There is a true one-sidedness from most of the advocates out here. No one says it for that would be taboo, but I will say it.
This one-sided monster showed up just this week due to FFE. Everyone is screaming about the approximately 300 drivers on the American Eagle division. What happened you ask? They were all told to go to the reefer side or go to another company. Due to cutbacks on the budget, FFE has no choice. This is the first time I'm mentioning it, and probably will be the last time.
First of all, why would they need to do this extreme measure. Well, let's look at the economy. If you don't realize we're in a double-dipped recession, or in all reality, a depression, please go to the nearest bomb shelter and lock yourself away for 20 years. Secondly, intermodal is any van division driver's worst enemy. While you see all the FFE, American Eagle, Swift, Schneider, J.B. Hunt, etc, etc, etc trailers on rail, just remember that that's someone's job on that rail. In this case, for FFE, it was 300 someones. Also, I had heard whispers from some of the drivers at FFE for the past year that they knew layoffs would take place, so the ones driving there with intelligence didn't have "little to no warning."
Now, where was this outcry and empathy when Wylie, Schugel, and others did the same thing. Let me outline the cases to you and you can tell me why they never made the press.
Wylie laid off their entire wind division. Like FFE, they pulled into the yard, were told to clean out their trucks and move into a flatbedding truck or go to another company. This happened earlier this year. That's right, several months ago, and you never heard of it. These employees were told their salary (yes, they had a two-year salaried contract that they were in) were gone even if they stayed and went to flatbed. There were no warning signs, they were actually busy, yet there salary disappeared in a matter of seconds. The employees have since lawyered up, and until court, there is a lein on the company, which is up for sale. (Don't tell me when the rest get laid off there was "little to no warning.")
J.R. Schugel a few years ago laid off all their flatbedders. To put it in one of their flatbedder's words, "They said go elsewhere or haul a training trailer." (A training trailer to a flatbedder has walls and a roof, so use your imagination here.) There was no warning. Overnight, they felt they didn't want the headaches of flatbedding, and the drivers were told box/reefer or elsewhere. Yet, where was the outcry on this??
If you're going to report one story with a passioned view on it, you must report them all.
It's not like this was Arrow or R.L. Carter. They weren't told "the doors are closed, have a good life." They were given an option to continue with their employment at FFE, Wylie, and Schugel. The only thing different between those three is that Wylie had a two year contract, and those drivers were totally taken by surprise. To all you Wylie guys, I hope you win your lawsuit!
This one-sided monster showed up just this week due to FFE. Everyone is screaming about the approximately 300 drivers on the American Eagle division. What happened you ask? They were all told to go to the reefer side or go to another company. Due to cutbacks on the budget, FFE has no choice. This is the first time I'm mentioning it, and probably will be the last time.
First of all, why would they need to do this extreme measure. Well, let's look at the economy. If you don't realize we're in a double-dipped recession, or in all reality, a depression, please go to the nearest bomb shelter and lock yourself away for 20 years. Secondly, intermodal is any van division driver's worst enemy. While you see all the FFE, American Eagle, Swift, Schneider, J.B. Hunt, etc, etc, etc trailers on rail, just remember that that's someone's job on that rail. In this case, for FFE, it was 300 someones. Also, I had heard whispers from some of the drivers at FFE for the past year that they knew layoffs would take place, so the ones driving there with intelligence didn't have "little to no warning."
Now, where was this outcry and empathy when Wylie, Schugel, and others did the same thing. Let me outline the cases to you and you can tell me why they never made the press.
Wylie laid off their entire wind division. Like FFE, they pulled into the yard, were told to clean out their trucks and move into a flatbedding truck or go to another company. This happened earlier this year. That's right, several months ago, and you never heard of it. These employees were told their salary (yes, they had a two-year salaried contract that they were in) were gone even if they stayed and went to flatbed. There were no warning signs, they were actually busy, yet there salary disappeared in a matter of seconds. The employees have since lawyered up, and until court, there is a lein on the company, which is up for sale. (Don't tell me when the rest get laid off there was "little to no warning.")
J.R. Schugel a few years ago laid off all their flatbedders. To put it in one of their flatbedder's words, "They said go elsewhere or haul a training trailer." (A training trailer to a flatbedder has walls and a roof, so use your imagination here.) There was no warning. Overnight, they felt they didn't want the headaches of flatbedding, and the drivers were told box/reefer or elsewhere. Yet, where was the outcry on this??
If you're going to report one story with a passioned view on it, you must report them all.
It's not like this was Arrow or R.L. Carter. They weren't told "the doors are closed, have a good life." They were given an option to continue with their employment at FFE, Wylie, and Schugel. The only thing different between those three is that Wylie had a two year contract, and those drivers were totally taken by surprise. To all you Wylie guys, I hope you win your lawsuit!
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