Local 25 Teamsters borderline criminal act?

[Wally]

Are you a union brother or sister if you don't pay dues?

Nope

I wonder where the union was all along? No mailing advising about future membership dues coming due?

 

[burrheadd]

The Big Buffett was having a half price sale not much got done those weeks

 

[542thruNthru]

The Big Buffett was having a half price sale not much got done those weeks

Man I miss buffets. Damn covid!

 

[cachmeifucan]

Are you a union brother or sister if you don't pay dues?

Not in my eyes.

 

[nWo]

Are you a union brother or sister if you don't pay dues?

This thread is about union members that were paying dues. They aren't freeloaders.

 

[nWo]

Nope

I wonder where the union was all along? No mailing advising about future membership dues coming due?

They were paying dues. It's in the first post of the thread.

 

[542thruNthru]

This thread is about union members that were paying dues. They aren't freeloaders.

Yes but what you quoted was him answering someone saying that seasonals shouldn't pay dues/initiation fees.

 

[nWo]

Yes but what you quoted was him answering someone saying that seasonals shouldn't pay dues/initiation fees.

Uhh nope. Reread that bro.

 

[nWo]

Yes but what you quoted was him answering someone saying that seasonals shouldn't pay dues/initiation fees.

He was talking about the OP. The op is not a freeloader.

 

[nWo]

I've read this entire thread. I haven't seen a single person argue against union dues. The argument seems to be a few members of one local thinking it's okay to drain an entire paycheck of a seasonal employee. And everybody else disagreeing with them

 

[nWo]

Hello,

My name is Austin and I just recently started working as a seasonal part-time package handler for a UPS facility in Massachusetts back in late October. When I was hired the company had made it clear to me on my first day that the job was seasonal, however, I would still need to begin paying an initiation fee to the Local 25 Teamsters Union. The initiation fee is $500.

On my first day I was provided with union paperwork which I read thoroughly and signed off on. In the paper work it stated that the initiation fee was $500, however the Teamsters recognized that a part-time employee is financially unable to pay $500 upfront, so the fee was broken down into 15 and a half weeks of 32$ payments.

To mine surprise, when I received my pay check today it stated $0. At first I thought it was a mistake, but then other employees started expressing similar concerns saying either the majority or the entirety of their paycheck had been drained, even their attendance bonuses. In my paystub it clearly stated that the entire amount of my paycheck was deducted for Union dues.

Now this is where it gets interesting. Upon everyone receiving their paychecks, a mob began to form in the middle of the building, all employees upset that their entire pay checks had been drained due two union dues. It also appeared that no one seemed to know why this had happened.

Upon speaking with management, they had assured us that they had no idea that this was going to happen and that for the last 20 years an event like this had never taken place before. They then went on to say that union dues had always been taken out in incremental amounts until completed, never has employees checks been completely drained.

Management then referred employees affected by this issue to their union stewards. Now the mob switched their attention from management to the stewards standing by. The stewards seemed to have no idea that this was going to happen and could offer no explanation. Some of them even tried to shift the blame from the Union to UPS and Human Resources. After the crowd calmed down, we were given the Union Halls number which I immediately picked up my phone and called.

A women picked up and assured me that she had been receiving calls all day regarding the issue and could do nothing for me but take my name and number and refer it to the business rep. She said that the contract states that after 31 days the union has the right to take any remaining dues in full. I then proceeded to tell her that in the paper work I signed states the fee would be broken down into payments. To that, she had no comment. I then asked her who in the Union made this decision and she said that she did not know, but she felt terrible for those employees.


Now, the reason why I am on Browncafe today is to see if anyone else from another Union did or has experienced a similar issue before? It seems to me almost criminal to take someone's entire weeks pay check at the beginning of the month when bills are due, just a few weeks before Christmas, especially when they are seasonal employees and will most likely never be able to take advantage of the benefits. For me, it wasn't as much of a big deal because I have a full-time job during the day and only picked up this job to help make some additional income for the holiday season and get in shape. I saw one employee crying because she had children at home to feed and was living paycheck to paycheck.

I also did a little research on Google and found an article from November 2018 stating that the Local 25 teamsters union was $5B in debt for their pension plan. Maybe there is a link between this event?

Please no trolls!

Sorry that happened to you Austin. Just know that most locals don't behave like that. What they did to you was totally wrong and unacceptable. Most teamsters fight against that kind of behavior.

 

[542thruNthru]

$500 for the right to work a seasonal pt job for what $10.50/hr? Teamsters L O *ing L

You support freeloaders? It sucks that these employees lost most if not all of their checks but you don't think that a employee working in a union job should have to pay union dues? Regardless of what time of the year it is. Most people don't realize it but Chelmsford is a dumpster fire to say the least. Most of these employees if not all of these employees will still be there after peak.

He was talking about the OP. The op is not a freeloader.

No he was not talking about the OP. He was responding to what the OP said. The OP doesn't believe seasonals that make $10.50/hr should pay initiation fees/dues.

He literally says it in his response.

 

[nWo]

No he was not talking about the OP. He was responding to what the OP said. The OP doesn't believe seasonals that make $10.50/hr should pay initiation fees/dues.

He literally says it in his response.

The OP literally has zero issue paying union dues. He agreed to pay them. Do you lack basic reading comprehension skills? The OP agreed to an installment plan. He didn't agree to local 25 draining his entire paycheck.

 

[542thruNthru]

The OP literally has zero issue paying union dues. He agreed to pay them. Do you lack basic reading comprehension skills? The OP agreed to an installment plan. He didn't agree to local 25 draining his entire paycheck.

Ok, sorry I thought Yolo was the OP. Again though Boston25was responding to Yolo not the OP about seasonal paying initiation/dues.

 

[nWo]

Ok, sorry I thought Yolo was the OP. Again though Boston25was responding to Yolo not the OP about seasonal paying initiation/dues.

I don't think boston 25 should be calling anyone a freeloader. I mean seasonal employees making pennies above minimum wage. The seasonal employees agree to pay $32 weekly installments until they $500 fee is paid in full. The $500 initiation fee has to be the highest in the country? And the people at 25 think it's okay to disregard the installment plan and take the full initiation fee at once? And I'm reading through this thread. The OP literally had to file NLRB charges against the local. A single mother was crying on the local news? I mean FUDGE. This kinda is literally what unions are supposed to be fighting against. Let's not lie to our new hires. Let's not use them as ATMs either. In my 40 years in unions I've never seen a local behave like this before.

 

[Wally]

Yes but what you quoted was him answering someone saying that seasonals shouldn't pay dues/initiation fees.

In fairness, the company should disclose the actual average wage when you deduct the $500 over the stated wage. In some cases, you could end up working and be in debt. Let the union workers pick up the slack if the market says nope, wages too low when you factor in the $500.

 

[Wally]

What wages do temps in local 25 earn and how many hours do they typically put in? It would be interesting to see what the real wage is when you factor in the $500 penalty.

 

[542thruNthru]

In fairness, the company should disclose the actual average wage when you deduct the $500 over the stated wage. In some cases, you could end up working and be in debt. Let the union workers pick up the slack if the market says nope, wages too low when you factor in the $500.

A $500 dollar initiation fee is ridiculous. Another reason to vote for Vairma/H!

 

[nWo]

I've read through this entire thread. Can someone clear this up?

According to a few members of local 25. The company shafted the new hires and seasonals.

If that is correct how come local 25 didn't file grievances for the new hires? If the company really shafted them grievances should have been filed. Penalty pay should have been awarded. How come this wasn't done?

NLRB charges were filed against local 25. NLRB charges weren't filed against UPS? How come the charges were filed against 25?

Dozens of new hires walked off the job that day. But local 25 made zero effort to return the money to those people? WHY Not? Its their money. They earned it? Shouldn't they receive it?

That single mother that was crying on the local news. Is local 25's official stance that she's a liar? Did she lie about the local refusing to help her? If her story is inaccurate can someone from 25 clear it up? How come the local thought it was okay to shaft her?

Can someone explain this to me? Because I have never seen a local behave like this before. It truly it's shocking.

These are extremely simple questions that have been asked repeatedly in this thread. Nobody has been willing to answer them. Why not?

 

[Wally]

I've read through this entire thread. Can someone clear this up?

According to a few members of local 25. The company shafted the new hires and seasonals.

If that is correct how come local 25 didn't file grievances for the new hires? If the company really shafted them grievances should have been filed. Penalty pay should have been awarded. How come this wasn't done?

NLRB charges were filed against local 25. NLRB charges weren't filed against UPS? How come the charges were filed against 25?

Dozens of new hires walked off the job that day. But local 25 made zero effort to return the money to those people? WHY Not? Is their money. They earned it? Shouldn't they receive it?

That single mother that was crying on the local news. Is local 25's official stance that she's a liar? Did she lie about the local refusing to help her? If her story is inaccurate can someone from 25 clear it up? How come the local thought it was okay to shaft her?

Can someone explain this to me? Because I have never seen a local behave like this before. It truly it's shocking.

Lol, the union giving back dues?