My Dad (The GearJammer)

I am not sure how or where to begin. Well...this story is about my Dad (The Gear-Jammer). Ever since my Father was a young boy, he dreamed of becoming a semi truck driver. He was able to drive a truck in the service, & followed his dream & became a semi driver. As i grew up, i remember going every year to see him perform in the annual truck rodeos. Over the years he had obtained much respect for being a safe & devoted truck driver, he had received many awards, allong with his pins & patches... he was also a member of the Teamsters Union, he wore his Teamsters Union patches along with all the others on his jackets & hats with pride. He allways would say how good the Teamsters Union was, & how they supported the honest hard workin truck drivin man. He amazed me with his loyalty not only to his work & teamsters union, but especially to his family!!! And allways spending any spare time he had left to helping others in any way he could. My Father retired in "2000". He looked forward to spending more time with his family. As the years of his retirement went by, my dad started to feel ill in "2006". He would say how run down he felt, & that he just could'nt catch his breath as he used to. He put it off, relating to it as getting older symtoms, or thinking that he would get better. By the end of that year he was helping out my grandma, when he passed out & later was hospitalized & put on oxygen. The following months to come was heart breaking for me. As i helped out as much as i could, i watch my fathers breath slowly being robbed from him. Allthough, i reacted strongly, i would go home and just cry silent tears of greivng pain. On Easter of "2007" i went to see my dad. I had brought him a chocolate frosty...it was his favorite! My dad wanted his toe nails cut, he said no one would do it because no one was certified. So i cut my dads toe nails, then washed & massaged his feet, & put lotion on them, for they were so dry! I did not really realize...that i was spending my last Easter with my dad. On April 15, 2007, my dad passed away. My mom & dad were married 47 years! After my dad passed, my mom found out that she would no longer be receiving my dads pension. This was a shock to all of us! We thought how could this be? There must be some mistake! Well, the teamsters union informed my mom that they had signed off on the pension when my dad retired in "2000"!? What happened was, when my mom & dad signed the paper work, the lady that represented the teamsters union retirement pension, was talking about insurance. She informed them that the insurance that they provide would be very costly for them, & that signing this form you will not have that extra coverage. My parents agreed, & said that they would look into getting there own insurance. The lady then quickly handed them the paper work to sign, my parents signed & the lady, quickly as she handed it to them, took it back! My mom has been before the Teamsters Union Board, & they have denied her, stateing that the paper they signed was noterized & there is nothing they can do. My mom has tried to appeal this decision, to no avail. My mom has no money for an attourney to fight this battle. She is considered poverty leval, she does not get enough from S.S. for her to survive. How can the teamsters union be so cold & so heartless!!! They may as well have spit on my fathers grave, & spit in my mothers face as-well!!! To have misrepresented the documentation & mislead them to sign such an important form. My dad gave his life...HIS LIFE to the teamsters union in whom he was so dedicated & loyal to...to the very end! And the teamsters turn around & stab my family in the back!!! It has not only hurt my mother but myself as-well. Seeing her go through her greeve after loosing my dad, being married 47 years, & then have the union rape my mother of her dignity...she has not been the same ever since...shame on you teamsters union!!! You have dishonored & discredited onee of your finest membors & have disgraced his Family!!!!

 

Well...i tried to give u each a comment back to say thank you! But, i am not on the "honor roll" yet, so...i say Thank You all, for your concern & nice comments!.....
Yea do ya know anything about the 7 judges, in witch 4 r in control/governing , this type of manipulation signing & Michigan is the only State that this is taking place! That is what i heard through a reputible contact...& i also here we r not the only ones that has had this happen, there are several family's that they are misrepresenting the information on there retirement forms & misleading them to sign off on it. They look for the "good old fashion type" the honest man that goes by your word & still believes in a good firm hand shake! So that they can pull there scam sucessfully.It is sad but a very true reallity! Even if my mom can't get what is rightfully hers, i hope i will have allerted some other innocent soul & save them this hellish nightmare that my mom & family has gone trough!

 

Thankyou for your post comment, thankyou for your support, & thank you for reading my letter! I really appreciate all the positive feedback on this. Thankyou everyone!

 

Thank you for your condolences...however it may be,my story about my Father & his life is to be honored indeed! And what had happened to my Mother after his unfortionate death, after he devoted his life to this union, should not, & cannot just be swept under the carpet as though this never happened! This is an enlightening post, that has brought forth positive feedback! I firmly believe that every Trucker should be able to hear what has happened, & what is going on right under there noses, & should thus bear the right to stand mentally compitant of hearing & being well capible of drawing there own conclusion to this story. There is & has been no intention of "union bashing" on my behalf. I am only stateing facts & partaking in my freedom of speech rights that is rightfully mine to bearforth the truth! Every Trucker has the right to know!!!