OK I won't respond to all the BS previously posted here but I will elaborate on a few things:
The way I witnessed Mgmt posting the cards in our locker room was this: I arrived for work at 2:30 a.m. Monday morning and went directly to punch in then down to our locker room. The locker room is accessible only by key because many Feeder drivers keep their radios and such in there. As I was entering the locker room, a p/t supervisor (identifiable by the red polo type shirts they were but of course with no nametag) was leaving. In his hand he had a stack of white cards. I didn't think anything of it until I went to my locker in the back of the room and there was one of those white cards in the door. That's when I recognized it as a card-check for the AWPA, an organization I had never heard of. I laughed at the time because it seemed ludicrous to me that the company could seriously think they could get us to ditch the Teamsters in mid-contract negotiations. So I took all the other cards and trashed them. I did not witness Mgmt putting them in package cars, but I was told drivers found the card-checks and a flier in their cars (just as I originally posted). I don't know who this p/t sup was, and I am relatively new to this building so I know very few people other than those in my immediate work area. I don't know what more conclusive proof you can ask for. Now that I now what to look for you can bet I will whip out my camera phone if I witness such an event again.
I'm sorry your Central States pension is in such sorry shape. I'm in the Western Conference and we are doing more than fine. I have nothing against multi-employer pension plans because just as diversifying you portfolio reduces your risk, so does spreading money from many employers. Multi-employer plans allow all Teamsters, and we are all brothers, to enjoy a pension. You might remember how Freight carried us back in the 70's and so we are supporting them now. UPS might not always be so high on the hog. I think you CS people will be pleasantly surprised when negotiations are complete. I know it has been an effort to 'fix' the central states for some time. UPS has been making bank in these last 5 years so it will be hard to justify not allocating more toward CS pensions.
I know if I was in the CS, I would take some personal responsiblity and go to the heart of unionism. I would organize my fellow workers to do informational pickets and 'send the company a message' through work slowdowns, T-shirt wearing, and other such mediums. I would do this outside of the Union because the Union can be sued for such actions. The Union would have to disavow your actions because of the legal liability, but believe me they would be secretly cheering you. The power of the Union is not Jim Hoffa, it is each and every one of you standing up together.
Lastly, this is an internet forum and I am no stranger to forums. I realize that anyone here could be a UPS employee, UPS management, and just Joe Blow off the street. Some people have this weird fascination of trying to 'troll' on the internet and create controversy. I am not one of those people. I take everything I read here with a grain of salt. For all I know, Brown Cafe could be management created for there is really no info on here as to who is behind it and the domain name is registered out of Atlanta Georgia and the IP is only 16 miles from UPS Corporate HQ.
Speaking of domain names, if you look up APWA, it's located in Bethesda MD, quite a hike from North Carolina but rather close for the not-so-honorable Francis T. Coleman. The listed owner, Warren Weitzman, turns up a not so flattering resume of being a spammer. Quite interesting.
Personally, I think the APWA could promise everyone a BMW and their own personal covered parking spot at work. It has about as much weight as what they are promising now. No background, no power, no experience (other than union-busting).... why not!
The way I witnessed Mgmt posting the cards in our locker room was this: I arrived for work at 2:30 a.m. Monday morning and went directly to punch in then down to our locker room. The locker room is accessible only by key because many Feeder drivers keep their radios and such in there. As I was entering the locker room, a p/t supervisor (identifiable by the red polo type shirts they were but of course with no nametag) was leaving. In his hand he had a stack of white cards. I didn't think anything of it until I went to my locker in the back of the room and there was one of those white cards in the door. That's when I recognized it as a card-check for the AWPA, an organization I had never heard of. I laughed at the time because it seemed ludicrous to me that the company could seriously think they could get us to ditch the Teamsters in mid-contract negotiations. So I took all the other cards and trashed them. I did not witness Mgmt putting them in package cars, but I was told drivers found the card-checks and a flier in their cars (just as I originally posted). I don't know who this p/t sup was, and I am relatively new to this building so I know very few people other than those in my immediate work area. I don't know what more conclusive proof you can ask for. Now that I now what to look for you can bet I will whip out my camera phone if I witness such an event again.
I'm sorry your Central States pension is in such sorry shape. I'm in the Western Conference and we are doing more than fine. I have nothing against multi-employer pension plans because just as diversifying you portfolio reduces your risk, so does spreading money from many employers. Multi-employer plans allow all Teamsters, and we are all brothers, to enjoy a pension. You might remember how Freight carried us back in the 70's and so we are supporting them now. UPS might not always be so high on the hog. I think you CS people will be pleasantly surprised when negotiations are complete. I know it has been an effort to 'fix' the central states for some time. UPS has been making bank in these last 5 years so it will be hard to justify not allocating more toward CS pensions.
I know if I was in the CS, I would take some personal responsiblity and go to the heart of unionism. I would organize my fellow workers to do informational pickets and 'send the company a message' through work slowdowns, T-shirt wearing, and other such mediums. I would do this outside of the Union because the Union can be sued for such actions. The Union would have to disavow your actions because of the legal liability, but believe me they would be secretly cheering you. The power of the Union is not Jim Hoffa, it is each and every one of you standing up together.
Lastly, this is an internet forum and I am no stranger to forums. I realize that anyone here could be a UPS employee, UPS management, and just Joe Blow off the street. Some people have this weird fascination of trying to 'troll' on the internet and create controversy. I am not one of those people. I take everything I read here with a grain of salt. For all I know, Brown Cafe could be management created for there is really no info on here as to who is behind it and the domain name is registered out of Atlanta Georgia and the IP is only 16 miles from UPS Corporate HQ.
Speaking of domain names, if you look up APWA, it's located in Bethesda MD, quite a hike from North Carolina but rather close for the not-so-honorable Francis T. Coleman. The listed owner, Warren Weitzman, turns up a not so flattering resume of being a spammer. Quite interesting.
Personally, I think the APWA could promise everyone a BMW and their own personal covered parking spot at work. It has about as much weight as what they are promising now. No background, no power, no experience (other than union-busting).... why not!
