Yellow | Some Interesting Facts That Happened At 318 Bolingbrook

[Follow Da Monie]

Just a little heads up from the outside.. I resigned from New Penn on the 16th of January..18 years of service.. I took a new job and started Jan 5th.. OMG.. Can't believe someone actually hired me.. But they did.. Maybe the 20 year resume from the same employer had something to do about it.. Union job.. Bottom of the list..the whole 9 of doom and gloom!! Here's the bottom line.. BEST MOVE I EVER MADE!! Don't fret my brothers.. There are jobs out there!! You just need to go hunt again... Btw freight isn't the only place looking for drivers.

If I had a vote... Hmmmmmm... NO

Good Luck Brothers

 

[hollandman73]

Good job FDM!! Good luck to you! Some people are just too scared of a little change...thanks for showing some people there is a better life after Yrcw.

 

[fr8man]

Passing this On From The Author..........KK

Just some interesting facts that happened at the 318 Bolingbrook meeting with our District Vice President this morning. After being told that anything but a yes vote results in immediate bankruptcy, I asked one simple question. "What was YRC's debt at the start of the original MOU compared to their current debt today?" This question was followed by the usual hemming and hawing to avoid actually answering the question directly. They even tried to move to another question before I pressed my question again. They all claimed they didn't know actual numbers but isn't it their jobs to KNOW these numbers? So after some time the guy actually stated "YRC's debt is virtually the same today as it was at the original MOU over 4 years ago."

To which I asked, "How do we trust a company that has received over 3 BILLION dollars from employee concession (mostly teamster) yet has not addressed YRC debt which is the reason for the concession in the first place and where did over 3 BILLION dollars go?" The answer: "Operational costs." !?! REALLY !?! And that is when it hit me like a ton of bricks.

If anyone else has noticed when they discuss the "LOOMING PAYMENTS" that have to be made in February and then again this summer, they are always careful to say "INTEREST" payments. They have never, nor will they ever attack the principle of the loans. Over 4 years have past, thousands of jobs lost, and an intent has been manifested to never address the root of the MOU in the first place. On top of all that, YRC management has proven to be the best in one field. MISMANAGEMENT!!! Didn't the current management team blame the previous team for the reason we are in trouble today? Yet the current management team has had over two years to set some sort of correction and have completely FAILED to do so.

If what we are being told is the truth regarding the negative vote resulting in bankruptcy, then I say it is time. If you had a basket of apples and notice one is rotting, you take the bad apple and toss it before it has a chance to spoil all the apples in the bunch.

YES the idea of starting over really sucks. YES our future is uncertain to say the least. But I believe we are in a Titanic type situation. We have hit the iceberg and we are going to sink regardless of any actions at this point. One cannot pay interest only on loans forever. Yet this is the mentality of the Captain of the YRC ship.

I will hold my head high and stand fast on my belief that YRC management, past and present, are the sole cause of our company's demise. I will VOTE NO and retain my pride as I set out looking for a better place of employment for me and my family. Remember one thing. Just because YRC files bankruptcy does not mean they have to close the doors. That is the choice they are making. And even if they do close the doors, the freight within their system does not just dry up and disintegrate. It is released into other systems thereby creating jobs that are not currently available without absorbing YRC's freight. So have faith brothers and sisters and retain your dignity as we go through this very difficult time. VOTE NO!!!

I wish you fed ex guys would quit trolling our boards

 

[kawikid]

Just a little heads up from the outside.. I resigned from New Penn on the 16th of January..18 years of service.. I took a new job and started Jan 5th.. OMG.. Can't believe someone actually hired me.. But they did.. Maybe the 20 year resume from the same employer had something to do about it.. Union job.. Bottom of the list..the whole 9 of doom and gloom!! Here's the bottom line.. BEST F&$@ING MOVE I EVER MADE!! Don't fret my brothers.. There are jobs out there!! You just need to go hunt again... Btw freight isn't the only place looking for drivers.

If I had a vote... Hmmmmmm... NO

Good Luck Brothers

Who you drivin for now?

 

[triumph]

What next ok

 

[whoosdat]

WOW is all I can say. Yes I am new to the boards here so if I screw up posting, I'm sorry in advance.

I am the author of the original post here and I am a proud Teamster much like you all seem to be. I have worked in non union jobs and I do understand the difference. My intention for writing the post to begin with was mainly to vent my own personal frustration with the whole YRC situation. I think all of you can gather from my post that I do not like to be lied to and stolen from. I have never agreed to any concession from the start because I believe Teamsters fight for bettering themselves and fellow members. Look back at Teamster history and realize that many have fought long and hard for what some are willing to give back so freely.

I will always strive for something better. Isn't that what being in a union is all about after all? Not living in fear. Being able to find comfort that your peers and union had your back. After reading through some of the responses here, it seems not everyone shares my opinion and I'm OK with that. This is what the democratic process is all about. I have encouraged everyone to vote regardless of the views so in that aspect I believe I have been a Hell of a lot more biased than some here. But before you continue hating my views on this matter maybe you should consider some ideas first.

Like you all, I will choose my path after the vote is tallied and announced.
Some of you will respect the outcome, some will not. But I personally will not cry conspiracy of the results as I believe we first have to trust the system of voting that we are given. Otherwise why even waste the time to vote which I did today.
I have always believed that unionized trucking set the standard of pay and working conditions across the entire industry, union and non-union alike. But as we sit and accept the slow demise of both what does that do to the entire industry? In my eyes that means it is only a matter of time before someone is willing to earn a lesser wage to do my job. Before long we will all make under $20 per hour with the type of mentality shown at YRC. You have already lost your pension. When do you expect to get that back? Has YRC somehow proven themselves trustworthy and I missed it?

And speaking of trustworthiness the entire basis of the original post was to put into question the ethics of those that run our company. Who would continue handing money to anyone that borrows it on the idea that they were using it to get back on their feet after falling on hard times only to see that person not pay their debts and squander the hard earned money you loaned them. Remember, this is with absolutely no intention of ever paying you back. Well where I come from, someone that knowingly borrows money with no intent to use it properly and return it has stolen from you.

The numbers on the original debt was something like $1.1 Billion and is now $1.4 Billion even after we gave back over $3 Billion in wages and pension alone not including the vacation concessions that most took. Yet those that you are entrusting to fix our company with your wages claimed they didn't know numbers but did claim our debt was "virtually the same." Had there been some progress, any progress on YRC's debt I can guarantee that I would have considered voting yes myself because that would prove they were working to fix the problem but that did not happen. What we got instead was someone telling us "Yeah, we got your money and if you don't give us more we will put you out of work." That sounds more like extortion than a company trying to right itself.

Never has a Teamster settled for what was given without trying to fight for something better. I think a lot of current union men and women have forgotten one very important aspect of union life. That is the fact that a union is only as strong as its members. The power does not rest in Hoffa's hands, it is in ours. We were never supposed to blindly accept the scraps from anyone's table. But it seems as though some are willing to do just that.

In my opinion, saying yes to any more concessions not only undermines the employee but also the union itself. It starts a cycle that will not stop till WE say it stops. They will keep coming back for more until WE stop them. There are other ways for YRC to handle their debt situation. Asking Teamsters for a handout is just the easiest option at this time.

If this is the best job you can get, great. But when you accept proposals that weaken your standard of living you set forth on a course of slow demise. Especially when those offering the proposals have no intention of fixing the problem in the first place.

 

[whoosdat]

I have 10 years in with only 6 years pension credit thanks to the MOU. I have worked non-union jobs in the past and found a great sense of pride joining the union. But with the understanding that I would fight to better myself, my peers, and my local. Voting yes is laying down and taking what they are willing for you to have. Voting NO is calling their bluff and forcing them to fix it another way. If the doors close after this vote, you can bet your ass it had nothing to do with this vote in the first place.

 

[Kennesaw Kid]

WOW is all I can say. Yes I am new to the boards here so if I screw up posting, I'm sorry in advance.

I am the author of the original post here and I am a proud Teamster much like you all seem to be. I have worked in non union jobs and I do understand the difference. My intention for writing the post to begin with was mainly to vent my own personal frustration with the whole YRC situation. I think all of you can gather from my post that I do not like to be lied to and stolen from. I have never agreed to any concession from the start because I believe Teamsters fight for bettering themselves and fellow members. Look back at Teamster history and realize that many have fought long and hard for what some are willing to give back so freely.

I will always strive for something better. Isn't that what being in a union is all about after all? Not living in fear. Being able to find comfort that your peers and union had your back. After reading through some of the responses here, it seems not everyone shares my opinion and I'm OK with that. This is what the democratic process is all about. I have encouraged everyone to vote regardless of the views so in that aspect I believe I have been a Hell of a lot more biased than some here. But before you continue hating my views on this matter maybe you should consider some ideas first.

Like you all, I will choose my path after the vote is tallied and announced.
Some of you will respect the outcome, some will not. But I personally will not cry conspiracy of the results as I believe we first have to trust the system of voting that we are given. Otherwise why even waste the time to vote which I did today.
I have always believed that unionized trucking set the standard of pay and working conditions across the entire industry, union and non-union alike. But as we sit and accept the slow demise of both what does that do to the entire industry? In my eyes that means it is only a matter of time before someone is willing to earn a lesser wage to do my job. Before long we will all make under $20 per hour with the type of mentality shown at YRC. You have already lost your pension. When do you expect to get that back? Has YRC somehow proven themselves trustworthy and I missed it?

And speaking of trustworthiness the entire basis of the original post was to put into question the ethics of those that run our company. Who would continue handing money to anyone that borrows it on the idea that they were using it to get back on their feet after falling on hard times only to see that person not pay their debts and squander the hard earned money you loaned them. Remember, this is with absolutely no intention of ever paying you back. Well where I come from, someone that knowingly borrows money with no intent to use it properly and return it has stolen from you.

The numbers on the original debt was something like $1.1 Billion and is now $1.4 Billion even after we gave back over $3 Billion in wages and pension alone not including the vacation concessions that most took. Yet those that you are entrusting to fix our company with your wages claimed they didn't know numbers but did claim our debt was "virtually the same." Had there been some progress, any progress on YRC's debt I can guarantee that I would have considered voting yes myself because that would prove they were working to fix the problem but that did not happen. What we got instead was someone telling us "Yeah, we got your money and if you don't give us more we will put you out of work." That sounds more like extortion than a company trying to right itself.

Never has a Teamster settled for what was given without trying to fight for something better. I think a lot of current union men and women have forgotten one very important aspect of union life. That is the fact that a union is only as strong as its members. The power does not rest in Hoffa's hands, it is in ours. We were never supposed to blindly accept the scraps from anyone's table. But it seems as though some are willing to do just that.

In my opinion, saying yes to any more concessions not only undermines the employee but also the union itself. It starts a cycle that will not stop till WE say it stops. They will keep coming back for more until WE stop them. There are other ways for YRC to handle their debt situation. Asking Teamsters for a handout is just the easiest option at this time.

If this is the best job you can get, great. But when you accept proposals that weaken your standard of living you set forth on a course of slow demise. Especially when those offering the proposals have no intention of fixing the problem in the first place.

Thank you for coming here Ken!....KK

 

[whoosdat]

I will not lose my ******* dignity by voting yes. You can say it one or two more times before you really start TO **** ME OFF! We all know that management fubarred our company. 50,000 dollars a year driving a forklift-where else you gonna find that?

Your dignity was only mentioned once and if by earning $50,000 a year driving a forklift with no pension to speak of has fulfilled your potential, good for you. I personally want better from the employer who has made a game of changing the rules during the game.

 

[fartknocker]

Those trucks are running down the road not full because they don't know HOW the fill them up. I've seen how other companies operate.....Fedex specifically. They strap their freight to the walls because they don't know how to stack. Say what you want about the different companies, but back in the day, Roadway had some guys that could fill a trailer and it would be tight. I read where someone asked where someone could get paid $50,000 a year for driving a forklift? Trust me; a skilled "stacker" is worth that amount and more! The unionized LTL companies have always been at a disadvantage to the companies offering 2 day service because our networks were never set up to operate that way.

So,you think stacking is better than decking and strapping to the wall? I know it's off topic,but I have to hear the answer.....

 

[cellblock309]

54 here. On my way to interviews with Estes...

yea they call you in for 9 pm your load not ready till midnight you don't get paid for that time ive been told good luck

 

[yrc355]

Those trucks are running down the road not full because they don't know HOW the fill them up. I've seen how other companies operate.....Fedex specifically. They strap their freight to the walls because they don't know how to stack. Say what you want about the different companies, but back in the day, Roadway had some guys that could fill a trailer and it would be tight. I read where someone asked where someone could get paid $50,000 a year for driving a forklift? Trust me; a skilled "stacker" is worth that amount and more! The unionized LTL companies have always been at a disadvantage to the companies offering 2 day service because our networks were never set up to operate that way.

A skilled "stacked" is worth that amount and more! Lol...you must think a forklift is heavy equipment(i.e. bulldozer, skidsteer, excavator, backhoe, end loader, crawler) and entitled to operator pay!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[SinC]

I think we TEAMSTERS have given more than enough for this company....they need to figure out another way or go ahead and close. We need to stop this race to the bottom.....once we go down the rest of the ltl industry will be flush with freight for quite some time. Hopefully most of us land at a better place than where we are now...

If your so unhappy here, why stay? I just don't get it.. can you help me out?

 

[SinC]

point is just that , they have not paid down any debt , even after givebacks and selling off everything they could !!!

The PLAN was never to pay off debt... the PLAN was to stay in business.

The new plan - is not to pay of debt.. the new plan is to say in business and become a stronger employer. The new plan is to get a better cash-flow (whatever that actually means)..

Figure out what the PLAN is before deciding it failed......

If you go on a diet to keep from gaining weight... and you weigh the same at 6 weeks in that you did in the beginning that is a successful diet!! You have to know the plan before you judge.

One word of advice.. you have to LISTEN to the actual plan writers, to know what the plan is...

 

[SinC]

Hey "Alwaysaslave"(your new name), the last NO vote was supposed to be "No good," remember? That's what they told us. A NO vote and they close. You always assume that the no voters don't like it here, so we should just leave. That is not the case, at least for me. For 24 years, I loved loading trailers. I was not fond of the conditions (weather), but I loved piecing together freight to fit snugly in a box. Have you ever loaned a friend money because you believed he was hurting financially, only to find that he just bought a new car(or something of value)? That is what the upper management has done. They have taken from us (yes because a majority voted for it), and pi**ed the money away. You can call it dignity, or whatever you want, but how far do we have to sink before this is no longer a good paying job with good benefits. The more we bow down, the more they will take. Growing up, how many times did you have to be bullied before you stood up for yourself and fought back. We will NEVER organize another freight company, because we have nothing to promise them. We can't even sell the notion of solidarity. The only selling point is, we can get your job back if you screw up. Can't promise good wages, because we give them back. Can't promise a retirement, because we gave it back. Vacation? Nope, we gave it back. If you haven't seen the writing on the wall from this company, years ago, you're either blind or dumb. Why do you need another 5 years to find a different career. You should have started in 2009.

So - you like your job, it's enjoyable. You like your benefits, their good. But you don't like the company that gives you these things?
The company cut it's budget to accommodate a falling economy.. and their cuts were deep enough to stay alive, but not deep enough to start digging out. The upper management formulated a plan, based on a projected income and costs. The projected income became less (because the economy got worse) but the projected spending didn't go down as much.... so the budget got tighter and tighter...

Ah f**k it... close 'em down... you win... you wore me down.

 

[jmifrttech]

Bull****

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[SinC]

Just a little heads up from the outside.. I resigned from New Penn on the 16th of January..18 years of service.. I took a new job and started Jan 5th.. OMG.. Can't believe someone actually hired me.. But they did.. Maybe the 20 year resume from the same employer had something to do about it.. Union job.. Bottom of the list..the whole 9 of doom and gloom!! Here's the bottom line.. BEST F&$@ING MOVE I EVER MADE!! Don't fret my brothers.. There are jobs out there!! You just need to go hunt again... Btw freight isn't the only place looking for drivers.

If I had a vote... Hmmmmmm... NO

Good Luck Brothers

So do you just keep posting the same thing over and over and over again? I know I've read this before... on another board?

 

[jmifrttech]

Bull**** for whoosdat

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[SinC]

I have 10 years in with only 6 years pension credit thanks to the MOU. I have worked non-union jobs in the past and found a great sense of pride joining the union. But with the understanding that I would fight to better myself, my peers, and my local. Voting yes is laying down and taking what they are willing for you to have. Voting NO is calling their bluff and forcing them to fix it another way. If the doors close after this vote, you can bet your ass it had nothing to do with this vote in the first place.

That's an easy way of not accepting your responsibility in closing a company! I voted no - but it wouldn't have mattered anyway.... not my fault!..... illogical at best.

 

[SinC]

Your dignity was only mentioned once and if by earning $50,000 a year driving a forklift with no pension to speak of has fulfilled your potential, good for you. I personally want better from the employer who has made a game of changing the rules during the game.

If you want more you better get an education and a different job friend.... If you want to earn more you need to find a career that pays more, not beat your employer until he gives you his salary.. you got it all bassackwards.