
....and we all know how "highly".....management regards our work ethic......(...seeing how much his own "ethic" allows him to...skate on the companies' dime with impunity,...and little accountability,.......he automatically thinks his employees are as lazy and deceptive as ....he is....Human Nature....).....

Idle Minds are the Devil's Workshop!...........After a morning of playing Candy Crush on his (company-paid-for) phone,...three cups of coffee,...a flurry of texts to wife, friends, beer distributor, BMW dealership,.....
 
canaryinthemine said:
Wait!.........Has the Teamsters,...and Ernie Soehl, agreed to this? The only thing I've found is the May 19th Memorandum that said negotiations about Driver-facing cameras were ongoing.........And that the Teamsters strenuously disagreed with the companies over their use.

Maybe I missed something,....If so,...please enlighten me.

If there is NO agreement/memorandum in place..........you have a massive grievance over company use/misuse of an item STILL in negotiation.

And,......since the issue is in negotiation,......you have the absolute right,...as a Citizen,.....to deny the company to view, record, or use any personal image they capture without your express consent,...on a per incident basis.
As I've recommended in the past,....write a letter, give a copy to Union and management. They are violating your Fourth Amendment Right to "be secure in their PERSONS, house, papers, and EFFECTS, against unreasonable searches and seizures..."

An interpretation in the Computer Age would mean your own Image,...which may be used in the future for your identification........(...you know,...banking, security,.....and stuff like that..)....

Allowing your employer to.....collect..(..and OWN, on their equipment,..)...your Image,...is tantamount to leaving your Social Security card in McDonalds. Lord knows there's already indiscriminate Image collection going on,.....but to allow a .....personal video of your PERSONAL iImage to be collected,...(and OWNED,...I might add...)....by your employer,...is unconscienable.

As far as i know,.....there's NO negotiation about security,.....or destruction of any collected video,....or LIABILITY in case company files get hacked......




Brother,....unless I'm not up to speed as far as any "memorandum"....and the Steward at my former terminal just sent me a picture of the Tape still on his camera,........

You have a very big grievance to file,....for company use of a piece of equipment STILL under negotiation. Violation of Contract/Privacy/Constitutional Rights........In My Opinion......Unload the whole dump truck on him.....
But definately a contractual violation.......
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I get the feeling this practice wouldn't fly if you were not retired. I sense that you would hang on like a pit bull till the matter was resolved. A good steward is usually a fly in the ointment to management & is not concerned about how many people like him.
 
Trucker 206 said:
Brace yourselves. This is only the beginning. The BA’s are basically gonna have to carve out some office space for themselves based on the amount of future grievances filed on this issue.
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I have no problem with the outward facing camera if it’s used the way they said.
 
GO40 said:
I have no problem with the outward facing camera if it’s used the way they said.
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The camera can be your best friend in an accident. The problem comes when companies use them for spying on employees.
I know several incidents where an on board vehicle ECM help exonerate a driver involved in an accident before cameras were available.
 
6PakAbs said:
But, but, he has spread sheets and algorythms that calculate the distance/speed/braking that you needed to avoid the accident in the first place....that college educated , rookie fool! He probably majored in psychology..
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I know the kind, had a new dispatcher tell me he could not authorize me to go to bed unless the road was blocked or I was stuck, I asked if he wanted to hold the phone or should I call him back? "he said for what?"
"I'm gonna drive the truck in a ditch and go to bed, I was going to give you my room number."
He said, "call me when your rest is up"
 
DCM_Doc said:
I get the feeling this practice wouldn't fly if you were not retired. I sense that you would hang on like a pit bull till the matter was resolved. A good steward is usually a fly in the ointment to management & is not concerned about how many people like him.
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You have to have the support of the Local & all the way up to the Teamster Freight Director to put pressure on ABF. The ONLY way I have ever known to get their attention is a walk out or a work slowdown. Working the contract to the letter & you would have an instant effect on ABF Revenue. Then & only then would you see a change. This camera issue will creep along until driver facing cameras are indorsed by the IBT. Go to your monthly meetings (and I don't mean 6 people) & scream & phone the hall every day till their phone system crashes. Then you have their attention. Until that happens, smile. Oh yea, what % of your city & or road board attended the last 3 monthly freight meetings? Of that percentage, how many complained about driver facing cameras? Less than 20 % ? I thought so. Good luck. Von.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
You have to have the support of the Local & all the way up to the Teamster Freight Director to put pressure on ABF. The ONLY way I have ever known to get their attention is a walk out or a work slowdown. Working the contract to the letter & you would have an instant effect on ABF Revenue. Then & only then would you see a change. This camera issue will creep along until driver facing cameras are indorsed by the IBT. Go to your monthly meetings (and I don't mean 6 people) & scream & phone the hall every day till their phone system crashes. Then you have their attention. Until that happens, smile. Oh yea, what % of your city & or road board attended the last 3 monthly freight meetings? Of that percentage, how many complained about driver facing cameras? Less than 20 % ? I thought so. Good luck. Von.
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Much words of Truth there Bro. Von.........The Squeaky Wheel gets the Grease,.....the Shaft....and the Friction......But he also gets the Attention,....AS LONG as he keeps....squeaking.


DCM_Doc said:
The camera can be your best friend in an accident. The problem comes when companies use them for spying on employees.
I know several incidents where an on board vehicle ECM help exonerate a driver involved in an accident before cameras were available.
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Yes,....true. But,......did the company properly state that the addition of Forward-Facing cameras were for....safety?....or discipline?
Or,....Did they say "Safety",....when they really meant "Discipline"?........
That would be Subterfuge.........a Fancy French Word for,.....Lying through their Ever-loving Teeth.......
 
canaryinthemine said:
Much words of Truth there Bro. Von.........The Squeaky Wheel gets the Grease,.....the Shaft....and the Friction......But he also gets the Attention,....AS LONG as he keeps....squeaking.




Yes,....true. But,......did the company properly state that the addition of Forward-Facing cameras were for....safety?....or discipline?
Or,....Did they say "Safety",....when they really meant "Discipline"?........
That would be Subterfuge.........a Fancy French Word for,.....Lying through their Ever-loving Teeth.......
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Brian R. Buhle a former VP of Local 135 told me shortly after I hired on @ ABF that the Local Officers pretty much ruled the way they wanted to. I mentioned the fact the Freight meetings had less than 15% attendance each month. He said when they fill the auditorium during the meetings & voice what they want, then they change how they operate & try to give them what they seek. But, until the Freight meetings have overwhelming attendance, you will have the same old same old. He was not being a snob about it, just being factual. After 4 years retired, I will still continue to ask, how many from your city & road board attended? Von.
 
My Local has 2,300 members. Yet, the same 35-40 members show up. We only had 3 Freight barns, with about 30 guys.
Everyone said: “Why bother to go? They’re only going to talk about UPS or SuperValu....”

Bull! I missed maybe three meetings in the 25 years since I was able to get back into the Union......
.....and I guarantee you we talked about Freight every meeting.....along with UPS and SuperValu.....

You sit in the front row.....and you TAKE NOTES......I’ll guarantee you that they’ll pay attention to you.....
They might not like you......but they’ll listen....

Especially if you’ve read......and UNDERSTOOD......both the contract, and the Local Bylaws.....

We’re Truck Drivers.........we’re used to people trying to intimidate and shout us down.....
Hell........we might do a little shouting and intimidation ourselves.....

Ain’t no Truck Driver worthy of his occupation who’d be afraid to stand up and voice his opinion.....
 
canaryinthemine said:
My Local has 2,300 members. Yet, the same 35-40 members show up. We only had 3 Freight barns, with about 30 guys.
Everyone said: “Why bother to go? They’re only going to talk about UPS or SuperValu....”

Bull! I missed maybe three meetings in the 25 years since I was able to get back into the Union......
.....and I guarantee you we talked about Freight every meeting.....along with UPS and SuperValu.....

You sit in the front row.....and you TAKE NOTES......I’ll guarantee you that they’ll pay attention to you.....
They might not like you......but they’ll listen....

Especially if you’ve read......and UNDERSTOOD......both the contract, and the Local Bylaws.....

We’re Truck Drivers.........we’re used to people trying to intimidate and shout us down.....
Hell........we might do a little shouting and intimidation ourselves.....

Ain’t no Truck Driver worthy of his occupation who’d be afraid to stand up and voice his opinion.....
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A good start, learn Robert's Rules of Order to be effective and get your point across.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
Brian R. Buhle a former VP of Local 135 told me shortly after I hired on @ ABF that the Local Officers pretty much ruled the way they wanted to. I mentioned the fact the Freight meetings had less than 15% attendance each month. He said when they fill the auditorium during the meetings & voice what they want, then they change how they operate & try to give them what they seek. But, until the Freight meetings have overwhelming attendance, you will have the same old same old. He was not being a snob about it, just being factual. After 4 years retired, I will still continue to ask, how many from your city & road board attended? Von.
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And many guys don't know what a Quorum is........You need a Quorum,....a minimum amount of members (more than simple majority...)....to do the Official Business of a Local Union.
If you don't have a Quorum at the Monthly Meetings,......then all business will be done by Executive Action.....whatever the Principal Officer feels he wants.....

If you have a Quorum of like-minded members at a Monthly Meeting,.......YOU pretty much control the Meeting.....regardless of what the Executive Board wants. The NLRB would be very interested in any Union Officer trying to shut down a meeting for any other reason than.......Unruliness that can't be contained by the Sergeant At Arms.......

Read in the Local Bylaws about the amount of members needed to achieve a Quorum,.....Gather the members,.......and YOU have the Legal right , within the constraints of the Bylaws,.....to pass motions to get ALL your questions answered......

They have to,...or answer NLRB charges........Malfeasance of office,....Misrepresentation,..or non-Representation........

Members run the Union....Officers are there to ...Serve....and Unions are only as strong as their....weakest member.....

That would be the one who wants to watch cartoons on TV,..or wash the car........instead of going to the Union meeting....
 
I retired before all this technology went into these trucks, and I never had to deal with city dispatchers riding my butt, but I can honestly say that ABF central dispatch were some of the most understanding and reasonable people I dealt with in my entire career in Master Freight, and I worked for a few different companies before I came here. They NEVER questioned my decision to not proceed under adverse road conditions. Their sole concern was always for the safety of myself and my equipment. And this was consistent with virtually everyone I spoke to at Central Dispatch over my 30+ years in the Pacific NW. They knew we would proceed if it was safe to do so, and chain-up if necessary, so it was a mutual trust of sorts, I guess. I appreciated that respect. I worked for companies that used coercion and intimidation to force drivers to continue when they shouldn't, especially with triples. I despised triples. Not because I feared them, but because the revenue they generated for the companies encouraged abuse of drivers and the safety of the general motoring public under adverse road and weather conditions. ABF never took that approach, at least as far I was concerned. I know every terminal is a little fifedom unto itself, ruled over by tyrants of varying degrees, but this company overall was a pleasure to have worked for. Yeah, I had my hissy fits and they had theirs on occasion, but we always got 'er done somehow. We never argued over issues concerning safety. That was always first. I have no regrets.
 
Yeah,.....I got to agree with you......MOST of ABF's middle management were pretty good. I had one manager,...who I respected,...tell me: "ABF doesn't hire children..."

And I've worked for some pretty rotten companies,...........I was on the road when my wife went into Labor for the first time,...and the dispatcher of the company I was with wanted me to: "Pick up a backhaul in Philadelphia on the way home..." When I protested, he said: "Babies are born all the time,....you don't need to be there...."

Needless to say,...I made it with 4 hours to spare,.......and without the backhaul.......

ABF rarely questioned my decisions on the street,.......

And,....sonofagun! We didn't need GPS or cameras......
 
Bro. Trucker 206,.....here's what the Two Cube Relo trailer looked like.......as you can see,...we "utilized" it.......
ifRQxBT.jpg


PnKgwb5.jpg


s7RulHN.jpg
 
canaryinthemine said:
Bro. Trucker 206,.....here's what the Two Cube Relo trailer looked like.......as you can see,...we "utilized" it.......
ifRQxBT.jpg


PnKgwb5.jpg


s7RulHN.jpg
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050 Indy did the same thing almost every day. Good use of men & equipment. Safety wise 050 was the same way. One dispatcher tried to get me to pull a full a full load of computers to a customer with a flat tire on the trailer. I refused. And on the way to the TM's office to discuss this I called safety & he told me not to pull it. Dave heard this & we stopped short of the office. von.
 
hangbelly said:
I retired before all this technology went into these trucks, and I never had to deal with city dispatchers riding my butt, but I can honestly say that ABF central dispatch were some of the most understanding and reasonable people I dealt with in my entire career in Master Freight, and I worked for a few different companies before I came here. They NEVER questioned my decision to not proceed under adverse road conditions. Their sole concern was always for the safety of myself and my equipment. And this was consistent with virtually everyone I spoke to at Central Dispatch over my 30+ years in the Pacific NW. They knew we would proceed if it was safe to do so, and chain-up if necessary, so it was a mutual trust of sorts, I guess. I appreciated that respect. I worked for companies that used coercion and intimidation to force drivers to continue when they shouldn't, especially with triples. I despised triples. Not because I feared them, but because the revenue they generated for the companies encouraged abuse of drivers and the safety of the general motoring public under adverse road and weather conditions. ABF never took that approach, at least as far I was concerned. I know every terminal is a little fifedom unto itself, ruled over by tyrants of varying degrees, but this company overall was a pleasure to have worked for. Yeah, I had my hissy fits and they had theirs on occasion, but we always got 'er done somehow. We never argued over issues concerning safety. That was always first. I have no regrets.
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I like that word tyrant....very fitting to the situation....
 
GO40 said:
I like that word tyrant....very fitting to the situation....
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I talked to the shop steward tonight. he said that he would call the B.A. about this and get a grievance prepared for the driver to sign so that we can move this forward and hopefully put a stop to this. This a very slippery slope to go down if we let it slide. Telling the driver when to drive in inclement weather should not happen !
 
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