Two things.. “whine” and “Obama Convention,” both designed to inspire curiosity and perhaps a little comment juice. The following from Michigan Messenger:
As a nod to union workers, Sen. Barack Obama has chosen a Teamsters union official from Taylor, Michigan, to speak at the National Democratic Convention the night Obama accepts the party’s nomination for president.
The union worker, Roy Gross, is a truck driver who spoke at Obama’s Warren rally in May. There, Gross outlined the troubles he’s facing as a blue collar worker in Michigan.
Folks, TEAMSTERS, despite the high cost of fuel and increasing difficulty trucking companies are having, have NOT let up pressure. As recently as June 9, 2008, Teamsters called for strike action against a company which already was facing financial problems. As reported by Teamsters release:
The nationwide strike affects 24 terminals and about 1,250 Teamster employees at the PTS companies: Leaseway Motorcar Transport Company, E. and L. Transport Company, Hadley Auto Transport and Transportation Releasing.
We are on strike to enforce our bargaining table demands, said Fred Zuckerman, Director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division.
That was the Teamsters version.. Pretty straight forward and no apologies. Performance Transportation Services Inc. announced closing a few days later. If you would like to see the vulture picking of the bones of a company driven out of business by it’s UNION, then click on the link above. The announcement of closing from 5 days later:
In a letter to PTS employees, company president and CEO Jeff Cornish said the bankruptcy court on June 4 authorized a 15 percent wage cut for Teamsters-represented employees for two months.
The company anticipated negotiating a new, long-term contract during that time, but the Teamsters instead went on strike Monday. Both sides met Thursday to discuss PTS’ proposal, which Cornish said included salary cuts for both hourly and salaried workers.
“Unfortunately, for reasons we do not fully understand, the Teamsters concluded that it was not in their interest to accept our offer,” Cornish wrote.
“Management and many of our Teamster members were willing to make the requested sacrifices to save the company, but the leadership of the union had a different agenda,” Cornish added.
Your Job.. Your TRUCKING Job sir. I can only imagine you will go to the podium at the 2008 Democratic national convention, and as a good little union servant will blame it on Bush policies and the Iraq war. You will pander to those who seek government control over business, and our personal affairs. You will decry the high cost of health care, and how the mean corporate world has let down the “common folk.” But for you, everything will be all right, because it will certainly earn you a spot in Teamster hierarchy. Into the “ruling class” of trucker representatives, who by eliminating competition even from WITHIN their own ranks, carry a bigger stick in which to beat the tar out of the transportation business. Your Teamster brethren, however face a new reality.