UPS EMPLOYEES START NEW UNION!

[feeders]

GRASS ROOT MOVEMENT STARTED TO OUST TEAMSTERS FROM UPS!
The employees of UPS have started a new union called the APWA, "Association of Parcel Workers of America." It appears that this organization is gathering momentum extremely fast. With sightings of their ad flyers in 31 states, this group has shown UPS and the Teamsters, that they are serious. Recognized by both the Teamsters and UPS as competing for collect bargaining rights, the employee driven APWA has certainly got Hoffa's attention. You can learn more about the APWA at their website.

 

[my2cents]

Chatted today about this with a few co-workers. Emotions ranged from elation to panic. Winning a decertification election in our bargaining unit would be very difficult to acheive, however. Plan to keep an eye on this movement to see if it can get any traction.

 

[ok2bclever]

While I would love to be represented by a union that is for, by and made up of UPS employees exclusively I have some doubts about a group that is lead by a lawyer who is starting it asking for my money and trust with statements that he might end this at any time without warning while bandying emotion stirring rhetoric that while emotion stirring is still rhetoric.

The statement regarding "mismanaged funds" when I don't believe they have been mismanaged, but rather are in trouble because of so many older, non-UPS retirees makes me very suspicious.

Another is the statement that CS is the only fund in trouble. Which I know is not the case.

Also all this talk about how the union screwed up our retirement medical when UPS is the one who pays our retirement medical and it is UPS who has hiked our medical premiums to sky high levels is another point that makes me smell a rat or at least incompetency.

Perhaps these are accidental innacuracies, but they do not bode well whether as a bellweather for the qualifications or for the sincerity and integrity of the "leaders" and "spokesmen" of this propose group.

I will keep an open mind and more importantly open eyes and a hand on my wallet regarding future developments.

While there is certainly a need and advantage for such a movement that doesn't mean this group is actually doing this for our benefit.

 

[my2cents]

The fact that there is a lawyer behind this proposed union can also be viewed as a positive. I hate to say this, but at some point this entity will probably get sued by the IBT for some reason. When the Northwest flight attendents left the Teamsters for another union, I believe there was a flurry of lawsuits to stop the exodus. If memory serves, I believe the allegations involved poaching members, sort of like a turf war. The employee-only union has appeal with me also, but odds are good that it will be an ugly process as this movement goes forward. Anyway, perhaps this newly founded union should consider potential member feedback, so it can hone it's website rhetoric for building a member base.

 

[ok2bclever]

Frankly, I think anyone spearheading a movement to take serious money away from the Teamsters needs to keep a sharp eye out for wet cement.

 

[wkmac]

How effective this effort can be is way up in the air to be honest but I will say this about it. Any effort that forces more and more discussion about the state of the union around UPS amongst it's Teamster members is a good thing.

You have to beat the grass to startle the snakes and just maybe this effort's best thing for UPS IBT members is to beat the grass. That I greatly welcome!

 

[beetenbrownie]

what was hoffa before he became teamster pres.? (lawyer)

 

[ok2bclever]

See! My point exactly!

 

[revenuerecovery]

Uh oh....IBT has competition....hey, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

 

[over9five]

Echo Wkmac. Well said!

 

[quebec_driver]

Do you think they will come North to Canada, after our last contract there was a lot of talk about ousting the Teamsters.

 

[archibald]

Time will tell, but have they found Hoffa yet? Man Waldo was not that hard to find!!

 

[ups79]

do you really think that UPS will negotiate with them.

 

[ups_gregg]

I'm sure many Teamsters in the Southern region are interested. Some drivers are still pretty angry at the union. Some are going to have to drive for 40+ years just to get a decent retirement. Some would welcome a new union. Some are just so fed up with the union that they are fed up with unions in general. I predict the Teamsters will battle this legally in court...and illegally on the side.

 

[speeddemon]

As far as Im concerned, the union has left the southern guys out in the cold. Ip open to listen to anything.

 

[frustrated2]

If these guys were smart they would start by trying to get the non-union non-management employees together. This group has been royally screwed but completely lacks any representation. I think a lot of the people that fall into this group would be willing to join ranks to get better working conditions.

 

[wkmac]

Being in the south I agree this new union proposal may get some legs in the south especially in light of the recent issues with the pension among others. It's a fact Southerners have no real love for unions and whether it is right or wrong it's just a fact of life. As a result of this I do think you'll see more ground in the South than anywhere else.

The simple and hard truth is the union is what it is as a result of members not going to meetings and getting involved but at the same time when we see the union playing to the lowest element of it's members it's very hard to energize the average hardworking UPSer. Until the union realizes that if you are gonna fight to keep someone who does deserve to be fired because they are a sorry arse then the union needs to step in and pressure that person to hold up their end on the job. At the same time the company needs to do a better job of not being lazy and short cutting a process spelled out in the contract and dot all the i's and cross the t's so when judgement day arrives the slug doesn't comeback on a procedural error. JMO.

 

[tieguy]

good luck feeders . You have to have a major crisis to get people to change. If the pension is your major crisis then you have to be able to convince enough people that you have the right answer.

 

[water302]

Has anyone given any thought to how much business UPS gets from and because of IBT? I'm not sure I would like to see them aligned with DHL and campaigning to help their business, against UPS.

 

[my2cents]

The seeds for change are certainly planted. Shrinking pensions with arcane work-rule restrictions, factored in with soaring retiree health care costs. Not a pretty picture.

In regards to the IBT, besides whatever political clout they have, are they out there interacting with customers to win business for UPS? Obviously not, since they just organized DHL bargaining unit employees at JFK.