A group of drivers at KAG thought they could push a solvent coast to coast fuel carrier into bumping up wages and benefits by voting in the Teamsters. They had meetings with the company big-shots who told them not to do this , that things would come back to them in time. Most all of the carrier drivers here in Southern California took a 10% paycut about 18 months ago with the economic slow down and cheaper frieght rates to be competitive on bids.

It appears that KAG is standing by what they said and really putting the screws to this group of drivers. All of the surrounding divisions have gotten thier $2/hour back(frieght rates going back up) but not the Teamsters. Did KAG intentionally bid high on the Arco business and loose 8 trucks off the Arco rack??? This is also the slow time of year for fuel so a lot of KAG drivers are only working 3-4 days a week instead of 6.

Some people just don't think things through and a lot of good drivers that didn't want the Union are now paying the price.

Careful What You Wish For!!!!!
Peace-Out
Fuelman

Well what is the union rate and the non union rate. Cuz they got 2/hr back doesnt mean they are making more then the union drivers.
Its all in the union contract. One thing is the union drivers dont have to worry about taking another pay cut over night. KAG did this to them selfs.

A union will only work if there's a large majority of drivers willing to join.
Since most drivers are happy with rates from the 1980's and .25 cpm on HHG miles, unions won't work in trucking.
Unions are only effective in niche areas of the biz like LTL and carhauling...and even here they're starting to lose ground.

These days, unions only work for industries like health-care workers, teachers, government workers, etc.
Occupations where some moron can't compete with you by lease-purchasing a stethoscope and getting paid by % of the patient.
Then sleeping under the operating room table at night.
Not showering, mullets, chainsmoking, wifebeaters and flipflops, lunchcounter tales of calling the US Marshals...most respectable industries won't tolerate that.

Joey where the hell have you been hiding? I may have to take a ride up to beantown and find a job pretty damn soon..

MackMan,

As far as I know the union wages have not kicked in as of yet so the non-union drivers are making $2/hr more and getting thier 70-80 hours a week verses $2/hr less and only working 36-48 hours a week.

Once the union wages do kick in 24-26 dollars an hour, KAG will not be able to be competitive on bids and will loose accounts. The Teamsters can not force a company to operate at a loss or reduce thier profit margin. It is my understanding that KAG is owned by an investment group so you know where that leaves the driver. They will just focus thier attention in other markets than the inland empire and bust the union. The key I believe is being solvent,paid for, cash, no debt, deep pockets!!!!

Union, Non-union, I am really pro either. I do believe we are underpaid for the risk we take every day driving around with 9000 gallons of gas behind us. Would love to see a 2 day nationwide strike by all fuel drivers and watch the country come to a stand still. What a site that would be.

Anyway, my concern is more for the guys I see every day that did'nt want the union, you can see it in thier eyes that they are hurting.

Peace Out,
Fuelman

I have said for years that if you are ever going to have a successful strike with truckers the only way it can be accomplished is to stop the tankers. If you cut off the fuel the trucks will stop. You cannot run on air. You will need to force all the carriers and owner operators to stop running. You don't need to get everyone to agree on a strike, you just get the tanker drivers to stop and the rest of the industry will be forced to join in the festivities.

My head hurts just reading this. Trucking is the only industry where working for 70-80 hours for 2 dollars more an hour with no overtime is considered better than working 36-40 hours with overtime. I'm assuming the union guys would get overtime. Tell the guys that are crying about the hours to go work for the non union competition. Any co that gives away work to spite a union won't be around for long in any event. And no I'm not in a union.

That just may be the freaking funniest thing I've come across on the net this year!! I'm in the UMWA at the local Coal Company I work for. Think they'd let me lease purchase a Cat 988 Loader I run? It's only about 1 million brand new, and i could sleep in the bucket at the end of the day. Think of the Union dues I'd save....

Teamster Union Update:

Have been talking to several KAG drivers and found out some more information. The company ARCO drivers are also Teamsters so ARCO dropped the carrier that went Teamsters in the event the Teamsters ever go on strike they will still have carriers to deliver thier fuel. Kag has parked 25 trucks from the L.A., INLAND EMPIRE area from the loss of this contract. That's 75 drivers out of work!!! The remaining drivers are still working but if you were pro union you are getting short shifts to starve you out.

Two solutions have been floating around,
1: wait 1 year and vote the Teamsters out.

2:Kag has bought several local smaller companies over the last couple of years and are still operating under thier old name, just close the doors and reopen under a different name and boot all the pro union drivers.

Interesting to know that one KAG driver collected all the names of the pro union drivers and sent this list to all the local carriers informing them not to hire these drivers.

SPECIALKAY,,,,,,
1: 75 HOURS X $22/HR=$1650/WK
2: 36 HOURS X $25/HR=$900/WK

Don't know about you but I prefer making the $1650/wk rather than being able to say "I'M A TEAMSTER"

Peace Out,
Fuelman

75 hours? Number 1 who wants to work 75 hours a week, number 2 how do you log that? Especially if you are paid by the hour? I smell BS.

But anyway, what if you had both? Overtime after 40 and say 50 hours a week, wouldnt that be better? I'd rather work 50, make 1400, and say I'm a teamster too.