when this is over

[truckchick1]

how about if you look around the front gate here in Auburn and see what fellow teamsters have created. we put our ownselves is a stupid box. the county didn't just come up with this for no reason, heck u might have been there as well when Rick talked about therestraining order put on. if people are so pisseed off about this, then why not go work somewhere else? oh wait, massive layoffs again by large carriers. talk about stabbing someone in the back, just think about the bottom half of the boards who won't have a job to come back to. now who is really stabbing someone in the back. maybe the guy standing next to you is going to do it. who knows.

As a good truck driver you can always find a job. It may not be what you want but it will provide a roof over your head. If these teamsters do not stand strong for what is right than we will all be back at $8 with no medical or pension. The country is struggling but that does not mean we have to give back everything we have been working for our whole lives. It would be different if the ohfl was losing money before all this started, but they weren't. This strike is over people being treated like crap, being threatened by management, people having to take a hugh cut in pay when you take away a pension contribution that has been negotiated in previous contracts. Ohfl was offering a $2.75 raise and you get to dispurse it how you saw fit right. Isn't that about what they are paying into the pension now? So there is no raise, they are just taking back what you already have and then they will give it back to you again. What great guys they are. I could go on for ever.

 

[imported_just asking]

maybe you missed the last letter from the vp's to teir customers. The clause for retiree healthcare is back in but they aren't going to guarantee at what cost or coverage because "No Plan participant should believe they have a vested right in these Plans or that the benefits of the Plans will necessarily be granted indefinitely." The Trust makes no guarantee of future benefits. So they can say it is back in but for how long?

The last part of the letter th VP's sent out is from Western Teamsters Welfare Trust fourth paragraph down is what this says:

"The Trustees provide benefits to the extent that monies are currently available to pay the costs of these benefits. Benefits are not guaranteed to continue indefinitely. Pursuant to the terms of the underlying Trust Agreement, the Trustees are vested with the authority to determine the benefits to be provided and the conditions of eligibility, and to make such changes, on the basis of actuarial principles, as they may determine including, if necessary, the termination of the Trust."

So lets say, OHFL and other companies pay millions into the trust and the trustee decide they they no longer want to cover the retirees and "if necessary" terminate the trust, you are out of luck. Not because OHFL or other companies cut retirees off.

That is one of the problems that OHFL and other companies have, like UPS, that they pay into Teamster H&W regardless of whether the member uses it or not. If you spouse has better H&W and you decide to go on their policy, the company still has to pay teamsters hundreds of dollars every month. Why is that?

 

[imported_just asking]

I'm ignoring the idiot commenting on union politics, and will go straight to the question about the outcome.

The fact is, the union employees have hurt OHFL far more than they have hurt us.

The fact is, the plan all along was to try and get them to come to the table and get a contract. however, not even the federal government can really force them to reach an agreement. So we all have understood since well before the strike started that if the company refused to negotiate in good faith and refused to come to an equitable agreement, we would destroy them utterly.

Surely you can understand why we have to do that, don't you? It's a simple matter of backing up our talk with action, and if a union threatens this or that without ever following through, it's an empty threat quickly seen through by management.

From any union's perspective, you cannot allow an employer to break the union or force the union into a completely unbalanced leverage situation. The other employers see that, and pretty soon you have a pattern repeating itself until there is no union.

Most of us out on the line either have jobs or are looking for work. We are under no illusion about where we are at, where we are going, or what the outcome is likely to be.

Only the outside observers seem to not understand...

Shifter, yes you make a very valid point. It goes both ways, if the company makes a threat or a statement but doesn't back it up, they will get run over by employees or unions. Both sides have made their threats/statments and both sides have stepped up the the plate and carrying out their threat/statements.

The union is supposed to watch out for their members best interest and to take the members out on strike at this time and in this economy is not watching out for their members. Get with OHFL and nego a 1 or 2 year contract from today, I realize it's already 1+ year past last contract, and see how the economy is. I think that is why OHFL told Al 5 year contract is not a good idea at this time. It probably won't be the best contract but at least you live to fight another day. Right now, you are fighting but most of you can't afford to be around long enough to see it through.

 

[Underestimated]

The union is supposed to watch out for their members best interest and to take the members out on strike at this time and in this economy is not watching out for their members. Get with OHFL and nego a 1 or 2 year contract from today, I realize it's already 1+ year past last contract, and see how the economy is. I think that is why OHFL told Al 5 year contract is not a good idea at this time. It probably won't be the best contract but at least you live to fight another day. Right now, you are fighting but most of you can't afford to be around long enough to see it through.

But does the people that are negotiating your contract know that? Since Al is requesting a shorter contract and you guys are wanting a longer contract, either Al has not been told the need of a longer contract or he doesn't care what the members are wanting. Or, he is saying he knows better to run your life then yourself.

These two statements are contradictions. Is it Al or OHFL requesting the shorter contract? This is just more anti-union, pro-company propaganda for a shorter contract.:tongue0002: I can't wait to see your next angle.

Our strike pay is ample. It is just shy of what we would bring home from a 40 week at OHFL. There are plenty of part time jobs to supplement that. Maybe the aren't driving jobs, but it's only for the short term.

 

[prplpride123]

Our strike pay is ample. It is just shy of what we would bring home from a 40 week at OHFL. There are plenty of part time jobs to supplement that. Maybe the aren't driving jobs, but it's only for the short term.

You must be in WA, becuase I can tell you the weekly pay in PDX is not what I would call Ample. We are looking at losing alot, but the worst of it is no benefits.

I am supporting the strike, and I am down there as much as I can plus working another job now too, but I am praying for a resolution to this strike soon one way or the other.