6 replies to this topic

[Der Rittmeister]

After reading another topic posted on this site concerning “Corrupt Locals.” I responded with the following. I apologize for repeating myself here but I believe it is worthy of not only repeating but its own topic heading.

I am sick of hearing members complain the Union does nothing for them. They want the ridiculous during contract talks and complain when they don’t get it. They only come to meetings for “The free stuff.” They talk shit about the way Business Agents and Local officers deal with management because they are being civil and no one is punching, spitting and calling the boss names

Should Teamsters go into collective bargaining and smash the table, yell and scream until they get what they want? Should we ask for that 200% pay increase because, heck, you have been screwed for the last 25 years? Should we just take control of every company and municipal government where Teamsters work by force? Would that be the right way to get things done? I hope a reasonable person would say "no."

Teamster officials are NOT “in bed with management.” Your Local officers, whom YOU voted for and put there, are most likely not your problem. If you think they are then vote them out!

The problem is our members don't care enough to get involved. The members make the Local what it is.

Members are not interested in Union activities, throw away news letters, meeting notices and ballots, don't show up to meetings, don't vote in elections for Teamsters leaders, trash talk the Teamsters and their Local to everyone they know, "All they want is more of my money, they don't do anything for me, I didn't get a raise, I didn't get my grievance pushed through and when I did they didn't fight hard enough because I lost."

"It is all about me and what I want to hell with everyone else because I pay my dues and they should be working for me."

Teamsters members vote for political candidates that are anti-labor and exhibit behavior like shopping at Wal-Mart even though they know it is wrong. They then turn around and blame their Local officers for things like what happened in Wisconsin. They think they are clients of the Local instead of members. It is totally ridiculous!

No one wants to sacrifice any time or energy to DO anything. They think someone else should be doing the work while they reap all the benefits. That is not a Union!

Members better get off thier asses and get involved, come together and stop blaming everyone else for this war on workers, their "weak" contract and all the other BS being thrown out right now.

[LagunaBrown.com]

As much as I agree with what you have to say, we as leaders must take the high road. To blame members will not win their hearts and only give reason for them to divide our Union even more. When you call another teamster a brother you must mean it like he is truly your brother. There is a connection that has been lost somewhere and shame on us if we are not smart enough to fix it.

[Der Rittmeister]

Yes! That is the other side of this coin. Leaders have also become lazy and have not paid attention to the disconnection of the members. It is leading to disaster.

[True Steward]

I too posted this twice. The other side of the coin..... to believe in preserving rights for Brothers and Sisters regardless of the outcome.... the attempt, the struggle, the knowledge that it is the "right" thing to do and not compromise ethics. Some have em', some don't.

To Der Rittmeister, What if....in my opinion...... Local Officer election ballots are not sent to members so they cannot vote for new Officers? What if.... Local Officials won't back up and instead deny information requests from Steward to Employer? (Proof of CBA violation... Oh no! Don't want to incriminate Employer!) What if Local Union Officials deny (in Unison with Employer) all information requests to utilize in grievance handling for other members? What if Local Union Officers threaten, pound fist on table,( Not break it but scream and yell at Steward) coerce and demand in private meeting with Steward (not allowed a witness) that Steward STOP accusing Employer of discrimination and retaliation or Steward will be sued by Employer for defamation and attorney fees by Employer? What if Local Union Officials send letter to Steward stating they are NOT entitled to information about thier benefits of frozen pension / conversion to 401k?/ amendments with NO notification to participants? What if Union Officials in unison with Employer tell a Union Steward who they can represent of their membership and who they cannot represent during grievance procedure? What if a Steward is demanded to stop questioning the AUTHORITY of a Union Officer? What if Union Officers subdue and deny grievance procedures that affect illegal suspensions, deny Articles in CBA of mandatory safety, deny viewing of air quality reports in chemical hazard areas to members working in areas? What if a Steward is attempting to administer a CBA and the membership is fearful to "make waves" because of continued intimidation, coersion, discrimination, loss of wages, harassment that has been status quo for so long that there is no faith in Union any longer due to "past practice" of "Employer Union" to detriment of workers? If most Union Officials started acting like "UNION MEMBERS" rather than retaliatory, greedy, self serving, power monging authoritarians.... in my opinion, then their wouldn't be any complaints from Union Members.
Corruption is everywhere! As a Teamsters Union Steward, I stand against CORRUPTION against my fellow Brothers and Sisters and am willing to work extremely hard to prevent it. God bless the "ethical" people with a conscience. Crime does not pay. All one can do is "set a good example" to hopefully restore faith in Unions and that will happen when/if the evil ones are rooted OUT.

[Der Rittmeister]

True Steward, on September 06 2011 - 12:42 AM, said:

I too posted this twice. The other side of the coin..... to believe in preserving rights for Brothers and Sisters regardless of the outcome.... the attempt, the struggle, the knowledge that it is the "right" thing to do and not compromise ethics. Some have em', some don't.

To Der Rittmeister, What if....in my opinion...... What if.... What if ... What if ...What if... What if ... What if ... What if ... What if
Crime does not pay. "set a good example" hopefully restore faith ...when/if the evil ones are rooted OUT.

We could play a game of what if all day long and still not get anything done. What if Minnesota had elected a Republican Governor?

What if Wisconsin citizens came out against public employees in greater numbers than the people on the capitol grounds every day? Would you and your fellow workers come to Wisconsin and rally behind your fellow Teamsters?

Crystal Sugar is bussing scab workers and truck drivers to work in their sugar beet plants from around the country right now, what if Unions came together and stopped this? What if truckers blocked roads leading to the plant and busses with scab workers and scab trucks couldn’t get anywhere near the plant?

This is what Unions, specifically the Teamsters, did in Minneapolis when several Teamsters lost their lives in a strike. Commitment? Are you willing to really commit? Start setting the example you talk about.

When all you care about is how much money you have in your pocket and don’t care about politics and fellow brother and sisters who don’t work with you daily you are not in the Union. You think you are a client of the Teamsters and you are not acting as a member of the Union.

[True Steward]

WOW! Guilty conscience? Defensive to boot! I see what side of the fence you are on. To remove my previous posts and interfere in freedom of speech on this website. Education and sharing with members is key to enlightenment and to ALLOW people to make informed decisions for themselves. I thought we could have an intelegent debate but see that by removing my posts and link to article has stirred you up. I don't deal with people that limit my free speech. Look up Authoritarians in the dictionary. Weather a democrat or a republican, we all bleed red. There is common ground we believe in (Keep illegals OUT) and could build on that but you are unwilling to "collectively bargain" or even have communication if others show documented proof of what works and what doesn't. Look in the mirror lately? Like what you see? I have the utmost respect for truck drivers, I live in Wisconsin, and participate in the HUGE trucker parade in Waupun for many years. The illegals are here stealing jobs because of support for Democrat in the White House that wants to make them citizens. That's YOUR choice. Don't blame it on the Republicans in General. Just like the Unions, there are "good" Union people and there are "bad" Union people. YOU have the choice whom you want to associate with. Put my posts back up if you want to be person that allows "FREEDOM" of choice in making an informed decision or continue to pull posts off because you personally are offended by them. The truth hurts sometimes but does not have the long lasting effects of lies to keep covering up the truth. The light will SHINE! I have faith. I believe there is good in all people, it's just their "actions" that SUCK.

[Der Rittmeister]

True Steward, on September 08 2011 - 10:19 AM, said:

I see what side of the fence you are on. To remove my previous posts and interfere in freedom of speech on this website. I thought we could have an intelegent debate but see that by removing my posts and link to article has stirred you up... I don't deal with people that limit my free speech. ...bla bla bla bla!

I don't have the power to remove anyones post on here and have never seen someone's post removed by the webmatser either. The post you are talking about is under a different topic not this one and your link is there too. Look and you will see it is still there. Wow! yourself, Mr. Kneejerk. Next time pay attention!

I know of no Republican party member currently in office who has come out and helped Teamsters with labor issues. Of course I could be wrong since I don't have contact with press articles from all over the country. If you know of any let me know because members here are all complaining that DRIVE never endorses Republican candidates. the reason Republicans are not endorsed is because the Union doesn't care about abortion rights or even gun rights. We care about JOBS and working conditions. When Republicans stop being on the side of the multi-million dollar bonus to CEOs and start letting the workers have a raise maybe DRIVE will take a look at them.

I would not consider myself a liberal Democrat by any means. I am a hunter and I believe my kin came here to make a better life for themselves and their family. Part of that included getting rich. something that seems to have become a crime lately. But there is a difference between getting rich and being greedy.

I do know that the first thing republicans will do is take away collective bargaining rights and give more power to the coperate boss. I can live next to illegals (Until ICE comes and raid them), I can't live with the pay I will get from a greedy coperate boss.