Memories From The '97' Strike........

[anonymous6]

the strike did a lot of damage mentally. all the old timers were telling me stories about how UPS was a family. how supes and drivers would go to the bars on friday after work and shoot the breeze. company family cookouts.

that was what i thought i would see when i came aboard in 93. after the strike I realized how naiive i was.

it's nothing but a paycheck since 97.

 

[PackageManager]

the strike did a lot of damage mentally. all the old timers were telling me stories about how UPS was a family. how supes and drivers would go to the bars on friday after work and shoot the breeze. company family cookouts.

that was what i thought i would see when i came aboard in 93. after the strike I realized how naiive i was.

it's nothing but a paycheck since 97.

It wasn't just the strike of 97 but quite a bit changed the "small family business" feel. Going public, the 97 strike and downsizing changed the place forever. A lot was lost on both sides.

 

[Johney]

It wasn't just the strike of 97 but quite a bit changed the "small family business" feel. Going public, the 97 strike and downsizing changed the place forever. A lot was lost on both sides.

I agree, after going public the TLA lunches stopped as well as the pizza parties after work they use to have.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

A lot was lost on both sides.

Please enlighten me.

What did "my" side lose....



-Bug-

 

[pretzel_man]

Please enlighten me.

What did "my" side lose....



-Bug-

Well, for starters almost 4 millon packages per day are now moving via FedEx Ground.

Those packages are moving with non-union employees. What is that worth to you?

How many more Teamsters would exist if we didn't lose those packages? What would that do to pensions, strength, etc.....

 

[UPSmeoff]

I remember beer.....lots and lots of beer.

 

[Catatonic]

the strike did a lot of damage mentally.

all the old timers were telling me stories about how UPS was a family.

how supes and drivers would go to the bars on friday after work and shoot the breeze. company family cookouts.

that was what i thought i would see when i came aboard in 93. after the strike I realized how naive i was. it's nothing but a paycheck since 97.

yep - from the top to the bottom

yep - it was in a weird sort of way

yep - been to many and hosted a few

yep - pretty much

 

[upsman68]

I remember beer and BBQ. One of our drivers brought his tag along bbq smoker and always had some food for us. Our center manager at the time said he was looking out the window wishing he could come eat with us. It was like a tailgate.

 

[Leftinbuilding]

To those that took a vacation during the 97 strike, did you walk the line on your vacation? I was on vacation and walked the line in our town and spent a day on the line at the town we went to vacation in. Still have my sign hanging on the wall of my shop as a reminder of that vacation.

​

We had a pre-planned camping trip with another family. Went ahead and camped and could only get very scrambled radio reception to keep up with events.

 

[guinness413]

..i was young and still living home so i loved an August vacation....horseshoes..BBQ...just chillin...management thought they were tough when they called us in 3 at a time to go to hand in our Beepers(yeah we had work beepers then..)..if it was in your locker they marched you up there to get it..the whole ,time spewing tough one liners..i felt bad for the older guys with a house and kids..they got kinda worried for a bit..now im one of those guys..

 

[rod]

both sides lost a lot. who really lost were the 3 drivers in our hub that crossed the picket line.

Neither management or hourly respects a scab. There were lots of stories about scabs quiting not long after the strike ended because they were harrassed by both sides. Wether the stories were true or not I don't know but I do know the couple of guys at my center who talked about crossing the line were "talked" out of it--------and said later on that crossing the line would have been the biggest mistake they could have made and they were so glad they hadn't. P.S. Just a friendly word of advise. Don't listen to those like upstate who say a strike won't happen. Start tucking a few bucks away this week and for every week until the next contract is actually signed. If a srtike don't happen buy yourself a new toy (or save it toward your retirement fund).

 

[anonymous4]

Ready to see what a strike is like. We need to tighten up, our leadership is not steering us in the right direction and the "democratic voting" system is a fraud. Hey Hoffa, stop sending me texts about radio and tv appearances and start by pushing for a more fluid grievance procedure! Ours just get torn up or pushed back forever, he isn't aware of these things though, right? The man is A FRAUD. Our leadership are FRAUDS.

 

[Dracula]

We will never go on strike again. You can count on that, no matter what is said. Not with Hoffa in command. I don't care what anyone here says. It won't happen, Hoffa is a management shill. Always has been, always will be....

 

[anonymous4]

I agree, he needs to go.

 

[anonymous6]

P.S. Just a friendly word of advise. Don't listen to those like upstate who say a strike won't happen. Start tucking a few bucks away this week and for every week until the next contract is actually signed. If a srtike don't happen buy yourself a new toy (or save it toward your retirement fund).

funny you mention this. been tucking away bucks since 1997. can survive practically for the rest of our lives. the 97 strike was a blessing in disquise in that respect.

 

[brownmonster]

We had no one cross in 97 but a few whining about paying the bills. You would have thought 2 weeks without pay was the end of the world. save much?

 

[Catatonic]

Neither management or hourly respects a scab.

That is a generalization that as all generalizations are - wrong.

I knew a couple of guys that crossed the line and I have nothing but the utmost respect for them.
They are fine individuals that believe strongly in individual rights and the strength of the individual.

I cannot say the same for some of the line walkers although I believe some of them were brought in as they were very skanky looking and would not even be hired by FedEx Ground.

I believe in collective bargaining organizations but I believe in the individual even stronger.

 

[anonymous4]

Hoaxster, has anyone ever told you that you're a likable man?

 

[satellitedriver]

. Ron Carey was a friend of our family and we spoke to him several times by phone before and during the strike. the biggest problem was the company trying to take control of the pension plans.

Really?
I was told in early 96' to prepare for a strike.
If Ron was a true friend, he would have told you that it was nothing more than a power struggle between him and Hoffa.
Less than 15% of the national membership voted to give " the negotiating committee" the right to call STRIKE, without the membership being allowed to see UPS's offer.
I could detail why the national voting number was so low, but I should not have to.
I still have the UPS 97' contract offer in my files.
In 97' I was just a normal union employee, until I did my homework.
97' forced me to quit the teamsters.
All the solidarity, bbq's, volleyball, sign waving meant JACK.
I was being played by the union, not the company.
I remember all to well 97', and I have seen the negative consequences, to both the union and UPS, over the last 15yrs.
If the company's stance is egregious, in the negotiations, I would gladly strike.
If the unions stance is also, I will gladly scab.

 

[Catatonic]

Hoaxster, has anyone ever told you that you're a likable man?

If they did, I would be very skeptical of them and wonder what their ulterior motives are.