Local 25 TA Meeting....

[browned_out]

Ok, I'll try this, I've had a few beers so maybe BrownArmy will help me out.
We went thru every article that had changed, first the national, then the supplement. Almost all changed for the better.

At the end, Sean told a story I've heard him tell before:
He goes to some workplace, and a member comes up to him and says "This contract sucks"
Sean: "Well ,what sucks about it?"
Member: "I don't know, it just sucks"
Sean: "Compared to what? Was the contract at the last place you worked better?"
Member: "I wasn't union last place"
Sean: "Did you have free healthcare?"
Member: "No"
Sean: "Did you have a guaranteed raise every year?"
Member: "No"

Anyhow, he suggested we talk to family and friends about our raises and healthcare, and then think about how to vote.


​I know this is not comparable to what a lot of you are deciding. Local 25 has it's own healthcare package, and it's own pension deal. Glad I don't have to think about this Teamcare/Central States BS.

This is the real problem for those of us in the Ups plan, if the TA is voted in we are stuck with CS (Teamcare) unless we can find an alternative plan by Nov 1st. The problem I see is finding a plan that matchs our current levels without costing more then what ups will pay. I find it ironic that the same local leaders that approved this TA, are the same ones who are going to somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat.

 

[BrownArmy]

Ok, I'll try this, I've had a few beers so maybe BrownArmy will help me out...

I'm starting to have a few beers, so let me give it a shot.

Yes, we went through all the changes in the contract, first the National and then our supplement, with Sean explaining the changes and how thought it was better. I don't know much about Feeders, but Sean seemed to think that the language changes in the Feeder section were quite good.

Like Over, I agree that the changes are either neutral or for the better.

Like Over, I am glad that I don't have to think about changes to healthcare (at least for this contract, if it passes).

It was a meeting for Full timers, so we skipped over any section with changes pertaining to the Part timers, so I'm not entirely sure how the implementation of TCD's in our supplement will effect us in Package (TCD changes in our supplement are in the P/T section). I've read TCD section in our supplement, but it's contract language and I'm not a lawyer...

My impression is that it gives the Company a lot of leeway to basically not hire more friend/T drivers. At any rate, we discussed nothing about the P/T contract, so I have no idea if the P/T changes are good or bad, how they would effect us in friend/T, or how they would effect a Part-timer trying to go friend/T.

I don't know how many Part-timers showed up for the earlier meeting, and I have no idea how many of them will vote, but...

Sean is a BULLDOG and I know he fought for us in this contract. Of that I have no doubt.

But we skipped over all of the health and welfare changes because they don't apply to us, sooooo....

As far as being a Full-timer in Local 25, the no-brainer vote is YES.

As far as being one Local of many, all of whom have to live with this national contract for five years, that aspect was not discussed.

 

[UPS Preloader]

Sean is a BULLDOG and I know he fought for us in this contract. Of that I have no doubt.

But we skipped over all of the health and welfare changes because they don't apply to us, sooooo....

As far as being a Full-timer in Local 25, the no-brainer vote is YES.

As far as being one Local of many, all of whom have to live with this national contract for five years, that aspect was not discussed.

I agree with you. Sean is a bulldog and I have the utmost respect for him and I think he did a good job here on the New England Supplement. If that's all I was basing my vote on, I too would vote yes, but unfortunately my beliefs, ethics, or whatever you want to call it won't let me. I feel the part timers are getting screwed and so are the retiree's. There are many issues with the new contract and each issue affects each and every one of us in different ways. Ask yourself the following questions:

Is this proposal in the best interest of the 140,000 members being moved into the TEAMCARE Health Plan? If no, vote NO.
Is this proposal in the best interest of the part timers? If no, vote NO.
Is this proposal in the best interest of the full timers? If no, vote NO.
Is this proposal in the best interest of the retiree’s? If no, vote NO.
Is this proposal in the best interest of the union? If no, vote NO.
Is the new 4 year driver progression acceptable? If no, vote NO.
Does this proposal properly address the 9.5 issues? If no, vote NO.
Does this proposal properly address the harassment issues? If no, vote NO.

If you answer NO to any of the above questions, show some solidarity, support your brothers and sisters and vote NO. If you answer NO to any of the above questions and still vote YES you should be ashamed.

If you can honestly answer YES to all of the above questions, by all means vote YES and feel proud of it.

From my own standpoint, I have no issues with the proposed contact as most of it doesn’t affect me, but I will still be voting NO as I will not throw any of my brothers and sisters under the bus.