97 Pension strike issue

Channahon

Well-Known Member
PACKAGE DEAL

AUGUST 19, 1997

TRANSCRIPT
I posted this due to all the concerns and comments for pension cuts. This was just one issue - the article was too long for all the issues. May be useful information - may not


UPS workers will return to work after a painful 15-day strike that affected mail delivery throughout the United States. The Teamsters Union won many of the bargaining points. 10,000 part-time jobs will become full-time positions and the union will maintain control of the pension funds. A background report is followed by interviews with both sides.
The pension plan remains under the control of the Teamsters.
PAUL SOLMAN: And what about this pension issue? Because there was a lot made of that by the company--
GAYE WILLIAMS: Yes.
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PAUL SOLMAN: --in the last week certainly. You've got everything you wanted here?
GAYE WILLIAMS: Absolutely.
PAUL SOLMAN: And that is what?
GAYE WILLIAMS: Well, there are going to be substantial pension increases. And those pension increases are going to be done through Teamster and other employer, multi-employer pension plan, not a company-controlled pension plan, as UPS had insisted through the 15 days of the strike. So that's a big victory for our members. They will be able to as their pension investments earn more money over time, they will see those investments come back to them in the form of improved benefits, extra pay, those sorts of things. And their pensions will be controlled jointly by the union and employers, not solely controlled by UPS.
PAUL SOLMAN: What was the final sticking point? I read that at the last minute the people were ready to agree and then no, it didn't work. What was happening there?
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GAYE WILLIAMS: Well, what was going on was there was never--you know, up until very late in the day last night there were not agreements on any of the major issues.
PAUL SOLMAN: Any?
GAYE WILLIAMS: No. So there were sort of reports of, well, we were very close--
PAUL SOLMAN: The president--President Clinton said that.
GAYE WILLIAMS: But there weren't--there was not agreement on any of the major issues. Things fell together, and we now have a contract, and our members are going to be voting on that soon.
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PAUL SOLMAN: Why did it take so long, do you think?
GAYE WILLIAMS: I don't know. UPS lost millions of dollars a day in business. They put their customers and employees to great inconvenience.
PAUL SOLMAN: Most of that money, I take it, is actually money that would have gone to the Teamsters--the workers, the employees because that's got to be most of the expense of the company, right?
GAYE WILLIAMS: I don't know what that money would have gone to.
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PAUL SOLMAN: There are revenues coming in.
GAYE WILLIAMS: They now have a contract. So they will--they are going to be experiencing pay increases, pension contribution increases, improved benefits at UPS. So they did not lose out on this. They stood strong. They gained new job opportunities, pay increases, pension contribution increases that are equal or better than what the company had been promising in a company-controlled pension plan. So, again, I think what's a crime here is that UPS prolonged this strike; that we had to have it drag out for 15 days when the proposal that ultimately was agreed on as a contract, a tentative agreement, was very close to what the union was proposing on August 2nd. So I'm not sure why UPS wanted to prolong the strike, but we're glad it's over and that our members are going back to work.​
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
1997, what a year.
A minority of UPS teamsters gave the bargaining commitee the right to call a strike without the membership being able to vote on the offered contract.
Who won that strike? Not UPS employees.
1997 changed the whole completion of UPS.
Distrust and disdain on both sides with the customers pissed off at UPS.
The residential delivery has never recovered, in my little part of the world.
Ten years have almost past, UPS is strong and the teamsters are weaker in numbers and spirit.

Maybe a poll is in order.

In your mind.
Are you a teamster first?
(or are you)
A UPS employee first?

I get the first vote.
UPS pays me,
they get my loyalty.
 

kenco80233

Well-Known Member
The 97 contract situation was unfortunate for everyone involved,The company and the union butted heads and the drivers were caught in the middle.
 
A

Anonymous Doward

Guest
The 97 contract situation was unfortunate for everyone involved,The company and the union butted heads and the drivers were caught in the middle.


Are those not the same thing?

If not then why the hell are the teamsters at UPS anyway?
 

local804

Well-Known Member
We all forget about the chaos 9/11 caused to the NY financial district and the hell it caused to the people of NY. Nobody won in the strike of 97 and it is absurd to place the entire blame of the pension on one party.
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
We all forget about the chaos 9/11 caused to the NY financial district and the hell it caused to the people of NY. Nobody won in the strike of 97 and it is absurd to place the entire blame of the pension on one party.
It is more absurd not to place blame on one party. The political underlyings of the 97 strike within the union about money, power and position ,totally disregarding the welfare of UPS employees, point a finger at the teamsters. Just like 9/11, the union was the airplane and UPS was a tower.
I really do not like sharing the analogy of 9/11 to 1997.
I have not forgotten the choas nor will I forgive it.
The petty affect of the 1997 strike on my life will never compare to 9/11.
 

local804

Well-Known Member
It is more absurd not to place blame on one party. The political underlyings of the 97 strike within the union about money, power and position ,totally disregarding the welfare of UPS employees, point a finger at the teamsters. Just like 9/11, the union was the airplane and UPS was a tower.
I really do not like sharing the analogy of 9/11 to 1997.
I have not forgotten the choas nor will I forgive it.
The petty affect of the 1997 strike on my life will never compare to 9/11.

I am not sharing the anology of 9/11 to 1997. The post topic is in regards to pensions and 9/11 did have an affect on the stock market and and peoples retirement accounts. Take a look at your investments pre 9/11 and you do the math. The union was the airplane and UPS was the tower????? I come on here for a good laugh and I got mine tonight, thanks lol.
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
I am not sharing the anology of 9/11 to 1997. The post topic is in regards to pensions and 9/11 did have an affect on the stock market and and peoples retirement accounts. Take a look at your investments pre 9/11 and you do the math. The union was the airplane and UPS was the tower????? I come on here for a good laugh and I got mine tonight, thanks lol.
I monitor my investments daily. They are in great shape. Thanks for asking.
WTF does the stock market have to do with bad management of money and giving it away to people that did not earn it.
Glad I could make you laugh, that's the job of a fool like me.
 

local804

Well-Known Member
Steve,
Do me a favor please..... I know you really dont see any UPS drivers or management people in the area that you work so it is hard for you to get information. Call your office or your business agent and ask them who controls your pension money and what is done with it. Once you find out the information, please tell me who you blame for "bad management of money" and your reasons. Knowledge is power.


PS in 1999 the average 401k account was $45,681
after 9/11 the average 401k was $36,390
all of my investments took a bath after 9/11 but I am glad yours stayed intact.
 
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satellitedriver

Moderator
Steve,
Do me a favor please..... I know you really dont see any UPS drivers or management people in the area that you work so it is hard for you to get information. Call your office or your business agent and ask them who controls your pension money and what is done with it. Once you find out the information, please tell me who you blame for "bad management of money" and your reasons. Knowledge is power.


PS in 1999 the average 401k account was $45,681
after 9/11 the average 401k was $36,390
all of my investments took a bath after 9/11 but I am glad yours stayed intact.
You have alot of knowledge.
You addressed me by my first name.
That is something I have never posted.
Should I feel like I am being stalked?
You do not know who I see and who I talk to, nor what I know.
I talk to management often and see and talk to drivers everyday.
To answer your question, CS is who I blame. Other pension funds rebounded and are 100% funded, yet CS is in the 60% range.
Sure everyone took a hit after 9/11, yet the market came back in a few short months. What is the average 401K today?
Anyway, our pension fund is not a 401K. Personal management of money and a pension fund are two seperate things.
Now that I have done you the favor of answering your questions, would you please answer how you know my first name. If I posted it before, then forgive my question. If I have not, then I am concerned with this forum and your use of it.
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
The 97 contract situation was unfortunate for everyone involved,The company and the union butted heads and the drivers were caught in the middle.

How were the drivers caught in the middle?? I am not a driver, was I NOT caught in the middle?? just asking, please don't come at me with guns drawn...
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
Back in 97 I couldn't get time off in August. Kind of a bonus vacation. My 401k is up 100k plus since the bottom fell out. It's called buying low. It was only a loss if you took money out of the market, which many a fool did. The Company is back to it's cocky ways again and might have to get slapped back to reality in 2008. Maybe I'll sell some UPS Stock to support myself during a strike. Wouldn't that be ironic. BM
 

wyobill

Well-Known Member
If UPS tries to pull out of the pension again in 2008 and the teamsters call for a strike how many drivers will slit their own
throats again and follow the union ? How many will wise up this time and continue to work and denounce the teamsters and their underfunded pension?
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
If UPS tries to pull out of the pension again in 2008 and the teamsters call for a strike how many drivers will slit their own
throats again and follow the union ? How many will wise up this time and continue to work and denounce the teamsters and their underfunded pension?

Teamster jobs at UPS include, Return clerks, porters, car washers, preloaders, etc.. There goes that DRIVER word again.. Makes one think of me, me, me, instead of us, us, us. Besides crossing the picket line is usually not a good idea. Just my opinion....
 

mittam

Well-Known Member
Teamster jobs at UPS include, Return clerks, porters, car washers, preloaders, etc.. There goes that DRIVER word again.. Makes one think of me, me, me, instead of us, us, us. Besides crossing the picket line is usually not a good idea. Just my opinion....

I agree I was part-time then also, we would not be heard in our local that year because "what the drivers get will flow down to the part-timers". Well PT'ers still make $8.50 an hour same as 1997, they have lesser insurances, they have horrible work conditions there is no filing for excessiveness as the drivers have, I know that concerns overtime but it also includes double time when a driver wins the case, no part-timer has any langauge as such, Pt'ers also have only 1 10 minute break even through peak season, this is absurd, Things drastically need to change for them, without them we drivers don't ride. I pride myself on trying to help them anyway I can, my belief is with the APWA we can make a change for the hardest working people in the industry UPS part-timers!!!!!!!
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
Let's see, starting hourly rate in 1988 for a preloader was $9.00 an hour. Starting rate now is $9.50 an hour and after 60 or 90 calender days (I can't recall which one) you get a .50 cent raise. Almost 20 years later it's about the same.. What a shame...
 

local804

Well-Known Member
I agree I was part-time then also, we would not be heard in our local that year because "what the drivers get will flow down to the part-timers". Well PT'ers still make $8.50 an hour same as 1997, they have lesser insurances, they have horrible work conditions there is no filing for excessiveness as the drivers have, I know that concerns overtime but it also includes double time when a driver wins the case, no part-timer has any langauge as such, Pt'ers also have only 1 10 minute break even through peak season, this is absurd, Things drastically need to change for them, without them we drivers don't ride. I pride myself on trying to help them anyway I can, my belief is with the APWA we can make a change for the hardest working people in the industry UPS part-timers!!!!!!!

I myself was a part timer for a few years many moons ago. I agree the job does suck but I was making alot more than 9.00 an hour like everyone cries about. When I went driving, the starting driver job was actually lower than my PT pay. I got to keep my PT pay(per hour) and used the progression scale when I made book. The insurance coverage was the EXACT same coverage as the Fulltimers also.
 
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