TDU and public opinion of unionism.

stink219

Well-Known Member
Do you think that TDU helps or hinders public opinion of our union and unionism in general? And how does that affect us in the main stream in terms of contract negotiations and strikes?
 
I bet 99.9% of the public have no clue what TDU is. 99.8% of teamsters have no clue.

​As far as the public I think 75% say they're anti-union not from actual expieriance but from being a lemming with those around them. They'll toss their spiel and then run off to their low paying, no benefits, job before their sup docks them a days pay for being a min late.
 

The Other Side

Well-Known Troll
Troll
The public has no knowledge of TDU or the inner workings of Teamsters for that matter. The question is moot. The publics view of Unions is formed by cable news television and right or wrong, the public never invests itself to figure out if a union is good or not.

The public knows that union members are highly paid workers with excellent benefits, and thats about it.

TDU and groups like it, are "inner workings" of a union and this doesnt get the exposure to main stream cable news.

On the other hand, Hoffa has hurt the union movement in this country, and the UPS contract is proof positive.

Peace

TOS
 

quamba 638

Well-Known Member
I agree with Cach. I've never even heard of TDU outside of Brown Cafe. The public definitely hasn't.

The first time I've heard of TDU was from Stink when I joined BC. I actually googled Termites Destroying Unions because that's what someone referred them as.
Now I just think to myself, if Stink hates them so much, why advertise them all the time.
Any publicity is good publicity.
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
The first time I've heard of TDU was from Stink when I joined BC. I actually googled Termites Destroying Unions because that's what someone referred them as.
Now I just think to myself, if Stink hates them so much, why advertise them all the time.
Any publicity is good publicity.

Wow! I actually have to agree. Well put.
 

bigblu 2 you

Well-Known Member
The first time I've heard of TDU was from Stink when I joined BC. I actually googled Termites Destroying Unions because that's what someone referred them as.
Now I just think to myself, if Stink hates them so much, why advertise them all the time.
Any publicity is good publicity.
i advertize used 8 tracks and johnny manziel autographs.
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
Getting all information from the Teamsters alone would be like only listening to information released from the White House.

I choose to get information from as many sources as possible. Weed out the BS. Exclude anything that comes at angle to further ones agenda. somewhere in the middle of all the information complied from all sides is the truth.

To answer your question. NO they don't have any affect on the general public. Newsweek polled 1000 Americans a while back and close to 30% didn't even know who the VP was.

I do not agree with everything the TDU does or has done in the past. I believe they have helped the break down of the Teamsters. Unity is being lost, and they have certainly played a part. However, one can't ignore the good that they have done. I can name a few things. Here is 1.

TDU helped get the rank and file the ability to vote on top Teamster officers. For that alone, I thank them.
 
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cynic

Well-Known Member
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

I had never heard of TDU until I started to Google for news articles about "UPS Teamsters Contract 2013" and related. Our local's website hasn't been updated in over a year in parts, over 5 years on other sections. I would have remained in the dark on TDU's existence if more frequent web updates were published by IBT/local. I would have to say TDU is perfoming better than IBT at communicating, whether good or bad - there's no excuse for IBT not to be using Twitter, email, etc to communicate to the membership and LEAD us. I don't think TDU makes any difference at all in public opinion on our contract - it's confusing at first to determine what type of organization they are when you first run across their site.
 

Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
Websites like BrownCafe do more to hurt unionism. Under the pending contract, in a few years a FTer will have a higher real compensation package than the average MBA graduate from MIT. Instead of celebrating the contract, we have oodles of threads lambasting that it's not enough. Ironically, many of the BrownCafe members who feel they're undercompensated also dislike unionism and believe that if not for the IBT, they'd be earning more. I guess they believe they have some sort of divine package delivery skills and don't recognize that they're replaceable (shhh). Most people will view UPS drivers as being overpaid; markets dictate wages and per the markets, they are.*

*Real compensation in the USA continues to decline, despite soaring corporate profits & the highest productivity level in the world. Sadly, people -- including IBT members -- think that $7.25/hour & no-benefits is fair compensation for FT employees at places like Walmart. I think what society has come to is disgusting. E.g. your company goes bankrupt tomorrow, and you find out you're out of a job and as it was self-insured, your benefits ended effective that day. Meanwhile your bosses, who MADE the decisions that lead to you losing your job, announce that they walk way with millions each because, well, the market says they get rewarded for failure.
 
Websites like BrownCafe do more to hurt unionism. Under the pending contract, in a few years a FTer will have a higher real compensation package than the average MBA graduate from MIT. Instead of celebrating the contract, we have oodles of threads lambasting that it's not enough. Ironically, many of the BrownCafe members who feel they're undercompensated also dislike unionism and believe that if not for the IBT, they'd be earning more. I guess they believe they have some sort of divine package delivery skills and don't recognize that they're replaceable (shhh). Most people will view UPS drivers as being overpaid; markets dictate wages and per the markets, they are.*

*Real compensation in the USA continues to decline, despite soaring corporate profits & the highest productivity level in the world. Sadly, people -- including IBT members -- think that $7.25/hour & no-benefits is fair compensation for FT employees at places like Walmart. I think what society has come to is disgusting. E.g. your company goes bankrupt tomorrow, and you find out you're out of a job and as it was self-insured, your benefits ended effective that day. Meanwhile your bosses, who MADE the decisions that lead to you losing your job, announce that they walk way with millions each because, well, the market says they get rewarded for failure.
Bagels. So young yet so wise. I wish others would listen to what you have to say.
 

didyousheetit

Well-Known Member
Websites like BrownCafe do more to hurt unionism. Under the pending contract, in a few years a FTer will have a higher real compensation package than the average MBA graduate from MIT. Instead of celebrating the contract, we have oodles of threads lambasting that it's not enough. Ironically, many of the BrownCafe members who feel they're undercompensated also dislike unionism and believe that if not for the IBT, they'd be earning more. I guess they believe they have some sort of divine package delivery skills and don't recognize that they're replaceable (shhh). Most people will view UPS drivers as being overpaid; markets dictate wages and per the markets, they are.*

*Real compensation in the USA continues to decline, despite soaring corporate profits & the highest productivity level in the world. Sadly, people -- including IBT members -- think that $7.25/hour & no-benefits is fair compensation for FT employees at places like Walmart. I think what society has come to is disgusting. E.g. your company goes bankrupt tomorrow, and you find out you're out of a job and as it was self-insured, your benefits ended effective that day. Meanwhile your bosses, who MADE the decisions that lead to you losing your job, announce that they walk way with millions each because, well, the market says they get rewarded for failure.
along the lines of your post my neighbor tonight told me, that I would be surprised at what the company would do for me if I was in a non-union shop. So, if the company didn't have to keep their contractual agreements they would give me more????? If this is how people see the union issue we are all in trouble.
 

quamba 638

Well-Known Member
Websites like BrownCafe do more to hurt unionism. Under the pending contract, in a few years a FTer will have a higher real compensation package than the average MBA graduate from MIT. Instead of celebrating the contract, we have oodles of threads lambasting that it's not enough. Ironically, many of the BrownCafe members who feel they're undercompensated also dislike unionism and believe that if not for the IBT, they'd be earning more. I guess they believe they have some sort of divine package delivery skills and don't recognize that they're replaceable (shhh). Most people will view UPS drivers as being overpaid; markets dictate wages and per the markets, they are.*

*Real compensation in the USA continues to decline, despite soaring corporate profits & the highest productivity level in the world. Sadly, people -- including IBT members -- think that $7.25/hour & no-benefits is fair compensation for FT employees at places like Walmart. I think what society has come to is disgusting. E.g. your company goes bankrupt tomorrow, and you find out you're out of a job and as it was self-insured, your benefits ended effective that day. Meanwhile your bosses, who MADE the decisions that lead to you losing your job, announce that they walk way with millions each because, well, the market says they get rewarded for failure.
along the lines of your post my neighbor tonight told me, that I would be surprised at what the company would do for me if I was in a non-union shop. So, if the company didn't have to keep their contractual agreements they would give me more????? If this is how people see the union issue we are all in trouble.

Did you tell him about how great management has it? He sounds like he's already set in his views, what a hater.
 

Integrity

Binge Poster
Do you think that TDU helps or hinders public opinion of our union and unionism in general? And how does that affect us in the main stream in terms of contract negotiations and strikes?
Stink219,

I think TDU is as any organization is a flawed but good thing for the union.

I don't think it helps or hinders the public opinion of our union or unionism in general.

I don't think TDU effects the members in the mainstream in terms of contract negotiations and strikes.

Historically, the Teamsters are notoriously involved in corruption and corrupt practices.

Any watchdog group even if it provides minimal checks and balances is a good thing.

The question for all in TDU leaderships is; Are they really looking to reform the union leadership away from corruption and towards integrity or are they really just in a power struggle to gain control of the union?

Sincerely,
I

 
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