Till the fat lady sings

[silvertooth]

From everything I've read (i'm not an OHFL employee, nor union member), It sounds to me, like this proverbial fat lady cleared her throat and then threw up her lunch. Where's the pressure from the union to bring these issues to bear. I'm not sure what a union is for, as i've not worked for a union, but it seems to this objective user who has a familial stake in this issue that the union should have a bigger pair to stand up. You guys stood out there for 5 months in the freezing weather, only to be handed your teeth. I believe in what you guys are doing. But I'm not sure, from what i've read, that your locals have your back. Am I alone in this assessment?

Man, I agree and disagree, the union has put forth a pretty major effort of behalf of the OAKH strikers. The return to work order is not something the company wanted, they would have loved to just replace the union members, and be done with it, but strategic planning on the part of the union should not be understated here. It's a new world, we all watched the movie Hoffa, and believe me, most of us wish we could deal with the problems today, as effectively as they were dealt with 50 years ago.

It's a high stakes game the more money the Co. has to funnel into anti union efforts, the more the union has to work to counter them on a legal front. The return to work is a strategic decision, it takes advantage of a NLRB decision. This battle is still on, and a strike could be called at any moment. Think of the costs involved for the company, calling in a army of (professional strike breaking) replacement drivers, hiring permanent replacement drivers, now laying off the replacement drivers, returning the strikers, it really all works in the unions favor in a way. The real shame of it all is the lost work that the company so callously disposed of as a cost of eradicating the union.

 

[teamster in wa]

It's a new world, we all watched the movie Hoffa, and believe me, most of us wish we could deal with the problems today, as effectively as they were dealt with 50 years ago. Isn't that the truth!!

The real shame of it all is the lost work that the company so callously disposed of as a cost of eradicating the union.

This goes to show how little they really care about the customers they serve. Everyone knows with the actions the company has taken what they really care about! That is to get rid of the union. Not to preserve their customer base or the legacy of the company that their father built all his life.

 

[Day Tripper]

Boy your right, I thought the way they dealt with him was awesome. Oh and just what has the Union ever done for a customer of a Union company. Nothing? I think just that.

 

[Fthemwithasmile]

Silvertooth is right but something that many miss is the fact that lawyers and the government have evolved over the years and it is much more difficult for the common working man/woman or even a group of them (Unions) to thwart the mighty dollars that company's and the government can throw around. That is one of the reasons company's do not want unions established at the company they own. It costs them big bucks if people want to assert their legal rights. The legal rights have been eroded away by government agencies that have officials in them who are/were/will be business owners that want nothing more than to make sure their company can make the most profit off the backs of it's employees while paying as little as possible in benefits and wages. Can you say WalMart? Haliburton? The list goes on forever. I don't have aproblem with company's making money but I just haten the greed when the working man only wants a good living wage and benefits to take care of his family and his retirement. We have all seen the destruction a company will cause if they are not kept under watch. Unions do that. Oak Harbor will erode the benefits that are currently in place down to a level that they feel will still attract marginal employees because they do have to compete for employees just like everybody else. They will not provide for their employees in a way that is above average at best. Without the unions in place and what unions have done in the past we all would be making a poverty level wage with few benefits. We all need to be greatful of those that have come before us whether you think Unions have a place now or not. They sacrificed more than we will ever know and because of them we union and non union alike get to enjoy the benefits and laws created, for the working man, because of their fight.

 

[truckchick1]

Come on guys we know how to stand together. All it takes 50% plus 1. We did not stand out there for 5 months to lose everything now. Bring on the vote. We will still stand together.

 

[airhorn4you]

Boy your right, I thought the way they dealt with him was awesome. Oh and just what has the Union ever done for a customer of a Union company. Nothing? I think just that.

off the top of my head lets see they negotiated job security for the driver so that he may perform his job with out worrying about management coming up with any reason to terminate oh and lets not forget about the benefits like great health care so that the driver doesnt have to worry about little injuries turning into severe injuries thus being able to show up to work and move the customers freight in a timely fashion and lets not forget about being able to retire at a decent age so that the driver doesnt break a hip at the customers place of employment but really we could probably agree that because of unions even the customers get to enjoy some of these benefits that the union has helped us get p.s day tripper management are replaceable maybe you need the job security more than we do

 

[Veteran]

OK Day Tripper we pretty much know who you are so take your anti union propoganda some other place Portland revenue yesterday only 17,600 dollars bill count 328 lets get real here you cant even pay the fuel bill with those numbers