C
Phoenix,#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, August 06, 2004
Charles; Contact both the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the EEOC, the equal employment opportunity commission. Thell them your story and see what they may be able to do for you.
Charles
Miami,#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, August 04, 2004
I worked at the globe arizona plant of united metro/aka peter kiewit. I was an employee of Guzman Construction which was bought by united metro. In all i was an employee for 7 years. I was driver trainer for the company and 2nd highest driver in seniority. I was also on the safety committee. In february of 2002 I was rolling up the window in my truck due to blowing dust and a tendon going to my left thumb snapped. I reported this to 3 different supervisors who conveniently could not find and accident report form. I was told it was probably a muscle spasm and to work it out. the next morning i still could not move my thumb at will so i went to see my family physician. at this time i found out that the tendon had to be surgically repaired. I contacted my employer immediately and was told that i had to attend a safety review meeting on the incident. when all was said and done it was decided that i had not followed company policy and gone straight to the emergemcy room, that it was a preventable accident, and that men in my age group were a safety liability, (according to wesley bryant, operations manager). I tried to explain that all i was trying to do was roll up the window in the truck and was unaware of anyway to do it differently, but to no avail. I was terminated on the spot. The company paid for the surgery and subsequent 6 months of physical therapy to learn to move my fingers the way they are intended, and paid comp until I was released but my termination date was still on march 6, 2002. I was told by several attorneys that I had a wrongful termination suit but with a family of 4 to support I did not have the means. I have since heard that several employees in my age group have been terminated for the same sort of reasons. there must be something that can be done about these practices.
Bargaining Unit
Phoenix,#4Author of original report
Sun, August 10, 2003
I have read your rebuttal to the original complaint, and although I accept your right to printing your reply and comments, I must tell you this. I speak for most of the Teamsters in saying that we all are very happy that you and the likes of you are not in the brotherhood. Point one; Yes is the answer to your first comment. The Teamsters represented in the original complaint are well aware of the contents printed. As you stated, with the exception of "just a few members getting together to snivel" many of us have gotten together to 'snivel' about the way we are all watching what used to be a great company to work for, become a form of dictatorship with two of three idiots running the show with no regard for anyone below them or their families. Our leaders 'with no backbone' have won all but one arbitration, in many years, at least the ones that was actually brought to arbitration. I just don't know how someone with no backbone could stand up that long for the basic human rights of the workmen. Point two; We both agree on this point. All of them should have been fired. If they all had been fired then the Union would have had no case and thus would have never taken the case to begin with. Someone made a very bad decision to keep that one driver creating an unfair termination case that the company lost. I also agree with you that the bottom line to this business, and all businesses, is production. However, I urge you to check your productivity sheets and see where it went when the dictatorship chose to 'show us who is the boss'. Point three; I can't answer for all of the plants, simply because I don't get to go to any but a couple of plants. I can answer for the couple that I do know about and that is that if the plant did not have a laborer assigned to the task of cleaning the drivers room then the drivers did make an effort to keep it clean. But, to further rebutt your statement, because apparently you don't have all of your facts straight, we did not lose the drivers rooms because of house cleaning. We lost it because on one of his trips to Florida, Randy Pathael saw that some of the outlaying plants did not have any drivers rooms. So upon his return to the valley he decided to pull one of his idiotic tactics on the Teamsters, by closing them down. By the way, this little tid bit of knowledge came from Randy and Dan at one of their meeting with some drivers. Check your facts before publishing them. Point four; am/fm radios were in fact there before. It is called 'past practice' and they were not given back out of the goodness of their hearts, they have no hearts. They were given back because a grievance was filed and the company decided not to fight this one. So in order to settle the grievance the decision to give them back was, correctly and rightfully made. Oh, and by the way, some of the new trucks have already arrived and are being driven almost as we speak, and guess what, they are equipped with am/fm radios and the are operational. Again, get your fact straight before publishing them. Point five; 115 degrees is hot, 100 degrees is hot, 30 degrees may be an inconvience to you, but it is cold for a lot of people, especially when hot weather dominates their lives for most of the year. However, that is not the point. The point is that although the trucks do have a/c and heaters the fact that people like you would like us to sit in our trcks from punch in to punch out is not realistic. I would invite you to get into one of the trucks and eat your lunch do all that is required without any place to do anything but 'be productive'. As for positive attitudes, the attitudes of people are directly reflective of the way they are treated. When management treats labor with little to no dignity, always looking down upon them, their attiudes will reflect that treatment. Point six; Operators are required to take a half hour lunch break. They constantly used the break room for that activity. They now associate in another location for that break. The mechanics also are required to take a lunch break. They too have a room for that activity. The rooms that were closed were closed to the Teamsters only. Once again, check your facts before SNIVELING about things you have not researched and cannot substantiate. Finally; When we do go to the bargaining table, I can assure you that a great deal of the proposals are being presented to address the policies that are being handed down from people like Dan Speck, Randy Pathael, and to name one other idiot, Danny Hunter. It is the tyranny that they try to put upon labor which is going to govern the bargaining that will happen at the tables this fall. The labor side of this company did, in fact, choose ready mix and aggregate as a living. Most of them chose to work for, what used to be the greatest and best company, in this business, in this state. The people in charge have since made decisions which changed this company to be among the worst to work for, for moral purposes.
Steve
Phoenix,#5UPDATE Employee
Fri, July 04, 2003
you have faithfully put out your point of view. You have forgotten some of the facts. And you neglect to see the whole picture. First of all I wonder if the teamsters your representing have any idea of the comments you have put forth. Or is this just a few members that have gotten together to snivel about the company that feeds thier famalies. I look at your letter as nothing but a bunch of complaints and possible mis guidance. If I were a teamster which I can proudly say I am not. I would wonder if the people leading us to the bargaining table are the right bunch. I would hope that my "leaders" would have more back bone. Second point: You bring up the famous quick stop. Where a couple guys got fired one had his hand slapped and the trainee got let off. I have always said they should have all got the axe. Make them the example . Also some people don't understand our business. Bottom line it is production. If these idiots would have followed the rules and not stopped to have a sit down breakfast. And think there would be no problem. They don't really belong in ready mix, but maybe as a OTR truck driver. Remember these quick stops are meant to be just that "QUICK". As I see it the company paid in the long run so you should be happy about that. Third point: If you think losing the drivers rooms, candy machines, coffee, and other things are a slap in the face. You should thought about that earlier. Some rooms were such a mess with crap laying everywhere and not one driver to keep it clean. Apperantly each one of you left it up to the other guy to clean up your mess. You lost the rooms because you did not do any kind of house cleaning. In the contract the company is to supply clean water and ice. I believe they do that. Fourth point: Radios you got them back because they were there before. The point here is that maybe some of you need to learn how to balance your radios so you can hear both. I could probably bet that the new trucks that are coming do not have am/fm radios. That is one way to get rid of them. Fifth point: 115 degrees is hot. 30s is not cold it is an inconvenience. Trucks are well equipped with good A/C units and heaters use them. Stay by your truck and be productive. Clean your trucks and be proud of your work Your positive attitudes will show, and be infectious. Sixth point: When have you seen an operator take a lunch break in the break room. When they report to they go about there duties all shift until there shift is complete. No sniveling, just production. As I see it we are all part a of what makes thing happen. Please when you go to bargain keep in mind there are more things in the big picture. Just open your eyes and look around. Most of the people you work with like there job and chose ready mix for a living
Steve
Phoenix,#6UPDATE Employee
Fri, July 04, 2003
you have faithfully put out your point of view. You have forgotten some of the facts. And you neglect to see the whole picture. First of all I wonder if the teamsters your representing have any idea of the comments you have put forth. Or is this just a few members that have gotten together to snivel about the company that feeds thier famalies. I look at your letter as nothing but a bunch of complaints and possible mis guidance. If I were a teamster which I can proudly say I am not. I would wonder if the people leading us to the bargaining table are the right bunch. I would hope that my "leaders" would have more back bone. Second point: You bring up the famous quick stop. Where a couple guys got fired one had his hand slapped and the trainee got let off. I have always said they should have all got the axe. Make them the example . Also some people don't understand our business. Bottom line it is production. If these idiots would have followed the rules and not stopped to have a sit down breakfast. And think there would be no problem. They don't really belong in ready mix, but maybe as a OTR truck driver. Remember these quick stops are meant to be just that "QUICK". As I see it the company paid in the long run so you should be happy about that. Third point: If you think losing the drivers rooms, candy machines, coffee, and other things are a slap in the face. You should thought about that earlier. Some rooms were such a mess with crap laying everywhere and not one driver to keep it clean. Apperantly each one of you left it up to the other guy to clean up your mess. You lost the rooms because you did not do any kind of house cleaning. In the contract the company is to supply clean water and ice. I believe they do that. Fourth point: Radios you got them back because they were there before. The point here is that maybe some of you need to learn how to balance your radios so you can hear both. I could probably bet that the new trucks that are coming do not have am/fm radios. That is one way to get rid of them. Fifth point: 115 degrees is hot. 30s is not cold it is an inconvenience. Trucks are well equipped with good A/C units and heaters use them. Stay by your truck and be productive. Clean your trucks and be proud of your work Your positive attitudes will show, and be infectious. Sixth point: When have you seen an operator take a lunch break in the break room. When they report to they go about there duties all shift until there shift is complete. No sniveling, just production. As I see it we are all part a of what makes thing happen. Please when you go to bargain keep in mind there are more things in the big picture. Just open your eyes and look around. Most of the people you work with like there job and chose ready mix for a living
Steve
Phoenix,#7UPDATE Employee
Fri, July 04, 2003
you have faithfully put out your point of view. You have forgotten some of the facts. And you neglect to see the whole picture. First of all I wonder if the teamsters your representing have any idea of the comments you have put forth. Or is this just a few members that have gotten together to snivel about the company that feeds thier famalies. I look at your letter as nothing but a bunch of complaints and possible mis guidance. If I were a teamster which I can proudly say I am not. I would wonder if the people leading us to the bargaining table are the right bunch. I would hope that my "leaders" would have more back bone. Second point: You bring up the famous quick stop. Where a couple guys got fired one had his hand slapped and the trainee got let off. I have always said they should have all got the axe. Make them the example . Also some people don't understand our business. Bottom line it is production. If these idiots would have followed the rules and not stopped to have a sit down breakfast. And think there would be no problem. They don't really belong in ready mix, but maybe as a OTR truck driver. Remember these quick stops are meant to be just that "QUICK". As I see it the company paid in the long run so you should be happy about that. Third point: If you think losing the drivers rooms, candy machines, coffee, and other things are a slap in the face. You should thought about that earlier. Some rooms were such a mess with crap laying everywhere and not one driver to keep it clean. Apperantly each one of you left it up to the other guy to clean up your mess. You lost the rooms because you did not do any kind of house cleaning. In the contract the company is to supply clean water and ice. I believe they do that. Fourth point: Radios you got them back because they were there before. The point here is that maybe some of you need to learn how to balance your radios so you can hear both. I could probably bet that the new trucks that are coming do not have am/fm radios. That is one way to get rid of them. Fifth point: 115 degrees is hot. 30s is not cold it is an inconvenience. Trucks are well equipped with good A/C units and heaters use them. Stay by your truck and be productive. Clean your trucks and be proud of your work Your positive attitudes will show, and be infectious. Sixth point: When have you seen an operator take a lunch break in the break room. When they report to they go about there duties all shift until there shift is complete. No sniveling, just production. As I see it we are all part a of what makes thing happen. Please when you go to bargain keep in mind there are more things in the big picture. Just open your eyes and look around. Most of the people you work with like there job and chose ready mix for a living
Steve
Phoenix,#8UPDATE Employee
Fri, July 04, 2003
you have faithfully put out your point of view. You have forgotten some of the facts. And you neglect to see the whole picture. First of all I wonder if the teamsters your representing have any idea of the comments you have put forth. Or is this just a few members that have gotten together to snivel about the company that feeds thier famalies. I look at your letter as nothing but a bunch of complaints and possible mis guidance. If I were a teamster which I can proudly say I am not. I would wonder if the people leading us to the bargaining table are the right bunch. I would hope that my "leaders" would have more back bone. Second point: You bring up the famous quick stop. Where a couple guys got fired one had his hand slapped and the trainee got let off. I have always said they should have all got the axe. Make them the example . Also some people don't understand our business. Bottom line it is production. If these idiots would have followed the rules and not stopped to have a sit down breakfast. And think there would be no problem. They don't really belong in ready mix, but maybe as a OTR truck driver. Remember these quick stops are meant to be just that "QUICK". As I see it the company paid in the long run so you should be happy about that. Third point: If you think losing the drivers rooms, candy machines, coffee, and other things are a slap in the face. You should thought about that earlier. Some rooms were such a mess with crap laying everywhere and not one driver to keep it clean. Apperantly each one of you left it up to the other guy to clean up your mess. You lost the rooms because you did not do any kind of house cleaning. In the contract the company is to supply clean water and ice. I believe they do that. Fourth point: Radios you got them back because they were there before. The point here is that maybe some of you need to learn how to balance your radios so you can hear both. I could probably bet that the new trucks that are coming do not have am/fm radios. That is one way to get rid of them. Fifth point: 115 degrees is hot. 30s is not cold it is an inconvenience. Trucks are well equipped with good A/C units and heaters use them. Stay by your truck and be productive. Clean your trucks and be proud of your work Your positive attitudes will show, and be infectious. Sixth point: When have you seen an operator take a lunch break in the break room. When they report to they go about there duties all shift until there shift is complete. No sniveling, just production. As I see it we are all part a of what makes thing happen. Please when you go to bargain keep in mind there are more things in the big picture. Just open your eyes and look around. Most of the people you work with like there job and chose ready mix for a living