Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by road_runner, Jun 21, 2013.

  1. prosidius

    prosidius Light Load Member

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    I’m normally a P&D guy but I occasionally like to dab into linehaul once in awhile. My dispatcher finally let me have at it daytime while he’s out in Vegas partying. Anyway yesterday was fine. Today though...I have 2 runs to Chicago. I get to Chicago and explain to them I have another run coming back here. Linehaul dispatch was like “lol no, you’re going to Appleton.” I get to Appleton and told they wanna send me to Madison mt (probably to get freight from there). I told them no because they already screwed my day already so they send me back to my home terminal mt instead. My home terminal said if LH dispatch every tries to pull that #### again, to call the terminal and they’ll get it straightened out. Never was able to do my second Chicago run.
     
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  3. road_runner

    road_runner Road Train Member

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    Guys. I am in a really bad spot and just need your advice. Please read me out before you respond.

    I work for a unionized LTL carrier. Over the past few weeks a much more senior driver has decided to single me out for whatever reason. One day out of the blue, while I was in the break room getting ready to start my shift, he approached me and asked me if was part of Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. I asked him why he would think that and his response was that I looked like a terrorist (I have a dark skin complexion and I pretty much look middle eastern). I have initially ignored these comments as locker room talk but things are escalating to a point where others are joining in on this humor. Last week a coworker asked me if I was going to hurt him or if he was on some kind of "list" of people that needed to be eliminated. Then two days ago, another coworker asked me if I was planning on bringing an assault style weapon to work and commiting a violent act against everyone. I honestly believe that the last two comments were disingenuous and playing into this narrative that this driver was encouraging to follow.

    I've made several attempts to tell this guy that I was a combat veteran that served in Iraq and that I lost six of my colleagues with one being a friend.

    I've dealt with something similar in the past but I was stuck in a bad spot cause of how isolated our terminal was. I now work for a union barn and have full access to a steward, TM, and HR.

    So here is where I need advice from. No matter who I contact first, the outcome is going to suck.

    If I contact my steward, he is friends with the jackhole I am dealing with and will probably give him a stern talk to. But the downside is that he will quit calling me a terrorist and come up with a new nickname to insinuate the same.

    If I talk to my TM, I am worried that he will freak out over a potential corporate review of his terminal and panic fire the jackhole, then only to rehire this guy again thanks to our union.

    If I contact HR first and directly, I am worried that my steward will feel that I jumped ranks and will turn the union against me. I also feel that my TM will feel that I denied hima chance to fix the situation. Either way, I went over both their heads.

    I really need some advice over this. I have over ten people that witnessed this abuse. Four will side with me and at least acknowledge this happened. Like where do I go from here?
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2021
    The Shadow, 650cat425, misterG and 3 others Thank this.
  4. McUzi

    McUzi Road Train Member

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    @road_runner I’ve dealt with this before in management, specifically with a union being involved, and oddly under a set of similar circumstances.

    Going to management raises a different concern. Without knowing your contract or other specifics, does your contract require an employee to be in good standing with the union, and if he isn’t, the company is required to terminate him?

    The concern I have for you is that you going directly to management could cost you your job, at least in the short term. Without knowing how your local operates, my concern is that if you were to go to management, would the union then consider you not in good standing for going against a union “brother”?

    I think the correct play here is to get your business agent involved because if the steward is this guy’s actual buddy, you already have an uphill battle as well as a conflict of interest on the stewards part, especially if your coworker has significantly more seniority on you. Not that the offender's seniority counts for anything other than it may be a reflection of a long time bond where the two will actively protect each other. Involving the business agent hopefully brings an impartial voice to the mix on behalf of the union and can protect you in this.

    If you don’t think that the BA involvement would help, then you have to at least give the TM a chance to fix this.

    Fortunately, in this political climate, union or not, NO company wants to be seen as sympathetic to racism of any kind, and your coworker is potentially opening them up to a PR disaster, and potential civil liabilities. You may not actually be middle eastern, but this "person" is still exhibiting racist behavior against you. This may be the sole reason that the company could move in a harsh and swift direction against your coworker to protect you. Also, in addition to no company wanting to appear soft on handling internal issues of racism, they EQUALLY wouldn't want to have that same issue in harassment of combat veterans, especially given the position that your company has with transporting military freight.

    I don’t think you are stuck, but unless you can articulate an immediate concern for your safety, I’d probably follow the chain of command, as well as have a notebook around to document things like witnesses, dates, times and what is said to you.

    They union layer does complicate it, but not by a whole lot. You still have the right to work in an environment free of hostility or sexual harassment (these days the SH doesn’t even have to be sexual in nature, just harassing).

    I really hope you get this figured out brother, no one deserves to have to deal with that stuff while trying to earn a living. Just be careful in what you say in any exchanges you have, which I know you are.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2021
    Reason for edit: Wrote original post half asleep waking up in the middle of the night. Cleaned it up and also to say I am not a lawyer.
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  5. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    Baltimore, MD
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    Not to make light of how you may feel about this sort of stupidity, and that’s exactly what’s going on here, but I personally am enough of ###-hole to give the doofuses in question exactly what they want.

    Learn some random Arabic phrases and rattle them off to the perpetrators, and the next idiot that asks about a “list”, just tell him he’s at the top of it. :cool:

    Beyond that, just let your work ethic and record represent you like it does here. Whoever can’t spot a good hand and give him his due respect is worth less than fifth wheel grease on your boots.
     
  6. Jay5GS

    Jay5GS Medium Load Member

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    ill be completely honest with you if the union steward is friend with the guy then you need to get the union rep involved and corporate if you think the TM isn't going to do anything about this......
     
  7. FLHT

    FLHT Heavy Load Member

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    Set up a meeting at the local.
    Your Steward,BA and local President
    Make sure you got your documentation.
    Tell them your story and where your next step will be if they don't get the point across to this person.
    If you go to HR he will likely be terminated.
    If you do as stated above in post #10485 the both of you will be likely be terminated.
    Subject to the grievance panel decision for all of the above if push comes to shove.
    By terminating the problem it frees the company from litigation
    Good luck
    Your TM is a POS if he has allowed this to even get to this point.
     
  8. snowbird_89

    snowbird_89 Road Train Member

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    @road_runner

    Maybe next time try to keep you phone out and secretly record any conversations that co-worker may have with you. Any proof will help.
     
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  9. Banker

    Banker Road Train Member

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    Contact your business agent, explain everything and definitely tell him you are a US Veteran. It really does matter. Let him know that your next call will be to HR. A good business agent will let the jackwads doing this know that in today’s environment even the strongest union won’t be able to keep their jobs should HR come down on them. Another option is to tell them point blank that you will deal with them directly and if they try to get between you and feeding your family, God help them. I don’t like anyone getting in my wallet and these ##@@ers are trying to get in your mind and your wallet.
     
  10. Jay5GS

    Jay5GS Medium Load Member

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    the employer will not fire you because your reporting someone who is saying racist remarks to you, and even if they did you could sue the employer because that's discrimination and violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2021
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