Brothers and Sisters of Local 396,
With respect to this contract proposal brought to us by our local officers, I urge YOU to vote NO and reject this proposal on behalf of our local. The Officers of the local clearly support this proposal and would like nothing better than to see its passage, However, "WE" are in charge of the local as members and its "OUR WILL" that matters and not that of the Secretary-Treasurer or its other officers.
Forget all other aspects of this proposal, for they do not carry the "Weight" of the two components that require us to reject this contract.
First, with whats been presented for healthcare coverage, the Local has publicly stated in its april monthly meeting, that the western conference "opted" out of the coverage conversion to the Central States plan, and instead, will attempt to create an entirely "NEW" administrator to run a health care program for the west. What that means is simple. Your Blue Shield PPO ( cadillac coverage) is GONE.
You have to understand this FIRST AND FOREMOST.
Instead, the local proposes purchase a "new" plan that is "similiar" to what we have today. The local "ISNT" saying it will be "IDENTICAL", just "SIMILIAR" and that should scare the crap out of you. If the plan was to be "IDENTICAL" to what we have today, they would be using the word "IDENTICAL" and that isnt happening.
The local has advised that they need to hire an actuary to run an analysis of costs and operating costs of a new administrator and that would take 6 months to figure out. First, 6 months is ridiculous at best and borders on ludacrous. To ASK us to ratify a contract in the blind with a promise to get us coverage that is "similiar" instead of "identical" is unacceptable!
Now, since the meeting, the business agents are in the yards telling us that in case the local is unable to secure a health care plan within those 6 months, the local will simply fall back and place us into the Central States Garbage plan with the others. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
If you have a wife and kids, YOU will be forced to pay more out of you pockets for health care. ( deductibles, copays and participation percentages are way higher than what we pay today)
THIS IS A PAYCUT plain and simple.
Unless the local can provide us with a "SIDE BY SIDE" comparision between the health care plans they propose and the plans we are currently on before the ratification vote, then I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO.
We cannot allow the local to blind side us in november with an inferior plan after the contract is ratified and leave us without an viable option for change.
Secondly, progression to 4 years.
This is the second contract in a row where the officers of local 396 have hurt our part timers by extending the progression rate. In 2008 they increased the progression rate to 36 months and now, in 2013 they are agreeing to CONCEED to another year making it 48 months. With Company profits at all time highs over the last 8 years, how can the local sell out our part timers with another year longer to get to full pay??
This is unacceptable.
For all of you part timers who get promoted to full time driver, the local just screwed you out of $13000 in pay by this extension. The local is telling you that they are fighting for you, yet clearly, when you do the math, they are taking money right out of your pockets and putting it back into the company's pockets.
Waiting for 4 years to reach top pay doesnt HELP you, it hurts you and your families.
For these two reasons alone, we must reject this proposal and FORCE our local to go back to the International and tell hall that "WE" in the west will not settle for an inferior contract that benefits the company and hurts our members. We must force our local to fight to maintain our current benefits and take the proposal to manage our healthcare plans OFF THE TABLE.
We must force our local to understand that we are willing to go on strike to protect what is already ours in benefits. We must force our local to fight to protect the 36 month progression rate or reduce it back to 24 months. Either way, the local must represent our wishes and not their own.
NO OFFICER owns, or places his or her wills on the members.
If they are afraid to confront brother Hoffa and brother Hall on these matters, then they need to recruit new affected local members to confront them instead.
This contract proposal is crap from the jump and I again, URGE YOU TO VOTE NO.
Peace
TOS
With respect to this contract proposal brought to us by our local officers, I urge YOU to vote NO and reject this proposal on behalf of our local. The Officers of the local clearly support this proposal and would like nothing better than to see its passage, However, "WE" are in charge of the local as members and its "OUR WILL" that matters and not that of the Secretary-Treasurer or its other officers.
Forget all other aspects of this proposal, for they do not carry the "Weight" of the two components that require us to reject this contract.
First, with whats been presented for healthcare coverage, the Local has publicly stated in its april monthly meeting, that the western conference "opted" out of the coverage conversion to the Central States plan, and instead, will attempt to create an entirely "NEW" administrator to run a health care program for the west. What that means is simple. Your Blue Shield PPO ( cadillac coverage) is GONE.
You have to understand this FIRST AND FOREMOST.
Instead, the local proposes purchase a "new" plan that is "similiar" to what we have today. The local "ISNT" saying it will be "IDENTICAL", just "SIMILIAR" and that should scare the crap out of you. If the plan was to be "IDENTICAL" to what we have today, they would be using the word "IDENTICAL" and that isnt happening.
The local has advised that they need to hire an actuary to run an analysis of costs and operating costs of a new administrator and that would take 6 months to figure out. First, 6 months is ridiculous at best and borders on ludacrous. To ASK us to ratify a contract in the blind with a promise to get us coverage that is "similiar" instead of "identical" is unacceptable!
Now, since the meeting, the business agents are in the yards telling us that in case the local is unable to secure a health care plan within those 6 months, the local will simply fall back and place us into the Central States Garbage plan with the others. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
If you have a wife and kids, YOU will be forced to pay more out of you pockets for health care. ( deductibles, copays and participation percentages are way higher than what we pay today)
THIS IS A PAYCUT plain and simple.
Unless the local can provide us with a "SIDE BY SIDE" comparision between the health care plans they propose and the plans we are currently on before the ratification vote, then I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO.
We cannot allow the local to blind side us in november with an inferior plan after the contract is ratified and leave us without an viable option for change.
Secondly, progression to 4 years.
This is the second contract in a row where the officers of local 396 have hurt our part timers by extending the progression rate. In 2008 they increased the progression rate to 36 months and now, in 2013 they are agreeing to CONCEED to another year making it 48 months. With Company profits at all time highs over the last 8 years, how can the local sell out our part timers with another year longer to get to full pay??
This is unacceptable.
For all of you part timers who get promoted to full time driver, the local just screwed you out of $13000 in pay by this extension. The local is telling you that they are fighting for you, yet clearly, when you do the math, they are taking money right out of your pockets and putting it back into the company's pockets.
Waiting for 4 years to reach top pay doesnt HELP you, it hurts you and your families.
For these two reasons alone, we must reject this proposal and FORCE our local to go back to the International and tell hall that "WE" in the west will not settle for an inferior contract that benefits the company and hurts our members. We must force our local to fight to maintain our current benefits and take the proposal to manage our healthcare plans OFF THE TABLE.
We must force our local to understand that we are willing to go on strike to protect what is already ours in benefits. We must force our local to fight to protect the 36 month progression rate or reduce it back to 24 months. Either way, the local must represent our wishes and not their own.
NO OFFICER owns, or places his or her wills on the members.
If they are afraid to confront brother Hoffa and brother Hall on these matters, then they need to recruit new affected local members to confront them instead.
This contract proposal is crap from the jump and I again, URGE YOU TO VOTE NO.
Peace
TOS
