[Phreddo]

Originally Posted by aces up

The fact that he has been with the same carrier/teamsters for 20 years is a tribute to the teamsters. Maybe he forgot or never knew what most non union carriers are like. If he leaves his current job he will find out in a hurry. How many drivers stay for 20 years at a non union carrier? NOT MANY. Why is he still with the teamsters?

seems like being a teamster encourages someone to stay in the same place and never try anything new. The guaranteed pension seems to be becoming a bit of a mirage, and I'm starting to feel better about the idea that I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket. Imagine working at the same place for 20-40 years, then after you retire, your pension falls apart because the company went tits up. That's gotta have an effect on somebody.

[aces up]

Originally Posted by Phreddo

seems like being a teamster encourages someone to stay in the same place and never try anything new. The guaranteed pension seems to be becoming a bit of a mirage, and I'm starting to feel better about the idea that I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket. Imagine working at the same place for 20-40 years, then after you retire, your pension falls apart because the company went tits up. That's gotta have an effect on somebody.

Those pensions are guaranteed if you are vested. The company may fold but your pension will still be there. The govt. took care of that potential problem years ago. Wages have been going down for 20 years in the trades and people have the mind that says "oh well". Drivers work 70-80 hrs/week for 60k and think they are doing well. Meanwhile our elected officials (congress, senate) vote for their own pay raises, have the best health care for free, and have pensions that pay over 100k. All provided by the taxpayer ! All because they are doing such a great job for the American people.

[feederfred]

My pension check is distributed monthly from the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Fund..Fortunately, it is still fairly well funded. However, we do not have "lifetime" health-care, which is why I still work part-time. The Central States Pension Fund is another story completely though..Basically UPS bought it's way out of contributing to that fund during their last contract negotiations. The Teamsters sold out their own members....After 32 years@UPS, did I bitch and complain as some poster has said ? No, I always was grateful for the job and the opportunities it gave my family to live a middle class life-style.

[Snowman7]

Anytime you talk about unions its always a heated debate. Thats why I dont put much effort into it anymore. Greed is the root of all evil. Corporate greed creates the need for a union in the first place then union greed kills the company. When either one gets out of whack thats when you have problems. In my opinion, based on what I read here, many of you have crappy jobs that I personally would not do. Ironically those jobs need union support more than any but will never get it. My job is union but was a good job even without the union (before UPS bought us). I only go to work to pay my bills and I expect to be compensated as much as realistically possible. When I look for a job I look for high pay and I really dont care if it is union or not. Timberwolf bashes the union but I remember when he praised the union and UPS. Bottom line is he didnt have any seniority and it didnt work out for him. I had the same problem a few years back with Yellow. Its got nothing to do with the union. I'm glad he found a fuel job he likes, I would have done the same thing. With some bumps along the way I do pretty well here at big brown. I work around 45 hrs a week Mon-Fri and gross around $1300 a week. I dont think I can beat that but if I could you can bet your ass I'd be looking into it, union or no union. I'm glad I have a pension and its a good one but I dont take any chances. I have been saving my whole life. I have IRA's, 401k's, and rental property. With my pension, SSI, and investments I should retire comfortably. If I dont get one or the other I'll be OK. If I dont get any of it were all fu**ed anyway! Bottom line is find a job that suits you and dont knock another man's means of supporting himself and his family. You never know what your next job might be. I'll bet most most of you union haters would be the biggest braggers if you ever actually got one of those jobs just like Timberwolf use to be.

[avc]

These anti-union drivers are a major cancer on the trade, 10 years from now they will all say, WOW MAN, LOOK AT THAT LITTLE MEXICAN KID WHO TOOK MY JOB !!!!

The other day I saw a little black girl driving a rig, so you guys got it coming from all directions to keep your wages as low as possible.

[tombestonebilly]

Originally Posted by Old Salt_19

I was OTR, then landed that great "union" position in the foodservice industry.

There are no great positions in the food service industry union or non.
That's just **** work no matter how you slice it.

[TimberWolf]

AVC you seem like ones of those my way or the highway kind of guys, That must really suck being so narrow minded, oh well must be one of those southern traditions. In my tripping days I can remember a poster I had on my wall that said Mind like parachute functions only when open... Look into it maybe you wont be so angry against the world and the hand you have been dealt. Maybe your outlook on life is the reason you been dealt this hand...

Snowman you are right I was very pro Union in the beginning I thought that UPS was going to be my last job, but being on the bottom and dealing with guys who dont have the same work ethic as you do, but carry more senority truly sucks. Like I said I am the bottom guy here hauling fuel but managed to hang on when 4 others where laid off, All because I work hard and care about my job, I did the same at UPS even when I got bumped to the dock I put forth 100% every day I worked, If I was still working there I would still be on the dock a year later with no driving route in site for at least another year or so. I wanted to work smarter not harder.
It is what it is and I am so much more happier pulling fuel plus NO ILLEGALS will ever take my job or lower my pay scale sorry to disapoint you avc but my job is safe from low wages, and hard working Mexicans who want to improve their lifestyle in the land of the free.
By the way AVc just who do you work for.

Timberwolf

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by aces up

The fact that he has been with the same carrier/teamsters for 20 years is a tribute to the teamsters. Maybe he forgot or never knew what most non union carriers are like. If he leaves his current job he will find out in a hurry. How many drivers stay for 20 years at a non union carrier? NOT MANY. Why is he still with the teamsters? Caveman says "union bad, job hopping good."

He(my brother) is in the teamsters, because the company drivers, where he works, unionized in the 40's, and the driver's have never voted to de-unionize. They could have, in 1985, when the terminals in Seattle / Portland, where I used to work, the drivers voted to de-unionize, that company (where my brother works) could have done the same thing. Even when that company was down to one single driver, that driver was still in the union.

Your never going to convince me that "Unionization" is a good thing. So way try?

AVC has a problem (low wages) at AAACooper, there in southern Alabama. He has been here, in various threads, crying "UNIONIZE" and "NATIONAL TRUCKER'S STRIKE" for the last few weeks, because he obviously is getting nowhere fast, with his fellow driver's, in his "Unionization Quest".

If he is that miserable at his job, he needs to do what tens of thousands of others have done.....FIND A NEW ONE! There are union jobs out there. There are union jobs, in southern Alabama. All he needs to do is quit his crying, and go look. NorthropGrumman in Pascagoula pay's quite a bit more that $10.00 and they have billboards up and down I-10 and I-65, advertising their jobs.

He isn't willing to do that. :roll:

He claims to have been a union dock worker back in the 70's. If that is so....why did he leave that job? Because it left him?? Why didn't he use his union time, to get in somewhere similar? That was what was normally done....back then.

I don't have one single thing, against anyone whom is in a union. If it works for them...awesome deal. Just don't try shoving it down my throat. I still have my own teeth....AND I BITE!

[Old Salt_19]

Tombestone, I was being a bit sarcastic with that statement.

TimberWolf, you got this one right on. "dealing with guys who dont have the same work ethic as you do, but carry more senority truly sucks."

The garbage that some folks get away with because of the union protecting them is downright nonsense.
My 1st week on the job started on a Thursday and a full 60 hrs. That Friday a senior driver, on a route that ran him just far enough out of the city and afraid he might run out of hrs for the day, refused to finish his deliveries for fear he may have to pull a hotel room for the night and finish up Saturday, and he'd promised his kid he would be home for a ballgame. That driver returned to the warehouse with 4 stops still on the trailer. Because I was in the office the supervisor asked if I could come in and run the 4 stops on Saturday, I did. Monday morning the shop steward is pulling me in and telling the supervisor and I that a grivance has been filed by another driver because he wasn't offered the hrs first, and now he wants the same pay I received for that run, the union got him the unearned wages which is garbage in my book, and then the union backed the other driver who refused to make those deliveries, more garbage.

Personally I never saw so many individuals unworthly of their wages and jobs as I did while working in the foodservice industry. Rightfully they should have been shown the door, but hiding behind all the petty union rules protected them.

[Snowman7]

Originally Posted by TimberWolf

Snowman you are right I was very pro Union in the beginning I thought that UPS was going to be my last job,

Timberwolf

I do know how you feel. I thought Yellow would be my last job. pfffft! Then I thought Conway would be my last job, they are non union but they still honor seniority. Now I just enjoy my job at UPS Freight while it lasts. So far so good! If I make it thru this freaking economy I should be home free!

Originally Posted by TimberWolf

dealing with guys who dont have the same work ethic as you do, but carry more senority truly sucks.

Timberwolf

You know I always kinda disregard this statement because I dont see it happening. But then I'm a road driver and we are paid mileage so most guys are good runners. However I'm sure it goes on in the city and on the dock, I'm just not in that clique.