Working with the ILA ?

[confusedtrucker]

I recently heard that some people with the ILA want to join forces with the drivers so that every one can stand as one large group. My question is, why in the hell would drivers want to join forces with the very same people who are screwing them on a daily basis ? One instance, the black woman in lane 7 inbound at NIT would rather read her paper and dance to her radio than open her window and getting the driver's in bound or pick up info. The other ILA people go behind the trucks and talk to the M&R inspectors and leave the driver just sitting there, or they just walk out of their booth 10 min. before the lunch hour and no replacement in sight .
The lines in and out are backed up and it takes over an hour to interchange in or out, the transfer zones are backed up, WTF ?
I know some of the ILA read these posts and I really don't give a crap if they get laid off or not.They screwed themselves and are now screwing us on a daily basis. They will get what they deserve and the drivers don't even have anything to do with it LOL !!!

[terminaltrans]

there has to be give and take on both sides driver. the smart move would be for truckers to figure a way to make this happen within the ila union. we actually do need each other. of course you can always stand alone as in the past but that hasn't worked out so well for truckers has it? dealing with the teamsters was a mistake so make a decision to do it right this time around. you still have one among you that can help work on this if he hasn't completely given up. i'm sure some of you know who that person is. due to lack of support from truckers in this area he may chose not to come back.
i belong to a growing faction of the ila called the workers coalition made up of members who realize we need to seriously be working on strengthening our bargaining power. what better way to do this than to have thousands of truckers who haul the containers as additional new members of our union. your all smart individuals. instead of griping about the current working conditions concentrate on starting a virginia driver support group that can represent you in norfolk. come talk directly to ila union leadership about what you plan or want to do. i'm sure you will find someone receptive to your ideas that can get the ball rolling but first have your facts together before asking for a meeting. in the meantime i would re frame from blaming all ila members for what a few do. there are plenty truckers among you that make conditions worse for the rest of your group by making our job more difficult or showing equal disrespect. approach the local leadership with a plan in mind. don't make the mistake of turning this opportunity into filing complaints about the membership or you'll go nowhere but out the door fast. the ball is in your court ladies and gentlemen. proceed slowly with caution.

[confusedtrucker]

Like I said, why would driver want to stand behind the ILA people who screw them daily. A ILA person told me that there is a unofficial slow down so that they can get more hours because their hours have been cut . Why should I care if your hours are less, you make my d**n day longer and I am not paid by the f-ing hour but by the pull. What does that do to encourage drivers who are fighting traffic, log books ,long lines in transferzones , and the idiots who are slowing them down ?
Try working with the drivers and maybe , just maybe , you may get a sympathetic ear. Keep screwing the drivers and it will come back to haunt you. Either way , we will always be needed to move the containers , but, your lazy butts can be replaced by computers , which actually is in the process of happening anyways.

[AnonymousnHampton]

GEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZ Confusedtrucker. Why don't you just bite the ILA guys head off for making a worth while suggestion. It sounds as though he is sincere with his thoughts. This is a clear example of hostility on our side of the fence. Hey Mr ILA guy. I like what I hear you saying so please don't judge the rest of us by this drivers hateful outburst. There are cool heads that monitor this site from the sideline waiting for the chance to join in something positive. Maybe confused will reread what was posted here and take the hint to unite others toward a common goal instead of bashing the messenger who has offered help. We should use this information from our ILA friend to our advantage by checking into what it would take to meet with his leadership. I find this an extremely interesting point of view. I'm sure other truckers in Norfolk,Virginia Beach,Portsmouth,Chesapeake,Newport News, & Hampton will too. Perhaps someone can post names of those within the ILA who we should contact.

[findthatmoney]

That is why APM is 80% autimated , because 80% of the ILA members who are currently clocking in are considerd unskilled labor . Now that VIT is taking over APM the ILA does not stand a chance , there will be fewer and fewer need for ILA members across the board as all of VIT becomes autimated. Think about it , does it tick you off more watching a checker slowly screw your day dittle dalleing around at a VIT terminal or not seeing a checker slowly screw you behind a telephone at APM.

[Nomad]

The ILA doesn't want the truckers. They want to observe their previous agreement with the Teamsters. It could happen in a heartbeat if the ILA locals demanded to bring the truckers on! Soooo... the ball is really in the ILA's court! We're out here wandering around, trying to make a living. Any help would be appreciated.

[PinMan]

Your Teamsters are dead in the water. The only plan they have for you is ports without owner.operators serviced by company trucks. That's not going to fly anymore. With change in power it'll be impossible for the bleeding heart liberals to mandate 100% employee/driver trucking companies serve the ports. The ILA leadership is also headed for big change at the top so truckers will be back on the table. Previous agreements with the Teamsters won't hold water. If you want to start working on a solution to your problems than you better start thinking outside the box now. Bad blood between us isn't going to solve your issues or make you any more money but working together will benefit both parties. No matter what ill feelings you may have for ILA members think what it would mean to have a trucker contract that could be enforced and at the same time retain the freedom to decide if you want to own your truck or drive one owned by a port trucking company.

[confusedtrucker]

I don't hate anyone. I have been around long enough to see groups try to work with VIT management and with other groups. I actually feel sorry for those who have been laid off and for those who were laid off today at NIT.
But for every one good ILA person, there are 2 to 3 who are lazy and just want to collect a check. I also believe from what I see and hear that all the ILA wants is numbers and are not here to help the driver but only to increase their numbers so they can make there voices louder.Not to do anything to benefit the drivers.
Maybe one day we can all work together as one group, but alot of things have to change

[shortcircut]

To a certain degree I do agree with Confused Trucker , this crap on the ports is getting stupid. It took me 6.5 hrs to interchange 3 containers wednesday. I hate to see anyone get laid off, but , they have brought this on their selves and we are suffering because of it.
I don't know that these people will work out their differences but, I hope they do and that things get better for every one

[cornflake]

Organizing owner-operators is like herding CATS. Management must love this conversation bashing the port workers. Yes most are aggravating but I for one would jump at the chance to become a member of the International Longshoremen if at the same time I could somehow remain an O/O. The Teamsters Union started this clean truck fiasco to take over the port drayage business while we have sat on our ass. They almost succeeded in California but have hit yet another snag in court. They are on a mission to run us each out of business. I don't want to wait until government steps in to decide if we are allowed to retain ownership. If the opportunity presents itself to get involved in a better plan count me in.

[workingdude]

so who is going to put together a committee to go talk with the ila?

[lookingglass]

Hey ladies & gentlemen.We have to get something going in Virginia. This container crap sucks in Tidewater & nothing at these ports is getting any better. I know there has been driver associations in the past but we need something with teeth. I like this idea about the ILA membership but how would that fit with what wed do? Is there anyone here that knows how or who to go to? Let's do something sooner than later how about everyone.

[Dragonfly]

In my humble opinion, the ILA workers are running scared because technology and changing times are catching up with them and most of us are owner-operators... a union will never work for us.. we are independent business.. if we align with the ILA and some trucker union is created.. we will work our way out of our businesses.
Personally, I think that the unions that are still standing are a big problem in this country... look at what has happened to many of the large industries.. like the steel industry and the car-building industry! The american steel industry is gone and the car industry almost was gone until we all bailed them out.
The ILA is making things worse for themselves and us!!!

[confusedtrucker]

Dragonfly , most of what you say I totally agree with. I don't think it is so much the unions that are the problem though . I think the management has lost sight of the goals of protecting the workers rights. I have seen every day people get into a management position and the "power" goes to their head.
Like I said before , I honestly believe theILA only wants the numbers so that they can have a louder voice . for what good that has done them.

[confusedtrucker]

and what ever the H*#L this karma crap is , who cares .

[hammerdown85]

hey, the idea IS STILL ALIVE HERE IN MIAMI BUT FOR WHAT I KNOW DOWN HERE IS BEYOND
COMPETITION UNION COMPANIS AT ONE POINT OR PEAK HAD 500 OR SO TRUCKS O/O BUT RATES GOING DOWN UNION COMPANIS PAY (TRUCKING COM) PAYS THE UNION 165.00 PER WEEK PER TRUCK FOR THE DRIVERS HEALTH, EYE DENTAL. DRIVERS PAY 52.00 UNION DUES BUT UNION TRUKING COMPANYS HAVE MORE EXPENSES THAN THE COMPETION MOST IF NOT ALL
HAVE HOUSE TRUCKS TOO THEY CONTRACT CHEAP THEY BEEN SLOWLY TAKING THE WORK THE STEAMSHIP LIKED CHEAP SO INDEPENDENT BROKER AT THE END IT SO HARD THAT DIVERS
GIVE UP THE SISTEM TAKES THE HUMAN SIDE OF IT TO IS FAVOR OUR WALLETS ARE THIN IF DRIVERS DONT UNITE .

[bobtail]

i like the trucker hiring hall idea that one of your board members has brought up on this list serve before. maybe he will explain more here or meet with a group of us to discuss the details of such a plan. if we want to do anything about the current situation than it has to be something which uses our collective power to band together as drivers or owner operators. that falls under making sure we're legal to collective bargain between companies. this hiring hall could be union or non union. the choice is ours to make. according to hard-time-trucker this system would be legal under federal antitrust law. this is similar to what the ila calls their shape up hall. if i am right this would be nothing more than a glorified temp service with a contract in place for all the motor carriers to sign in order to use trucks or truckers out of the same temp pool. we need driver power to make this work so that's the million dollar question. how many would be on board with this if we we're to start organizing right now for sometime next year?

[cheezburger]

i don't think your hiring hall will work because of dot authority and the insurance nightmare,trust me dot will make this impossible to pull off.every time you went to do something for a different company you would have to provide the insurance and authority to do it.BIG CAN OF WORMS

[bobtail]

hiring hall is like trip leasing. your running under the motor carrier authority you've hired out to, insurance, and dot #. it's same system used in many construction industry owner operator dump truck pools , oil field owner operator truckers, and others. it would work same way for port container truckers. those guys work under agreement of pay from start between the hall & the carriers that want to use truckers from hall.

[shortcircut]

well , I found out first hand what confused trucker was talking about today. I made the mistake of going to NIT about 1 pm today. Every thing was backed up beyond belief , what a d**n mess. The interchanges were screwed up to rediculous long lines and then, to top off a really long day, I got sent to M&R for a light that was unplugged. Probably came unplugged when taking my empty to the NCY yard . And I must ask as well, " DOES THE ILA SERIOUSLY EXPECT ANY HELP OR EVEN COOPERATION FROM THE DRIVERS WHEN WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE B/S FROM THE VERY SAME PEOPLE WHO SCREW US DAILY " ? PERSONALLY, I DON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT A POSSIBILITY , GET REAL !!!!

[truckingisfun]

f%#k it, everybody for them self like always or maybe we just strike port like before. yes that will work. we sure are getting somewhere now aren't we? hiring hall? don't drivers have to work together to do that? bulls#*t that is to difficult. i like being independent and taking it up the ass from the trucking companies and port. now let's talk about something serious like fast trucks or big radios!!!!!!!

[undecidedinva]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D sounds like real world out here driver. no one cares except to b*tch on radio all day. i think maybe when freight picks up enough for backups to become severe again then a handful will be ready to take action. what kind action? more unplanned stupidity without direction. i would like to see something happen now with an organized concerned driver group to prepare for that future event because it's coming.

[Davis]

I would second that motion sir. let's get something started in Virginia that represents truckers interest at these ports.

[confusedtrucker]

So I was talking with some drivers about the lines going into NIT and the fact that the Norfolk Police was called, you ILA people keep up the good "slow down" work going , you are just proving VIT's point that an automated system will be so much more beneficial. When APM backs up , they just add one or two more people to work the computers, not open more lanes.APM very rarely has back ups that last a whole day , like you lazy people create. You fools are working your selves right out of a job and you are to niaeve to even realize it.

[Portsmouthagnt]

Your absolutely right driver. A great number of the ILA members are very lazy. Try getting your driver group to work with motor carriers instead of fighting us. Together we'll solve these problems at the port. A good start would be turning the names of these long shore dock workers over to port officials or your dispatch. The ones that constantly hold up production in the lanes should be disciplined according to their contract. You as an independent trucker can also join the local motor carrier association who already supports you.