Union retirees: Don't cut my pension --- Good Read

[RealPerson]

"Many gave up years of pay increases and contributed thousands of dollars from their salaries each year toward their promised pensions."

Read More --- Click Link
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/22/retirement/pension-cut/index.html?iid=Lead

 

[MC4YOU2]

Just exactly why I never vote for Tea Baggers.

 

[realbrown1]

Just exactly why I never vote for Tea Baggers.

So you would let these troubled pension plans colapse?
I don't like the plan that was just passed by congress with bi-partisan support.
Both ways suck.

 

[MC4YOU2]

So you would let these troubled pension plans colapse?
I don't like the plan that was just passed by congress with bi-partisan support.
Both ways suck.

It was passed with treachery, not bi partisan support. That being said, both parties suck. It was slipped in by Tea Bags.

They don't need this feature to prevent failure. They need higher contributions, which UPS has fought, and POSSIBLY cutting payout to future retirees with their knowledge, NOT current retirees who have no choice in the matter. Congress is full of rats who knew this would not pass a debate so it was dropped like a turd in the punch bowl as it was being served.

 

[710 steward]

Central States is in such poor shape that one funding for one receiving still would not make gains into the fund. ALL of this falls on the Hoffa administration for not being proactive over a decade ago. What needs to happen now is these folks should be allowed to find jobs that they can preform without the Teamsters telling them they'll suspend their pension and that includes truck driving. I cannot think of one good reason to allow these good people to lose what they have worked for. They didn't create the problem and we as Teamsters need to help create viable solutions.

 

[Packmule]

New congress needs to cut government size and waste dramatically and channel large portions of exorbitant corporate taxes into failing pension funds as well as SS until they both stabilize.
Then cut corporate taxes dramatically under the stipulation they maintain their pension responsibilities.

 

[710 steward]

New congress needs to cut government size and waste dramatically and channel large portions of exorbitant corporate taxes into failing pension funds as well as SS until they both stabilize.
Then cut corporate taxes dramatically under the stipulation they maintain their pension responsibilities.

We cannot take tax payer money to subsidize Teamster pension funds. The leadership failed us and allowed these funds to dig themselves holes we may not be able to get out of. We need to kick these lazy 60 somethings out of office and replace them with younger energized leadership. How about organizing Walmart, Amazon, Con Way, and Fed Ex freight for starters?

 

[Packmule]

Many multi employer funds, including CS, came into critical status because so many contributing companies went belly up leaving companies like UPS holding the bag. Ask any businessman what the number one killer of businesses is and they'll say government taxes and over regulation.
So government owes it to working class to fix what it broke and stop squandering the peoples' money on frivolous stupid things.
And if they don't fix private plans, who do you think will be feeding all those displaced retirees?

 

[710 steward]

Many multi employer funds, including CS, came into critical status because so many contributing companies went belly up leaving companies like UPS holding the bag. Ask any businessman what the number one killer of businesses is and they'll say government taxes and over regulation.
So government owes it to working class to fix what it broke and stop squandering the peoples' money on frivolous stupid things.
And if they don't fix private plans, who do you think will be feeding all those displaced retirees?

Part of way you are saying may be true but average Joe tax payer without a pension cannot be asked to step up and make sure we have one. Sorry, but the government may end up having to take care of them too. Who allowed CF to create a non union trucking company (Con Way)? It wasn't the government. It was the Teamsters. Who made promises and over paid retirees for years when theses folks probably didn't pay into a level that they have received? Once again it was the government. We made the mess and it's up to us to correct it. For starters all current and former leaders should only receive benefits that the rest of us receive and not at any level higher as these folks likely made hundreds of thousands more than us and can afford to take the hits the same as who they represented.

 

[realbrown1]

It was passed with treachery, not bi partisan support. That being said, both parties suck. It was slipped in by Tea Bags.

They don't need this feature to prevent failure. They need higher contributions, which UPS has fought, and POSSIBLY cutting payout to future retirees with their knowledge, NOT current retirees who have no choice in the matter. Congress is full of rats who knew this would not pass a debate so it was dropped like a turd in the punch bowl as it was being served.

How was it passed with treachery? The Democrats still control the Senate. How did it pass there, with virtually no Tea Party members there?
You post vague attacks on the Tea Party. Just how many members of congress are Tea Party members? There are more Rhino Republican and more left wing Democrats than Tea Party members. And I noticed you didn't attack them for this bad law.

 

[Packmule]

Good points all, but as for organizing new companies, any of which has a constitutional right to do so, your distrust of union leadership speaks volumes as to why non union workers aren't lining up.
Replace current leaders? What's to keep new ones from becoming just as corrupt?
Despite what many on here want to believe, only a national right to work law will effectively make unions accountable to people rather than people accountable to unions.
Some may not want to believe it but the best salesman unions have is still greedy corporations not closed shop laws that breed a mistrust all their own.

 

[Atomic_Smurf]

Just exactly why I never vote for Tea Baggers.

It breezed through the Democrat Senate & the president is eager to sign it into law. Is that who you are calling "Tea baggers"? The only real resistance to this spending bill came from tea-party conservatives & that Indian lady from Massachusetts. The incoming republican senate would have never passed this budget & the president knows it which is exactly why there was such a push to get it through now.

 

[rod]

We cannot take tax payer money to subsidize Teamster pension funds. The leadership failed us and allowed these funds to dig themselves holes we may not be able to get out of. We need to kick these lazy 60 somethings out of office and replace them with younger energized leadership. How about organizing Walmart, Amazon, Con Way, and Fed Ex freight for starters?

Did you feel the same way about taxpayer money bailing out Wall Street or GM or dozens of other big guys? Go ahead and throw old Central States retirees under the bus but just remember what is happening to us will eventually happen to ALL pension programs once UPS can figure out how to get out from underneath all this debt. I'm sure you will be the first one standing up screaming "yes - take my pension away". Hoping that more people will become Teamsters is a pipe dream. Unions as a whole are dying.

 

[ski or die]

What is needed is a fair playing field. How about all of our Senators, Congressman, and President also take an appropriately matched pension cut and pay their share of their retirement insurance. Their pension will never be under funded because they will continue to raise taxes and make sure theirs' stays in the green. Just received my insurance statement for January, premium doubled. The small increase in Social Security didn't even come close to making up the difference. Yet, with the added inflation and costs of living, this puts retirees even further in the hole. So much for the promises made to retirees. Thank you Mr. Hoffa. I wish retirees had the opportunity to vote in our Teamster elections.

 

[710 steward]

Did you feel the same way about taxpayer money bailing out Wall Street or GM or dozens of other big guys? Go ahead and throw old Central States retirees under the bus but just remember what is happening to us will eventually happen to ALL pension programs once UPS can figure out how to get out from underneath all this debt. I'm sure you will be the first one standing up screaming "yes - take my pension away". Hoping that more people will become Teamsters is a pipe dream. Unions as a whole are dying.

My father is collecting from CS. No one is more sick about this situation but me. I warned my father about this 10 YEARS ago!!! That's right 10 years ago and he thought I was dead wrong until today. He will lose $800 a month off his pension. Don't pretend to understand how I feel because you have no idea.

GM and banks create jobs. That's why they got the bail out. Pension funds do not create jobs. I hated the bail out, btw. My opinion is and has been those that created their own mess should clean it up. Those that created the bank fiasco should all be in jail right now with their assets liquidated.

We need to create alternative plans to keep these plans alive for those drawing out of them as well as bolstering retirement for those still working. If you've got a beef take it up with the people who allowed this mess as opposed to those of us trying to create answers.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

There are alternate plans already in place (PBGC) but these are a last resort as they pay pennies on the dollar.

 

[710 steward]

There are alternate plans already in place (PBGC) but these are a last resort as they pay pennies on the dollar.

What you are referring to is these funds are insured by the Feds and yes it is a fraction of what these members were promised.

Again, the Teamsters need to end their dictation on what one can do for employment after they collect their pensions. The vast majority of these folks are truck drivers. After 30 years behind the wheel it's all most of these folks know. Want to grow the union?? Allow these folk to drive for non union companies. It's defiantly worth a shot. Look how far sitting on our hands has got us.

 

[MC4YOU2]

How was it passed with treachery? The Democrats still control the Senate. How did it pass there, with virtually no Tea Party members there?
You post vague attacks on the Tea Party. Just how many members of congress are Tea Party members? There are more Rhino Republican and more left wing Democrats than Tea Party members. And I noticed you didn't attack them for this bad law.

The treachery is in that it cannot be debated, just like the rollbacks on Dodd/Frank cannot be debated. With debate they would never pass.
It was crafted by Rep John Kline, who has earned a 0% rating from the AFL CIO, and Dem George Miller who in retiring himself decided to hose other retirees.
It's not all Tea Bags as I had originally stated, but it's about the same thing. One hates unions and the other is jumping ship.

 

[realbrown1]

The treachery is in that it cannot be debated, just like the rollbacks on Dodd/Frank cannot be debated. With debate they would never pass.
It was crafted by Rep John Kline, who has earned a 0% rating from the AFL CIO, and Dem George Miller who in retiring himself decided to hose other retirees.
It's not all Tea Bags as I had originally stated, but it's about the same thing. One hates unions and the other is jumping ship.

Sounds like BS to me. The Tea Party does not control the house and the Senate is controlled by Democrats.
Blaming the Tea Party is BS.

 

[realbrown1]

Good points all, but as for organizing new companies, any of which has a constitutional right to do so, your distrust of union leadership speaks volumes as to why non union workers aren't lining up.
Replace current leaders? What's to keep new ones from becoming just as corrupt?
Despite what many on here want to believe, only a national right to work law will effectively make unions accountable to people rather than people accountable to unions.
Some may not want to believe it but the best salesman unions have is still greedy corporations not closed shop laws that breed a mistrust all their own.

The current teamster leadership is self serving and lazy bordering on being totally corrupt.
They need to go.
We need new leadership now.
If the new leadership shows signs of being self serving or lazy or any sign of corruption and even any sign of incompetence, I will be the first to call for them to be removed.
There is no guarantee new leadership will be better. But if we do not try, we know what we are stuck with: lazy, self serving and corrupting. That should never be tolerated under any circumstances.