Contract proposal: Abolish all "no strike" clauses from our contracts

Whither

Scofflaw
Such as the language in Art. 8 Sect. 2 in the NMA.

A retiree visited our weekly meet-up a few weeks back and told us that, in the early 70s when he started, his BA several times reminded mgmt that if they didn't settle the issue right then, the BA had trunk full of picket signs and could have everyone out on the street in a few minutes.

The grievance procedure is broken; at most it slaps the company on the wrist with minor financial penalties or compels them to move their consistent Art 37 violators to other centers/buildings, much as the Church relocates its priests. If we want a contract with teeth then we have to reclaim our trump card: our ability to withhold our labor.

Case in point: the cameras. Our brothers in local 988 wrote a serious grievance more than 2 years ago. Meanwhile the company has been allowed to continue installing these automated on-car supes all across the country. If the company alleges that we have seriously violated policy/the contract, you know the drill: they take our badges, walk us to the gate, and we're gone until we win our grievance. So the company is innocent until proven guilty, and it's vice-versa with us.
 

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
Such as the language in Art. 8 Sect. 2 in the NMA.

A retiree visited our weekly meet-up a few weeks back and told us that, in the early 70s when he started, his BA several times reminded mgmt that if they didn't settle the issue right then, the BA had trunk full of picket signs and could have everyone out on the street in a few minutes.

The grievance procedure is broken; at most it slaps the company on the wrist with minor financial penalties or compels them to move their consistent Art 37 violators to other centers/buildings, much as the Church relocates its priests. If we want a contract with teeth then we have to reclaim our trump card: our ability to withhold our labor.

Case in point: the cameras. Our brothers in local 988 wrote a serious grievance more than 2 years ago. Meanwhile the company has been allowed to continue installing these automated on-car supes all across the country. If the company alleges that we have seriously violated policy/the contract, you know the drill: they take our badges, walk us to the gate, and we're gone until we win our grievance. So the company is innocent until proven guilty, and it's vice-versa with us.
When you say the grievance procedure is broken, can you explain? When I was in package I paid much closer attention to threads discussing package issues. Many times I saw drivers say they were owed many back weeks of 9.5 grievance checks. I never experienced that in my local and my building. We filed, and 2-3 weeks later we were being asked to sign off for a live check. Never waited longer than that. How could it vary so widely local to local? What other grievance issues are not handled in a timely manner? And I agree, no strike needs to be abolished.
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
When you say the grievance procedure is broken, can you explain? When I was in package I paid much closer attention to threads discussing package issues. Many times I saw drivers say they were owed many back weeks of 9.5 grievance checks. I never experienced that in my local and my building. We filed, and 2-3 weeks later we were being asked to sign off for a live check. Never waited longer than that. How could it vary so widely local to local? What other grievance issues are not handled in a timely manner? And I agree, no strike needs to be abolished.

It varies widely the same way conditions vary widely from building to building. Our center manager automatically denies grievances, forcing us to go to the LM, who has to deal with grievances from across the district, and also seems to need to take a lot of time off, so grievances sit, unanswered, for months on end.
 

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
It varies widely the same way conditions vary widely from building to building. Our center manager automatically denies grievances, forcing us to go to the LM, who has to deal with grievances from across the district, and also seems to need to take a lot of time off, so grievances sit, unanswered, for months on end.
Unbelievable. Is this the company taking advantage of so called “weak locals?” We all know they exist. When the Willow Grove yard is full of contractors every night, that’s weakness.
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
It varies widely the same way conditions vary widely from building to building. Our center manager automatically denies grievances, forcing us to go to the LM, who has to deal with grievances from across the district, and also seems to need to take a lot of time off, so grievances sit, unanswered, for months on end.
There’s a good contract issue to bring up
All grievance’s heard in a timely manner if money is owed ya got 1 week to pay up or
Interest starts accruing
 

Pullman Brown

Well-Known Member
It varies widely the same way conditions vary widely from building to building. Our center manager automatically denies grievances, forcing us to go to the LM, who has to deal with grievances from across the district, and also seems to need to take a lot of time off, so grievances sit, unanswered, for months on end.

In our center because we received so much free money from filing so many grievances on 9.5 from year 2020-2021 when they even hear or see the paper in our hands they try to fixed it immediately. As for being done in timely manner it has been inconsistent and definitely could improve.
 

Whither

Scofflaw
When you say the grievance procedure is broken, can you explain? When I was in package I paid much closer attention to threads discussing package issues. Many times I saw drivers say they were owed many back weeks of 9.5 grievance checks. I never experienced that in my local and my building. We filed, and 2-3 weeks later we were being asked to sign off for a live check. Never waited longer than that. How could it vary so widely local to local? What other grievance issues are not handled in a timely manner? And I agree, no strike needs to be abolished.
In addition to the comments re: the long delays for hearings, I'll add that many -- probably most -- of us have been dealing with company-friendly panels (we'll see if that changes). But, at bottom, it is a serious power imbalance that the company can deadlock a serious grievance for years (e.g., the cameras) and carry on doing as it pleases without consequence, whereas we can get shown the door due to a supe's temper-tantrum.

Other examples: the company's cynical abuse of 9.5 language during the pandemic (some/many of us aren't on the list for the "free money" ... and hell, there were labor managers who deadlocked all 9.5s at locals in 2020 due to "emergency"), continual exploitation of vague 6 punch language.

As long as the company reserves the right to threaten our livelihoods, we should reserve the right threaten its livelihood.
 

Whither

Scofflaw
Are you saying we have "no strike" clauses in the Master Contract?

That is news to me.
Screenshot_20220804-221347_Drive.jpg
 

Sacrificial Lamb

Package Shepherd
It varies widely the same way conditions vary widely from building to building. Our center manager automatically denies grievances, forcing us to go to the LM, who has to deal with grievances from across the district, and also seems to need to take a lot of time off, so grievances sit, unanswered, for months on end.
Christ, man. They really need to beef up the language for doing stuff like this. I can’t speak on the other hubs, but in ours our grievances are backed up too.
 

Fido

Don’t worry he’s friendly
Unbelievable. Is this the company taking advantage of so called “weak locals?” We all know they exist. When the Willow Grove yard is full of contractors every night, that’s weakness.
There’s a good contract issue to bring up
All grievance’s heard in a timely manner if money is owed ya got 1 week to pay up or
Interest starts accruing
Try having your ba bargain your penalty pay for another drivers job
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
Christ, man. They really need to beef up the language for doing stuff like this. I can’t speak on the other hubs, but in ours our grievances are backed up too.

Beefing up language is good, but when the company unilaterally changes the terms and interpretations of the contract with no penalties, stronger language doesn't mean a lot.
 
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