AZBrown
Teamster by choice
Hey guys, I haven't been on here in quite some time, and I'm looking for a little tutelage to make my stewardship more effective.
My reader's digest version is---I came from a large trucking company that got acquired by a larger scummy trucking company, that destroyed us financially and "reputationally," if that's a word, LOL. Let's just say the larger scummy company is a bunch of YELLOW bellies. It comes with tons of stories, but among other things, the final straw was getting us to vote for pension freezes with the empty promise of returning pension participation 2 years down the road. 2 years later, "oh sorry we can't afford it." Big surprise?? Not really.
So getting "kicked out" of the West Coast Pension Trust led me to consider employment at UPS. Since I had a heartbeat and a social security number, naturally they scooped me up. Being an active union member and steward at my previous job, I knew I was in for a rough ride, but little did I know the crap I took in trucking, was just a warmup for what UPS had in store for me...
So next month, as I hit five years at Big Brown, I find my self tired of getting my ass handed to me with management's excuses that downplay whatever situation I bring to them. What I'm trying to accomplish with this thread, is finding an inside steward who knows how to apply the rules, and most importantly where they are. The vast majority of the time, I hear "its in the contract," and I can't take that into a meeting or an investigation. I need to know where it is and how WE (as Teamsters) interpret that. I'm nearly sure that if there's a conflict of interpretation, there's been a ruling at the local, regional, or national level that will settle it.
Through networking and knowing what is in the contract, and where it is, I will need less and less guidance. I came from a regional white paper 44 page contract, and for the time being, this contract is a little overwhelming.
So if you're willing to help a brother out, please feel free to message me, as I'm looking to grow some bite behind my bark to be more effective in my role as a steward. I just want to be counted on by my members as someone who can be counted on for representation in a knowledgeable and responsible manner. After all, somehow my big mouth got me voted in to this position by my co-workers.
So if you've gotten all the way to the end of my ramblings, thanks for taking time to read this.
My reader's digest version is---I came from a large trucking company that got acquired by a larger scummy trucking company, that destroyed us financially and "reputationally," if that's a word, LOL. Let's just say the larger scummy company is a bunch of YELLOW bellies. It comes with tons of stories, but among other things, the final straw was getting us to vote for pension freezes with the empty promise of returning pension participation 2 years down the road. 2 years later, "oh sorry we can't afford it." Big surprise?? Not really.
So getting "kicked out" of the West Coast Pension Trust led me to consider employment at UPS. Since I had a heartbeat and a social security number, naturally they scooped me up. Being an active union member and steward at my previous job, I knew I was in for a rough ride, but little did I know the crap I took in trucking, was just a warmup for what UPS had in store for me...
So next month, as I hit five years at Big Brown, I find my self tired of getting my ass handed to me with management's excuses that downplay whatever situation I bring to them. What I'm trying to accomplish with this thread, is finding an inside steward who knows how to apply the rules, and most importantly where they are. The vast majority of the time, I hear "its in the contract," and I can't take that into a meeting or an investigation. I need to know where it is and how WE (as Teamsters) interpret that. I'm nearly sure that if there's a conflict of interpretation, there's been a ruling at the local, regional, or national level that will settle it.
Through networking and knowing what is in the contract, and where it is, I will need less and less guidance. I came from a regional white paper 44 page contract, and for the time being, this contract is a little overwhelming.
So if you're willing to help a brother out, please feel free to message me, as I'm looking to grow some bite behind my bark to be more effective in my role as a steward. I just want to be counted on by my members as someone who can be counted on for representation in a knowledgeable and responsible manner. After all, somehow my big mouth got me voted in to this position by my co-workers.
So if you've gotten all the way to the end of my ramblings, thanks for taking time to read this.
