cybersteward.net » cybersteward.net

Looks Like It’s Goodbye for Now…

admin — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 03:36:30 +0000

While I fight for my union job, there will be a hiatus here at cybersteward.net. I will, however, continue blogging about the discharge process and about union and UPS issues at The Rank-and-Filer.

I have been an Teamster shop steward at UPS for most of the past decade now. Right now, the future of my employment and the future of my role as a volunteer union representative are uncertain.

The company has been trying for the past couple months to take my job away, despite the fact their actions have been in violation of the contract as well as existing state and federal laws.

This has been a very trying time for me. It’s difficult dealing with a drastic decrease in income, having to go without my union-negotiated benefits and the humiliation of being subject to the ridiculous process of being judged by incompetent management people without the balance of any impartial or authoritative arbiter. But it’s also difficult not being able to continue representing my Teamster brothers and sisters at work.

However difficult it’s been, I’ve been honored by the number of co-workers and fellow union members who’ve reached out to show support and ask how things are going. Sometimes it’s hard just to keep up with the phone calls and messages, but it’s good to know I haven’t been forgotten by the folks I care so much about.

Because I cannot currently act as a steward to my fellow UPS Teamsters, I am going to stop posting updates on cybersteward.net for the time being, and move my UPS and Teamster-related blogging to The Rank-and-Filer [www.rankandfiler.org].

I hope to return to my job and the role I love as your shop steward as soon as possible, but for the time being, anyone who wants to keep up with the painful process of me fighting for my job can visit me at The Rank-and-Filer.

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The Survey Results Are in!

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:58:24 +0000

I’d like to announce that the results of the 2010 Local 384 Member Representation Survey are now available. To view them, please click here.

It was especially good to hear from the folks who took the time to offer comments in the survey form. Though most of you didn’t leave comments, you’re still more than welcome to offer some ideas if you have thoughts on the survey, or ideas on how to improve our Union.

Click here to view the survey results now

The 2010 Local 384 Member Representation Survey

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:00:55 +0000

The 2010 Local 384 Representation Survey is an independent rank-and-file survey created by this website solely for members of Teamsters Local 384. It is intended to give members of our local the opportunity to provide feedback on how they feel about their union representation.

The entire survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and all information shared by respondents to this survey will remain anonymous and only be revealed as part of the overall survey result.

If (and only if) you are a member of Teamsters Local 384, please take a few short minutes to complete the survey:

Click here to take the survey

(Note: The survey linked above, just like this site, is not official union media. It is a rank-and-file effort. For more information on what makes something rank-and-file media, click here.)

UPDATE: The survey results are in. To view them, click here.

Earthquake Relief for Haiti: How to Help

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:04:27 +0000

As Haiti reels from the devastation of Tuesday’s earthquake, the rest of the world continues to respond. As union members, we have so many blessings that are easy to take for granted. One thing we should never take for granted, though, is how much we’ve all benefited from the concept of solidarity. It’s a vital idea to our collective survival.

In that spirit, I hope we’ll all taking the opportunity to show solidarity with the victims and survivors of this tragedy. If you haven’t found a way to contribute yet, I encourage you to donate to one of the following organizations that are doing vital work to help the Haitian people come out of this catastrophic time.

American Red Cross
United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund
Doctors without Borders

Every little bit helps. Even if you don’t have much time to surf the net making donations, or if you’re timid about using your credit card info online or over the phone, you have other options. In most cases, you can even donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts via your cell phone — just text the word “HAITI” to 90999 and reply to a confirmation text.

Merry Christmas!

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:18:35 +0000

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays this year, and that those of us with good union jobs understand and appreciate how fortunate we are to benefit from collective bargaining and all that it affords us.

The National UPS Grievance Panel Comes to Philly

admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:06:34 +0000

UPDATE: TDU has posted an update on the June panel meeting, complete with a PDF download of the decisions.

And guess what? There are actually some grievances about the elimination of full-time jobs on the docket.

Click here to read more

EFCA, Now More than Ever

admin — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:02:27 +0000

Have you told your Senators to support the Employee Free Choice Act Yet?

Tell Them Now!

Does This Seem Familiar?

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:31:22 +0000

For a little comic relief, SNL nails the essence of my favorite retail menace without even naming names. Enjoy:

Good News, Bad News and More Work to Do

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:50:24 +0000

Let’s start with the good, because we need some encouragement in these trying times.

Yesterday, reports surfaced that Rep. Hilda Solis will be selected as the next Labor Secretary. The choice of Solis, an unapologetic labor advocate, sends an unmistakable message that the Obama administration will mean business when it comes to worker rights.

Then this morning President Bush announced the decision to provide over $17 billion of TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) money as emergency relief to GM and Chrysler. There had been talk that the Bush administration wanted to meddle with worker salaries or forced bankruptcy proceedings. ~~Thankfully, neither of those options were in the package the president announced.~~ Correction: as CtW Connect reports, there were worker salary demands included in the fine print of the Bush administration’s rescue package, but the UAW will hopefully have a chance to fix this particular flaw once the Obama administration takes over.

In the bad news file, the Bush administration altered regulations pertaining to farm workers. These proposed changes will depress the wages of farm laborers, a group of workers who already receive substandard wage and job protections. The only solution is for the incoming Obama administration to undo this harmful regulation change. To read more about it and to let President-elect Obama know this needs to be fixed, click here.

Ron Carey, R.I.P.

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:58:29 +0000

The former Teamsters President passed away today in New York City. He was 72.

A former UPS package car driver, Carey would become the first democratically elected head of the IBT. He went on to lead the union in a successful strike against UPS in 1997, because of which he is credited with opening the door to thousands of new full-time Teamster jobs.

People have differing opinions of Ron Carey (as they tend to have of all leaders), but many of the accomplishments he had in his time leading our union cannot be dismissed, no matter your opinion of Mr. Carey. As we hear news of his passing, all union men and women should hold him in a place of respect for the things he did for our cause.

To read more now on Ron Carey, check out TDU.org