ABF | How Do Teamsters Matter Anymore.

Frankie2010

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It seems the company does whatever it wants. Maybe there's not much money in ltl anymore so union looks out for itself. I had alot of years with one weeks vacation, 8 to 9 . Company only change it because nobody wanted to work here. B A comes around saying vote yes. That guy might work 8 easy hours. I pay the Teamsters and they seem to worry more for the company.
 
It seems the company does whatever it wants. Maybe there's not much money in ltl anymore so union looks out for itself. I had alot of years with one weeks vacation, 8 to 9 . Company only change it because nobody wanted to work here. B A comes around saying vote yes. That guy might work 8 easy hours. I pay the Teamsters and they seem to worry more for the company.


Bro. Frankie2010,.........The problem is endemic. For one thing, most Union members don't know how much power the membership has. It's just lack of information. If you'd say "Robert's Rules of Order",....or "Local Bylaws" to most guys,....they'd draw a blank.

But,...those are the very "tools" that many Union Officers use to quiet dissension in the ranks. Most Union Officers are very dedicated, Idealistic people...........but , the unscrupulous and lazy would prefer to hear from the rank-and-file as little as possible.

Does your Local meetings achieve a "quorum" of the members according to the Bylaws? If not,...then the Officers rule the Union by Executive Degree,.....with NO Member Input. Look up "quorum"......Get a copy of the Bylaws. They HAVE to give you one. By Law (NLRB)......and then,....get your Fellow Union Brothers to attend a meeting,......and TAKE BACK the Power.......

If you want to change the Union to help the Members,......YOU have to arm yourself with the tools. If your Local has drifted along ignoring the members for...years,...Then it's going to take.....years to get it back.
No time like the Present to start,.........

DON'T Give Up,......Union Membership stems from the First Amendment,.....far more important than the Second Amendment,...which is merely the "enforcement" provision,.....in case someone infringes on your First Amendment Rights.
Believe me,....if it weren't for the First Amendment,....Corporations would've lobbied Congress to make Unions illegal,...decades ago,........(....not like they haven't tried....).....

If you Believe in this Country,...and the Citizen's Right to be heard,......then you've got to work to Protect that Right......from people who find it too........"annoying" to listen to the rank-and- file's Grievances......

All Justice stems from the grass roots,.....not from the people at the top. If you feel you're not getting a fair shake,.......you've got to WORK to get it. Takes Time, and Education,......and other Members,......

......and the Powers That Be,....loving the Status Quo,......are counting on guys going: "Ahh,...What's the Use? Too Much Work......."

Like any Democracy,......when you give up,...and merely complain about how " they're all Crooked".......then they Win,....Crooked or not.......

Work to Change the Contract, Brother.........Won't be done overnight,.........but,...you'll be Fighting the Good Fight.....
 
Not to be on an anti Hoffa rant. But he has destroyed the Teamsters. Fattened pockets of Union Reps/ leadership. Weakened our power with concessions and weak UPS stance. I agree we should be the strength, but are powerless when 1/3 of our membership cares to vote in local or international elections.
 
Not to be on an anti Hoffa rant. But he has destroyed the Teamsters. Fattened pockets of Union Reps/ leadership. Weakened our power with concessions and weak UPS stance. I agree we should be the strength, but are powerless when 1/3 of our membership cares to vote in local or international elections.

I’ll have to agree on just about all of that. Hoffa Jr. was a poor leader,....and I don’t think he ever understood Freight,....let alone the other contracts....
All he seemed to be interested in was.....winning re-election,....and keeping that big salary.
Busted the NMFA,.....Busted the pensions......No organization.....

He doesn’t have a very good legacy to leave,....in My Opinion...
 
I’ll have to agree on just about all of that. Hoffa Jr. was a poor leader,....and I don’t think he ever understood Freight,....let alone the other contracts....
All he seemed to be interested in was.....winning re-election,....and keeping that big salary.
Busted the NMFA,.....Busted the pensions......No organization.....

He doesn’t have a very good legacy to leave,....in My Opinion...
Hoffa Jr. is the only president elected and re-elected, with 65% of the vote, that no member will admit voting for.
 
Hoffa Jr. is the only president elected and re-elected, with 65% of the vote, that no member will admit voting for.
He was voted out by The United States Teamsters last election. Why anyone from another country is allowed and considered in the Teamsters is beyond me. 65 percent of votes, when 1/3 votes isn't encouraging. I'm all for the process but wish for more involvement.
 
Not to be on an anti Hoffa rant. But he has destroyed the Teamsters. Fattened pockets of Union Reps/ leadership. Weakened our power with concessions and weak UPS stance. I agree we should be the strength, but are powerless when 1/3 of our membership cares to vote in local or international elections.
ArcBest/ ABF have something up their sleeve with these compensation statements they keep sending us....
 
Hoffa Jr. is the only president elected and re-elected, with 65% of the vote, that no member will admit voting for.


I'll admit to ...not...voting for him several times. I think there's a picture of me on the Internet somewhere with a Reform Teamster candidate for V.P......
But, yes........Many people believed the propaganda that...."things will get worse..." without Mr. Hoffa....

....and yet,...somehow,....Things did......
 
It seems the company does whatever it wants. Maybe there's not much money in ltl anymore so union looks out for itself. I had alot of years with one weeks vacation, 8 to 9 . Company only change it because nobody wanted to work here. B A comes around saying vote yes. That guy might work 8 easy hours. I pay the Teamsters and they seem to worry more for the company.
How many Union meetings have you attended? You don’t like what is going on get involved at the hall. Remember the officers work for you. Become more proactive on the job & the Hall. Get others involved. Bring them along. Encourage fellow workers. A Local & Union are only as strong as the Rank & File. Don’t take No for answer. Don’t think you can’t do anything. Get involved, get educated on the CBA, the Supplement all available online. The Change starts with you.
 
How many Union meetings have you attended? You don’t like what is going on get involved at the hall. Remember the officers work for you. Become more proactive on the job & the Hall. Get others involved. Bring them along. Encourage fellow workers. A Local & Union are only as strong as the Rank & File. Don’t take No for answer. Don’t think you can’t do anything. Get involved, get educated on the CBA, the Supplement all available online. The Change starts with you.


!0-4!........Your paycheck, pension, working conditions,....and Freedom to speak your Mind...while you're ON the timeclock,.....are all at stake.......

Yet,....I begged guys to come to Saturday meetings,......and I was told,...they had lawns to mow, cars to wash, and fish to catch,......

Any wonder why Hoffa and Crew ran rampant with destroying the NMFA,..and the pensions? He figured we just...didn't care.....
 
!0-4!........Your paycheck, pension, working conditions,....and Freedom to speak your Mind...while you're ON the timeclock,.....are all at stake.......

Yet,....I begged guys to come to Saturday meetings,......and I was told,...they had lawns to mow, cars to wash, and fish to catch,......

Any wonder why Hoffa and Crew ran rampant with destroying the NMFA,..and the pensions? He figured we just...didn't care.....
Understood. Guys would complain about management, conditions & why didn’t the Union do something. Then We’d have the delegate come down & those guys would suddenly get silent. Sit there with their mouth closed. Easy to complain but it takes time,effort & work to achieve change.
 
!0-4!........Your paycheck, pension, working conditions,....and Freedom to speak your Mind...while you're ON the timeclock,.....are all at stake.......

Yet,....I begged guys to come to Saturday meetings,......and I was told,...they had lawns to mow, cars to wash, and fish to catch,......

Any wonder why Hoffa and Crew ran rampant with destroying the NMFA,..and the pensions? He figured we just...didn't care.....
I hear ya, canary. Our monthly meetings happen on a weeknight...the SAME weeknight each and every one. I’m now able, being retired, to attend regularly. While working at ABF, it was next to impossible to make the 7pm start time because I was still...at work. Back on point: I’m the ONLY one that attends/attended from our terminal. Not even the ‘shop steward’ (in name only) attends! Ever!! Complete apathy. Pretty sad when you think about it.
 
Understood. Guys would complain about management, conditions & why didn’t the Union do something. Then We’d have the delegate come down & those guys would suddenly get silent. Sit there with their mouth closed. Easy to complain but it takes time,effort & work to achieve change.
Agree, Seamus. I know many a ‘tight-lippers’ that wouldn’t say (feces) if they had a mouthful of it. Me, on the other hand...MY big mouth, coupled with my Italian bloodline, gets me in a LOT of trouble sometimes. But, our BA knew exactly where I stood on contract-violation issues.
 
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