Ron Carey Speech

nhguy

Well-Known Member
It is quite clear to me that Carey went into those negotiations with every intention of striking! That's why he wouldn't put the contract offer out to a vote. We can't live in the past, however, he takes credit for a successful strike,but when you look back was it really a victory for labor? Nobody wins in a strike.
I will give him credit for one thing during that strike, he made the UPS Public Relations department look like a bunch of clowns. He took his message to the street although the message was far from factual or correct, he did sway public oponion against the company.
 

local804

Well-Known Member
Very good post nhguy, there was a vote and that was giving the union the authorization to strike. I do agree with you also that no one wins in a strike.
 

tieguy

Banned
Interesting guy. Probably the first teamster president to not milk money from the pension plan yet may have done more than any other teamster president to hurt it. 97 was the time to negotiate over fixing the pension. Carey wanted no part of it.

He also did more to help UPS's competitors then any other teamster president. Before 97 approximately 85 percent of all shippers were single carrier. Not any more. Fdx's largest shipper is a medical shipper based out of Chicago. We promised them we would not go on strike and they have never forgotten it and never returned.

In Careys mind this was somehow a victory.
 

Dfigtree

Well-Known Member
"I will give him credit for one thing during that strike, he made the UPS Public Relations department look like a bunch of clowns."

You mean they are not? I thought hitching their dreams on #88 DRIVE THE TRUCK DALE and the UPS tie in with the corrupt, antisemetic International Olympic Committee would have been enough. Maybe not, they had to add Geo Thorogood to the mix, Brown to the Bone, but better known for One Whiskey, One Scotch and One Beer. And on and on. Bring on the CLOWNS.
 
A

an anonymous guest

Guest
Mr. Carey's agenda was to strike no matter what. There was some pay back involved there, kind of a 'finally gotcha.' He certainly hurt UPS and caused everyone to look at how the Teamsters were run more closely. UPS insular management was exposed to the public like deer in the headlights. The real issue of pensions, which UPS wanted to assure for its people, and not employees of long dead companies, is still a lead weight around UPS and the Teamster necks. The media loved the whole rediculous scenario, and will bring it up again, and again. Let's hope more serious minds prevail during this negotiation instead of arguing with other parts of the anatomy. Man, its hard to get your head up there anyway!

Go UPS!
P71
 

sendagain

Well-Known Member
I think it is laughable when he says that you have to keep the membership informed; when did they ever keep us informed? All negotiatians were kept hush-hush until we were asked to vote on a contract, and this goes back as far as I kind remember. Carey did get the public behind our strike with the "part time America just won't work speech", but the strike was won by all the drivers showing up and picketing everyday. I rarely saw union guys show up on our picket lines or even give us any information. Looking back, we seem to have more part time employees than we did then; little or nothing has changed.
 

my2cents

Well-Known Member
There is a book which was recently released to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the public relations victory scored by the IBT for the '97 strike:

Amazon.com: Outside the Box: Corporate Media, Globalization, and the UPS Strike (History of Communication): Deepa Kumar: Books

Personally, I can't see myself shelling out $35 to read it.
 

local804

Well-Known Member
Interesting guy. Probably the first teamster president to not milk money from the pension plan yet may have done more than any other teamster president to hurt it. 97 was the time to negotiate over fixing the pension. Carey wanted no part of it.

He also did more to help UPS's competitors then any other teamster president. Before 97 approximately 85 percent of all shippers were single carrier. Not any more. Fdx's largest shipper is a medical shipper based out of Chicago. We promised them we would not go on strike and they have never forgotten it and never returned.

In Careys mind this was somehow a victory.

Time to negotiate over fixing the pension or letting UPS take control of it? I do believe there is a difference. The medical shipper out of Chicago is a loss for all employees. I really dont think it was Ron Careys intention to lose business over a strike but was to protect his members and do his job. There was a strike vote and he had 95% willing to strike.(numbers I seen in my local) When we all returned to work, Ron encouraged all UPS employees to drum up businees and we did. Like I said before, the strike did not benefit anyone.
 

local804

Well-Known Member
I think it is laughable when he says that you have to keep the membership informed; when did they ever keep us informed? All negotiatians were kept hush-hush until we were asked to vote on a contract, and this goes back as far as I kind remember. Carey did get the public behind our strike with the "part time America just won't work speech", but the strike was won by all the drivers showing up and picketing everyday. I rarely saw union guys show up on our picket lines or even give us any information. Looking back, we seem to have more part time employees than we did then; little or nothing has changed.

Little or nothing has changed? Speaking from my district, I see a ton of combo jobs created in all centers in all building. UPS has created more full time jobs like they agreed and showed it to our union. The business agents were on the picket line from start to finish here and there were no exceptions. Maybe Ron kept us informed on contract negotiations because he was from our local but I doubt it. If you dont like Ron Carey, thats fine, just dont make up nonsense about him.
 

BROWNDAWG

Active Member
Interesting guy. Probably the first teamster president to not milk money from the pension plan yet may have done more than any other teamster president to hurt it. 97 was the time to negotiate over fixing the pension. Carey wanted no part of it.

He also did more to help UPS's competitors then any other teamster president. Before 97 approximately 85 percent of all shippers were single carrier. Not any more. Fdx's largest shipper is a medical shipper based out of Chicago. We promised them we would not go on strike and they have never forgotten it and never returned.

In Careys mind this was somehow a victory.
RON CAREY HAD MORE "COJONES" THAN ALL OF UPS MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONALLY COMBINED BACK IN '97 AND TODAY '07 RESPECTIVELY. SO WHAT PROMISES HAVE BEEN MADE TO EMPLOYEES IN THE PAST AND THEY'RE ALWAYS BROKEN . COMPANY STILL HASN'T MET QUOTA ON FULL-TIME JOBS. GET READY FOR ANOTHER STRIKE '08..
 

tieguy

Banned
Time to negotiate over fixing the pension or letting UPS take control of it? I do believe there is a difference.

Since Ron Carey did not present his economic proposals until the day before the strike I think its safe to say there really was no discussion about who would control the pension. Your side tells you the company wanted to control it. I still have papers somewhere that we presented to our teamsters that stated a pension jointly administered by both sides. All thats lost to interpretation at this point.

 

tieguy

Banned
RON CAREY HAD MORE "COJONES" THAN ALL OF UPS MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONALLY COMBINED BACK IN '97 AND TODAY '07 RESPECTIVELY. SO WHAT PROMISES HAVE BEEN MADE TO EMPLOYEES IN THE PAST AND THEY'RE ALWAYS BROKEN . COMPANY STILL HASN'T MET QUOTA ON FULL-TIME JOBS. GET READY FOR ANOTHER STRIKE '08..

The application of cajones with stupidity is a plan for failure. If the world was ruled by the size of ones cajones then you and I would be serving some 400 pound gorilla somewhere.
 

BROWNDAWG

Active Member
The application of cajones with stupidity is a plan for failure. If the world was ruled by the size of ones cajones then you and I would be serving some 400 pound gorilla somewhere.
ONCE AGAIN YOU ARE MISTAKEN GORILLAS HAVE ONE OF THE SMALLEST ANATOMIES IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM EVEN BY HUMAN STANDARDS MY FRIEND. REASON BEING THERE IS NO COMPETITION WHEN IT COMES TO MATING. GORILLAS CAN PICK AND CHOSE AS THEY PLEASE. CURRENTLY I'M NOT AVAILABLE YOU MIGHT BE.
 

DorkHead

Well-Known Member
Tieguy, UPS helped our competiters by misleading our customers on the possibillity of a strike in 97. Our customers have now taken on new contracts with our competiters so they won`t be caught offguard in 08. The integrity of our company is severely damaged and it is soley UPS`s fault.
 

ihadit

Well-Known Member
Tieguy, UPS helped our competiters by misleading our customers on the possibillity of a strike in 97. Our customers have now taken on new contracts with our competiters so they won`t be caught offguard in 08. The integrity of our company is severely damaged and it is soley UPS`s fault.
Since going public UPS has continued to lose credibility, not only with its customers, but more importantly with its own employees. Morale has never been so low. If a strike occurs in 2008 the company WILL NOT RECOVER. Hopefully are 'mindless leaders' from both sides will finally open their eyes to this fact.
 

tieguy

Banned
Tieguy, UPS helped our competiters by misleading our customers on the possibillity of a strike in 97. Our customers have now taken on new contracts with our competiters so they won`t be caught offguard in 08. The integrity of our company is severely damaged and it is soley UPS`s fault.

I'm sorry but thats a a pretty naive response to make. A brainwashed zealot could have done no worse. No if you want to know why we struck then you have to look and see why Carey wanted that strike so bad. And perhaps why Carey spent his whole life fighting UPS. Ronnie was banished in shame yet he's happy because he got his national strike before he left.
 
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