National Steward Conference Call

[brown666]

Saturday morning there will be a National UPS Steward conference call from Washington D.C. regarding the UPS-IBT contract. At this point, the two parties may be on the way to getting some key issues resolved. I will post the findings here on Saturday. Stay tuned!!

 

[brown666]

It appears there will be no contract extension. The IBT is tired of UPS saying they have no money for a decent contract. If the talks do not produce some form of agreement this weekend, the brown trucks will stop rolling on August 1.I hope for better from both the company and the union.

 

[wkmac]

From what I heard today, looks like a repeat of 1997' is in our immediate future. Not much left to say at this point.

Signed
I'm just giving up!

 

[gsx1990]

wkmac,
Why do you say that? I still say 60-40
there will be a strike. If there is one, I hope
UPS BREAKS the union and hires replacement workers. The teamsters have gone too far....

 

[gsx1990]

A quote from today's teamster's conf call...
"Our contract demands must be metwe will not back down."

Who the hell do the teamsters think they are?
If I went into my boss and demanded whatever
salary I wanted, I would be fired. I hope UPS
workers rid themselves of the teamsters, and
form their own union. I hope UPS BREAKS the
teamsters. Don't forget guys, the unemployment
rate is 5.9% and going up!! Lots of people want
good paying jobs. Apparantly you don't! YOU
want EVERY DAM GOLDEN EGG! I hope UPS doesn't
give in..... BRING ON THE STRIKE, and bring in
the replacement workers!!!

 

[thedrooler]

The transcript of that conference call WAS a little sickening, but it was still mostly more sabre-rattling from the teamster honchos. They say that "won't back down from their demands". Well who would know if they did? They haven't said what their demands are. They talk about UPS wanting out of pension plan obligations but they don't mention that UPS only wants out of supporting pension plans for people who worked for companies that are no longer in business. UPS actually wants to improve the pensions of many UPS teamsters across the country. These are the teamsters UPS has a responsibility to. After years of mob-connected "loans" from teamster pension funds have drained their coffers, the teamsters want companies like UPS to step in and prop up these depleted funds. The teamsters want UPS to reward the union employees because of profits "made on the backs of its members". What a crock! The success of the company has been the result of ALL UPS employees' efforts. Let this new contract reflect a willingness of teamster employees to share not only in the past success of the company, but also in the uncertainess of the future. Let them take the same risk as management and the investors. Will they do this? I think not. They don't want to "share" in the success of the company, they want a guarantee.

Drooler

 

[brown666]

We deserve a great contract. The part-timers need some serious pay increases. Our pt clerk tries to live on $13,000 per year, try doing that drooler and gsx! It is easy to talk big, but you just don't get it.Try delivering parcels for five days per week, in the summer, sweat rolling down your face and the crack of your butt and in the winter, freezing your face, hands and feet making that last delivery in the darkness.The aches and pains, stress and on the job injuries are endless for service providers.Without the dedicated Teamster workforce, UPS will not prosper.If UPS truly believes that replacements will do a better job than it's current workforce; UPS and the IBT will go down in flames together!

 

[whatsthetune]

Brown666,

I agree you need more as a part timer. Why have the Teamsters decided since 82 that you did not? All that money going to full time only....you have to wonder. Well, I don't; let me lay it out to you:

1. the size of the economic pie does not change based on demands - it's there in black and white
2. full time employees show up at the locals (to at least some degree) while part timers don't
3. full timers get the 'ear' of the BA's, presidents
4. the part timers have not made their feelings to the people that can change the proposition - the Teamsters. they are the ones deciding on their proposals to divvy up that pie

I agree with pt's needing more money. Since the Teamsters don't represent your interests on this point, why do you continue to support them? In so me dillusion that some day you'll get what you "deserve".

Don't hold your breath.

 

[brownrain]

I'm sick of being used by both the company and the union. We are among the most productive workers in the world! We work hard---any one of my customers that I serve will tell you that. Settle this thing! Tell me there are some human beings on both sides of the table! Tell me that they are not ALL greedy fools! I am sick of this crap. If they can't get something settled---Throw them out on both sides and get some thinking,caring,human beings in there to work it out. Those IDIOTS are messing with the best working people in the US. This should have been settled months ago.

 

[whatsthetune]

Brownrain;

How are pt's being used in the context of my post? We don't decide the union's proposals and what they believe their members want! To put the process simplistically (I am NOT tying to be condescending), it's like when your mom (UPS) pays you a dollar for chores you've both done to share with your sister. You both go to the store and either split it equally or one of you gets more. The dollar stayed the same; only the way it was divided may have changed.

In my analogy, the UPS dollar (economic pie to split) has been split for you, between ft's (big brother) and pt's (weaker sister). The weaker sister gets less. This will continue until Dad (Teamsters) knows that you won't accept this anymore.

How is it that you are being "used" by UPS?

 

[proups]

whatsthetune: good try at the analogy, but you got it a bit wrong: Dad is UPS and the Teamsters are playing the role of Mom's (employees) divorce lawyer in these negotiations - out to get whatever they (Teamsters) can no matter if hurts Dad (UPS) or not.....and Dad was treating Mom (employees) better than most (employers).

(Message edited by proups on July 14, 2002)

 

[brownrain]

My feeling is that the workers----part time and fulltime --- are caught in the middle of all this. I think that the UPS dollar could be better divided. I probably should have posted my comments on another thread. I am extremely frustrated that the contract wasn't settled months ago. I would be happy to keep things the way they are for the full time people. I agree with you that the part time people need to be better taken care of. I can't really explain how I am being used by the company. I think the company plays with the loyalty and emotions of the employee. I don't want to be lumped in with a bunch of fat greedy Teamster thugs. We should break away from the Teamsters and form a UPS employees union. I think that I mirror the feelings of many UPS employees.

 

[gsx1990]

brown666,
Cry me a river. No one forces you to work at
UPS. If the job is too hard, LEAVE ALREADY. Oh
yea, I bet you can't find those benefits anywhere
else......

EVERYONE has things about their job they don't
like! But the teamsters seem to think that they
don't have to negociate. Their "give me what I
want or else attitude" is pathetic. The hardworking employees of UPS deserve good pay
and benefits. They don't deserve "EVERY GOLDEN
EGG"!

 

[thedrooler]

Let's see, we have a PARTIMER making ONLY $13,000 per year. I think I have an idea for him. GET A FULLTIME JOB! As for the trials and tribulations of the Brown Devil, I really feel for ya good buddy but ya know what? Been there, done that! What else ya got? Stop yer whinin'! Please! You're breakin' my heart.

Drooler

 

[sendagain]

The problem is none of us knows what any proposals are. Both the company and the teamsters ask us for support but neither one will talk to us. We have no idea what's going on. I think both sides are pigheaded and playing with the lives of all of us. If you're looking for a fair shake I wouldn't expect it from either side; both sides have alterior motives, and the only pies they are carving are their own.

 

[driver1]

How odd!! The teamster leadership seems to be trying to add new members by forcing the company to unionize the logistics division and all currently non-union folks. At the same time they are trying to price UPS out of the package delivery business by demanding wage and benefit hikes that would force customers to use a non-union carrier! What is the education level of the teamster leadership??? Obviously they are not MBA level. Who exactly are they representing? Themselves or UPS workers?????

 

[brown666]

We don't want all the golden eggs, just some of them. We'll settle for .90 per hour, per contract year. A five year contract. A 5% increase toward health and pensions.I have been at UPS 12 years and believe there are many great years ahead for the company. I would hate to see another brownout on August 1st!

 

[proups]

brown666: your 12 year tenure explains your elevated demands. .90 cents per hour per contract year? Are you going to bring in your load that much quicker? Are you going to bring in more packages to pay for that big of an increase? I think .50 - .60 cents an hour per contract year is more than fair. With overtime, we are already making more money than the people who manage us!

A five year contract will not cut it. I want a seven year contract with a no-strike clause. This way, we can go on with our normal delivery routes (the customers won't get scared away during a contract year) while the Teamsters and UPS slug it out at the negotiating table.

A 5% increase towards health and welfare is not reasonable either. Do you pay for your benefits? No! My sups have been paying for their benefits for years. What makes us better than them? We have a sweet deal right now.

I agree that we have many good years ahead of us. I just don't think we should let the Teamsters put us out of business with unreasonable demands.

 

[brown666]

My demands were "almost" met by UPS. Let's hope we did not give up the store to get this contract!!

 

[proups]

brown666: "Your demands"

The company was very generous in my book. A six year contract is a good thing. I just wish we had a no-strike clause.