Does anyone really care

[trucker1946]

We had our monthly Union meeting May 20 2007,The president urged all UPS members to be there for upsates on the upcoming contract.Im retired but still went to find some insight to this being a steward at UPS alot of years,however only (9)union members showed up.The union is only as strong as its membership,in my opinion the magority of UPSTERS dont care or too busy to find out the future for them and their families,Thank you and God Bless

 

[trucker1946]

Just a sidebar,the president of the union brought in a caterer with tons of great food,when meeting was over he told me to take the rest home.I ate like a king for a week and i DONT pay union dues anymore,seems ironic to me anyway1

 

[local804]

Sunday is a tough day to attend union meetings usually 40 miles from home. With a job as a package car driver, you can understand that. Feeder drivers, like yourself, usually dont work on Monday and maybe it is easier. 9 guys attending though is pretty pathetic. We usually have 15 meet at the park and ride. So....Since you did attend, any information on the upcoming contract? Everything is hushhush so I doubt it.

 

[trucker1946]

Thank you for your reply,I do not want to expand on rumorville until the facts come out,but i do think this new contract is not what alot of folks are asking for,their may be some reductions or givebacks included,I hope not but im sure you understand the contract mentality,Thank You

 

[rod]

Just a sidebar,the president of the union brought in a caterer with tons of great food,when meeting was over he told me to take the rest home.I ate like a king for a week and i DONT pay union dues anymore,seems ironic to me anyway1

Sounds like your local is a LOT more friendly toward retirees than mine (638 out of MPLS). I just happened to be at a local hang out when in walked everyone for a info meeting. Although I didn't even want to be included in the meeting the sec-treas. made a point to tell me that the meeting was for active members only. Afterwards when everyone bellied up to the bar he made sure I wasn't encluded on "his ' tab (same reason- for active members only). I made it a point to buy him one thinking maybe he would get a guilty concious but didn't even get a thanks from him. What a prick. (Yes I am still pro Union- but I do hate that a-hole).

 

[705red]

Our meeting was last sunday and was also a strike fund vote for the whole local not only ups. 351 people took the time to come down and vote, thats out of over 18,000 members. Letters were posted at all the barns, us stewards meet with out coworkers and informed them and still no one cares, lets see how many care when that $2 a week starts getting deducted.

 

[71chevy]

Thank you for your reply,I do not want to expand on rumorville until the facts come out,but i do think this new contract is not what alot of folks are asking for,their may be some reductions or givebacks included,I hope not but im sure you understand the contract mentality,Thank You

Reductions and givebacks, heck, we've been doing that for the past year in the CS. Copays have increased, deductables have gone up, RX has gone up substantially, and certain medical services are now not covered that previously were. Not to mention our pension. I haven't got a clue on where that stands, It seems to change every time we turn around.

 

[705red]

Reductions and givebacks, heck, we've been doing that for the past year in the CS. Copays have increased, deductables have gone up, RX has gone up substantially, and certain medical services are now not covered that previously were. Not to mention our pension. I haven't got a clue on where that stands, It seems to change every time we turn around.

I think what trucker is trying to say as a whole upsers dont care about anything until it effects them.

 

[DS]

Our meeting was last sunday and was also a strike fund vote for the whole local not only ups. 351 people took the time to come down and vote, thats out of over 18,000 members. Letters were posted at all the barns, us stewards meet with out coworkers and informed them and still no one cares, lets see how many care when that $2 a week starts getting deducted.

Whats a strike fund vote?
maybe they were all at the APWA meeting

 

[raceanoncr]

I think what trucker is trying to say as a whole upsers dont care about anything until it effects them.

That's it, 705. Or, "The rules don't apply to ME!". I've said that before in diff posts. I predicted a couple wks ago how our last meet of the summer would be attended. Prediction came true.

Our local recesses for Jun, Jul, Aug. You'd think that with issues confronting us real soon, looming contract expiration, talk of strike, early contract negotiations, pension problems and talk of a take-over by UPS, concessions, wages, insurance, jobs, volume, and on-and-on, that we'd be packed for our last meet before summer. Well, attendance was well over what it usually is, but with FREIGHT drivers! UPSers? Maybe 15-20, with most being feeders drivers and NO PTers that I could see!

We really care! (sarcasm intended). For that reason, when some of these same non-attendees start asking me about what's going on (no, I ain't a steward or BA as I've been accused of before), I tell them they shoulda been there because I don't recite so good. If they start complaining about some supposed injustice by the union or UPS, I also ask if they've been to any proposal meetings to try to change things or lanquage.

I don't want to hear from any non-activists about ANYTHING! By ACTIVISTS, I also don't mean radical, name-calling, mud-slinging, goofballs. I mean those here that SHOULD be concerned about their immediate and long-term future. Don't just get on here or at work-place and spout words and figures and then lay down when it comes to actually making a difference!

 

[trucker1946]

If I may add that the (9) UPS people that attended were as follows-(3) retirees,(3) feeder drivers,(2)package car stewards,and (1) part timer with a broken leg,now you tell me where is everyone else on a deserted island

 

[705red]

Whats a strike fund vote?
maybe they were all at the APWA meeting

We had a vote for a $2 a week for ftimers and $1 a week for ptimers.

Ds i thought van and danny were going by your house for a canadian fishing trip that weekend. Let me ask you do you have to put the worms on the hooks for them or are they men enough to do it by themselves.

 

[Pip]

We had our monthly Union meeting May 20 2007,The president urged all UPS members to be there for upsates on the upcoming contract.Im retired but still went to find some insight to this being a steward at UPS alot of years,however only (9)union members showed up.The union is only as strong as its membership,in my opinion the magority of UPSTERS dont care or too busy to find out the future for them and their families,Thank you and God Bless

First thing that comes to mind here. What is the incentive to attend a meeting at this point, when from the beginning of the new contract negotiations there has been a gag order in place? Both sides evidently agreed that secrecy was the best way to go.

 

[hoser]

We had our monthly Union meeting May 20 2007,The president urged all UPS members to be there for upsates on the upcoming contract.Im retired but still went to find some insight to this being a steward at UPS alot of years,however only (9)union members showed up.The union is only as strong as its membership,in my opinion the magority of UPSTERS dont care or too busy to find out the future for them and their families,Thank you and God Bless

agreed. no one on my shift gives a crap about union rights. they get abused, complain about getting abused, but they're too apathetic to do anything about it other than to complain, realizing that it will happen again and again until we collectively stand up.

you're entirely correct, a union is only as good and strong as its members.

 

[olympicking]

The union should represent workers interest even if they don't attend meetings. Do you have to go to washington for your senators to represent you.

 

[705red]

The union should represent workers interest even if they don't attend meetings. Do you have to go to washington for your senators to represent you.

How does the union know your interests if no one goes and voices them? No one is saying to go to every meeting( but i do) but to get involved a little more. What happens now if the union says we will take a $2 an hour paycut but keep our medical, 50% would love it and 50% would hate it, but how is the union going to know who will like it? Should they spend the monet and mail us all ballots for every decision that needs to be made(at our expenses) or should we rotate groups of upsers to go and attend the meetings?

 

[govols019]

And look at what a fine job Congress does at looking out for the voters.

 

[olympicking]

Union officals make more money than congress. Hoffa makes $348,000 a year. Is he doing a fine job running the union. No!

 

[705red]

Union officals make more money than congress. Hoffa makes $348,000 a year. Is he doing a fine job running the union. No!

Believe it or not thats no where near as bad as alot of other union presidents, now i am not a hoffa fan. look into the pilots, baseball, nfl, etc. Not disagreing with you just pointing out facts.

 

[local804]

Union officals make more money than congress. Hoffa makes $348,000 a year. Is he doing a fine job running the union. No!

Please come up with something better that that.