Washington Post Slam

[tieguy]

Article in todays washington post claiming UPS forced its employees to write letters in support of the RLA changes. Brown cafe mentioned as one source two thirds of the way through the article. You'll have to sign up for a free membership to read it. Interesting I know we had approximately 10 people refuse

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080701599.html

 

[City Driver]

we werent forced, we just had to do it


anyone who didnt write the letters had to have a 1 on 1 sit down closed door meeting with the center manager

i think thats bull****, a big part of the reason i wrote it was to stay off the radar, i kinda went against my own beliefs by doing that but i see what management does to those guys

 

[tieguy]

we werent forced, we just had to do it


anyone who didnt write the letters had to have a 1 on 1 sit down closed door meeting with the center manager

i think thats bull****, a big part of the reason i wrote it was to stay off the radar, i kinda went against my own beliefs by doing that but i see what management does to those guys

You didn't agree with the concept of putting fdx on a level playing field?

 

[over9five]

They list a website where everyone's anonymous as a source????

That's pretty laughable. Lot's of credibility at the Post....

 

[Livin the Dream?]

"...we werent forced, we just had to do it..."

LMAO

 

[Dustyroads]

I gladly participated in the letterwriting campaign as I believed that a change in the classification of FedEx was warranted, and I didn't mind doing it on the clock. However, after reading comments of some of the posters here, I have concerns that some centers placed inappropriated pressure on individuals to participate.

Just hypothetically, I am wondering if an employee sat down on the clock and wrote a letter opposing any changes in classification, would the UPS managers have copied that person's letter and paid for the postage and envelope and mailed it for them?

It's a bad situation when UPS takes a good idea and lets it go awry.

 

[klein]

You didn't agree with the concept of putting fdx on a level playing field?

Nope, I don't agree with it either. It's called Freedom.
If you own your own business, you should be entiteled to pay what you decide.
If you can't find any workers, then you'll raise the pay.
Thats how the free market works.

And those that pay more, have more loyal employees (less turn over, etc).

Don't forget, Fedex is losing money, UPS isn't.
If you want Fedex to lose even more, and go out of business, do you think the next contracts with Teamsters will be any better ?
I doubt it, since they won't have a company to compare wages to, anymore.

Monopolies aren't good for anyone.

 

[Dustyroads]

Klein, down here in the lower 48 states, there is also freedom to organize labor. The letter writing campaign really was about the rights of FedEx express division workers to organize a labor union, which is pretty fundamental here in the United States.

 

[tieguy]

Nope, I don't agree with it either. It's called Freedom.
If you own your own business, you should be entiteled to pay what you decide.
If you can't find any workers, then you'll raise the pay.
Thats how the free market works.

And those that pay more, have more loyal employees (less turn over, etc).

Interesting point.

that brings a couple (or more) questions to mind.

1) what if a fdx and ups colluded to keep the wage scales down as non-union companies.

2) wouldn't collective bargaining be another facet of a free market society.

3) If you're point is correct then shouldn't we completely remove any regulatory action by the government.

4) If the govenment interveens in a free market and imposes regulations that inhibit a totally free market society then shouldn't competing companies be subject to the same regulations?

 

[Dustyroads]

Looking at that photo in the Washington Post, gosh it almost looks like that guy doesn't have a seatbelt on. Maybe it's just one of those lap belts...but maybe not.

 

[klein]

Interesting point.

that brings a couple (or more) questions to mind.

1) what if a fdx and ups colluded to keep the wage scales down as non-union companies.

2) wouldn't collective bargaining be another facet of a free market society.

3) If you're point is correct then shouldn't we completely remove any regulatory action by the government.

4) If the govenment interveens in a free market and imposes regulations that inhibit a totally free market society then shouldn't competing companies be subject to the same regulations?

answers:
1) what if they kept them up as union companies did with the Auto Industry ?
(what is good for 1, was good for the other 2).
That didn't work, as we all know now.
Also answers question nr 2.

3) no, standard labour labour laws need to be in place at all times, or we'll have sweat shops or children working, etc.

4) I agree, goverment regulations must be the same for businesses in the same branch or line of work.

 

[City Driver]

You didn't agree with the concept of putting fdx on a level playing field?

its not even necessarily that i didnt agree or disagree with it.....i didnt have alot of knowledge about it, and they read us a 1 paragraph, completely from UPS managements point of view summary of it and expected us to write our senators

i honestly just did it to get them off my back

 

[tieguy]

answers:
1) what if they kept them up as union companies did with the Auto Industry ?
(what is good for 1, was good for the other 2).
That didn't work, as we all know now.
Also answers question nr 2.

3) no, standard labour labour laws need to be in place at all times, or we'll have sweat shops or children working, etc.

4) I agree, goverment regulations must be the same for businesses in the same branch or line of work.

If you're giving me number 4 then you would have to agree with our letter writing campaign?

 

[klein]

If you're giving me number 4 then you would have to agree with our letter writing campaign?

You could be right. I haven't seen the letter. Maybe should have kept my mouth shut, but forcing Fedex to unionize?.. thats my point I wanted to make out of my comments.

 

[tieguy]

its not even necessarily that i didnt agree or disagree with it.....i didnt have alot of knowledge about it, and they read us a 1 paragraph, completely from UPS managements point of view summary of it and expected us to write our senators

i honestly just did it to get them off my back

I would agree we needed to do a better job of explaining what we were doing and why.

 

[Dustyroads]

Klein, there is nothing in the law or proposed law that forces FedEx to unionize....it simply gives their workers the FREEDOM (your word) to do so if they wish.

 

[tieguy]

You could be right. I haven't seen the letter. Maybe should have kept my mouth shut, but forcing Fedex to unionize?.. thats my point I wanted to make out of my comments.

I don't disagree with your concepts on a free market. Transportation tends to be one of the most heavily regulated industries.

Guess the story on the yellow freight guy losing his trailer explains why

 

[Dustyroads]

Tie, I was delivering for UPS before the deregulation of trucking in 1980....just fyi, there was never in our history anything that was responsible for more growth in ups than the 1980 deregulation of trucking.

 

[klein]

I don't disagree with your concepts on a free market. Transportation tends to be one of the most heavily regulated industries.

Guess the story on the yellow freight guy losing his trailer explains why

Yeah, we got to think of poor salesguy, if Fedex went under.. Salesguy would be out of a job (no more competition) LOL

 

[Walkins]

Fedex and UPS shouldn't be on the same level. Fedex's business when regulated and still true operates mainly by aircraft. Really we want trucking regulations on aircraft?