The Teamster Promise

[my2cents]

From today's Wall Street Journal Editorial page:

The Teamster Promise

Union violence gets little media coverage. So we'd like to share a new posting on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters' Web site about a settlement it recently reached with the National Labor Relations Board.

The case stems from a nasty -- and ultimately unsuccessful -- strike against Overnite Transportation Co., of Richmond, Va. The strike was marred by intimidation that the company says includes more than 50 shootings at its trucks or drivers since 1999. What follows are excerpts from a notice the Teamsters are required to post at their locals:

"WE WILL NOT use or threaten to use a weapon of any kind, including but not limited to guns, knives, slingshots, rocks, ball bearings, liquid-filled balloons or other projectiles, picket signs, sticks, sledge hammers, bricks, hot coffee, bottles, two by fours, lit cigarettes, eggs, or bags or balloons filled with excrement against any non-striking Overnite employee or security guard in the presence of any Overnite employee...

"WE WILL NOT endanger or impede the progress of or harass any non-striking employee or any employee of a neutral person doing business with Overnite, while he or she is operating a company vehicle or his or her own personal vehicle, by forcing or attempting to force him or her off the road, blocking, delaying or limiting his or her access to or passage on any road, swerving toward, driving recklessly near, tailgating or braking abruptly in front of him or her...

"WE WILL NOT batter, assault, spit on, blow whistles loudly near a person's ear, throw any liquid or solid object at, or attempt to assault any non-striking employee of Overnite or any member of his or her family...

"WE WILL NOT threaten to kill or inflict bodily harm, make throat slashing motions, make gun pointing motions, challenge or threaten to fight or assault employees, threaten to sexually assault non-striking employees or their family members, threaten to follow non-striking employees to their homes, use racial epithets or obscene gestures at non-striking employees or otherwise threaten unspecified reprisals..."

This, mind you, is the union that the White House has been courting, the same union now seeking to persuade a court it ought to be removed from federal oversight. As part of an effort to help the Teamsters get their promise out, we provide the link to the full notice (look under "legal issues" at www.teamster.org/divisions/freight/freight.asp). But we think you get the message.

<hr width=75% size=2>I haven't read anything lately about any possible settlements in the RICO suit Overnite filed a couple of years ago. I assume that case is still pending. More background available from the Union Corruption Update archives.

 

[dannyboy]

That just makes me sooooooo PROUD!

I hope that any one that has done any of the above gets/got caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

d

 

[dammor]

And you lump all teamster members into that mentality? No wonder some UPS teamsters have a problem with SOME management. We get along and work well with each other here. Hell, that article wasn't even about UPS/teamster relations. Sorry two cents, but that effort to cause a fight was only worth one cent. You will find out of control people in every organization.
Sounds like Overnite in this case. I wonder how the Overnite management was behaving though. Heard anything on that? Thought not......

 

[my2cents]

What fight? Dammor, your perspective baffles me. That NLRB board notice is pretty graphic and that does not concern you as a Teamster? Its stuff like this that turns people off on unions and I believe it is a contributing factor in declining membership rolls. Its time to pass the Freedom from Union Violence bill into law.

 

[dammor]

There is now doubt in my mind that any and all violence is unacceptable. As I said, we have a good relationship here between the union and UPS. The sort of violence in the article you posted would land someone in jail here. As they should be. I'd just like a few more facts as to what really happened, was it just one sided, or is this company so out of control that both sides should be in jail? This is not an accurate picture of the Teamsters or the UPS I work for.
I will disagree with anyone that suggests we can't work together and be successful. The fact that some teamsters are out of control concerns me as much as knowing some in management are out of control. Both should be let go so we can get on with the business that most of us care about.

(Message edited by dammor on October 01, 2003)

 

[brown39]

Volume means jobs, jobs mean prosperity. Take back the lost volume from the competition. No company is successfull 100% of time with hiring and promoting people into management, and that most certainly shows with many of the complaints here about mistreatment, but the union is as guilty with having to defend bums. It behoves both sides to work together to be successful, while accepting the fact that in some cases both sides many be wrong. It may not ever be a marriage made in heaven, but things can and must and in most cases are worked out.

 

[my2cents]

To those who are HBO customers, one can view the HBO documentary titled "American Standoff" on their HBO on demand service.

The documentary is an inside look into the Teamsters struggle with Overnite. IMO, this sad story is worth the time and money to view.

 

[local804]

Please dont judge the whole Teamster Union for the ruthless acts of a few animals. Dont forget, there are bad apples in EVERY job in the states.LAPD(Rodney King) NYPD(4 top cops dealing drugs)Catholic Church( many priests worldwide molesting little boys) United Way( ceo caought with his hand in the cookie jar)sorry. .... I had to add that one.UPS drivers and managers caught double labeling packages(grand Larceny over $5000.00 price of merchandise.You can not label a group of people for the acts from a minority.

 

[dammor]

Two cents, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. You are focusing on the negative and all I see where I am is the positive. Yes some union people have been out of control, and yes some companies have been also. We can either wallow in the past or make an effort to change it. I'm sorry you're experience with the union was so awful for you. While doing your thesis on the wrong doings of Teamsters if you should find a positive thing to post please do so. Many of us embrace both UPS and the Union.

 

[my2cents]

These actions of the few occur a little too often, especially given the fact a consent decree is still in place. Exposing corruption and violence is negative and depressing. I firmly believe however, sunlight is the best disinfectant, which is a positive. Sweeping all of this stuff under the rug as if it didn't exist defies reality. Totally unacceptable and immoral as far as I'm concerned.

 

[brown39]

What I would like to see from the teamsters is more publicity relating to fdx being NON-UNION while operating over the road vehicles alongside UPS tractor trailers, and pick=up and delivery drivers working elbow to elbow with each other, one is paid lots more due to union contract and one supposededly is an independent contractor. The union needs to use its political muscle to boost unionism vs. ignoring it. By just denying fdx access to the union hqtrs in DC isn;t doing it. This is and was our volume !!!

 

[dammor]

"Exposing corruption and violence is negative and depressing. I firmly believe however, sunlight is the best disinfectant, which is a positive. Sweeping all of this stuff under the rug as if it didn't exist defies reality. Totally unacceptable and immoral as far as I'm concerned."

2cents, If we really wanted to take the time to shake the rug there would be horror stories about UPS that you would not care to hear. You probably already know many of them, but are so focused on your hate for the evil union demons that caused you so much pain in your childhood that you have now chosen to block those memories out.

This conversation is nothing but negative and no doubt not the best use of our time. As I said before, I am UPS and Union. Neither are perfect, but we can and do work well together here. I wish your expierence would have been a good one also.

On the up side though, I am thrilled we now have someone to look up to as a moral compass now that Rush Limbaugh has hit the wall. Damn, I hated that.

I will say no more on this subject. Have a good weekend.

 

[proups]

I think that my2cents was trying to focus on the Teamsters as a whole - not just the Teamsters that represent UPS.

The Teamster union is a corrupt union and has been for a very long time. Even in our strike in 1997, the Teamsters had to count on the AFL-CIO to bring in people from outside UPS to walk the picket lines in the second week of the strike because UPSers were not walking. Many UPSers were going back to work.

I agree that union UPSers and management get along. We are all well paid and civilized people. If you did not catch the HBO documentary about the Overnite strike, you really missed a documentary that would not make you proud to be a Teamster. Overnite decided to "break" the union's unreasonable demands, hired non-Teamsters to move their customer's freight, and the Teamsters eventually backed down. Overnite won.

During that strike, the Teamsters union employed violent tactics against management and non-management. That is why they had to post the anti-violence notices at the locals. It is sad, but true.

 

[ezrider]

Proups I'd agree with you that The Teamsters as a whole are largely compromised by corruption.Years ago in college I'd read a book that went as far as stating that the Central States Pension Fund was created for nothing more than being used as an ATM card for organized crime.One has to wonder if the union's inability to shed that overiding perception over the last three generations is as big of a culprit as any in it's stalled efforts to organize potential members. I won't go so far as to say that Overnite "won".The definition of winning can vary.Overnite had to spend in the millions of dollars to counter the effects of the striking workers,and it's parent company,Union Pacific,has decided to put it up for sale.Many of the workers did achieve pay raises and overtime and it's doubtful the company would have given them either had they not tried to organize.There are in my experience only pyrrhic victories for either side in any strike.

 

[wornoutupser]

Hey Proups!
Not all UPS'ers went back to work during the strike.
Our building had only 2 scabs and maintained a 24/7 picket line on premises.
Just to goad UPS, we sent them a bill signed by all strikers for 24/7 security for their building.
They of course, refused to pay!
The only violence was caught on videotape, and that was a supervisor that drove off the road and attempted to "intimidate" (ie hit) several picketers. The funny part was that a sheriff taped this (at the reqest of supervision) that claimed we were being violent to THEM!

 

[tieguy]

We should all hang our heads when we think about the 97 strike and what it did for the competition.

 

[interested]

Tie,

I was just talking about the strike with two of my colleagues who are relatively new to Ups.

I had been Brown for about four years at that time. The thing that I always found strange, even to this day, was that Ups had no contingency plan in place for a work stoppage. It was just a mad scramble to contact customers, clear the packages from the buildings and have management on the street providing what service we could.

I remember asking a senior manager why there was no action plan in place for a strike and his answer was, "It has never happened before this"

Quantas airlines have never had a major air disaster, but you can bet they have a plan in case there is an incident. Trained flight crews, emergency oxygen, flotation device under the seat etc.

I never understood how we could be the largest employer of the most volatile union in the history of organized labor and not have an action plan for a strike.

I bet we have one now.

 

[dannyboy]

Interested

THe "plan" would cost too much. How would you replace 100,000 drivers with trained personel. While UPS has more managment now then ever before, there was no way they could cover the deliveries. And unfortunatly we lost one of our best managers "Mr. Safety" when his rig went off an overpass during the strike.

As for it never happening before, ask him does 1976 not count?

d

 

[interested]

Dannyboy,

What I meant by "plan" was not to replace union employees, but to have specific assignments and actions in place for management. Coverage, if you will until the work stoppage is over.

In my opinion, Ups scrambled around in the press, in front of our customers and in our own facilities like the proverbial chicken w/o a head.

My colleagues and I spent the first 72 hours calling top customers and telling them we were on strike. After a few calls they were livid. Nobody was more painfully aware that we were on strike as our customers, to complicate matters we were reading off of a script that said that said, "we are expecting the work stoppage to be over shortly" The same work stoppage that we assured all of our customers only a few hours earlier would "never happen"

The response to our calls? "Don't you have anything better to do than call us for three straight days and tell us the obvious"

It was situations like that that really hurt our credibility with customers. If we had sent a clear message that we had a gameplan in the event of a strike, or honestly admitted to our customers that a strike was a very real possibility, it could have made a difference during the last contract negotiation-when many, many customers switched because they heard the same things in '97 and no longer trusted us.

 

[wkmac]

The best plan is to have in place for this to never happen again. Is that possible? Yes, but are both sides willing to sit down and hammer out a deal to insure this will be the case? Are both sides willing to put their paranoia of one another aside and are each willing to place all the cards on the table face up in order to deal a final hand in which all parties, including the customers are winners. Yes, this can be done but are we going to continue to be a bunch of lazy (this includes everyone) and let FedEx beat us over the head with our own stick?

Those are the ga-zillion dollar questions for both sides!