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View Full Version : Extended ***boat Family Support needed!



bear down
12-15-2003, 11:01 PM
This is an e-mail I sent to all of my close friends and family and since you guys are my extended internet family I thought you guys should also read this. Thanks for your support!
Hey Guys,
First of all I would like to apologize for the "Chain" type of letter that I am sending you. I never send out these types of letters but I felt that this one merits being sent out to my close friends and relatives. Here is some information that you probably have not heard but I am here to tell you and ask you for your support.
On November 12, 2003 our JC Produce Drivers went on strike in dispute of contract negotiations with JC Produce and the Teamsters Union. As with many other local unions in Southern California and surrounding states, they are trying to receive an increase in salary and health benefits as well as other items on their agenda. I have family and friends that are part of unions (UPS, Edison Int'l, LAPD,UBEW and etc...) and have a respect of unions and what they do for their brothers and for their employers, so at no time do I want to disrespect nor stomp on their beliefs and tradition of unions. Being a employee of JC Produce for the past 7 years I have worked with, supervised and shoveled the same dirt as these drivers have done with JC Produce and it's great line of customers. I know what they want and what they currently have and in my heart I know what JC Produce has given them have been a very competitive salary, great working environment and benefits that rival fortune 500 companies where as our company only has 150 employees. The owner of JC Produce has stood his ground (as I applaud him) in not being bullied by the power of the local teamsters union to unfair requests for their drivers. The tactics by the union and it's members have been very unprofessional and dangerous to say the least. From threats to physical violence topersonal and family attacks on it's own co-workers for not quitting their jobs in support of the drivers for their own benefit.
Most recently the drivers and the union have planned demonstrations in front of our high profile clients in hope to push the pressure button on JC Produce and it's customer base. They first started out in groups of 2-3 for 1 hour passing our leaflets but now have increased their number to 20-25 for 3 hours during lunch and dinner hours and have aggressively intimidated customers by handing out their pamphlets in mass numbers to 1 or 2 persons approaching the restaurant. The reason behind this is to pressure JC Produce to surrender to the demands of the union and it's members. The efforts of the union have succeeded with one customer which was TGIFriday which left JC Produce So. Call as of monday. This accounts for 2.5 million dollars in annual sales and will result of layoffs in our Southern California facility to people who did not participate in the strike and are very happy with their jobs, salaries and benefits.
What I am asking from you as my brothers, sisters, friends and in-laws is to support JC Produce by eating at our restaurants that we service and let the managers know that you support JC Produce and in their efforts. When you have lunch and dinner, when you go have a drink or take a client out, please make sure that you try to go to our accounts. If for some reason you encounter some union members passing out flyers, ignore their advances and efforts and continue to dine at the restaurant. Many of our customers are very supportive of our cause and we would like to thank them for that, we have been very open with them about our situation and have been willing to compensate them for any loss because we want to take responsibility for the actions of others. We are a family company with strong family values for our employees. Please don't allow us to fall for the greediness of others. Thanks for your time and thanks for your support. Please pass on to whom ever you trust and respect.
These are the clients that I would appreciate you eat at if at all possible. Thanks again.
Mimi's Cafe
Outback Steakhouse
Souplantation's
Applebee's
Millie's
Guillermo Andrade
Business Development
909-636-3753 Mobile
562-641-2017 Fax

SoCalOffshore
12-15-2003, 11:37 PM
Sounds good. Why don't they just fire every driver who goes on strike. This is the same BS as the grocery stores. It is time for the "consumer" to fire the Teamsters.

JustMVG
12-16-2003, 12:06 AM
Bear down you have our support here, the hell with the diets we must eat to help our HB family member!!!! Mimi's here we come, all kidding aside, we'll do our part and i'll send the list to all of my friends and family.
Mike VG and Family

Wicky
12-16-2003, 05:36 AM
Originally posted by riodog
Correct me if I'm wrong, SoCalOffshore BUT wouldn't you agree that it's just plain assinine to start 'pledging your allegiance' to whichever side before you've heard both sides of the story? Sounds to me that you are anti union without even knowing the facts!
Furthermore, don't start in on the grocery workers when you don't have a ****in clue as to what's going on. I "just happened" to have had the opportunity to read the latest proposal last Friday and what the grocery companies are attempting is absurd. There's not one of you in "***boat land" that would bend over for a screwing such as Von's, Ralph's, and Albertsons are trying to give their retail clerks! By the same tokin, the membership of the retail clerks union should be seriously thinking of assassinating their union officials for putting them in this situation!
Just for your info, I am as opposed to the unions as I am opposed to the greedy businesses that spawned them. I AM all for what's fair to both parties, and I would wait until I've heard from the other side before I'd make up my mind.
Beardown, Guillermo- I respect you more than I can say- for signing your name to your post, and your very tactful expression of your opinion of the situation. While I know exactly where you're coming from I'm thinking that by all right's, with regards to the many Teamsters we have here on this forum, They could very well call for a total boycott of every restaurant you service and post said requests on many forums and the final outcome would be more unsatisfactory than if we just let it run it's course without bringing more undue attention to the situation than is already being generated. We could use myself as an example- I do Applebee's about once or twice a week and Outback about every other week. If I was to walk in the door, both places know me on sight, and tell the mgr that I'll not eat here til they straighten up their labor problem, it won't bode well for your company. A company the size of yours can't play the same game as the grocery companies that are a few thousand times that size. We could even make a point by pointing out that the grocery companies can't compete against Walmart, (the reason that there are unions), but they are too dumb to know it!
Think maybe we ought to let this one die?
M.W. Fulton aka Riodog(who only has 2 or3 friends, but one of them is a business agent for Teamsters local 952.)
I have very close friends who work for Albertsons. Every single one of them understands what WalMart is doing. I know people who recieved braces for their kids. I know people with new teeth. Broken arms, legs you name it Albertsons healthcare program took care of it. I know that Albertsons reallllly took care of their employees for many many years. Now, times are a little thin for the company and they have to be competitive or they will go under. The unions don't give a ****. I say **** the unions. They are crushing what we know today as pure competition. I own a business and if there was a strike I would say get the **** out of here and go find a job somewhere else. I will finish this later.
Go to Albertsons and buy your Xmas dinner.
I am.
Wicky

bear down
12-16-2003, 06:51 AM
Riodog,
Like I mentioned in my original posts, I know the situation at hand with both the union and my company. I respect the actions of our drivers for bringing in the union and trying to get them better benefits but the problems that I have is not why they are doing it but how they are doing it. I have about 6 close friends that are part of Teamsters unions (UPS,Sysco, US Foodservice, etc) as they give "Union" support to the drivers on the front line against our company they are disgusted with the tactics they are using to pressure our company. Regardless of what their cause is, physical threats, vehicle damage to current tenured employees is not acceptable, these are not the replacement "SCAB" drivers but actual employee's coming in to do their work in the office, warehouse and sales team. The purpose of the strike is to financially challenge the companies ability to be productive but not to impede on people's freedom to feel safe in their work enviornment and to cause loss of business to the customers employee's. I have never seen or heard of a single UPS driver pass out flyers to one of their high profile customers , I have never heard of any of the Long beach shoreman driving to Sears and Best buy and standing in front of the stores passing out flyers not purchase items there because they are on strike, this what I have a problem with. I am not here to bash union but to ask support for the employees of my company. If you and others would like to boycott, you have every right to do so but if you sympathize with my cause, have a nice dinner tonight at Outback and I and my other 145 employees would appreciate it.
Thanks

C-2
12-16-2003, 07:41 AM
Originally posted by riodog
By the same tokin, the membership of the retail clerks union should be seriously thinking of assassinating their union officials for putting them in this situation!
Isn't that the truth!!!Nothing like picking a fight with the biggest kid in school and promptly finding yourself in a head-lock. Duh. After the first of the year, when the grocery teamsters have returned to work and the strikers pay is reduced to the whopping $125 per week, we'll see how the union members feel about their fine decision makers. Dickheads. :mad: :mad:
My wife knows at least four long-term employees that have already left the grocery biz for good, due to all the strike bs. In the end, maybe only scabs will be left?
bear down
Very logical and well thought out approach to your problem. We'll do on the restaurants.

Essex502
12-16-2003, 09:01 AM
Why do you think highly educated people are rarely unionized? Outside of the teacher's union that is - no offense - just a question that comes to mind.

OCStoker
12-16-2003, 09:09 AM
That is a bunch of crap! These guys are willing to put the remaining employees in the unemployment line and BK the company because the company wont give in to thier demands? F-them! I am a firm believer if you don't like your job or want more than is available at that job, GO FIND ANOTHER JOB! As for the people that work at Wallmart, correct me if I am wrong, but nobody is forcing them to work there are they? People need to take responsability for themselves and quit relying on government and big business.

bear down
12-16-2003, 10:00 AM
Originally posted by riodog
Beardown, I agree with you 100%! I have never understood the concept of " I'm mad so I'll burn my own home to the ground"! (this is called the South Central Reaction). I also have no intention to boycott your customers(see if you can get us some discount coupons to Outback! lol).
In another life I was involved with management for a major SoCal grocery chain, employees that were on strike were told, that to harass customers, threaten employees, or damage property was not going to be tolerated and they WOULD BE termanated upon their return to work, period. There is a right way to strike and a wrong way to strike and most union members are so stringent in their thinking that they never 'get it'! They don't understand that the 'piggybank' that their wages are drawn on belong to the company and not the union, and the companies survival is neccesary for the employee to continue in their lavish life style. LOL-(just being cute).
I was just likening this post to a chess game: ie, you post 'this' and get a certain reaction and someone else post 'that' and get another reaction, and so on. My whole point being that by bringing this to light here on the forums, Beardown, 5 or 10 moves down the line, WHO'S going to be damaged the MOST? Your company ? I don't think so as it's not large enough to be a blip on most peoples 'radar screen'. Your employees? No, they'll be damaged when the final move is made. Your customers? You got it! As the first in line at the retail market they'll feel the hit at the very beginning and as this is where YOUR (company) money comes from, shouldn't we try and limit their exposure to the conflict? The next in line would be the company and depending upon how deep their pockets are and how quick their 'business developement team' can procure new customers will determine the outcome for the company. Last in line are the strking employees themselves. Their purpose SHOULD be putting a "financial hurt" upon the company in order to convince the company that they'll LOSE LESS by settling than by holding a hard line. THEY must realize that by killing the companies business as they are doing, they also kill their jobs, so they will eventially hurt most! YOU must also remember that- IT'S EASIER TO GET NEW CUSTOMERS THAN TO GET OLD CUSTOMERS BACK after they have gone elsewhere! My concern was for you and your company as to whether the publicity -positive or negative, generated by this thread outweigh what little support that you'll derive from this endeavor! I, myself, wasn't even aware that the union was on strike against your company and as such I would continue to eat at your customers place of business as usual. HOWEVER, if I was totally pro-union and read this thread then it would have changed my behavior. This was the point I was trying to make.
My services as an Arbitrator specializing in social issues are available for $2000. per day and I guarantee results! Now where did I leave that baseball bat?
Good Luck,
Riodog aka michael
Rio,
Thanks for the original post and I do understand your points about publicity. My friends in the Teamsters union already knew about the strike because current union members receive some sort of newletters and JC Produce was mentioned in it so I was not so much concerned with that. As you mentioned in your previous post, they are damaging the "Piggy bank" by going directly to our customers and I just can't understand why, but I do know why and it's because of the Union Officials desire to do it this way. I beleive that this local union chapter are somewhat misleading the drivers. When I drive into work everyday I see these guys picketing and I see lot of lost faces with no real direction, they are just following the guy on top. I just want to do what I can to protect all of us in the company. Today we had to layoff 6 employee's due to the lost of an account. These employee's had worked for our company for over 3 years of loyal service. From talking to other union employee's (Teamster, UBEW) whom have gone on strike on previous occasions, the stories that I am telling them (they are first hand accounts based on what I have gone through) they are totally amazed at the tactics that the union is going through. I just can't understand why this particular union is so different from the others. I just amazes me!.
Thanks for your feedback, both positive and critical, it helps me and others see the other side of the wall.
P.S. The check for 2k is in the mail along with the Outback Coupons!:D :D
Guillermo