Letter: Corporate greed fuels trucker strike

Friday, June 9, 2000 | 9:55 a.m.

As a member of Teamsters Local 631 who is on strike against CSR, certain facts need mentioning regarding the labor dispute between the Teamsters and NRM/CSR. Like it or not, organized labor is responsible for establishing parameters and standards used industrywide.

You yourself may work under some of these rules: Sunday off (or premium pay if required to work); 40-hour week (overtime pay if necessary to work); seniority (length of service respected in determining scheduling requirements); and prevailing wage (used to estimate costs on major projects).

If these or a number of other conditions are allowed to deteriorate, it would essentially have a ripple effect, not only in union trucks but throughout the entire building trades community, union and nonunion alike.

Teamsters want their companies to make a profit. Examples: giving back $2 two contracts ago and working under a wage freeze this past year. Note: The last increase of 6 cents came only after a federal arbitrator determined that the previous wage increase was so distant that something was warranted in fairness.

Corporate greed, "We can't compete," now demands a wage cut of $1.50 as well as establishing a tiered pay scale that allows higher paid drivers (Ha!) to be cut while using lower paid personnel. Not only is this unfair, but current language indicates that it would affect insurance for one's family as well.

This comes at a time of plenty for the megacorporations as indicated by financial reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As for those projects affected by this unfortunate strike, "You get what you pay for."

KIMO HARWARD