Exactly how does a strike work?

[zubenelgenubi]

You knock down all ten pins. Do it three times, it's a turkey.

 

[BakerMayfield2018]

We got $50.00/week if you walked. The benefits didn't kick in till the strike was over, at least down here. The company used every dirty tactic in the book. They video taped us every day. Had someone posted to make sure we didn't set 1 foot on UPS property or park our cars there. There was a vacant lot across the street that was overgrown with about 5' tall weeds. When they became aware that members were going over there when nature called, they mowed down the weeds, even though they didn't own the property. I guess they made a deal with the land owner. We had portapotties brought in and placed on the utility easement. UPS said they were blocking their "line of sight" and had them removed. Luckily, there was a large church just north of the building that was sympathetic to our cause. They let us park in their parking lot and place the port a potties there. We had union members use their vehicles to shuttle strikers back and forth. I emptied my freezer, and barbqued several times. Nearby merchants donated water, drinks, and food. Random people stopped by with food. It was a party atmosphere sometimes. It brought a lot of members together. We had a few people who crossed, for whatever reasons. Those employees were shunned for the most part for the rest of their careers by the members who stayed out. It's been 20 years, and it's kind of tattered, but I still have the sign I carried stapled to the wall inside my garage.
View attachment 171510

My memories are much like yours. Good times. One of our guys kept throwing rocks at management pulling out. He was terminated unfortunately. If it does happen (I don’t think it will) you can’t just go doing things you would get arrested for and think it is ok. Merry Christmas

 

[BakerMayfield2018]

Save enough to take care of your basic needs. Don't even think you can rely on "strike pay" to cover it.

I took Vacation those first 2 weeks. Just in case v

 

[35years]

Yep,
Remember there are cameras everywhere on UPS property. No shenanigans that can be caught on camera.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Yep,
Remember there are cameras everywhere on UPS property. No shenanigans that can be caught on camera.

Based on a story that @retiredTxfeeder posted, most of those cameras are probably either not working or are dummy cameras.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

Based on a story that @retiredTxfeeder posted, most of those cameras are probably either not working or are dummy cameras.

Here is the stoty via a local news station.
Thieves break into 51 cars at UPS parking lot

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Here is the stoty via a local news station.
Thieves break into 51 cars at UPS parking lot

We had a driver who's car was struck by a Canadian feeder driver (we used to process loads of Walmart RTA furniture from Canada) and was unable to pursue legal action against the company as the cameras in that part of the parking lot were not working.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

The address to this facility is 7110 Mykawa Rd. There is a police substation at 8300 Mykawa. The bad guys around there don't care.

 

[olroadbeech]

No point in worrying how something works when it will never happen in a million years. UPS has Hoffa the clown in their pocket. Next contract will suck just as bad as this one.

one word........EXACTLY!

 

[Babagounj]

Watertown Mass .
Strike of '76 , TV crews show people who came to the building to pick up their shipments being pelted with rocks . Every surrounding Police Dept had officers there to maintain the peace .
After things settled down a few weeks later the cops were buying the pizzas for the Teamsters .

Everytime there is talk of a strike , I schedule my vacations for those weeks .
When I got the call to return after the '97 strike , I informed the sup ( who knew me ) that I still had a week and a half of vaca left .
One side note , the first time the USPS made a profit was during the '76 strike . And their people were doing mandatory 70 hrs weeks ( 10 shifts @ day ) .

 

[rod]

First strike was 2 weeks (we were even told that's what it would be.)

95 strike was almost 3 weeks.

In between the two we had a one day strike in our local and maybe it in other parts of Central States.

 

[35years]

First strike was 2 weeks (we were even told that's what it would be.)

95 strike was almost 3 weeks.

In between the two we had a one day strike in our local and maybe it in other parts of Central States.

You mean 97 strike not 95 right?
One day strike over new over 70 lb limit not honored by all locals.
We also had a one day local strike over a separate local issue in my area.

 

[rod]

We had a one day strike because a kid in Minneapolis I believe accidentally hung himself while beating off and the Union shut us down because of some pissing match over his death benefit.

 

[oldngray]

First strike was 2 weeks (we were even told that's what it would be.)

95 strike was almost 3 weeks.

In between the two we had a one day strike in our local and maybe it in other parts of Central States.

The one day strike was a wildcat so probably doesn't count.

 

[rod]

The one day strike was a wildcat so probably doesn't count.

I've always assumed a wildcat was when the members walked out and it wasn't authorized by the Union.

 

[Grey]

$55/week in my local. We received two checks and then pretty much handed them back when they took union dues out of our first check when we got back to work.

Ours is a small center so for the most part both sides remained cordial with one another. We had a couple who took advantage of the situation to let mgt know how they really felt-----they left the company shortly after the strike was over.

For the most part the public was sympathetic to our cause, bringing us food, water and other donations. Every once in a while someone would drive by our picket line and tell us to get our overpaid asses back to work.

Our local paper thought it a good idea to include our hourly wages (to the penny) in an article about the strike. Prior to that it was always known that we were paid quite well----now every knew exactly what we made.

For the most part everyone behaved while on the line. We did have one former employee who would get drunk and "go after" cars that disagreed with our strike.

I was still paying child support at the time so I opted to find a temporary job rather than man the picket line. I remember it vividly----I earned $256 for 46 of the hardest hours that I had worked in a very long time (construction). My support payment was $250 per week and when I handed that over to my ex she asked me how much I had made that week and then promptly handed me back $100.

It didn't take long for things to get somewhat back to normal although it was never the same company after that.

The last thing that any of you should be thinking about is a work stoppage because if you do walk many of you should just keep on walking as the company will change dramatically as a result and there will be far fewer of us behind the wheel.

How many drivers crossed?

 

[rod]

How many drivers crossed?

None at my center.

 

[Babagounj]

Not all the country stopped work in '76 .
Parts of NY continued to work since they had their own contract .

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

How many drivers crossed?

Zero.

 

[oldngray]

I've always assumed a wildcat was when the members walked out and it wasn't authorized by the Union.

It was a lot of pissed off locals but not authorized from above so was a wildcat.