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Compare Teamsters To FedEx Freight Employee ...

Fedex Teamster Chronicles Interview with Frank PineiraRecently Fedex Teamster Chronicles got a chance to sit down with Frank Pineira to talk with about his retirement:
Q: To the best of your knowledge how much will you receive when you retire?
A: When I retire after 33 years of being a proud Teamster I will receive 4100 dollars per month.
Q: Is that 4100 dollars per month include your Teamster Pension, 401k, and social security?
A: No, that 4100 dollars per month is just my Teamsters Pension. If I include my 401k and social security with my pension then I will receive 6100 dollars per month.
Q: How comfortable are you with your retirement?
A: I am tremendously comfortable with my retirement. God Bless the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for making it happen with the benefits they bargained for over the years. I am grateful for my Teamsters Pension you can't live on just social security and a 401k. The 401k goes up and down at the whim of the stock market. Sure the 401k helps, but you can't make future plans on a hope that the stock market will do well and social security doesn't get privatized. I firmly believe that with a Union contract I have secured my future.
Q: What is your opinion on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and their impact on the American workforce?
A: If it weren't for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters there would be a super Wal-Mart or a group of companies treating their employees terribly like Fedex. At non-union companies like Fedex there is no Union contract which means no grievance procedure which places hard working employees at the mercy of CEOs who change policy at every whim to suit the company's needs.
Q: Are Unions necessary to obtain a decent retirement package?
A: Absolutely. That's what a Union contract is for. You can't deal with a 401k alone for a retirement plan. I have the Western Conference Teamsters Pension and a 401k. With the International Brotherhood of Teamsters I have the total package. They have blessed my life and they have enriched my future. Fedex has put the money that they would've paid their employees in their own pockets at the expense of hard working employees who deserve retiree medical and the best pension out there the Western Conference Teamsters Pension. I am confident with a Teamsters Pension I will be able to retire comfortably with peace.
Q: Are you confident you will not have to return to work once you retire because of financial hardship?
A: Yes, I am confident I will not have to return to work once I retire because there will be no reason for me to return to work. I have more then a substantial amount of income to live the way I am accustomed to right now. I don't have to spend my time worrying about where the money is going to come from because I am guaranteed the money in my Teamsters Pension. Plus I have retiree medical which was negotiated in the contract by the Teamsters who safeguarded my future. When the Teamsters go to the bargaining table they bring the most important voice to the table. The voice of the workers.
Q: What do you think of Joe Nuno and the various organizing committees organizing fedex thoughout Southern California?
A: I think it is fantastic to see the Fedex Teamsters involved and persistent to change the environment in their workplace. The Fedex Teamsters have a great and devoted following. It takes a lot to stand up to the constant harassment from the Fedex management and gain a voice in the workplace forming a union. There's a right way and a wrong way to live life and I am encouraged to see people fighting for their rights. I am honored to stand with you guys. It is also very encouraging to see Joey Nuno with his father, Joe Nuno. It is very touching to see a father bring up his son with a deep passion for other people's rights putting other people's needs above his own. I am pleased to see the bright future joined between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Fedex.



Fedex Teamsters Chronicles Interview with Cliff Armstrong.
Cliff is a future Teamster. He is an organizer with the Fedex Teamsters in Fontana Service Center driving Pick Up and Delivery. He is 54 years old and he has 30 years of service with Fedex Freight/Viking Freight.
Q: To the best of your knowledge how much will you receive when you retire?
A: I will receive $1100 per month with my Fedex pension. With social security I will receive $1300 per month. So a total of $2400 dollars per month. You know after 30 years of service the Fedex Pension plan stops growing for me. This simply means I won't get one penny more after 30 years with the Fedex pension, but with a teamsters Pension I will keep growing my pension until I retire. Plus I won't have any medical insurance to speak of with fedex's pension, but the Teamsters have retiree medical something fedex is too cheap to give to their employees. I guess fedex just doesn't care when the employees retire if the employees have medical insurance or not.
Q: How comfortable are you with your retirement plan from Fedex?
A: I'm not comfortable with the Fedex pension at all. New pension or old pension is all the same. A complete fantasy. There is no medical plan to fall back on. I don't know what I'll do for medical insurance when I retire. It's going to be hard for me to live on that 1100 dollar a month pension Fedex is going to give me.
Q: What do you think about the NEW revamped pension plan Fedex is putting out there now that people are unionizing?
A: With the new pension plan, with my age and years of service I think this new plan stinks. The Fedex management is trying to simulate the Teamsters pension in a much cheaper version which will hurt employees in the long run. It's similar to the Teamsters golden 80's which combines years with length of service. I will get 36,000 dollars from this pension plan that's it. This amount with the new Fedex pension plan will be drawn off of the Treasury Rate. Let's say an employee, for sake of the conversation we will call the person Bugsy, would get 50,000 dollars after ten years of service. So say Bugsy works 20 years and gets 100,000 dollars. Bugsy then after taxes on that money which is drawn in a lump sum gets 75,000 dollars. This 75,000 dollars will only last Bugsy for 1 or 2 years tops. This is a weak retirement. Both Fedex pensions are pathetic and I feel the new pension plan is even more pathetic than the old one. The Fedex Corporation stresses a 401k plan, but the 401k plan goes up and down like a yo-yo. So you have to ask yourself is this plan secure for you and your future? Or are you going to rely on a yo-yo for your retirement? Is the 401k going to be up or down?
Q: What do you think of the so-called retirement estimator being passed around by the management at Fedex Freight?
A: I think it is like Disneyland. The retirement estimator is something out of fantasy land. It is pure nonsense. It is like setting up your retirement using a crystal ball. I have worked for fedex freight/Viking for 30 tough years and I feel very insulted by this retirement estimator. Everything about the old pension was a secret for the last 30 years, but now since there is a mass interest in unionizing the company is scared a union will come in. I feel as if the pension plan should have now and always have been public information for all employees to look at anytime they want to. I don't understand all of the secrecy and lies from the management.
Q: What would be a direct impact of unionizing Fedex Freight?
A: With a union the benefits package would be included in the union dues which means we as employees would pay less in benefits per month. The dues are 2 and a half times what we make per hour. With Fedex you have Fred Smith and a lot of corporate greed going on with the employees having to bear the brunt of paying more for health insurance, a terrible pension plan, and a fantastical retirement scheme involving a 401k. What a scam. The Fedex management is just taking more and more advantage of the employees trying to get a lot paying for very little.
Q: Do you think a Union would be good or bad for Fedex Freight?
A: I think that the Teamsters Union would be great for Fedex Freight. We will have an enhanced medical plan with little to no co-pay for medical visits and prescriptions. I will have a good retirement and favoritism till soon be eliminated with a union. If the company continues to try and cut my overtime the union will step in and demand that my seniority be respected. It is about respect. Also, I will have good backup if the company tries to write me up for no good reason. This is called a grievance procedure not a sham that is done now with a gestapo type management berating employees.
Q: What kind of future do you see for the Fedex Teamsters unionizing Fedex Freight?
A: I think the Fedex Teamsters have a very positive future. I see a binding Teamsters Union contract in our future. No more empty company promises. Fedex Freight employees will make more money per hour with better benefits, but the company will also have a lower turnover rate saving money and keeping employees working. Fedex Freight tells us we have the best company, but Fedex doesn't pay us or treat us like the best.You have to ask yourself whats wrong with this picture

An example of FedEx employee's retirement plan, not any diffrent from a Conway employee

LET’S DEFINE 401K RETIREMENT FUNDS

First of all, you are on your own, you have to contribute money from your hard earned wages, meaning you have to put aside money from your paycheck, so that you could retired.
Sure FedEx will match 50 cent to the dollar that you put in your contribution and that’s only up to 6% of your earnings, but the matching is only going to cover the taxes for your benefit at the end of your time of employment at the age of 67, meaning no less of your exact age of retirement.
Meaning you paid for your retirement, because the matching from FedEx is tax deductible for FedEx Corporation and they don’t loose anything!
Let me give you my example of my contribution, per week, they deduct $ 78.80 per weeks X 4 weeks = $314.40 X 12 months = $3772.80 per year, plus FedEx matches $1886.40 which equals to a total of $5659.20 per year.
Now under a Teamsters contract, we could negotiate a $5.00 per hr for retirement on top of our wages, meaning for every hour you work you’ll get $5.00 per hour, here is an example: you work 40hrs =$200.00 per week now times it by 4 weeks =$800 per month and times it 12 months =$9600.00 going into the Western conference pension funds, not in FedEx Corporate hands to gamble your nest.

 And that amount didn't come out of your pocket!!!

SUBSERVICE USAGE

We see more sub-service being used more now than ever, its being used everyday for short hauls. Line haul guys will sit at home or be on the dock while sub-haulers are being used in short lanes. Maybe I misunderstood when I heard they were only being used in overage lanes. How do you line drivers feel  because  your  runs are being sent with sub-haulers so that the company can save a few bucks at your expense? Some of these terminals are beginning to look like truck stops. Why don't you guys start asking the ABF line drivers how many times their line runs are send with sub-haulers? Why not ask the UPS guys as well? Work rules are an important part of a union contract. Start asking and see how bad we are getting screwed!

‘Father’ of the 401(k)’s Tough Love

Ted Benna, who three decades ago seized on an IRS loophole to transform American retirement savings, says he’s proud to be “father of the 401(k).” He also thinks he created a monster.The plans, which he intended to be as simple for employees as pensions, now offer  too many investing options and too many opportunities to make mistakes, he says. “I would blow up the system and restart with something totally different,” he told SmartMoney.com. “Blowing up the existing structures is the only way we can simplify them.”In 1978, when Congress passed the section of IRS code for which the plans are named, lawmakers aimed to limit the scope of cash-deferred plans being offered by some companies, but had no intent to revolutionize retirement. Benna, then the co-owner of the Johnson Companies, a benefits consultancy in suburban Philadelphia, was developing such a plan for a bank client when he happened on the idea section 401(k) could allow an entirely new option.The original 401(k) plans “could be explained to employees in just a minute,” Benna, now 69 and semi-retired himself, says. “There were two options, a guaranteed fund and an equity fund,” he says. “With the guaranteed investment fund, we’d tell them this is what you will have when you retire. With the equity fund – which was usually something like the Fidelity Magellan fund – we’d say, you might have more, but you might have less. Most people would split their contributions 50-50 between the two.”As the plans were embraced by employers and financial institutions, Benna says 401(k)s were made so complex one needed to be an investing pro to make sense of them. “Now this monster is out of control. We went to three options, them to six, then to seven, then to 15 – it is far beyond what most participants were able to deal with,” Benna says. “And I am not convinced we have added value by getting more complicated.”Better education was supposed to be the solution to intricacies of the plans, Benna says. If employees understood the options, the power of compound interest and dollar-cost averaging, and the advantages of making pre-tax contributions, it was believed they would do the right thing. “We’re throwing tons of money away trying to teach participants how to become skilled investors – we said, we are going to make people smart and savvy enough to make the right investment decisions, but it just hasn’t worked.”Benna blames the newfound complexity on what he says was the small percentage of employees who wanted it. “What triggered this whole mess is that some of the more sophisticated participants were a pain in the butt,” he says. “You’d have these troublemaker loudmouths push human resources, and say, ‘why don’t we have this ‘flavor of the month.’ fund” These sophisticated employees are also the ones taking advantage of the education and advice being offered, he says.The consequence of all the complexity is twofold, he says. First, employees felt they could be more active investors. “There is too strong a potential for employees to do the worst thing ever, which is moving in the wrong direction, panicking when things are bad and cashing out after they have been battered.” Secondly, the current plans induce “a kind of gridlock – employees get so overwhelmed they do not participate – they do nothing,” he says.Education didn’t work to stop employees from sabotaging their own futures, he contends, but legislation might. “We need a legislative mandate that when you change jobs, the money needs to be retained in a retirement account – there cannot be an option of ‘here’s a check, you decide,’” Benna says. He also advocates mandating all employees be auto-enrolled in the plans, and that their contributions be automatically increased one percentage point per year to a maximum of 10% to 15%.Despite these misgivings, Benna insists the plans are benefiting millions of employees. He gets rankled whenever someone suggests the workforce would be better off had the 401(k) never been born, noting that the pension system was more fraught that many remember. “I am not anti-defined-benefit plan – in fact I sold them for decades– they are great, but only for those who stay with the same company for 20 or 30 years.”

Florida Department of Corrections Officers Vote to Join Teamsters

November 17, 2011

Hoffa: Tough Times Call For Tough Representation For Nearly 20,000 FDOC Officers

Press Contact

David White

dwhite@teamster.org

202-624-6911

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) – A majority of the nearly 20,000 correctional, probation and parole officers with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) have voted to join the Teamsters Union, seeking strength and power on the job. The Teamsters’ victory in the election was announced today.
“This is a great day for Teamsters and FDOC officers,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “FDOC officers have shown that in tough times, they want a tough union to represent them. On behalf of the 1.4 million Teamster members, I congratulate these officers for joining the growing movement of public service workers nationwide seeking Teamster power.”
The vote for Teamsters Local 2011 was a decisive win over the Police Benevolent Association and the International Union of Police Associations.
Glynn Reeder, a sergeant with Florida State Prison in Raiford, was active in organizing his co-workers to join the Teamsters and was present at the vote count.
“The Teamsters have shown us that we can make positive change when we work together as a union,” Reeder said. “Now that we’ve won the election, we need to get everyone to become an active member of our new union so FDOC officers can change our destiny.”
“I’m very excited that all of us came together—probation, parole and correctional officers—to unite for a better future with the Teamsters,” said Becky Pastor, a correctional probation senior officer in Lake City. “We’ve learned that we are the union and it’s up to us to make the change we need.”
“We welcome FDOC officers to Teamsters Local 2011, a newly chartered local that will solely represent and serve the interests of FDOC officers,” said Ken Wood, International Vice President and Acting President of Local 2011, based in Tampa.
“These officers go to work every day to keep our communities safe and they deserve the best representation, which Local 2011 will provide.”
“This Teamster victory is a statewide referendum that FDOC officers want a new voice in the workplace and in Tallahassee,” said Michael Filler, Director of the Teamsters Public Services Division. “It’s time for elected officials and government administrators to value the thousands of public employees who protect communities against Florida’s inmate population. The Teamsters look forward to beginning that dialogue to correct the years of neglect within the Department of Corrections.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including more than 240,000 public service employees. Visit http://www.teamster.org/ and http://fdocteamsters.org/ for more information. Follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.

Con-way management telling their employees, U.P.S CONTRACT WILL BANISH IN 5 YEARS, REALLY CON-WAY MANAGEMENT, CAN YOU PUT THIS IN WRITING?

Let’s inoculate Con-ways bull shit statement about U.P.S Employees being tired of the Teamsters contract;

U.P.S makes $29.50 an hour

Plus;

U.P.S corporate contributes $9 an hour for the pension funds, if an employee of U.P.S works 10 hours for the day, it will equal $90 dollars in the contribution for the pension funds.

How much does Con-way contributes to your pension funds per hour? 30 to 40 cent an hour!

U.P.S Employees don’t pay medical benefit contributions, U.P.S corporate pays for the employee’s package, whether full time employees or part time employees.

As a Con-way employee, how much does it come out of your pocket? $ 105 per week

U.P.S also contribute $7 an hour for Health and welfare, if an employee of U.P.S works 10 hours for the day, it will equal $70 dollars in the contribution for Health and welfare for when U.P.S Employees retired.

How much does Con-way contributes for your medical retirements? 0 cent an hour!

About Strikes

  

99 percent of Teamster contracts are negotiated and ratified without a strike.

It takes two third vote to go on strike.

Don't Lie Conway Management About Union Dues

  

Union dues are two and a half the hourly wage

Example if you made $20 an hour your union dues will be $50 a month.

No union dues are collected until a contract is ratified.

Union due are also tax deductable!

WHAT DOES "AT WILL" EMPLOYMENT MEAN?

In the United States, employment is generally considered to be "at will," in the absence of a contract between the employer and the employee or in the absence of a collective bargaining between a union and an employer. At-will employment generally means that an employer may end the employment at any time for most any reason. In other words, no "good cause" is required to fire an at-will employee.

What Employment at Will Means

As are many employees only after the fact, you might be surprised to learn in advance that U.S. employers may legally fire you for just about any reason, no reason or even an unfair reason. That's partially because there are relatively few labor laws that protect workers from wrongful termination and none that generally protect from workplace "unfairness" per se. But it's more so because most states consider employment to be "at will" in legal jargon.

In plain English, the Employment At-Will Doctrine means that employment is presumed to be voluntary and indefinite for both employees and employers. As an at-will employee under the doctrine, you may quit your job whenever and for whatever reason you want, usually without consequence. In turn, at-will employers may terminate you whenever and for whatever reason they want, usually without consequence.

Either party may end the relationship without prior notice, but neither party may breach contracts. Employers cannot violate state or Federal laws, and generally cannot rightfully terminate employees who refuse to do something that is contrary to public policy and sound morality, such as breaking the law. But with these few exceptions aside, it's pretty much open season on employees year round.

Con-way Swings to 3Q Profit

Con-way Inc. late Thursday reported a third-quarter profit compared with a loss a year ago, as its truckload, less-than-truckload and logistics operations all improved.
Net income $29.1 million, or 52 cents a share, turning around a loss of $8.2 million, or 15 cents, a year ago.
Revenue rose 8.4% to $1.27 billion, Con-way said in a statement. Operating income jumped to $61.1 million, from $12.5 million a year ago.
LTL unit Con-way Freight, the company’s largest business, saw its operating income jump to $40.7 million, from $13.1 million a year ago. Revenue gained 5.8% to $843.3 million.
LTL tonnage per-day fell 5.5%, but revenue per hundredweight rose 12%.
Con-way Truckload’s operating income rose to $7.9 million, from $5.5 million, while revenue improved 12.8% to $158.7 million.



Its Menlo Worldwide Logistics unit’s operating income rose to $12.7 million, turning around a loss of $6.3 million, while revenue rose 12.7% to $417.1 million.
“Con-way Freight’s continued focus on managing costs, rationalizing volumes in the network and maintaining yield growth delivered positive results,” said CEO Douglas Stotlar.
“The emphasis remains on continuous improvement in all areas of the business,” he said in a statement.
Con-way Inc. is ranked No. 3 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
By Transport Topics

CON-WAY MANAGEMENT VIOLATING EMPLOYEE'S RIGHTS...

It is know that Con-Way management through out the system are questioning employees about their Rights to form a union, many employees are being interagated and harass, if this is occurring in your yard, please Document everything that was said by management and the type of harassment.
Write time, place of incident and witnesses, then file a compliant here on this website, just click above on the National Labor Relation Board.
                                                                 Thank You,  Be Wise And Organize

meet sayssimon3 a manager or a Union-Buster (his comment on this website and ltlboards.com)

What can the teamsters do for us as employees of Con-way?

can you guarantee better pay?
can you guarantee better benefits?

What about you guys calling us scabs before this? did you forget that we were called that by all teamsters? and now we are "brothers and sisters" sounds like a part of the movie sister act!

what guarantee do we have of anything you say? can we get any of this in writing? Why are no union trucking places hiring? how much is the union pension undefunded?

From A Conway Driver who wants to be a Teamster!!

The history of the Teamsters! Did you know? 1.In 1903,two seperate horseteam drivers mergedand formed the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,"IBT" 2. Current membership is 1.4million and growing."Thanks to corporate greed." 3.There Industries and crafts are as diverse as the people in them.From airline pilots to zoo keepers including nurses,doctors,law enforcement personnel,food processing workers, truck drivers, warehouse workers, small package delivery"ups"and bus drivers etc. 4.Teamster master contracts have put more people into the middle class than any other event in labor history.5. Teamsters supported equal pay for all workers doing the same job regardless of gender or race 60years before the U.S. Government did.6. Teamsters have always had an ongoing Disaster Relief Fund to help membersin need whenever disaster hits.7. Teamsters were known as the Knights of the Highway because they always stopped to help drivers having trouble on the road.8. Teamsters have developed more safety programs in Industries and training schools for drivers than any other union.9. Teamsters give away ten of thousands of dollars every year in Scholarships for members children. 10. Teamsters have won the highest military and Presidential honors than any other union workers.11. The Teamsters horses are named Thunder and Lightning.