IMHO pure favoritism in the workplace is just as bad as promoting just because of seniority.

Ideally the only time seniority should come into play is if everything else is equal.

I am curious about what you union drivers pay in dues?

Varies by local and contract but roughly $50-60/month. Two and half times your hourly rate.

Originally Posted by Snowman7:
. . For example detention pay/layover pay with set rates that are cut and dry. Perhaps you would negotiate for idling time, paid medical insurance, paid holidays, predetermined raises for the life of the contract, guaranteed hometime with proper notice. . .

I've talked this over with a few other Drivers and the one conclusion we always seem to agree on is that we don't need a union when we're working, we need a union when we're not working.

The union needs to pull a nationwide strike and ALL drivers need to honor it or it will not work, maybe a few large companies can be convinced to go union, if they CAN NOT deliver their loads customers will have to ship with union carriers at that point.

Originally Posted by Uturn2001:
As far as Swift goes I can not see Jerry putting up with a union, or anyone for that matter, making demands on how he runs his company. My guess is that before he would allow a union into any sector of Swift he would close operations at that terminal and move on to something else.

My gut reaction was pretty much the same. However, even with the assundry subsidies he's getting, 600 is a lot of trucks, Drivers and support. I can't believe he'd make that kind of commitment to a marginal deal. It isn't as though he ran out and bought 600 new trucks. One of the articles states that he carved a few '07 and newer trucks out of the existing fleet. I'm speculating my previous truck was one of them.

So, Jerry's in with a pile of dough and the Union, politician in tow, have bared their fangs. This should be fun to watch.

Originally Posted by dobry4u:
Swift isn't going union. The words "organized" and "Swift" are bipolar :rofl::D

You're suppsed to resrve comments like this for the secret hideout!

Having just laid off several drivers I have to say that going JUST by seniority sucks big time. ( That is company policy tho ) . I lost some damn good drivers to some that just happen to have hung around longer, doing just enough to keep from getting fired. :mad:

If unions are so great then why are they not voluntary? Why should a person be forced to join on in order to work at a place if he or she dosn't want too? Isn't this a restriction in personal liberty and the freedom of association?

This is one of the arguements that was used in a recent article in a Libertarian magazine I get and wondered how the pro-union people, the actual union worker guys, respond to it.

Originally Posted by jonp:
If unions are so great then why are they not voluntary? Why should a person be forced to join on in order to work at a place if he or she dosn't want too? Isn't this a restriction in personal liberty and the freedom of association?

This is one of the arguements that was used in a recent article in a Libertarian magazine I get and wondered how the pro-union people, the actual union worker guys, respond to it.

I'll respond but to clarify I'm not pro or anti union. I am pro fairness and anti abusive for lack of a better description. This is the first union job I've ever had and it was non union when I got hired. We've only been teamsters since Apr 08. These port drivers clearly need to do something to improve working conditions and I suspect there are others in this industry of ours as well. Its hard to say whether we needed a union at my place. It was already a good job. However so much has changed since UPS bought us that it is difficult to differentiate between grief caused by UPS and that caused by the union. Every current and former employee of UPS that I have talked to has said they are a ruthless cutthroat company and you cannot work there without a union. I have seen some evidence of that already. Definately the tightest ship in the shipping industry!

But back to your question. In most states it is actually state law that if it is a union shop you must join in order to work there but there are a few states that do not have such a law. IMHO you would not want to work there and not be a member. First of all they cannot have two sets of rules and two payscales so you would be subject to all the same things as your union counterparts anyway. Secondly you wouldn't have any friends that's for sure, except maybe management. The union negotiates, mediates, and enforces the the contract rules on your behalf and you dont want to join? That's kinda like hitching a free ride and your coworkers would not appreciate that very much. Your life at work would be filled with grief and loneliness. Should you ever need the union for any reason you would be SOL my friend. You may as well just pay your stupid 50/month dues and then just badmouth the union behind their back. LOL. It just ain't worth it to not join. If you're going to enjoy the pay and bennies then you might as well support the ones who fought for it. If you don't like it don't work there. Or go to the non union competition who pays union scale in order to keep the union out, Like Conway or Fedex.