Contract Talk - comments, questions

[Buzz]

Please post your comments and/or questions about the new contract below.

(I'll add my 2 cents after you've had a chance first.)

[Carlos eveillard]

Not good at all and the new have two wait 11 years to get to the top

[yabba]

not a terrible contract for senior people... newbies i dont think its the answer and thats killing the pension...we need better for new hires 

[Carlos eveillard]

I know but we talking about new people

[Carlos eveillard]

Yes we do they going to lose a lot of people

[Buzz]

Yes we do they going to lose a lot of people

Carlos, if you don't mind my asking, what was your date of hire?

[John Eadicicco]

How do they expect to hire new drivers with this CBA?

[Buzz]

How do they expect to hire new drivers with this CBA?

This is a rarity, but I agree 100%.

[Buzz]

FWIW - All in all, I think it's a decent contract for people who are already here. People here 1 to 6 years will be getting immediate raises of approximately $100 to $300 per week, respectively. If they stuck it out for as long as they did for a little over $700 a week, I don't see any mass exodus of drivers based on this contract.

No, we didn't get back Presidents' Week. I can tell you it's not for a lack of trying. I spoke to Ernie at least a couple of evenings a week throughout the negotiations. They kept going back to the 40th week issue numerous times to no avail. Owners would simply not even entertain the notion or negotiate on it at all. At one point, Ernie came up with a compromise he hoped they would accept ... pay the difference between unemployment and our salary. Again, owners wouldn't even consider it. I appreciate 1181's perseverance nonetheless.

As for the unborn ... for the most part ... they will remain unborn. As soon as the weather warms up, more flies will be attracted to the men's room at Arthur Kill than new hires walking in asking for applications. This is another issue that I can tell you unequivocally that the union tried to improve upon repeatedly. It's just mind-numbing that the owners were completely indifferent to the need to sweeten the pot for prospective drivers ... despite the industry-wide shortage. It's almost as if they're bent on self-annihilation. In Erine's words, "They just don't give a fuck!"

Yes, we need more drivers and more members feeding the pension. But we've been short drivers for a couple of years now and the panic I sense from some people regarding the pension is very premature. There is no evidence that covering runs has hurt the fund in any way over the past year. If you refer to the summary for the year ending Dec. 31, 2017 you will see that the plan's income for the year was over $92 million while expenses were slightly over $85 million. No one knows what the years ahead will bring, but these figures would indicate there is no need for panic for the foreseeable future.

The fact that it took 10 months to reach an agreement itself speaks to the difficulty that this particular contract involved. When the "other side" walks out on the first 11 meetings you know absolutely no gains are going to come easy at all. It was a very fine line that Michael and the negotiation team had to walk to do the very best they could for us while being painfully aware that at any time the owners could end negotiations and impose a contract which would be much worse that we could either accept ... or go on strike.

In fact, there were times that the owners, namely Joe Curcio, (Consolidated). who is the ringleader that the others follow like sheep, actually challenged Michael to put us out on the street. That he was able to get us as much as he did dealing with a douchebag like Curcio is an accomplishment that I think too many people do not appreciate.

No, it might not be the best contract we've ever gotten, but because of the negotiating skill of Michael Cordiello, our executive board and negotiation team, it is certainly far from the worst.

Just my humble opinion.

[04012013]

I agree. The contract is decent for the 2013 hires. It gets better from now on.

I also agree that recruitment will be remain difficult but will be a bit easier to sell with the salary steps now in place.

As far as financial stability for the Pension, that will depend on recruitment.   In the mean time. Since we all agree that the uncovered runs should be covered by us and not forfeited, lets consider this.   Those volunteering to make extra $$ and those who say they are "forced" to cover the runs and make extra $$ should be mandated to contribute that runs pension contributions.  And, if their covering work for a trip run, should be covering the trips also!      This will benefit Everyone in the long run.

Just my humble opinion

[Buzz]

  Those volunteering to make extra $$ and those who say they are "forced" to cover the runs and make extra $$ should be mandated to contribute that runs pension contributions. 

Can't be done. There has to be a name to go with the contribution and everybody has to give the same amount based on a percentage of their regular weekly pay, not amount of additional income.  (Many people have had the same thought so I've inquired about this previously.)

[John Eadicicco]

Buzz your quoting pension monies from 2017!!!!!! By speaking to drivers from companies in other boro's it seems a conservative number throughout the industry is 500 drivers short. Reliant 100 short.
Based on these numbers a total of $60,000 weekly is NOT being contributed to pension? THAT is my biggest worry!

[Just_Right]

 John ...Where do you get your numbers from???

[hognol]

Curcio is the ring leader? I heard it was Neil!

[John Eadicicco]

I got my numbers from polling drivers in other companies and we came up with approximately 500 drivers short in the industry it's an estimate of the drivers plus the owners contributions into the fund!