ABF | This one makes no sense

feistY

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Ok, long time lurker here. My spouse works for ABF, my background is accounting.

How can you have independent auditors come in and go completely over your books when you are a company the size of ABF, in less than 4 days? I've worked with auditors before due to my job, this would take way more than just a mere 4 days, believe me.

They could not have made a sensible decision in this short amount of time. The whole thing is very puzzling.
 
[quote author=R-14Driver link=topic=79299.msg822273#msg822273 date=1271477721]
Where did you come up with the 4 day's ?
[/quote]
According to the news release April 9th by the Teamsters ABF had just "finally" agreed to an independent financial analysis. Since this was a Friday you have to assume the first look would be Monday, and by Friday they make the announcement that an agreement has been reached. This comes out to be 4 1/2 days to look at the books, its impossible; the "agreement" was known before the books were ever checked.
 
lots of double talk,I guess they figure truckdrivers don,t pay attn. 4 days to go over the books and come up with a deal,we can't even deliver freight to the west coast that quick, heck ABF can't do anything that quick!!!!
 
[quote author=ltl1 link=topic=79299.msg822305#msg822305 date=1271501403]
When we had our meeting about this our local president said they have been looking over the books since september.
[/quote]

That was the IBT checking. An independent financial analysis was to be done starting Monday. Tyson had this all lined up when the conference call was made.He could of never got an overwhelming response from us to continue the talks.What really ticks me off is that he wants us to take concessions(for his own reasons) and making it look like we went to him and asked for this.Then,being the night in shining armor, he will get them for us.The IBT will sell the concessions to the locals Monday, then the locals will TRY to sell it to us. Then the 1st quarter results will come out Friday. They really believe with all this brainwashing that they can get this pushed through.I can hear Tyson now in my head. " You leave the rank and file up to me, they'll do what I tell them to do" That egotistical s.o.b
 
Ok...another food for thought; why can't the union 'members' NOT upper management get their own independent company to count the final votes? The last contract that was voted on, my husband and I both thought it was quite odd that everyone he worked with voted NO yet it went thru with no problem. How can a very large group of employees vote no (and I'm sure it wasn't just his terminal) but yet it passed with flying colors? If I were in this group, I would insist on someone else (besides someone that that union had anything to do with) count the votes....someone TOTALLY independent.

I will say that my husband would not mind a wage cut if that's what it takes. I can tell you that unemployment runs out and its no where near what you guys bring home. My ex husband (who has a BS in Computer Science) has been layed off for over 1.5 years and still has found nothing. He is just doing odd jobs. It's not as easy as some of you might thing regarding good jobs and good wages....they just aren't out there. I say it's better to make $20 an hour than $0 an hour. I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs.
 
[quote author=feistY link=topic=79299.msg822338#msg822338 date=1271508508]





I will say that my husband would not mind a wage cut if that's what it takes. I can tell you that unemployment runs out and its no where near what you guys bring home. My ex husband (who has a BS in Computer Science) has been layed off for over 1.5 years and still has found nothing. He is just doing odd jobs. It's not as easy as some of you might thing regarding good jobs and good wages....they just aren't out there. I say it's better to make $20 an hour than $0 an hour. I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs.


[/quote]







You're missing the point. If we take the wage cut, all that will do is undermine everything that the teamsters had fought very hard for in the past. The non unions, in turn will automatically cut their employees wages and then it will be a race to the bottom for wages. Do you really actually think that ABF needs our concessions? If I made a million plus a year including all perks, i wouldn't even have the audacity to ask someone making 50,000 a year to take a pay cut.
 
Just by voting yes doesn't get the laidoff people called back, just ask the YRC drivers. That is just what ABF and Tyson want you to think !!!!
 
[quote author=Bernard Shakey link=topic=79299.msg822352#msg822352 date=1271511926]
Hey feistY, the members will tell everybody they voted no just to make them look good in front of their co-workers.
[/quote]




The famous one liner strikes again!!!!!
 
I was just explaining to her what some people are like. I like to keep it short & hopefully to the point. Uh-Oh, that was two lines. :stir:
 
[quote author=piker link=topic=79299.msg822347#msg822347 date=1271511291]
Just by voting yes doesn't get the laidoff people called back, just ask the YRC drivers. That is just what ABF and Tyson want you to think !!!!
[/quote] YRC continues to layoff Teamsters & just filed another change of operation. Concessions DO NOT PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK!! They PUT PEOPLE OUT OF WORK!! DON'T BELIEVE ME CHECK THE FACTS!! WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN OUR INDUSTRY TO EXAMINE & SEE THE CONCLUSION THAT IT DOESN'T WORK!! NAME ONE COMPANY THAT HAD CONCESSIONS & RETURNED TO SCALE? THAT IS IN BUSINESS TODAY? IT JUST MEANS THAT THE TOP DOGS GET MORE MONEY WHEN THEY LEAVE. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME A COMPANY MAKING HUGE PROFITS CAME TO THE IBT & ASKED TO OPEN THE CONTRACT TO GIVE IT'S LABOR A RAISE FOR A JOB WELL DONE???
 
With all due respect Justaworkingman, you are not the person at the top making $1 mil +, you are the person making the $50K. Once again, I would rather be making $50K than zero. The company I work for (nearly 25 years) hasn't given raises in over 2 years. They laid off at least 100+ people January of 2009. This year we are doing better financially so we will get raises. I just feel very blessed that I wasn't one of the laid off folks. It's very ugly out there in the employment world.

Have you not done anything at home since the economy took a nose dive? I know we have. We have cut coupons, watched every dime we've spent. I've even shopped at Goodwill a few times. We have no vacations planned. We are hoping all of our personal cut backs are only temporary. I would think if something is cut now (as in concessions), it will be returned when the economy bounces back. I do agree with you, I find it hard to believe that ABF is losing money but once again, I'm not the person at the top making decisions. I have no clue what their books look like.

I'm not trying to be argumentive at all, I'm just trying to point out that the grass is not always greener. Always remember to count your blessings.
 
[quote author=piker link=topic=79299.msg822347#msg822347 date=1271511291]
Just by voting yes doesn't get the laidoff people called back, just ask the YRC drivers. That is just what ABF and Tyson want you to think !!!!
[/quote]
In fact a yes vote will most likely lead to less opportunity for laid off people to work, especially on premium days. Currently (at least at my terminal) almost no bid employees sign the list for premium day work, we leave that so lay offs can get some time in. If a wage concession is given lets face it, human nature will be to work a premium day to make up lost wages.
 
[quote author=feistY link=topic=79299.msg822409#msg822409 date=1271524573]
With all due respect Justaworkingman, you are not the person at the top making $1 mil +, you are the person making the $50K. Once again, I would rather be making $50K than zero. The company I work for (nearly 25 years) hasn't given raises in over 2 years. They laid off at least 100+ people January of 2009. This year we are doing better financially so we will get raises. I just feel very blessed that I wasn't one of the laid off folks. It's very ugly out there in the employment world.

Have you not done anything at home since the economy took a nose dive? I know we have. We have cut coupons, watched every dime we've spent. I've even shopped at Goodwill a few times. We have no vacations planned. We are hoping all of our personal cut backs are only temporary. I would think if something is cut now (as in concessions), it will be returned when the economy bounces back. I do agree with you, I find it hard to believe that ABF is losing money but once again, I'm not the person at the top making decisions. I have no clue what their books look like.

I'm not trying to be argumentive at all, I'm just trying to point out that the grass is not always greener. Always remember to count your blessings.
[/quote]I agree with your observation that 50,000 is better than zero that the job market is tough & I believe all working families are cutting back...however what i do disagree is if a cut is taken now it would be returned when the economy getts back because in the history of our industry it's never happened. we have a long history to base this on no company has ever returned to scale also it's hard to make this concession when you know at the top it's business as usual...no equal sacrifice.. all you have to do is track the salaries & perks thru the stock & securities exchange that this is fact not myth. if there was ANY PROOF that ABF was in financial danger I might feel different about losing my job but the facts are they are not in debt,not in danger of bankruptcy A& the top management is still getting theirs....
 
This has to do with 2 things! Unhappy stockholders, #1 and #2 The International denied any talks whatsoever even while ABF said they were going on.Nothing to be gained by ABF by throwing that out there that I can see.The International {Tyson} and our Local leaders were adamant that no way were we taking a cut. Somewhere ABF has offered the Teamsters a deal,a trade-off,something, to change their tune in a eye-blink.I can only speculate because in a short time my well paid leaders said to me you should seriously think about taking what ABF offers.There are many conspiracy theories but to ask us to take a cut equal to YRC reeks of a buy,.. sale,.. or merger.We are not even close to Yellows situation.As a matter of fact business has been turning around for at least the last month or better.We do not need to take a pay cut period.If you feel you must vote for one then think about this and its been said here b4.Vote no this time and they will come back with another offer.They already know what is! And this is what they are counting on getting. Chowda
 
[quote author=feistY link=topic=79299.msg822409#msg822409 date=1271524573]
With all due respect Justaworkingman, you are not the person at the top making $1 mil +, you are the person making the $50K. Once again, I would rather be making $50K than zero. The company I work for (nearly 25 years) hasn't given raises in over 2 years. They laid off at least 100+ people January of 2009. This year we are doing better financially so we will get raises. I just feel very blessed that I wasn't one of the laid off folks. It's very ugly out there in the employment world.

Have you not done anything at home since the economy took a nose dive? I know we have. We have cut coupons, watched every dime we've spent. I've even shopped at Goodwill a few times. We have no vacations planned. We are hoping all of our personal cut backs are only temporary. I would think if something is cut now (as in concessions), it will be returned when the economy bounces back. I do agree with you, I find it hard to believe that ABF is losing money but once again, I'm not the person at the top making decisions. I have no clue what their books look like.

I'm not trying to be argumentive at all, I'm just trying to point out that the grass is not always greener. Always remember to count your blessings.
[/quote]


You are absolutely right feistY. I'm not the person at the top. I'm just a plain old working man that realizes that all companies are playing the economic card at this time,not just ABF. Why, in order to get the working class where it belongs,in the lower income bracket. Management = upper level working class=lower level
You said it yourself in your reply that you have cut back. May I ask you a question,not to be sarcastic, but just how much are you willing to cut back before you are willing to fight for what you have?
I don't know how long that your husband has been working for ABF but anyone that has been there for awhile knows these concessions are just pure business as usual for this company. They would not be the company they were today if they didn't jump on the opportunity to get some concessions if they could.In 1988,they really were in bad shape from that hostile takeover attempt and asked for a pay cut then but the answer was no. Guess what...they pulled through after being 370 million in debt. I could go on and on .
Right now,the people that are on layoff are getting three to four days.If these concessions pass, they can figure on getting two days a week. That way the company won't have to pay their pension and health and welfare and they will get the rest to work overtime. That will happen, I have seen it many times before and that's at the normal pay. Just think of how many will work the overtime if they will have to take a pay cut.Look at the ABF site and you will see that they are loading up on casuals in most places. The casuals and the laid off men and women will get 2 days a week.This is what I really believe.The company doesn't give two cents for their employees, they have proven that numerous times.
I wish the best for you and your husband and everybody has that right to vote as they see fit. I'm not saying that you're wrong and I'm right. I'm just saying how I see it.
 
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