It is true the General Meetings are canceled for the months of July, August

and September.  The present Executive Board had about 50 followers who

came out to this meeting.  Once again it was a yelling contest instead of a number of members voting.  The regular membership was out numbered because no one knew there was a meeting.  There was no posting at any of

the yards.  It was all a secret and we all know why.  We would like to ask the present Executive Board a couple of questions.  Why would you cancel meetings during the time when you are negotiating contracts?  What is so important that you cannot give your membership one day a month, which amounts to about one and a half hours of your time?  Maybe it is because you don’t like answering our questions about our contracts. 

At this meeting some of the City of Chicago Members wanted to ask questions about their contracts.  But once again the present Executive Board would not call on them.  But they did call on all the members that they had there to tell the membership how great of a job they were doing.  One member said he was grateful that he was a Pool Motor Truck Driver.  Well let’s see, before the last contract new hires (seasonal truck drivers) were hired in at scale pay but did not receive representation (which was totally wrong) and had only 6 months probation.  Now when you get hired in as a Pool Motor Truck Driver, you are on 2 years probation, will be paid 80% of scale the 1st year and 90% rate after second full year of employment.  Remember before this great contract they signed you would have received full scale (which works out to be approximately at an 80 hour, 2 week pay check) you would have received  $480.00 more a check.  That is about $11,520.00 per year.  In reality, this last great contract they signed cost you, the new Pool Motor Truck Drivers, approximately $11,520.00 a year. What could you or your family have done with the extra money that you should have been receiving? 

The real FACTS make you wonder about how great the next contract will be for us?  The best was when one member, who makes it no secret that he is supporting the Board, asked one of the Board Members if we the Local were the highest paid truck drivers in the United States?  One of the Members of the Board replied “Yes!”  Well they need to check their facts.  Some of the other Unions, such as 731 and 786 for instance, do not pay out of pocket into Pension, Health and Welfare, their companies and Unions pay it.  So for example, the average City of Chicago driver pays out of pocket and on their checks before even making a penny, the following:

Approximately:

Health Ins:                       $ 49.10     (different amounts for coverage)

Muni Pension:                 $ 220.49

Medicare:                        $ 39.63

Union Dues:                    $ 39.50 

Total:                              $ 348.72    Every check!!!!      

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