U
uber
Guest
He's a machinist for Freightiner/Daimler.
Today they agreed to strike.
Main issue: medical benefits.
Today they agreed to strike.
Main issue: medical benefits.
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
Its a gamble when you strike for economical issues like benefits. The law allows employers to permanently replace workers that strike for "economical" issues
Hawfuh Sux
Old Guard Assassin!
At least there's still some unions that will stand up to corporate greed, unlike ours.
U
uber
Guest
Correct.
What is the issue about the bennies?
East coast navy
Veteran
Tell your dad good luck.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
The members felt they were too generous and tried to give some of them back----the company refused to accept their concessions hence the work stoppage.
U
uber
Guest
I haven't discussed the details with him yet, but something to do with having to pay for medical bennies. Striking isn't anything new with his company. Growing up it seemed like every contract they had a strike. I actually gave him one of my Teamster newsletters regarding our tentative agreement (he was really impressed with what we were offered) and he showed it to his business agent. They haven't received a raise in like 3 contracts. He's about to retire anyways so this is his last contract.
teamster 804
Well-Known Member
It is embarrassing how members who work for this company accept the B/S contract.Whoever voted yes on National you should be ashamed of yourself, our leaders wont stand up to this company, but the members who work for this thankless company should have taken a stand.I guess you current pay scale out ways being treated like a worthless animal by this company.They could wave a quarter at you and you would respond how high can i jump.Its pathetic!!
Anonymous 10
Guest
How much does he make an hour???
U
uber
Guest
Around $28 an hour. My mom's the breadwinner. He's very frugal though and has invested his money very wisely. Not bad for a guy who didn't graduate high school.
brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
Gee, there's a new subject.
Anonymous 10
Guest
28 and he's a skilled tradesman. What's are skilled trade again??
bluehdmc
Well-Known Member
For feeder drivers, just that, driving. We had a safety notice one of the sups put up, (he also puts one on the IVIS daily), about arriving to work well rested, etc. and that it was the "tools of the trade" or something like that.
I would have to say a package drivers skills are safe driving, area knowledge, etc.
Not to put the OP's father down but most complicated machinist tasks are done by automatic milling machines. These can make a part in 20 min on one machine that used to take 5 machinists an 8 hour day. Most production stuff is like this, watch Ultimate Factories on the Discovery Channel and you will see what I mean. It's more assembly line type work.
Most jobs have been "dummied down", (sound familiar?), all in the name of numbers and costs.
I do wish the OP's father and fellow union workers good luck. I own Caterpillar stock, they recently bought Bucyrus-Erie a maker of the large shovels and draglines used in open pit mines. They settled a contract with the Steelworkers union, a 5 yr contract with NO increase in pay. They also struck, got some sort of larger weekly payment than what they originally walked for layoffs but that was it.
Caterpillar also closed a locomotive plant in Canada and moved the operation to Ohio or something because of union demands. It seems to be the trend.
kickbacksocal
Member
kickbacksocal
Member
We in the socal area are part of the Machinist union, we dont make as much as some unskilled drivers, but we have no choice in our raise.(teamsters make that choice) Drivers just have to buy a good set of shoes and drive a truck that is assigned to them, they can go out and destroy the truck and write it up and we mechanic's will fix it up for them, they do have a good thing going. Making over 90,000. While the mechanics that have to buy there tool, shoes etc only make it in the 60,000. We don't have the choice to make the money they do, we have the work, but as ups says, we are a expense to the company. So 8 hours per day no over time, then they wonder why the work is not done at the end of the week. What can we say, there's always tomorrow... Life is good, just hope it can be as good in retirement life... So teamsters, fight for your partners that were here before you guys. .......
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
Dont get too worked up over it.... this is just life in America, the richest people work the least, and the poorest work the most. No union contract is going to fix that.
And at 60k a year only 40 hrs a week, you are probably on par with a drivers wage for the hours worked
Catatonic
Nine Lives
To clarify:
... the richest people do the least manual labor, and the poorest do the most manual labor. No union contract is going to fix that.
Or another way of saying the same thing is:
For the most part, working with your brains pays more than working with your body.
