Contract support for retired ups drivers

kenco80233

Well-Known Member
Having been retired for over 3 years,I am wondering how much support,us retired drivers will get from the current worker.I remember when I was younger all the older drivers saying that what was good in the contract was good for everyone,as one day I would be retiring.I hope all the younger workers feel the same way.
 

Cole

Well-Known Member
Howdy brother!

I pray all is well with you and yours!

How's retirement? Did it take long to get the rat race out of your system, or were you in feeders for a long time?

Hopefully people will not forget who has gone before us, but it's hard when you're young to think long term, rather than living in the moment etc...

As far as retirement, we have alot of problems in some areas; especially Central States, so unless an equitable solution can be obtained, it's kind of dog eat dog to be honest.
 

RockyRogue

Agent of Change
Having been retired for over 3 years,I am wondering how much support,us retired drivers will get from the current worker.I remember when I was younger all the older drivers saying that what was good in the contract was good for everyone,as one day I would be retiring.I hope all the younger workers feel the same way.

Probably not much support, Kenco. I work in the Denver area and the part-timers I work with are in it solely for themselves. This is the me/me generation, sadly. Drivers like you created this company and deserve to be taken care of but its probably not going to happen :mad:. -Rocky
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
Having been retired for over 3 years,I am wondering how much support,us retired drivers will get from the current worker.I remember when I was younger all the older drivers saying that what was good in the contract was good for everyone,as one day I would be retiring.I hope all the younger workers feel the same way.
Alot of us on here are in the middle of that debate, we cannot forget about the retirees for 1 day hopefully we will ourselves be retirees. In my local after a upser took over he allows retirees to attend the monthly meetings to stay in the loop.
 

nospinzone

Well-Known Member
Having been retired for over 3 years,I am wondering how much support,us retired drivers will get from the current worker.I remember when I was younger all the older drivers saying that what was good in the contract was good for everyone,as one day I would be retiring.I hope all the younger workers feel the same way.
With the APWA pension, retirees will have a trustee on the board of directors who directly represents retired UPS members.
 

kenco80233

Well-Known Member
I read an article once that stated that the union had no legal obligation to represent you once you are retired.This is the first contact that is being negociated since I retired and I have to admit that it is kind of a helpless feeling not having a voice in it.I am wondering if UPS pulls out of the CSPF,will they take the current retirees out of the CSPF,or will we be left in the CSPF.I don't have any complaints about being in the CSPF.Our health insurance is a little expensive,but everyone that I have talked to in other pension funds are paying as much,or more and some have lost there health insurance.
 

jware

Active Member
Im sempithetic to the retired individules that are recieving thier pensions from the teamsters, however how much do I, and every other individule haft to sacraice so you get yours? CS is a lost cause. To say anything differnt is putting your head in the sand. Every person still working has made sacrafices in order that those that came before gets what has been promised, 30 and out gone, money supposed to go to our medical gone and put into the pension plan, and where has that got use? I'll tell you where, were still under funded with no realistic way of fixing the problem. It's only a matter of time until the government takes over the pension plan and my retirement gets cut by at least 50%. Has any curent retiree taken any cuts? Due you expect me to work for the next 25 years under the current plan so you get yours, and I'm left out in the cold when it's time for me to get mine? As for me, I'm not going to vote that way. I know that this may not be the popular way of thinking, however I have a family, and a future to think about. How can anyone expect curent employees to stay the course. It's a failed system! Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I hope all that have a vote in the next contract thinks long and hard about thier future. I don't know if a UPS only retirement is the answer, but what we have now is a dead horse.
 

pkgdriver

Well-Known Member
Im sempithetic to the retired individules that are recieving thier pensions from the teamsters, however how much do I, and every other individule haft to sacraice so you get yours? CS is a lost cause. To say anything differnt is putting your head in the sand. Every person still working has made sacrafices in order that those that came before gets what has been promised, 30 and out gone, money supposed to go to our medical gone and put into the pension plan, and where has that got use? I'll tell you where, were still under funded with no realistic way of fixing the problem. It's only a matter of time until the government takes over the pension plan and my retirement gets cut by at least 50%. Has any curent retiree taken any cuts? Due you expect me to work for the next 25 years under the current plan so you get yours, and I'm left out in the cold when it's time for me to get mine? As for me, I'm not going to vote that way. I know that this may not be the popular way of thinking, however I have a family, and a future to think about. How can anyone expect curent employees to stay the course. It's a failed system! Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I hope all that have a vote in the next contract thinks long and hard about thier future. I don't know if a UPS only retirement is the answer, but what we have now is a dead horse.

Excellent post
Give me my pension monies and a 401k
 

kenco80233

Well-Known Member
Point well taken.I retired due to a heart attack,due to no one fault but my own.I have recovered enough to keep my Class A license,so I am prepared to go out and look for a driving job,if the pension plan goes down the toilet.I don't harbor any resentment about your feelings,however in my 33 years driving,I always felt that the pension fund was secure,and retired in 2003 thinking it was.What ever the workers of today chose to do might change about the time that you are my age. One interesting thing about life is change,for better or worse.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
With the APWA pension, retirees will have a trustee on the board of directors who directly represents retired UPS members.

No Spin,

Current retirees would have no connection whatsoever to an APWA retirement plan so the comment above is meaningless especially to a current retiree or anyone else who retires that doesn't have any service credits with the APWA plan. And to my knowledge, there's no one on the planet who has any credit so there you go.

IMHO, it's ashame an idea like APWA got hijacked by a bunch of folks like yourself who IMO have in the end done a great disservice to the whole idea. I consider Van Skillman and Danny Eason as great UPSers as their efforts have opened up a box that for so long we UPS Teamsters have not had the courage to look into and in saying "WE" I include myself in that. When "Sawman" and the like first appeared here with APWA promises of glory and grandure, I contacted Van directly to ask a number of questions and he was very direct and specific on a number of issues and I've always respected that directness and honesty regarding these issues. To many cases the IBT would tell you what you wanted to hear rather than the truth and thus we find ourselves where we are with Central States for example. Van acknowledged certain areas would not be perfect and that one of them concerned pass work credit for retirement purposes. He specifically told me at this point he saw no way to recapture that for inclusion in the APWA and that only work credit under an APWA plan would be counted towards APWA pension credit. He admitted he would love to go back and capture all credits for all UPSers (working and retired) but he saw no means or mechanism to do that and so far in the email newsletters I get from Danny or other public info via their website, I've seen absolutely nothing from Van or Danny themselves to make me think the conditions that Van and I spoke of about 2 years ago have changed at all.

I happen to believe in a UPS only union and I do think Van and Danny do have a model worth discussing and giving consideration for. At the same time, guys like yourself IMO are doing a great disservice to that effort and mostly by throwing out scenarios that IMO are not germain to the real conditions. Perfect example is your comments quoted above!

JMHO
 

nospinzone

Well-Known Member
Mac,
I take personal offense to your comment. The man asked a general question of whether retirees would be remembered and protected in the new contract. The APWA's plan to include retirees is to have two of them sit on the board of trustees for the pension. He did not ask about past credits and how the APWA would effect current retirees. Please show me in his question where he asked how APWA would handle past contributions and time earned with the IBT? I simply offered the man how the APWA will allow retirees to continue having a voice in their affairs. I take great care in providing verifiable sources and discussing directly with Van or Danny when replyingto the topics we discuss. To mislead people on this topic only causes more confusion and I do my best to avoid making statements that are not true. If you can show me specifically where I have mispoken and did not correct myself, I'll be happy to correct it. Otherwise, I believe your mischaracterization of me lacks any basis.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
Mac,
I take personal offense to your comment. The man asked a general question of whether retirees would be remembered and protected in the new contract. The APWA's plan to include retirees is to have two of them sit on the board of trustees for the pension. He did not ask about past credits and how the APWA would effect current retirees. Please show me in his question where he asked how APWA would handle past contributions and time earned with the IBT? I simply offered the man how the APWA will allow retirees to continue having a voice in their affairs. I take great care in providing verifiable sources and discussing directly with Van or Danny when replyingto the topics we discuss. To mislead people on this topic only causes more confusion and I do my best to avoid making statements that are not true. If you can show me specifically where I have mispoken and did not correct myself, I'll be happy to correct it. Otherwise, I believe your mischaracterization of me lacks any basis.
No spin if you read the original post he stated he was a current retiree, in your response you stated there would be a retiree on the board, you didnt state an apwa retiree. Also his question was would the current contract benefit him as a retiree of the teamsters. But were getting way ahead of ourselves here. Mac is a very credible poster and he read it the way you spelled it out, now if it was typed out with a different meaning thats understandable because alot of times its easier to say your points than to type them out with no emotions.
 

txminer

Go Sox
Kenco, I am glad you are feeling better but I am sorry if we get a chance to partition the central states plan we have to jump on it. I have 25 years in package car driving and I surely don't want to do this another 25. Should we all go down with the Titanic? This last contract was horrible for guys like me with at least 20 or more years. I would like to see light at the end of the tunnel. Package delivering tears your body apart. It's like playing NFL games every day, especially after 20 years.Sorry bro.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
Kenco, I am glad you are feeling better but I am sorry if we get a chance to partition the central states plan we have to jump on it. I have 25 years in package car driving and I surely don't want to do this another 25. Should we all go down with the Titanic? This last contract was horrible for guys like me with at least 20 or more years. I would like to see light at the end of the tunnel. Package delivering tears your body apart. It's like playing NFL games every day, especially after 20 years.Sorry bro.
Tx what happens to us if we go to a single employer fund? Lets say if ups eliminates small package? Files bankruptcy? Or even cuts back on the business where we have more drawing then paying? Where will our monthly payments come from? The answer is we wont receive that check! Lets attempt to keep a positive outlook on the procedings but look at all the options before making a informed decision. Also something this serious (pension) should be a seperate vote from the p-timers (seeing it doesnt involve them and they could swing the vote one way or the other)!
 

txminer

Go Sox
I agree Red, let's look at all the options. I am just saying we are not guaranteed a thing in life but look at reality. Central States is on life support it is not going to get better. Fed Ex will never go union so where will the numbers come from? Only 12 percent of jobs in America are union jobs. The numbers just don't look good. If an option comes up to help your family and mine we need to seriously look at it.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
I agree Red, let's look at all the options. I am just saying we are not guaranteed a thing in life but look at reality. Central States is on life support it is not going to get better. Fed Ex will never go union so where will the numbers come from? Only 12 percent of jobs in America are union jobs. The numbers just don't look good. If an option comes up to help your family and mine we need to seriously look at it.
Your right but lets look for a long term fix and not jump at the first short term fix that comes along.
 
Tx what happens to us if we go to a single employer fund? Lets say if ups eliminates small package?

That's like saying "What if Pampers decided to eliminate diapers?". Package is the core business. They aren't going to eliminate it.

You can "what if" yourself into a frenzy, but for every negative one, there is a positive. What if volume continues to grow? What if UPS makes record profits year after year? What if they take over the pension and decide to give us 20 and out, any age, with $8000 a month!?!?!

"What if" is a tool that should be used to stimulate thoughts that have become stagnant, not as a pessimistic scare tactic.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
That's like saying "What if Pampers decided to eliminate diapers?". Package is the core business. They aren't going to eliminate it.

You can "what if" yourself into a frenzy, but for every negative one, there is a positive. What if volume continues to grow? What if UPS makes record profits year after year? What if they take over the pension and decide to give us 20 and out, any age, with $8000 a month!?!?!

"What if" is a tool that should be used to stimulate thoughts that have become stagnant, not as a pessimistic scare tactic.
Whos using scare tactics? Im speaking the truth! Do you think the uaw thought toyota, honda. etc, would have a strong hold on the market share today back in the 70s? Keep under estimating dhl they have the money to keep building, nad in 20, 30 years they could be the big dog, and under a multi-employer fund they would float our pensions. Go ahead and spin your apwa spin to this, but you know its possible.
 
I never mentioned apwa and don't claim to support them.

The truth is fact. "Lets say if ups eliminates small package?" is pessimistic speculation, not a fact and therefore you are not speaking the truth. It's intention was to change the way Txminer thought by frightening him with worst case scenarios. That is pretty much the definition of a scare tactic.

As for DHL, I do not underestimate them and I doubt that UPS does either. Hopefully they will never be the "big dog", but even if they are the idea is to fix the pension now, not wait for somebody else to come along and "float our pension" thereby taking UPS' place propping it up.

You might want to try and balance some of your pessimism with a little optimism once in a while.... :thumbup1:
 

RockyRogue

Agent of Change
Whos using scare tactics? Im speaking the truth! Do you think the uaw thought toyota, honda. etc, would have a strong hold on the market share today back in the 70s? Keep under estimating dhl they have the money to keep building, nad in 20, 30 years they could be the big dog, and under a multi-employer fund they would float our pensions. Go ahead and spin your apwa spin to this, but you know its possible.

My Dad sells to car plants, talks to UAW members every day. They never saw Honda, Toyota, etc getting as big as they are today. DHL is run by smart European men but I see a loooong road ahead for them. If they're going to succeed in the U.S., they need to have a better model worked out. Right now, they don't have it. In addition, they have to fight UPS AND FedEx. I don't see either of the above rolling over and playing dead for a new entrant. Now, I CAN see a FedEx/DHL merger or partnership very easily. If that happened...Heave have mercy on UPS.

And I think FedEx will eventually go union. It won't happen without a h*lluva, h*lluva fight but I can see it happening. If they don't go union, I can see them having financial trouble because they've borrowed so much stinking money. Red, you're in Illinois. Next time you're in southern Illinois, there's a FedEx building the size of ADDIL in Arcola, Illinois. That part of Illinois won't need that building's capacity for 20+ years. Maybe they're smart to build now rather than later. But, I've been seeing more and more problems with FedEx's financials in the last year or so. A sign of things to come?:laugh: -Rocky
 
Top