How you vote politically has a direct effect on the success, or failure of your National Negotiating Committee to win, or even maintain benefits you have come to expect, and rely on at UPS. Many of you give in to the rhetoric of the anti-union factions, and feel that voting for those candidates with those views is going to help you in the long run. The fact is, most of those candidates feel you should be paying 100% of your health care, and your family should be responsible for their own health care. They also believe that forcing the company to provide you with a pension, places an unreasonable burden on the company, and the company’s profit margin.
They also believe that all services provided of any kind, should be payed for by you if you use them. Believing Social Security should be privatized only dumps the trillions of dollars within that system into the pockets of the big bankers, and allows them to put another notch in their handle for their profits, and the destruction of the middle class, (which is you by the way).
Unfortunately, because so many of you continue to vote that way, the Pro-union factions are moving towards corporate support. Politicians are simply “vote whores”, and will follow what their constituency wants, during the election process. After the election, they become “corporate whores”.The banking legislation, and the health care reform laws are examples where Politicians feel more comfortable voting with the corporations, than voting with the people.
Politicians simply continue to lie to the people during the election cycle, because the corporations continue to control the purse strings, and the media in our country. We, the people, continue to be stupid, and believe the T.V., and the radio talking heads, and vote our emotions, not our pocketbooks.
Repeal of health care reform will take you down the same road. So far, the good things out of health care reform act have begun to be implemented. No more maximums when you are sick. Child coverage to age 26. No rejection for pre-existing conditions. The insurance companies have shown their true, (we’re in it for the money) spots by raising rates at a double digit figure, then blaming the new health care. Had there been a public option, they would have lost two thirds of their customers by now due to these rate increases. Even the Anti-healthcare types would be jumping ship into the public option. Of course our political “vote whores” know they can spin it, and end up making you believe that health care reform was either the greatest thing ever, or the worst thing ever. Depends on which fence you sit on.
To address the upcoming contract negotiations, if the company feels empowered politically through the negotiations, you will be giving up a number of benefits. The probability of losing some, or all of your pension is real. Within UPS you all ready have a 401 K, but if you haven’t been investing in there, you may find your retirement is out the window. 50 years as a driver, what a wonderful thought. Couple that with the destruction of Social Security, and Medicare, and buddy are you screwed. If the anti-union types have been placed into the Labor Board, and are in charge of the presidency, you will have effectively given up your right to strike. You can easily expect a reduction in wage levels. You may see them implemented as new progressions, or lower wages for the new hires. It all happened once in the part time ranks back in the 90’s. Ever hear of a “red circle employee”. Those were the guys that were paid at the higher rate, but the company has systematically eliminated them over the years. There will be no fixing it “tomorrow”.
With the Supreme court allowing unlimited corporate money into the political system, what chance does the working person have. The simple belief surrounding “voting the bums out” will give us nightmarish politicians with even less ability to help the working person, and fight the corporate takeover of the country.
The average UPS driver, makes around 5 to 6 dollars and hour more than the average Fed Ex driver. Do you think UPS wil allow that kind of wage differential to go unnoticed? Of course not. They will scream bloody murder about competition in the workplace. Let us not forget that your whole monetary package, including pension cost, and health care cost are also included in your overall wage package, and again, you are the highest paid in the industry. A balance will be sought by UPS if they know they have all of the tools on their side.
Please realize how important your vote is. Corporate America follows the plan, “eliminate people’s perception that their vote is important, and we control the country”. “Coerce them into voting our interests, and we will control them”.
Support the candidates that have your personal interest at heart. Don’t be sold a bill of goods by the corporate media. (That does include 99% of all the media). Listen carefully to what each candidate has to say, and what they say about the other guy. There may be a little truth that can be gleaned through the lies. Mostly vote for the real issues in your life. Stay away from the fringe issues. We have allowed the corporations to steal our economy by selling us on fringe issues.
Vote for your life! Your future depends on it!