Just a few thoughts from someone who has "been there, done that":
1. There is not going to be a strike. Today's workforce does not have the cajones to walk----way too many people living paycheck to paycheck, way too many new cars and above their means mortgages. The FT drivers will get their customary $1/hr raises while the starting PT pay will be bumped to $20/hr. Keep in mind that this is a job that requires only a valid driver's license and HS diploma---you guys are not performing brain surgery or rocket science.
2. 22.4's and PVD's aren't going anywhere; in fact, you will see an increase in the number of 22.4's and the use of PVD's outside of Peak.
3. AC in the PC's does not make any sense; however, there needs to be an increased effort to ventilate the cargo areas of the PC's. The white fans are a start but there needs to be a way to have (solar?) powered fans with ventilation slots added to all of the PC's.
4. Get used to the outward and driver facing cameras as they are not going anywhere. Do your jobs as though your kids are in the jump seat and the cameras won't be an issue. In addition, you can expect to see an expanded use of technology for disciplinary purposes and an increased emphasis on production.
5. Orion 2.0 ("Delivering for Dummies") is not going anywhere. The Company likes the flexibility of handing the DIAD to any driver to cover any route.
6. You will never see a 401k match. UPS pays the administrative fees.
7. The forced 6th punch is an issue that needs to go away, whether through the expanded used of 22.4's or through creative scheduling.
8. Rural remote/deferred delivery makes sense but it cannot be used as a dispatch tool. Any country driver worth his/her salt knows where to leave "runners" in town, saving a lot of miles in the process. Simply pulling entire zip codes does not work.
9. Pension contributions need to be made on ALL hours worked, not just the first 40.
10. This is Sean's first contract and while he will try to make a statement in the end both sides will come together to reach an amicable agreement.
This is not 1997 and there will be ZERO support for a strike, especially once the general public finds out how much you guys make for bringing a box to someone's front door. I recall our local newspaper publishing an article several days in to the strike which listed our wages down to the penny. Our overwhelming public support dwindled dramatically once people learned how much we made.
There was another thread asking what can and cannot be done on a picket line. Keep in mind that the strike involves the Union and the Company, not you and your on car. While I don't expect a strike, the one piece of advice that I would give is to not burn any bridges during the work stoppage, which will almost certainly lead to a lock out. The strike, if it happens, will end and you will have to go back to work with (and for) the very people that you are in disagreement with. This may surprise you but the majority of your management team want the hourlies to get everything that they are asking for. Finally, as was mentioned above, there are no "winners" or "losers" in a strike. It took us a long time to get back to "normal" in '97. Many shippers were surprised by the strike and took measures to ensure that their shipments would not be disrupted in the future, most notably setting up pickup accounts with both companies. The relationships that we used to enjoy with our shippers were forever changed.
