396 Meeting update- Sunday June 2nd 2013
(observation opinion)
First thing first. In a local of close to 7000 UPS teamsters, less than 100 showed up to the meeting. This is the biggest problem with complainers and contracts. In the yards, plenty of people have plenty to say, but when the opportunity comes to show unity and issue soladarity, they no show. To those who didnt bother to take the time to show up to the meeting, then I say STFU now. You have nothing to complain about. If you dont like the outcome of this contract and it affects you negatively, then too bad. You had your opportunity to air your grievances. Every complainer wants someone else to handle business. In a contract meeting, presence has more of an effect than speech.
(The Meeting)
The meeting was called to order at 9am. Principle officer H was present along with most of his Eboard. Ron H yielded the meeting immediately to principle officer Andy M from local 104 (arizona). Ron did NOT address the membershp and yielded the meeting to Andy stating "andy knows more about the contract than I do". Quote.
Andy M (104) is the head of the southwest region, and lead negotiator for the southwest package rider and supplements.
This action allowed R. H to avoid taking any tough questions about the contract. It was clear, local 396 brought in Andy to field the heat and avoid bearing the brunt of the tough questions they did not want to answer.
Brother Marshall started the meeting by coming right out and stating the obvious right off the bat. "THIS INSURANCE IS A JOKE COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAVE IN THE WEST">quote.
Brother Marshall made a POINT to conceed that changing to the central states plan was a major concession in the contract. He validated that our position in the west was to always have a superior plan for insurance, as that has been the case for decades. He stated that "he" wasnt happy about having to "give back" our superior insurance coverage, but also explained how the Company positioned TEAMSTER against TEAMSTER.
He "credited" UPS for putting the UNION in checkmate on health insurance. He stated that in his explanation, he didnt want the impression that he was AGREEING with UPS or justifying UPS's position.
He went on to talk about the financial aspect of the health care debate covering the "company liabilities" for coverage. Unlike what he said, he was "justifying" the company's position and told us we had to settle for "LESS than we really wanted">quote.
Brother Marshall attempted to tell us how he was "pinned" against the international fighting for us, and how he almost "RESIGNED" over us losing our superior health care plan. Those in attendance simply laughed at this gesture. Brother marshall is still maintaining that the west is going to find us a better plan OR the exact same "enhanced" C6 plan that they are passing around. Brother Marshall did say there were more "enhancements" made to the C6 plan but those in attendance were not BUYING IT.
A host of questions was asked about this subject and brother Marshall did his best to explain each but also including "siding" with the members saying " I AGREE, THIS ISNT THE BEST INSURANCE AROUND AND LESS THAN WHAT WE IN THE WEST HAVE HAD FOR YEARS">quote
Brother Marshal attempted to play both sides of the fence on the issue. On one side, he agreed with the membership that the C6 plan was a JOKE and coverage was substandard as compared to our current coverage. On the other side, Brother Marshall explained that "I AM A MAN OF MY WORD, AND I AGREED TO SUPPORT THIS CONTRACT IN WASHINGTON AND I HAVE TO KEEP MY WORD".>quote.
Brother Marshall acknowledges that even if the west finds a better plan, it still has to be accepted and approved by Both hall and M, Rosenschrader(UPS) The issue then becomes, the teamsters want us to vote YES on the contract in the blind and "PRAY" that we get a better deal. But, Brother Marshall stated that in the end, we would be "STUCK" with the C6 plan as a "WORSE CASE" scenario.
Brother Marshall was asked by several stewards "key" questions where he was candid with his answers saying "I AGREE, this is not good". One steward asked Brother Marshall about the MOU where it states "nothing in this agreement shall preclude the CSH&W from changing employee benefit levels". The steward said this was dangerous language and it opened the door to change without our consent. Brother Marshall simply agreed with the steward by saying "I AGREE WITH YOU, THIS IS DANGEROUS LANGUAGE, BUT I DONT THINK IT WILL CHANGE, IT COULD, BUT WE JUST DONT KNOW"> quote.
Brother Marshall took light heat from the attendees since he was upfront and honest about the contract.
I gave brother Marshall credit for at least being upfront and calling the T.A. "CHITTY">quote.
Retirees were upset with conditions with both the current UPS plan and the Teamcare plan. Brother Marshall explained that some may want to retire now and take advantage of the current UPS plan, or wait for the teamcare plan, but if anyone retired before age 55, they would have NO COVERAGE. This upset some members. This also means, no coverage for wives and children either.
Brother Marshall went on to explain how turning down the T.A. would jeopardize jobs, repeating the same old Amazon threats weve already heard. He stated that 22% of our workforce would lose thier jobs if we turn down the offer. Some members said "SO WHAT".
The meeting went on in this fashion with Brother Marshall repeating over and over how crappy this deal really is, but at this point, "IT IS THE BEST WE CAN NEGOTIATE"> quote.
One steward friend. Valle kept on Brother Marshall about concessions, and brother Marshall just kept agreeing with him. There was no real reason to get loud as brother Marshall was NOT defending the contract proposal. It appeared that he wants the membership to just "accept it" and move on. He knows how it will negatively affect the members in the west, but didnt offer any alternatives.
Brother Marshall was asked "what would happen if we reject this contract and it gets voted down"? Brother Marshall stated "well, then we go back to the table". Brother George L. asked him if he would truly take our concerns back to the table , and he at least said that he would.
The part of the meeting that "I" and the others in attendance felt was ridiculous more so than the insurance coverage was Brother Marshalls explanation of how to pay for the deductibles and copays.
As members complained about the "out of pocket" costs, brother Marshall explained how the members could finance their healthcare costs. ( THIS IS NO JOKE EITHER )
Brother Marshall- "if you are concerned about copays and deductibles, then all you have to do is file a grievance for a supervisor working and you will make the money you will need to cover the deductibles and copays" QUOTE. "there are plenty of supervisors working in the hubs and finding one to file on would be real easy and we will get you paid in panels".QUOTE.
What a crock of crap! Our local is as weak as a used tea bag, and they cannot win a sup working case if their lives depended on it.
Now Brother Marshall suggests that we file grievances to pay for our healthcare? How ridiculous is that?
The meeting went on for two hours with brother Marshall hoping from one side of the fence to the other. Then, we concluded the healthcare portion of the meeting. Brother Marshall stuck around outside to talk to members and a few took the time to do so.
At this point, the locals flunky UPS officer D. Castro attempted to read through the contract, but it sounded like he had a bag of marbles in his mouth and everyone vacated the meeting leaving him to talk to maybe 10 people. The members fled as soon as the healthcare issue was finished. Nobody wanted to hear anything else at that point. ( those 10 people were mostly union officials.)
Filtering the meeting, it was clear that the southwest region believes this is a chitty contract and they acknowledge that the insurance coverage provided by Teamcare is inferior to our current coverage.
Brother Marshall was asked if the ACTUARIAN report will be made available to the members once its completed showing all the numbers and he said that it would all be above board. At this point, what would there be left to be asked or said.
Brother Marshall was upfront and clear. There was no need to yell or get in his face.
We are stuck in a dilemma. The best suggestion brother Marshall can make is turn it down and the rest of the country will approve it anyway. The numbers are still in our favor provided that we can get out the vote and VOTE NO.
140,000 members in the west including local 177 need to rise up and stand up to both the Teamsters and the company and TURNDOWN this offer. There are only 105,000 members NOT in the UPS health care plans and we can surely OUTVOTE them if we get out the word.
If this places negotiations in jeopardy, then sobeit. Jimmy Hoffa needs to be called onto the carpet and shown that HE CANT sacrifice us in the west to settle this contract. We are not bargaining chips to get played and used.
One last observation about Brother Marshalls comments to the membership body. A few months back, there was a rally in Ontario california where brother Hall came to speak along with the principle officers of joint 42 about the upcoming contract. Many speakers gave RAH RAH speeches about insurance , raises and stuff and then Brother HALL came to the podium.
Brother HALL went on and on about how "HE" and the negotiation committee would not settle for concessions and the like and ended the health care conversation by promising "we will not pay 90 dollars, 9 dollars or 9 cents for our healthcare to a company that made over 4 billion dollars in profits!" Being animated and pounding his fists, he communicated this over and over speech after speech around the country.
Today, we clearly see that he was wrong, and we are going to have to pay more than the 90 bucks UPS wanted.
Brother Marshall stated after being asked about this , said "yes, brother hall made those comments, and they were made in error and probably premature. He shouldnt have said that at those rallys and it was a mistake for him to have said such". QUOTE -Andy M.
WTF is going on with this negotiation committee? Tough talk and fist pounding and then a few months later, telling us that we have to "accept" this concession laced contract by their "OWN" admission.
Brother Marshall clearly wiped out Brother Halls credibility with his statement. He clearly tells us that the negotiation committee will tell us everything we want to hear despite it being untrue.
Think about this folks.
VOTE NO and show Brother HALL that WE MEAN BUSINESS and WE KEEP OUR WORD.
Peace
TOS
