Truckers/American to strike

[Southern Fried]

Lots of luck.

We old farts tried this several times . One in particular tied up the border crossing between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Lasted a couple of days. Over 150 trucks all lined up on both sides of the road. Yes, I was there with mine thankyew. Had TV and newspapers and even a couple of truck magazines. RCMP was cool as long as we didn't close the road altogether for emergency vehicles and such. Of course a couple guys got fed up with the UNION guys blowing right through and flipping us off. Yup, the good ol Teamsters. We even got some politicians.

Y'know what it got us????? NADA!!! ZIP!!!! ZILCH!!!! ZERO!!!!!

Oh wait.... it did get a couple of company guys who appeared in the news blacklisted.

 

[j911brick]

Of course a couple guys got fed up with the UNION guys blowing right through and flipping us off. Yup, the good ol Teamsters. We even got some politicians.

And what happened the last time the unions went on strike? We did the same thing to them. We all need to learn we are all in this together.

 

[Southern Fried]

And what happened the last time the unions went on strike? We did the same thing to them. We all need to learn we are all in this together.

That's exactly the trouble; trucking is not XYZ. It's also every other letter in the alphabet.. Trucking is about the most highly diverse trade in existence. Just like no set regulation is going to work for everybody, no "rate agreement" is either. What will make a highway hauler happy will mean little to a guy hauling logs or chips out of the woods. Likewise some guy hauling crops or livestock. Try telling a bull-hauler that "we need you to pull over for a couple of days" when he's got somebody's dairy herd on board.

Yet we are all truckers by any meaning of the word. None of us are better or more important than the rest. But we all have someone depending on us. So if you tell me shut down so I can get this (which is truly what you're saying) carries no weight if it costs my family my paycheck for no gain.

I suggest you either concentrate your efforts on "shutting down" whatever company you're unhappy working for. At least then, if things go badly, you're not hurting anyone else.

 

[j911brick]

OOIDA/Landline FB pages have about 9,000 likes. The strike page has almost 50,000 likes in 3 days.

 

[j911brick]

T
. So if you tell me shut down so I can get this (which is truly what you're saying) carries no weight if it costs my family my paycheck for no gain.

I recall the last good threat of a strike about 15 years ago. A driver was interviewed by the local press and he said he could not afford to go on strike. The truth is: if you cannot afford to go on strike, then you really cannot afford not to. The loss of a couple hundred dollars will payed back in a month with just a .02 cent increase, and you'll make that money for every month thereafter.

Also: results cannot always be expected overnight. Sometimes the cause and effect of something today may not be realized for several years. You're still benefiting from the teamster strikes of the '30s. Let that sink in.

 

[j911brick]

This is a pretty intelligent and reasonable article;

http://landlinemedia.blogspot.com/2013/09/is-there-trucker-strike-in-works.html

 

[Southern Fried]

I recall the last good threat of a strike about 15 years ago. A driver was interviewed by the local press and he said he could not afford to go on strike. The truth is: if you cannot afford to go on strike, then you really cannot afford not to. The loss of a couple hundred dollars will payed back in a month with just a .02 cent increase, and you'll make that money for every month thereafter.

Also: results cannot always be expected overnight. Sometimes the cause and effect of something today may not be realized for several years. You're still benefiting from the teamster strikes of the '30s. Let that sink in.

Alright.... now if you're going to strike you're going to have to have a specific idea of what for. So, let's hear what you think exactly in dollars and cents what you think would be "fair to everybody". No platitudes now, just cold figures.

Incidentally, I've worked in Teamster outfits. No amount of pay would be enough to get me dealing with all the "union rules" BS again.

 

[j911brick]

Alright.... now if you're going to strike you're going to have to have a specific idea of what for. So, let's hear what you think exactly in dollars and cents what you think would be "fair to everybody". No platitudes now, just cold figures.

Incidentally, I've worked in Teamster outfits. No amount of pay would be enough to get me dealing with all the "union rules" BS again.

This strike isn't really about money. Its more about people getting fed up with the government. SO its not even really a strike. Its more of a protest. But from an organizational standpoint they aren't any better organized than the Occupy Wallstreet movement. They don't have any real leadership, or realistic and definable goals.

 

[Southern Fried]

This strike isn't really about money. Its more about people getting fed up with the government. SO its not even really a strike. Its more of a protest. But from an organizational standpoint they aren't any better organized than the Occupy Wallstreet movement. They don't have any real leadership, or realistic and definable goals.

So what the hell is the point then? Getting your pic in a newspaper? Pointless "protests" are a waster of time and effort and accomplish absoloutely nothing. I have better things to do with my time than public masturbation for the amusement of the "elites".

Come back when you've got something concrete to discuss.

 

[2xR]

The industry is too fragmented to pull off a general strike. It'll never happen.

The Frenchies do this all the time, for silly assed reasons like a four day work week and government supplied croissants. Works for them.

Now, like another said, if the fuel spigot is turned off you'd see trucks parked and the economy paralyzed. Even then, some companies have their own bulk fuel storage. They'd run and get filthy stinkin' rich doing it.

So, for a personal safety net, I suppose I should begin stockpiling Corona and toilet paper, now.

 

[8978]

You all need to read the Landline article link above. This has nothing to do with us. They just want to use us to protest issues not related to trucking.

http://landlinemedia.blogspot.com/2013/09/is-there-trucker-strike-in-works.html

 

[blackw900]

Yawn....Again?



That trick never works!

 

[midwestbound]

So basically they are saying that it is up to the O/Os to make this run to DC because company drivers would lose their jobs if they did it. Still think they can get all the drivers "together" on this one?

 

[j911brick]

You all need to read the Landline article link above. This has nothing to do with us. They just want to use us to protest issues not related to trucking.

http://landlinemedia.blogspot.com/2013/09/is-there-trucker-strike-in-works.html

I think I said all along it wasn't just about truckers.

 

[j911brick]

And yet another FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Truc...-America/331860940294034?directed_target_id=0

 

[Tazz]

OOIDA/Landline FB pages have about 9,000 likes. The strike page has almost 50,000 likes in 3 days.

Spacebook like are like toilet paper squares. Easy to use and generally covered in oo:

Who are you striking against?

What are your demands?

But go ahead and pound chest. Who knows 10 or 15 trucks might show up.

Yeah a lot of people showed up for a 9-11 tribute run, especially when a bunch of the bean pie crowd started planning a march on that day. The general public might have some feelings about that. They don't give a crap except when you block traffic. And the brilliant plan is to block traffic? Your not related to Ellsworth are you?

 

[Ike]

Sure would be cool to see a couple thousand trucks rolling up Pennsylvania Ave. May get someone attention.

 

[blackw900]

Sure would be cool to see a couple thousand trucks rolling up Pennsylvania Ave. May get someone attention.

More than likely it'll be a couple of trucks (if any) and no one will care....

I'll keep on truckin'.

 

[Ike]

More than likely it'll be a couple of trucks (if any) and no one will care....

I'll keep on truckin'.

Yer prolly right, But you gotta admit, if it happened it would be cool. of course, you'd have to be there to see it cuz the lamestream media sure aint gonna cover it.

 

[blackw900]

I delivered right here a while back.....
That's as close as my truck will ever be to Pennsylvania Ave.
It was a nice, quiet place to spend the night though.