The truth of the matter I am a UPS'er in Louisville and I seen the lies that Hall put out and I need to clear the air about the lies. I was one the benefited from the changes the Zuckerman did. The jobs were 3 hour jobs that went to 6 hour jobs Hall had it backwords. I am sure that was by design but I cant stand by and let the Lies go. I usually syay off thes blogs but enough is enough. Fred and his agents work very hard for us. How many Local leaders would threaten to SUE the IBT for a wrong decision regarding a discharge of a Brother. Becaus the panel screwed a brother Zuckerman was going to sue the IBT for the decision. That what we need and I have had issues but Fred does not deserve the bashing from HALL. Dont believe the bs Hall and Hoffa will do anything. Now I hear there is a conference call for stewards regarding the abuse at ups and the 22.3 jobs.First hall Falsehood Several times in the debate, hall accused Fred Z of negotiating a 6-hour day contract for UPS workers who were working 8 hours. This is an outright lie. “The 6-hour jobs were created from existing 3-hour part-time jobs -- not 8-hour full time jobs,” Zuckerman points out. “The part-timers voted to keep these 6 hour jobs in subsequent contracts. We currently have about 800 6 hour part timers who love these jobs. They get paid time and one half after 6 1/2 hours and better pension benefits than 3hour part timers.”
Second hall Falsehood hall also blamed Zuckerman for not keeping up with carhaul organizing, but his efforts were undermined repeatedly. Zuckerman appealed to Hoffa personally, the GEB, and the organizing department for years looking for assistance in organizing, which they denied. Zuckerman points out: “We started campaigns at United Road, Hansen Adkins, and CAR Transport that the IBT has ignored. As the non-unions grow, our industry has shrunk and it is because the IBT won't organize in core industries. Our division had one full time staff person (Buzzy Houck) who they fired in January 2010 because the IBT is broke.” Zuckerman also wrote a letter to Hoffa expressing dismay that his administration sabotaged a productive alliance with the UAW, when Hoffa’s henchman lied to UAW leader Bob King, falsely claiming that Zuckerman was no longer Carhaul director. Bob King and Zuckerman had traveled to Japan together to successfully persuade Japanese automakers not to outsource carhaul jobs to non union companies.
Third hall Falsehood Hall outrageously claimed that Fred Gegare knew that he and Hoffa had cut a deal with UPS which allowed them to remove 45,000 members from the multi-employer Central States Pension Fund. Fred Gegare was not on the bargaining team that met with UPS and was furious when he was called to Detroit by Hoffa in 2007 and informed him that UPS workers would no longer be part of the Central States Pension Fund which Gegare serves as chairman. “As a result of Hoffa’s action, the Central States Pension Fund lost 40 percent of its assets,” Gegare points out. Seeing UPS leave without opposition from Hoffa, some 192 employers also exercised their option to pull their employees out of the fund. Hall then tried to imply that Gegare would now seek to return these workers, but the Gegare has made it clear that he will fight to protect pensions, wherever they are currently held.
Fourth hall Falsehood Hall brazenly implied that Fred Gegare had not supported the demonstrations against Wisconsin Governor Walker’s union stripping bills, though Gegare was a key organizer who mobilized IBT locals across the state to participate 24/7 in Madison protests. He helped arrange for active and retired Teamster members from across the country to join the protests. Tom Bennett, President of Local 200 in Milwaukee says “At the debate, Hall made it sound as though this was about money and that the Joint Council had not been spending a lot of money during the protests, but it was never about money, it was about mobilizing our people and the Teamster presence was very substantial at these demonstrations.” Teamster trucks were visible throughout the protests.
Expect more of these dishonest attacks from the Hoffa gang as the campaign heats up and understand that those who have accomplished so little, are now very worried that the membership will see them for what they are -- check cashers, not leaders of a strong and proud union.
Give me a break I read on another blog that it seems Hall/Hoffa are useing this as a campaign tool three weeks from the ballots going out. Shame on you for useing our jobs and our contract for you political gain but you are to late it will not work.