UPS drivers maneuvering to create a new union

Channahon

Well-Known Member
Are there any other areas considering the APWA?

Source: Dayton Daily News

UPS drivers maneuvering to create a new union



By Thomas Gnau
Staff Writer

Saturday, May 19, 2007


DAYTON — — A group of United Parcel Service drivers are maneuvering to exit the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and create a new union.

Drivers like Rick Ford, who drives a semi to Chicago each night from West Carrollton, is an organizer for a union branding itself the Association of Parcel Workers of America.

For Ford, 48, the impetus to leave the Teamsters comes down to what he contends is a faulty pension system — the Central States Fund. If he retired tomorrow, Ford says he would receive nothing, though he has been an UPS driver for 29 years.

Ford will have to wait until he is 65 before retiring, said Van Skillman, APWA president and organizer.

With APWA, Ford says, "No. 1, the money you have going toward your pension, you're going to get 100 percent, almost 100 percent, of your money."
But there are other issues at work, APWA organizers say.

It's also about medical insurance, which is less of an issue in Ohio, where UPS provides generous health insurance, said Skillman, 50, a 28-year UPS driver based in Greensboro, N.C.
APWA supporters challenge the quality of Teamsters representation.

Messages were left for a Teamsters spokesman in Washington, D.C. and an officer of Teamsters Local 957, Ford's union.

Ford, an APWA organizer since March 2005, says driver signatures for union organization cards have been collected in 29 states.
Ford declined to say how many signatures he has locally, but he said 75 percent of drivers at the UPS depot in West Carrollton have signed cards, as well 85 percent of Dayton-based drivers. Ninety-five percent of drivers have signed up in both Springfield and Hamilton, he said.

Skillman thinks a National Labor Relations Board-overseen election will be held this fall, perhaps in September or October.
"We didn't really understand the amount of support we had until we started getting these cards signed," Skillman said.

The drive seems to have gotten notice. This week, UPS said it is willing to jointly manage a new pension plan with the Teamsters as a way to leave the Central States Fund, the (Louisville) Courier-Journal reported. UPS has a national sorting hub in Louisville.

"It's pretty obvious that Atlanta (UPS corporate headquarters) has finally done its homework," Skillman said. "The company has nothing to say about this organizing drive or anything about the Teamsters," said Norman Black, a UPS spokesman in Atlanta. "Our employees make their own decisions about union representation."
 

RockyRogue

Agent of Change
Are there any other areas considering the APWA?

I haven't seen or heard anything about APWA west of the Mississippi River, Channahon. A few of the APWA people swear up, down, left to right there are members/supporters in the Rocky Mountains but I haven't seen, read or otherwise heard about it. -Rocky
 

Griff

Well-Known Member
The entire thing is a sick joke. Yeah, I feel for brothers who have been essentially robbed by the Central States fund, but the APWA isn't the answer.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
The apwa even lies to reporters now! Ford whos 48 has been driving for 29 years, he must have started driving when he was 19. I spoke with friends in boston they havent heard a peep and im in chicago and no ones talking about them here.
 

LKLND3380

Well-Known Member
Are there any other areas considering the APWA?

Source: Dayton Daily News

UPS drivers maneuvering to create a new union



By Thomas Gnau
Staff Writer

Saturday, May 19, 2007


DAYTON — — A group of United Parcel Service drivers are maneuvering to exit the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and create a new union.

Drivers like Rick Ford, who drives a semi to Chicago each night from West Carrollton, is an organizer for a union branding itself the Association of Parcel Workers of America.

For Ford, 48, the impetus to leave the Teamsters comes down to what he contends is a faulty pension system — the Central States Fund. If he retired tomorrow, Ford says he would receive nothing, though he has been an UPS driver for 29 years.

Ford will have to wait until he is 65 before retiring, said Van Skillman, APWA president and organizer.

With APWA, Ford says, "No. 1, the money you have going toward your pension, you're going to get 100 percent, almost 100 percent, of your money."
But there are other issues at work, APWA organizers say.

It's also about medical insurance, which is less of an issue in Ohio, where UPS provides generous health insurance, said Skillman, 50, a 28-year UPS driver based in Greensboro, N.C.
APWA supporters challenge the quality of Teamsters representation.

Messages were left for a Teamsters spokesman in Washington, D.C. and an officer of Teamsters Local 957, Ford's union.

Ford, an APWA organizer since March 2005, says driver signatures for union organization cards have been collected in 29 states.
Ford declined to say how many signatures he has locally, but he said 75 percent of drivers at the UPS depot in West Carrollton have signed cards, as well 85 percent of Dayton-based drivers. Ninety-five percent of drivers have signed up in both Springfield and Hamilton, he said.

Skillman thinks a National Labor Relations Board-overseen election will be held this fall, perhaps in September or October.
"We didn't really understand the amount of support we had until we started getting these cards signed," Skillman said.

The drive seems to have gotten notice. This week, UPS said it is willing to jointly manage a new pension plan with the Teamsters as a way to leave the Central States Fund, the (Louisville) Courier-Journal reported. UPS has a national sorting hub in Louisville.

"It's pretty obvious that Atlanta (UPS corporate headquarters) has finally done its homework," Skillman said. "The company has nothing to say about this organizing drive or anything about the Teamsters," said Norman Black, a UPS spokesman in Atlanta. "Our employees make their own decisions about union representation."

Asks you supes/management about their pension with UPS... Then ask yourself - Do you really want UPS involved with YOUR pension...
 

Cole

Well-Known Member
705 I don't know who Ford is, but it is possible he said he was with the company for 29 yrs. and the reporter put he had been a driver for 29 yrs.

Nope the Teamsters never lied to anyone!

I have no idea how far West support is coming in from, I am sure they will be out and about all over soon enough. Win lose or draw, they have gone this far, so if they are for real, they had better go to all states, or it would be a "farce" imho!
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
I think I am the only one here in NY that have heard of them and that is only because of this website.
I heard they talk about them during the yankee games, maybe thats why no ones heard of them, they might want to by advertising for the mets games since all new yorkers are watching them. OUCH
 

krash

Go big orange
Now now yall. APWA claims to be steam tolling across the country so that must mean that everyone has not only heard of them , but intend join or have joined them already. If they say it, it must be true:thumbup1:
 

ozzey

Active Member
At any age ,in central states ,I think you can retire with 30 years and get money right away. I think it is your insurance that is an issue. never heard of apwa in midwest. i think they use this site too much.Every topic i read they jump in to promote apwa. Waste of time in my opinion.:wink::mellow::blush:
 

30andout

Well-Known Member
At any age ,in central states ,I think you can retire with 30 years and get money right away. I think it is your insurance that is an issue. never heard of apwa in midwest. i think they use this site too much.Every topic i read they jump in to promote apwa. Waste of time in my opinion.:wink::mellow::blush:
Yes you can get some money with 30 years, but you better check, its no where near the $3000.00 it should be. And yes your right , NO insurance.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
Sounds like their support is in the rural areas?

I think the APWA's strongest support is in areas covered under the Central States Pension Plan. After all, that's the reason it was started in the first place. A lot of people, myself included, don't understand the big differences in all the different Pension Plans. If UPS is contributing the same amount for every worker, than why do some plans pay almost two thousand dollars a month more and have retirement at any age? I think that if someone (CS in this case) does a bad job with investments, than I have no problem replacing them with someone that can provide better plan. And this opinion is shared by a majority of the "oldtimer drivers" where I work.

And I am not a member of the APWA. If the IBT thinks I will be fool enough to walk the Picket Line again next summertime to "save Central States", like that song by "The Who" goes, We won't be fooled again!
 
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705red

Browncafe Steward
I think the APWA's strongest support is in areas covered under the Central States Pension Plan. After all, that's the reason it was started in the first place. A lot of people, myself included, don't understand the big differences in all the different Pension Plans. If UPS is contributing the same amount for every worker, than why do some plans pay almost two thousand dollars a month more and have retirement at any age? I think that if someone (CS in this case) does a bad job with investments, than I have no problem replacing them with someone that can provide better plan. And this opinion is shared by a majority of the "oldtimer drivers" where I work.

And I am not a member of the APWA. If the IBT thinks I will be fool enough to walk the Picket Line again next summertime to "save Central States", like that song by "The Who" goes, won't be fooled again!
Scratch i dont believe that ups pays the same for all employees, in my area its a little over the $214 a week that i hear the cs plan gets.

I was keeping a close eye on the ibt election out of the cs pension plan areas and hoffa won all of them, so i cant see alot of support for the apwa, unless of course the upsers in those areas didnt care enough to cast their ballots then.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
Scratch i dont believe that ups pays the same for all employees, in my area its a little over the $214 a week that i hear the cs plan gets.

I was keeping a close eye on the ibt election out of the cs pension plan areas and hoffa won all of them, so i cant see alot of support for the apwa, unless of course the upsers in those areas didnt care enough to cast their ballots then.
I was keeping an eye on the Election results too, and the Central States areas are where Leedham got more votes than Hoffa. I am posting that off the top of my head without researching, not sure of exact results. One fact is for sure though, with only about twenty per cent of the Teamsters bothering to check a ballot and drop it in the mailbox, it was a pathetic showing for both Hoffa and Leedham.
 
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