Anyone Remember Interstate System On Nebraska?

I remember it well-I think there's still a trucking firm there, but it's been 'reorganized' several times again since then. I can't tell you if anyone ever got anything, but seriously doubt it. This should be illegal. And union-busting started in earnest under Reagan, since the nations' big business watched him destroy the air controllers.

Darkseid you are so right about the union-busting that went on in the 80's under Reagan. My dad worked there until April 20,1984. If my memory serves me right Interstate closed on June 1st of that year. My dad retired in the nick of time but he was owed 5 weeks vacation pay and some other holiday time that he was supposed to get under interstate's contract with Teamster's Local 20. A lot of the other workers there were owed for time they had actually worked and never got it. Interstate also had been forcing some of the younger workers to invest part of their pay into company stock. Needless to say they lost everything. When people look at today's economic mess and try to find comparisons they have to look no further than the early to mid 80's. It was a mess then and it is a mess now.

Bankruptcy.....the worst way out of a losing business situation including an unworkable union contract, for the company. It is a last resort, but it works to equitably pay creditors. It usually always results in everybody who is owed money holding the bag for something. Too bad there couldn't have been constructive discussions for the workers to accept wage cuts so everybody got paid something and at least most workers got to work. Oh, and poor Ronnie, he gets tagged as a union buster because the controllers broke their contract. They had no right to strike. They signed a contract that said they wouldn't. But they did. Boy was that a dumb move by them. Cost them all their jobs. The whole big unionized group got kicked in the pants. That's a tough way to go out when their ain't another job like that down the street. They didn't know Ronnie had more cohones than most CEO's at that time.
Oh, and Interstate going out , well, I understand that de-egulation was going on during that era so it could be that they got killed by a bunch of unregulated guys who are still running today. They are earning less and working harder, but they are working. Oh and WE, US, ALL the consumers are paying a heck of a lot less for freight that gets added to everything we consume. Course the cost of oil has driven up those costs again. But that's another post to talk about.

That terminal was an Overnite terminal last I looked. Overnite formerly owned by Union Pacific railroad, and currently owned by UPS as their non-union LTL carrier.

Read what happened to one of Toledo's biggest truck lines because of the union. Started in 1910 quit in "1945" because of union demands.
http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/trucking&CISOPTR=53

Wow, talk ablout beating a 65 year old dead horse, heheh.

'Michiganbluecollar'? You come across as more of a union hater.

Naw, not me. I just calls em like I sees em.

I remember Interstate trucking company. I don't know if the employees ever got the money that might have been due them.

Michigan --

Ever think of asking the CEOs to take a pay cut?

Nah, didn't think so. Because I know how you think: someday, if I work a little harder than the next guy, I could BE that CEO. My coworkers like to sit around and bellyache about the good old days when they could get schnockered on their lunch hour, come back and nap until quittin' time, but not me. I'm the only one works hard around here. One day, I could buy the business, and then, by paying my workers a little less than the next guy, I could grow my business even bigger. And if somebody tries to undercut me, hell, I'll just lay off a few folks, do their work myself, and undercut the other guy. And hell yes, I deserve to be paid more. I'm CEO.

And after awhile, with everyone making less or laid off, no one will be able to buy what you're sellng. And who will get screwed? Your workers and your creditors, but your lawyer will make sure you're protected.

It's 30 years of that kind of thinking that got us into the mess we're in today: the great race to the bottom.

Oh Annie.....you got me pegged don't ya. Ya know how I think, huh? Well, I certainly know how you think. And I think that you think that I think that you think that ...where were we? Oh yeah, that you think you think you know. But I have to admit I don't know.

heh heh heh i know iknow

Kind of a strange post by Annie:

someday, if I work a little harder than the next guy, I could BE that CEO.

What's wrong with that way of thinking? Pursuit of happiness and all that...

My coworkers like to sit around and bellyache about the good old days when they could get schnockered on their lunch hour, come back and nap until quittin' time,

So is it true, or not? Do they?

And if somebody tries to undercut me, hell, I'll just lay off a few folks, do their work myself, and undercut the other guy.

If a business owner wants to cut employees and hire others at a lesser rate, I've got some moral and ethical problems there, but to cut employees and do the work HIMSELF as described here? Sorry Anne, but that's just a businessman running HIS business as he sees fit. Most likely if he could do the work himself, a small businessman wouldnt have hired them in the first place because HE's the one trying to undercut his competition.

heh heh heh, gotcha Annie....

Here is a site with some really good Interstate images: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/df_intr_state_sys.htm