I'm not focusing on the raise, it's the contract in general. The pension is OK, just OK, not great. Nothing is certain anymore, a less than 5% increase over 5 years, add a COLA formula, that would be great. It does not address the difficulty in attracting quality new-hires, that's the core of the problems here at UPGF, the part-time mentality of UPS, we need to attract people with the desire to build a career in this industry with it's long hours, hot, cold, wet, and difficult conditions.
Despite what is said we are still part of UPS, they have shown little ability to run an LTL operation, and no signs of wanting to learn how. For the 14 or so years they have operated UPGF they have forced their part-time, numbers only driven philosophy on an industry with way more variables than the small-pack division. They took a thriving LTL company, profitable and for the most part well run and in my opinion are failing. Damages are incredible, poor decisions by unqualified low and mid-level management are costing far more than anything my Brothers and Sisters are doing, we " work as directed" and for the most part do it well and safely. The "we are losing money" doesn't wash with me, they need to hold their managers accountable for the mistakes and poor decisions that cost FAR more than they are aware. I see p/t supervisors do NOTHING for hours, play on their phone, talk on their phone, wander around aimlessly, then yell at someone for something stupid. This is the core problem, the parts are there to make UPGF a giant in the LTL field, someone needs to put them together.
As to the economics of the proposal, I find the raises almost insulting. As to the mileage increase, it is exactly 20% of the raise on our last contract, and the even had that split in 6 month sections. That works out to $.96 cents a WEEK per 1000 miles, how will we attract new companies to look at us and say, " We need to go Union, look at what they do for their people", sadly not going to happen. The two-tiered pay scale is the beginning of the end, anytime you sell out your future, you have failed.
Nobody needs to feel sorry for me, I do well, I am in my opinion respected by my Union peers, my fellow drivers and the mid, and upper level management I deal with. That is good enough for me. I do feel our once Great Union is on the the verge of loss of influence, and it shows. The Union sponsored "vote yes" campaign, the Company having meetings about the "vote". The will of our people is not being addressed, and that's sad...
I am at the end of my career, this will be my last contract, I was hoping to leave our future Brothers and Sisters a contract they could be proud of, and take them into the future with a sense of hope. Sadly I don't see it...