[greg3564]

Originally Posted by Orangetxguy

Aaaaaaaah!!! Come on Mugs -----Tell US how ya really feel.

Then explain to the newbie's out there, how come they're going to have to sit at the house, waiting for a phone call from dispatch, because they are bottom of the board, and there isn't work today..or tomorrow..or the day after that...because the senior guys work everyday.

That's the way it's supposed to work. The longer you're with a company the more choice you have to pick your route. Otherwise, without a union, some guys nephew rolls in and gets the gravy routes all because "he knows someone." Or, some supervisor doesn't like you and sticks you with the crap routes. Not fair but with a union in place you have an avenue to fix the problem. Unions would not even exist if employers treated people right in the first place.

[Brown67]

Originally Posted by greg3564

That's the way it's supposed to work. The longer you're with a company the more choice you have to pick your route. Otherwise, without a union, some guys nephew rolls in and gets the gravy routes all because "he knows someone." Or, some supervisor doesn't like you and sticks you with the crap routes. Not fair but with a union in place you have an avenue to fix the problem. Unions would not even exist if employers treated people right in the first place.

AMEN

[TimberWolf]

Thank you guys for your honest opinions, I am going to sign my card today and look forward to what is coming in the future.

Ibamars when I was an Executive Chef in Denver the Sysco guys were also Teamsters, They were awesome to deal with and would help me out a lot when bringing in my deliveries, of course I kept them fed really good. I can remember a few times my driver would get to the hotel and his load had shifted during transit all he did was call the office and they sent someone down to straighten out his load. He had it made, but then came the grocery workers strike in Denver and after a few weeks the teamsters decided to unify with them in the strike and he was worried, and so was I as who would deliver my food? Fortunately with the Teamsters joining in the grocery mangers came up with a new contract very quick, and life moved on..
Are you with UPS now?
Again thanks for your help..

Timberwolf

Hey brown67 my sister in law works the Denver Hub for ground, she has been there over 20 years now. My wife is from littleton area and I grew up in Evergreen

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by ColdFrostyMug

Because seniority has it's privleges. Unlike OTR where the top-rate men get starved out.

I went through the layoffs, waiting by the phone, junk runs, etc. Some guys quit and went back OTR but I stuck it out. After awhile I landed a bid-run and am presently set for life because of my seniority. Start at 0830 everyday and off by 1830 and gross over $1,000 per week with weekends and holidays off. So tell me how the OTR guys have it better pissing in parking lots and living out of a box? :roll:

It's not easy. And it involves a 4-letter word that most steering-wheel holders don't want to hear...WORK. You've got to pay your dues to move up the totem pole. Any other way is non-union abuse of seniorty. Although I'm sure guys like you like it that way.

Your right Mugs. Attaining seniority is a lot of work. I never had to worry about seniority for anything other than my shift bid, for 14 years. In those 14 years, I went from driver number 36 in seniority to number 14, out of 65 at the terminal. The thing about my bid though, is it was an entire year of the same days and start time. I did not need to sit at home and wait for a call from dispatch. If I wanted OT, I told dispatch the last day of my week that I wanted to work, and I knew what time to start, what truck to drive, and where I would be going, before I started that night.

In 2002, the year before I took lay-off, I made $84,300 in wages. As a local bid driver, working the bottom of the board for 05 & 06, I made a combined for the 2 years, $68.900. As an O/O, in 07, I grossed $145,987, and had over 3 months off.

My point for this thread though is this, The way LTL bids work...by the day..correct? The guy on the bottom of the pole stands a good chance of not working any given week, because the list does not ever rotate. Senior driver bids every day.
As an O/O I work first in first out. If I don't want to work..I don't. I grossed more in January this year, than I did for nov & dec of 07 combined.

[Brown67]

Orangetxguy has some valid points. If you want to work for a company, then union is a great way to go. Being at the bottom stinks, but after that its great. An o/o never has a ceiling to how far they can go. Also, no bottom to how low they can go too. Start with one truck and go from there. In the end it just boils down to what you like and what works best for you and your family.

Originally Posted by ColdFrostyMug

IMHO, one would have to be a glutton for punishment and abuse to work in the truckin' biz w/o union representation. Just look at the OTR guys. If you non-union OTR drivers want to keep working for nothing, or working insanely long hours for something, than more power to you. That leaves more spoils for the union guys. And no, non-union shops are NOT bleeding the unions dry. If anything is it's the influx of cheap labor from south of the border.

So when UPS Freight becomes part of the union, does this mean they OTR drivers will be paid better? They offered me a job today but I was disappointed to hear what the pay rate was for OTR work to be honest..

[Snowman7]

Floored

You must be talking about UPS Freight Truckload. Thats a different division from LTL and doesnt pay as well. They compete with other OTR companies for freight and pay their drivers OTR wages. The union is organizing the LTL division.

[lurchgs]

I really don't want to pee in the wheaties of anybody, but (as a wannabe trucker) at present, I would prefer to have nothing to do with unions, and the Teamsters in particular.

Twice I've worked union shops with the Teamsters. Both times I've been burned.

The first time was with the food service/hotel people in Williamsburg Va. When it came time to negotiating a new contract, the union kindly negotiated us a pay *decrease* of 25 cents per hour, and a reduction in benefits. ( I won't discuss the letters sent by the union to the members - other than to comment that grammar and spelling were not professional).

The second time I was working security in the Seattle area. Contract time comes around and *poof*.. a 10 cent/hour reduction in pay. Never had any benefits to start with.. didn't have any to end with.

Those are my direct experiences. One other that I can mention happened to my father a few years ago. The maintenance and custodial staff where he was working at the time were union (I don't know which). As such, part of the contract was that ANY furniture moving (desks, etc) were to be handled by the facilities people. Dad wanted a 4-drawer filing cabinet moved from one side of his office to the other (about 8 feet). Dutifully, he submitted the work request. After 2 weeks and repeated calls to facilities, he finally moved the thing himself.
And was docked a FULL DAY'S PAY. (I've seen the check stub)
Sorry, that's a full blown crock. It's not as though the facilities group was swamped with work or under staffed, either. They just fell into that group of employees that feel they can say "Screw you, I'm union- you can't fire me". And you can't say it's not the fault of the union they have that attitude - it's the union that promotes it.

So.. while I assume the unions have done good out there, I've never had any personal good come from my association with one.

Originally Posted by Snowman7

Floored

You must be talking about UPS Freight Truckload. Thats a different division from LTL and doesnt pay as well. They compete with other OTR companies for freight and pay their drivers OTR wages. The union is organizing the LTL division.

Yeah I'm not sure.. I know its out of the Stockton terminal which I see joined Teamsters.. They are paying for 3yrs exp. a rate of .37cpm right now, which seemed low to me.

Yep its UPS Freight Truckload.. Man all these companies are getting carried away with all their divisions and what not.. lol


hmmm.. decisions decisions..