Members Sold Out by TU

[UnionStrong]

And it's members. People are the union strength but corruption dilutes the trust from the membership.

We have to stop making it a popularity contest and pick the best qualified and most honest members to represent us! From stewards to BAs to president. That’s why you have members gripping about crooked officers

 

[UnionStrong]

 

[BrownMonk]

We have to stop making it a popularity contest and pick the best qualified and most honest members to represent us! From stewards to BAs to president. That’s why you have members gripping about crooked officers

It sounds good but the reality is that some of the best qualified who are also honest don't want to take on the duties of a steward or BA. I agree that a steward or BA should have those qualities but if they arent engaged in the process, they shouldn't represent me.

 

[UnionStrong]

It sounds good but the reality is that some of the best qualified who are also honest don't want to take on the duties of a steward or BA. I agree that a steward or BA should have those qualities but if they arent engaged in the process, they shouldn't represent me.

It’s sad but true. They don’t want the hassle

 

[Wally]

Some of the worse locals are UPS only locals. Do that on a national basis and you have a weak union.

Full focus on UPS issues. Every election will be about our priorities only.

 

[UnionStrong]

It sounds good but the reality is that some of the best qualified who are also honest don't want to take on the duties of a steward or BA. I agree that a steward or BA should have those qualities but if they arent engaged in the process, they shouldn't represent me.

It’s the eager ones you gotta keep an eye on

 

[Big Rigger]

I agree with that, but I also know that the Teamster locals that are only UPS are typically missing basic labor law info and other missing components. If you only deal with one company, they can convince you that something is the way it is supposed to be. Without something to compare it with, you have no idea. If you talk to members of other companies, you become more well rounded on your knowledge.

True. I've also seen the officers that deal with ups wined and dined to the point they become the enemy. Not many companies have the wealth to subliminally buy union reps with perks.

We ended up with two that became a trojan horse and it's painful because they said they'd support the membership honestly and have now shown themselves to be compromised (liars). Don't think the members aren't aggravated? If the company wasn't so aggressive toward employees they'd give up caring about the union.

They remember the good reps and stewards over the years but they loathe the crooked ones. Crookedness plus ignorance is a recipe for disaster. That's what we have now.

 

[BrownMonk]

Full focus on UPS issues. Every election will be about our priorities only.

Ironic, the carhaulers said that when they were the majority, the freight guys said when they were, now UPSers saying that now. The Unions(building guys, auto, grocery store, mines, public service, etc.) that were single minded unions are all branching out into other industries to guarantee their ability to survive. You can either be prepared to pivot or be prepared for a burial. IMHO

 

[BrownMonk]

True. I've also seen the officers that deal with ups wined and dined to the point they become the enemy. Not many companies have the wealth to subliminally buy union reps with perks.

We ended up with two that became a trojan horse and it's painful because they said they'd support the membership honestly and have now shown themselves to be compromised (liars). Don't think the members aren't aggravated? If the company wasn't so aggressive toward employees they'd give up caring about the union.

They remember the good reps and stewards over the years but they loathe the crooked ones. Crookedness plus ignorance is a recipe for disaster. That's what we have now.

Of crooked and ignorant, I'm not sure which is worse or more detrimental.

 

[Wally]

Ironic, the carhaulers said that when they were the majority, the freight guys said when they were, now UPSers saying that now. The Unions(building guys, auto, grocery store, mines, public service, etc.) that were single minded unions are all branching out into other industries to guarantee their ability to survive. You can either be prepared to pivot or be prepared for a burial. IMHO

Teamsters leadership is out of touch with today's UPS. It's still 1985 to them, meanwhile UPS is running ahead with technology.

 

[BrownMonk]

IMHO. Unions are reactive to the movements of the company in nature. You cant tell them how to ruin their own business in most cases. Occasionally, something pops up like YRC freight where they are asking for concessions and the negotiation allows oversite in certain areas like mgmt. bonuses and stuff like that but those are rare. The system is what it is.

As ups has grown from a furniture delivery business, the union has had to make changes to meet their strategy. It will continue to keep updated but every once in a while it gets a curveball. It takes a moment to catch up to the curveball. There have been huge changes at ups in my career. Addition of air, 100 weight, 150 lb pkgs from 50 then 70 lb, , addition of freight and then freight sold, paper to DIAD and then now, GPS on boards when we had Book maps, pickup times, etc. Hell, when I started, we stayed out until you finished the truck and 9.5 was your best day ever. The union has always strived to stay up

 

[Just A UPS Guy]

Not my type.

Female?

 

[UnionStrong]

Female?

Ho…..Ho

 

[Big Rigger]

Of crooked and ignorant, I'm not sure which is worse or more detrimental.

The combination is absolute failure.

 

[UnionStrong]

True. I've also seen the officers that deal with ups wined and dined to the point they become the enemy. Not many companies have the wealth to subliminally buy union reps with perks.

We ended up with two that became a trojan horse and it's painful because they said they'd support the membership honestly and have now shown themselves to be compromised (liars). Don't think the members aren't aggravated? If the company wasn't so aggressive toward employees they'd give up caring about the union.

They remember the good reps and stewards over the years but they loathe the crooked ones. Crookedness plus ignorance is a recipe for disaster. That's what we have now.

Unfortunately it’s human nature. Everyone starts out with the best intentions but gets corrupted by the money and power. There’s an immense amount of money at stake for UPS at contract time, you don’t think they’re above greasing a few willing union hands to push the company agenda? Shady back room deals and decisions that are made with no good explanation. Too much money involved not to try and turn the opposition to your side. Not many can resist that.

 

[BrownMonk]

Unfortunately it’s human nature. Everyone starts out with the best intentions but gets corrupted by the money and power. There’s an immense amount of money at stake for UPS at contract time, you don’t think they’re above greasing a few willing union hands to push the company agenda? Shady back room deals and decisions that are made with no good explanation. Too much money involved not to try and turn the opposition to your side. Not many can resist that.

Of all the agents I have known, I don't know any of them taking anything from the company. Some of them may be overmatched but none crooked. I'm not sure that happens much since the 70s and 80s.

Whenever you take a guy off the trucks and make him an agent because you elected him, there is a great chance that he/she will not be 100% to do this very specific job for a few years. I compare it to a new driver coming in the center who is scared to death the first year...knows everything for the next 10 while thinking no no works half as much as them...the 10+ driver that realizes that the older guys get twice as much done without looking like their doing anything and quiet... the 25+ year driver that wants to finish their time and get away from the 1-10 year driver who won't listen and doesn't know how tough it was when they were young.

No matter the job, it takes a while to come up to speed and hopefully no bad habits will form before they are competent.

 

[UnionStrong]

 

[UnionStrong]

Of all the agents I have known, I don't know any of them taking anything from the company. Some of them may be overmatched but none crooked. I'm not sure that happens much since the 70s and 80s.

Whenever you take a guy off the trucks and make him an agent because you elected him, there is a great chance that he/she will not be 100% to do this very specific job for a few years. I compare it to a new driver coming in the center who is scared to death the first year...knows everything for the next 10 while thinking no no works half as much as them...the 10+ driver that realizes that the older guys get twice as much done without looking like their doing anything and quiet... the 25+ year driver that wants to finish their time and get away from the 1-10 year driver who won't listen and doesn't know how tough it was when they were young.

No matter the job, it takes a while to come up to speed and hopefully no bad habits will form before they are competent.

I hope you’re right. The job analogy certainly makes sense, been at all those levels lol. It does take seasoning and a chance to grow into the job, but I had some help from older drivers along the way that were willing to school a pup. Who helps the new BA or Steward?

 

[Big Rigger]

Of all the agents I have known, I don't know any of them taking anything from the company. Some of them may be overmatched but none crooked. I'm not sure that happens much since the 70s and 80s.

Whenever you take a guy off the trucks and make him an agent because you elected him, there is a great chance that he/she will not be 100% to do this very specific job for a few years. I compare it to a new driver coming in the center who is scared to death the first year...knows everything for the next 10 while thinking no no works half as much as them...the 10+ driver that realizes that the older guys get twice as much done without looking like their doing anything and quiet... the 25+ year driver that wants to finish their time and get away from the 1-10 year driver who won't listen and doesn't know how tough it was when they were young.

No matter the job, it takes a while to come up to speed and hopefully no bad habits will form before they are competent.

.....or the ones that are Judas from the start but hide it until they get thirty pieces of silver.

 

[Big Rigger]

Who helps the new BA or Steward?

There's help if you actually want to find it.

You can seek out to be mentored by another BA that is honest and has that reputation or you can make your deals in the dark on the phone with the center manager, DM, or Labor Mgr.

The rudder is turned one way by greed or the other way by integrity.