Yrc Road Driver

Yes

 

I'm sympathetic to union drivers despite working for a non-union company, so please don't assume I'm anti-union here. Those used to be the best jobs around, but that permanent paycut combined with the greatly reduced pension contributions and some pension plans actually failing makes me wonder what the benefits of union membership are (at YRC and their subsidiaries anyway - I know there are better union companies with better contracts).

At this point, the 15% giveback is way more lost than what is gained by having "free" health insurance. I think it's a shame. I'm not trying to start a debate, just honestly wondering what you guys think the benefit of union membership is at YRC (or Holland).

 

Are you out of the Jackson Mississippi terminal?

 

I'm not

 

Neither am I And out of my particular terminal this is the lowest paying job I've ever had with the worst dental insurance I've ever had. If I move 100 miles south and worked out of the Carlisle terminal my paycheck would be twice as much. If moved to Akron Ohio my dental insurance would be 8.75 times greater and my paycheck would be twice as much. Just something to think about before recommending someone work for a specific company. Location is everything company means nothing.

 

Every Teamsters local negotiates a separate contract with the company so just because one guy has a great contract at one Terminal doesn't mean you'll get the same benefits at a different terminal. It's best to check with the local out of the terminal you are potentially interested in working for to find out the details of the contract before signing your name on the dotted line.

 

Not to mention the geographic location of the terminal and its proximity to other terminals determines the amount of miles you will be able to drive.
330 miles a day doesn't pay the bills even at $0.50 a mile. It's always best to talk to the drivers from that terminal to find out what type of mileage you could potentially expect if you were to potentially work at that terminal as a new hire on the call-board.

 

My opinion goes like this - the main benefits to union membership are the work rules and the ability to collectively bargain.

Example # 1 - just a few hours ago one of our employees reported off work for a 21:00 start tonight. He has a less than desirable run that requires a layover. Per the negotiated agreement the run was offered to anyone that may have had a run that canceled for the afternoon/evening. Nobody on their regularly scheduled day wanted it, so it was then offered by seniority to the drivers that had available hours to cover it. It was then offered to the casual drivers, again no takers. The company then fulfilled their contractual obligation by starting the calling process over, this time the run was offered at 1.5 times the regular rate. If it's still uncovered the company then "forces" from the bottom up at double time. No arguments, no favoritism, just black and white.

Example #2 - we're currently in negotiations to determine wage increases, work rules, benefits, etc. We actually have a voice in our future.

Also, I'm not so narrow minded to think that every non union company is a bad one. I have no doubts that Dayton Freight, OD, and some other union free outfits are top notch.

 

I appreciate your input, and I can respect that. It is nice to have some rules that everybody knows or can reference in order to deal with certain situations. That way, nobody can really complain about something being unfair. One way Dayton establishes certain rules concerning seniority issues (like who is offered what, or who is forced to do what) is through company-wide votes that all drivers must weigh in on. A lot of what I consider to be stupid rules at other carriers aren't even an issue there.