2006 Teamster survey

[brett636]

I just recieved a survey from my local regarding the upcoming contract. It seems to be gathing information on whether the teamsters should engage in early negotiations with UPS for the next contract and what issues they should talk about. I found it interesting because it talks about forcing UPS into early negotiations, but wouldn't it be to UPS's benefit to start early negotiations and or get a contract ratified long before the 2008 deadline? Did anyone recieve a similar survey? I was kind of dissapointed as it focused on questions about improving the pension versus allowing us to go the 401k route should we so chose. Although I didn't expect that to be an option, but I was a little hopeful about it. Anyways, just seeing if anyone else had recieved a similar survey and wanted their thoughts about it.

-Brett

 

[wily_old_vet]

Brett-It's to the advantage of both to negotiate and SETTLE early. If it drags on the volume will leave which will cost both the Teamsters (jobs) and UPS. It's interesting to hear the Teamsters talking about 401k's because that would seem to loosen their grip but I could be wrong. With the way UPS is battling on multi employer pensions I can see that being one of their main negotiating points. Every time I hear talk of the pensions it scares me because I'm always afraid of my pension going good bye. I'm 2 years away from being able to take any out of my IRAs and 5 years out from being able to take Social Security if I wanted to. Interesting times. Just have to trust that the Lord will provide if things go sideways.

 

[30andout]

Do you think the threat of the APWA may have something to do with it??

 

[Cezanne]

Hard to get a read on it, does anybody remember the 2002 contract? I recall at a union meeting about a month prior to August that the company stonewalled, Hoffa than replaced the negotiation leader and put hall back in there. Basically we got a six year deal of the same old stuff, ever wonder why Carey did not permit us to vote on the "97" contract, it is because 90 percent of the teamster workforce at UPS are clueless on the ins and outs of what is a good contract. Put anything in front of them they will vote YES, case in point the infamous "82" two tier contract, still suffering over that one are we?

 

[upsdawg]

It would be great if there was a rebirth of the 97 Contract, where UPS co-managed the Pension Plan----and don't know if it is possible to switch any of the current plan over to a 401k--but that would be sweet---I would like to know that there is going to be something there down the road.

The Overnite/UPS Freight folks had a great 401K match----which is going to continue, with UPS matching in the form of UPS stock-------could this be the new plan that is offered to the UPS teamster side??

I am anticipating that we will have to start co-paying for medical----it has to be part of the negotiations---we will see!!

 

[fivestarJ]

I am anticipating that we will have to start co-paying for medical----it has to be part of the negotiations---we will see!!

That's what I think too, with all that has gone on with Ford and GM. Even though those two coompanies aren't making much money now, they still have billions in cash so it makes a good case for UPS. But I also think to open the contract negotiations early benefeits us because the company can't possibly say that volume is down or that they are poor. They have been snatching up companies left and right with plans for big future acquisitions. All of that should be setting UPS up for bigger profits going forward so I say lets do it so long as there are no give backs and nothing longer than a 5 year agreement unless they really sweeten the pot.

 

[speeddemon]

Our union is useless. "When" Central States goes under, its going to get very interesting.

 

[pasfailure]

If I was a UPS Freight driver I would fight to get my 401k match in something other than UPS Stock. Too many eggs in the same basket.

 

[Thebrowntruth]

It would be a lot easier if Teamster surveys would be completed like ERI surveys at work. Just let a supervisor sit in the office and take 20 in a row to show ALL IS WELL!

 

[over9five]

Just got mine yesterday. Who do they think they are?

The once powerful, now has-been Teamsters forcing UPS to do anything. Yeah, right.

They mentioned the forcing thing what, three times? I'm sure UPS would love to begin talks early, but we all know nothing gets negotiated till last minute. Thats the only thing the Teamsters have on their side. That final deadline. The only tool they have is the threat of a strike. Think about it. They have nothing to offer. Nothing to negotiate with.

Like beggars on the street, I think they're going to have to be happy with whatever scraps UPS throws to them.

 

[toonertoo]

I havent yet decided if its worth my 10 minutes to fill out. I havent seen a ba in a yr. Kinda like the ERI, if they care, they dont need a bull**** survey, and this one paid for with my union dues to find out how we feel. They should have a finger on our pulse by visiting once in awhile.

 

[scratch]

I just filled out mine and will send it in tomorrow. Of course none of the eighteen questions asked if we wanted the right to decide where that $224.00 a week UPS gives the Teamsters for me should go. I wrote on the bottom of the back page, "I want UPS Teamsters out of Central States and any multi-employer plans. Why don't you let us vote to decide our pensions, the IBT is doing a bad job", then I signed my name. I know this isn't going do anything, a machine scans these surveys and doesn't read comments. I wish there was some way we could set up a National Online Petition somehow, where we could tell the IBT what we as UPS Teamsters want. I'm sorry that so many companies have gone belly up, and this may sound selfish, but I go to work everyday to provide for my family, not somebody elses.

 

[aspenleaf]

scratch_king what is going on with the UPS pension? I am still new and do not know what everyone is talking about. Could someone explain this to?

 

[brett636]

scratch_king what is going on with the UPS pension? I am still new and do not know what everyone is talking about. Could someone explain this to?

The bottom line is UPS is putting money into a multi-employer pension fund run by the teamsters. In theory the idea is to maintain a stronger pension having multiple contributors, but in reality what has happened are companies going out of business and not putting money into the fund to support their already retired workers. In essence the money UPS pays into the fund not only pays for UPS teamsters, but for teamsters that have never worked a day in their life for UPS. This is proving to be tragic for the central states plan, the largest of the funds of which I believe covers the most UPSers. I believe the 97 strike focused on this issue where the IBT refuses to allow UPS to have a UPS only pension for UPSers. If UPS pulls out of the central states plan the plan will most likley collapse, but if they don't the obligations UPS has to the plan will become so severe that it could drag the company down. Unfortunatly there doesn't seem to be a way to have winners on both sides of the issue.


Over9five- Thats why I started this thread because the letter and survey talks so tough about "forcing" UPS into negotiations, when its in UPS's best interests to negoiate early. I found it amusingly stupid, and pointless, but I did submit the survey.

 

[aspenleaf]

Thank you for the info. That is a tough issue but I can see why you would not want to pay for nonUPSers. I hope you win that fight.

 

[scratch]

scratch_king what is going on with the UPS pension? I am still new and do not know what everyone is talking about. Could someone explain this to?

All full-time UPS employees for the most part have their pension plans run by the Teamsters, there are several different plans depending on what part of the country you are in. These are "multiple employer plans", which mean that all the companies who hire Teamsters put all this pension money in one pot. There is no account set up with my name on it investing one penny that UPS has sent them on my behalf for the twenty-two years of credit I have earned. The money put into these plans are paid out to current retirees, "the ones who went before us". This would be great if more and more companies voted to join the Teamsters and would start to contribute, but the opposite has happened since a lot of union companies have gone bankrupt.

Some of these plans have been ran well, and are in pretty good financial shape. The biggest one, Central States, is in bad shape due to bad stock investments, large companies going bankrupt, and some people say corruption. As of Friday, CS has 20 billion dollars in it, which is up from the 15 billion in it back in 2002 when the stock market had a lot of high tech stocks bottom out. It had a 10.3% return on investments last year, which after all the bookkeeping was figured out, was about a $500,000.00 increase. The problem is, there are 220,000 retirees taking money out, and 160,000 active employees adding in to it.

In 1997, UPS tried to give the Teamsters $500,000.00 to get out of their contract obligations, but the Teamsters refused to negotiate on this. As members, we had no say in this, by law the company could not lobby directly with its employees. The union asked for a strike vote as a bargaining tool early in negotiations and was given authorization to call a strike if it wanted to. Using the excuse of the part-time employee jobs, this led to the two and a half week strike in 1997.

As a thirty year employee, eight part time and twenty-two full-time, I would like to retire as soon as possible while my body is in decent shape. But I turned forty-eight yesterday, I have a way to go. Good luck with your Nursing career, it is a much better job with a future. My personal heroes are not athletes, politicians or movie stars. Mine are soldiers, police officers, firemen, and nurses. They make the most difference!

 

[aspenleaf]

Wow, that is a down side I have not heard about. I know I will not ever be a full timer with UPS so I have not paid attention but I do not think anyone should be screwed out of what is coming to them. I just hope the money is there for you when you do retire. For my generation IRA's and 401ks are the way to go. I never had a pension and doubt I ever will. Those of you stuck in the middle are in uncertian times and I wish you the best of luck. I would have loved to have started with one company and been with them for life. I have worked for many companies now and they (the owners) are all greedy; the CEO always does well while the rest of us would take pay cuts and not get a cost living increase and then they increase your health ins premiums and co-pays. Then they lay off half the work force and make you work overtime and threaten you with your job. And the thing is you know that every where is just as bad so you stay and wonder why thing are so ed up. You just want to save money for your family and to retire someday. I hope I can get on with a good company (when I finish nursing school) that does not take away my retirement plan (whatever that may be).

Good luck to you full timers. . .

 

[moreluck]

"The union asked for a strike vote as a bargaining tool early in negotiations."

Scratch.....see, that's the part I never understood. I don't know how people can blindly vote for a strike when you don't even know what the offer is. I can understand an informed vote where you know what the offer is and you vote to strike because you don't think it's a good enough offer.

Maybe this time people won't be so quick to vote for a strike.

I am not a Teamster, never have been.....just expressing a question/statement. Sorry to intrude.

 

[scratch]

More, it was like this, UPS could only negotiate directly with the Teamsters, not to its own employees. UPS knew what kind of shape the pension plans were in or were projected to be in the future. Like I have posted before, the IBT is only going to do what is in its best interest as a whole, not what is best for the particular group of its members it is bargaining for. I was at that Strike Authorization meeting, and only one sentence was mentioned regarding the pension funds. It was something like "and the company wants to take over your pension so it can do away with it like it wants too". I feel like we were misled. There is no way the Teamsters will give up control of billions of dollars in pension funds, that is the only power it has over its members. And UPS is its cash cow.

 

[scratch]

Opps, another mistake on my part. Back in post 16, I used the dollar amount of $500,000.00 twice. This should have been 500 million, not 500 thousand. Big difference when you leave out three zeros! The figures I posted about Central States came from a CS rep yesterday. We had a Pension Planning meeting after the Local 728 General meeting in Atlanta Saturday.