Had a district mgr recently for a meeting. The usual speech and then open for questions. .. .. .. ..You could hear pindrops, occasional cricket. There were maybe 4 shills who asked something. Then the Sr mgr gets angry and almost demands an interest from us. Nothing. He gets up and leaves. District mgr walks outside. No up and down the belt banter with him. Sr mgr gives us a stern talking to in stretch/flex. Says we have the VP coming next week and we had better be awake and responsive. It was pretty ugly. It wasn't planned. Just a sad state of affairs. Nothing like the deafening sound of silence. The one thing they cannot take is an apathetic work force. Oh well.
apathy in meeting
- Thread starter fedupped
- Start date
Rhoderunner
Well-Known Member
When the VP shows up for his circle jerk I suggest everyone walk away !!!! Go stand at your sort position and wait. 
They love it when you speak up, get angry, get your blood pressure up, go out and work harder cause ur naturally fired up. And you will accomplish..nothing. Like theyre going to ask your opinion on the next round of cuts. They HATE when you just dont care anymore..given up on them. You play the game.
Rhoderunner
Well-Known Member
If you have ever been involved in one of these dog and pony shows you would know full well it's not the time and place. You fall into their trap if you do. But go ahead if you must.
Route 66
Slapped Upside-da-Head Member
Then you guys should do exactly as he requests. Let the SOB have it and don't show any mercy. Have him explain all the take-aways and raise "deferrals" etc. Then at stretch 'n flex the next day, (wearing your best hopeful smile) ask the senior if he was satisfied.
ManInBrown
Well-Known Member
The problem is they want you to care and speak up because then they can pretend to care about what you think and your concerns. Nothing but a smoke show. Same with the SFA. They could care less about those results. Havent taken it in 8 years. Do what you need to do to get thru the day. And start looking for another job. If you are lucky enough to be topped out. Congratulations. Ride it out till the end. We are fighting a losing battle here. Unfortunately they have won.
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northbound
Well-Known Member
2nd that
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
You could ask when the RLA is going away. Seriously, ignoring them has benefits too. Amazing that they still expect an "enthusiastic" workforce given what's been happening.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Here's how the game has worked for years. Whenever something controversial or unpopular comes along, they have meetings, which are generally nothing more than bitch sessions. Everyone vents, and life goes on.
Now, if someone started asking the VP or MD how they are enjoying their raise, or why Fred S spends so much on lobbying and private jets etc., the fur would fly. You get the idea.
Could speak up and offer BC as a good source of information and concerns about troubling trends in the company. No. Wouldn't want to increase awareness.
UnconTROLLed
perfection
The last stage for abuse victims is usually apathy, giving up. Hope that doesn't rub anyone the wrong way.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
And this is why the Express Couriers are 'defeated'. They have given up - they appear to loathe the IBT as much as Fred S. Fred is a master when it comes to PR and misinformation, and I'd never thought Fred would've pulled off that maneuver.
The Couriers don't want to 'vote' between Fred and Hoffa, they want to be able to have a vote between Fred and Superman, all perfect and fault free. Won't happen.
What the overwhelming majority don't 'get', is that in the situation they are in, they don't vote for the one they really like, they vote AGAINST the one they really hate....
Just because the IBT won't spend millions on what they see as a lost cause (the Couriers have given up on themselves), DOESN'T mean that the IBT is in the same 'moral category' as Fred and company.
When I saw the posts illustrating how much the Couriers hate Fred, but loathe the IBT almost as much, I knew it was over for the Couriers.
If those who hate Fred the most - the most fed up, angry, 'malcontented' that Express has to offer - loathe the IBT, just imagine what the remainder of the 'rank and file' Couriers think of the IBT.
Fred has already won - he won because the Couriers are too damn blinded as to who is their enemy and who has the potential to help them.
The 'silence of the sheep', is truly telling now. They know they are going to be taken to the shed and they've already made the decision that they won't do a damn thing about it.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
You followed the course of the 'conversation' here.
First week that no pay raises was announced - everyone is pissed off, THIS IS IT, time to take action!!!
So, I started posting again, putting up the links and basically telling everyone, "Put some action behind those words!".
Second week. Everyone is still pissed off, but they start to hem and haw at the prospect of actually having to start a grassroots organizing campaign to change the situation. Then, the lingering loathing of the IBT raises its head. Everyone hates what is happening to them in the shed, but they don't want to band together and get the IBT to realize that there maybe some life out there in Expressland.
The old, "I want a Third Option", comes around for the umpteenth time. So, the list of other unions go up and I challenge everyone to call around and get information on another union that may be interested in organizing Express. No responses. A few did call the IBT to confirm that the IBT has cut its losses in regards to Express, but as far as I could tell, no one did any serious calling to other unions to see if they would be interested. So much for working to get that 'third option'.
This week. The posting pattern shifts away from, "We've been screwed!", to talking about everyday work non-sense (drug shipments, wrestling, DRA, you name it). It took only 2 weeks for the sheep to give up and head to the shed on their own.
Fred's paying millions to keep the RLA isn't what defeated the Couriers, the Couriers were already defeated because they thought of themselves as being 'too good' to become Teamsters. They seem to have this notion that they are worth close to what the UPS drivers are - but can't 'soil' themselves with becoming Teamsters in order to achieve that. Thus the never ending game of holding out hope that some 'clean' union out there will ride out to the rescue of the Express Couriers and save the day.
Won't happen.
Express Couriers are now down to just two of my original three options: Leave or Bendover.
Choose wisely.
thedownhillEXPRESS
Well-Known Member
People are working to get cards signed at individual locations.
Just because every tactic being used is not getting posted does not mean there is not an effort being made.
Yes its an uphill battle, but just because a huge union movement (with no outside help I remind you) is not unfolding in front of your eyes, does not mean some of us aren't trying.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
I base my post on 'reports' that have come in from station level managers I talk with in a few separate locations (yes, there are Senior and Ops Managers who don't like the way things are going). The reports are nearly identical, Couriers are ticked off, but they aren't looking to organize. This in combination with what I have seen here, is what led me to the conclusion that the Couriers are done.
IF there was going to be a grassroots campaign, it would've started by now, with you and others wanting to establish an 'off Browncafe', network and wanting to get serious about overcoming the hurdle the RLA has put up in front of the Couriers. Hasn't happened. The lingering loathing of the IBT came up and I knew that was the end of it. You can't attempt to sell one organization that people see as 'tainted', in order to overcome the screwing they are experiencing from another organization.
The most vocal, anti-Fred Couriers there are post and lurk here. If there was going to be any real hope of developing a grassroots organization drive, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM would've needed to volunteer to be both a station level organizer and volunteered to reach out to other stations in order to build a network of organizers.
Didn't happen.
Time is rapidly running out. The Couriers don't have years, they have maybe months at this point. Once DRA is firmly established in a majority of stations, it will be over. With the way things are going, by the end of 2014 that will happen. In order to beat that end of 2014 deadline, the Couriers need to have a certification vote by the end of this year, or early 2014 at the ABSOLUTE latest. With the way things are going, it won't ever happen.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
I agree. Defeatist language cannot be interpreted as defeat. We are also working hard to get cards signed locally. Although a few might have given-up, most have not. Indeed, for the first time, the blinders have been lifted for many of the Kool-Aid crowd. Apathy at meetings is actually a better sign than still being "rah-rah" for FedEx, but a lot of the resentment remains underground...for now.
Give it time ( I know there isn't much), but those who have gotten off to a slow start need some time to catch-up. Most folks have figured-out by now that the IBT isn't rushing-in to "save" us, but it's completely normal to explore other options (unions) as part of the process. "Bending-over" gets painful, so perhaps a few of the bendee's aren't going to like it very much and will be spurred to action.
Fred's ahead, but he hasn't won anything but the hatred of most of his employees.
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