Cognition Issue 8

Company Reports
Corporate Express Delivery
Corporate Express Inc, primarily an office supply company, is planning to sell 80% of its interested in Corporate Express Delivery System. The Corporate Express couriers are unconcerned about the sale affecting their future, as their company has been sold four times in the last five years.
CorpEx riders earlier successfully convinced management to rehire a dispatcher that was unfairly fired. They still have to joy of urine-testing tho...
DMS Corp
More heads roll at DMS as predicted in Ignition #6 - CEO Linda Jenkinson, who replaced departed Greg Kidd, has been replaced by EST graduate Steven Swink. Maybe DMS should put a revolving door in front of their Lake Success New York headquarters (also home to Tampax). Swink will visit SF DMS in late March to sooth employees fears about the company's stock performance (currently at 1.9, down from 28 last summer).
On February 12 a petition signed by all of the bikes, walkers and some drivers was presented to Tom Finley calling for the dismantling of the unjust UPG. This is the fourth such petition presented in 9 months, and patience is running out.
Meanwhile, more driver, office workers and walkers are being jettisoned to improve the "bottom line."
I just found out that management at DMS SF has been pulling hundreds of dollars out of driversâ paychecks without notifying the employees! This was predicted in IGNITION#6 - maybe this is how they do business in New Zealand, but methinks this cannot be legal in the USA. Evidently if your mileage looks too high they just rip the $$$ out of your paycheck. If you know any drivers at DMS tell them to check their pay. This is NOT the last you will hear about this.
At DMS a petition, signed by virtually all Bike and Walking Messengers, was presented to management. The petition called for review and possible dismantling of the UPG in order to "revive the San Francisco DMS" and halt the "persistent demoralization of its employees."
DMS has refused to dismantle the UPG and has postponed meeting with its couriers.
Professional Messenger
Workers at Pro Mess continue to meet and organize, rapidly approaching a majority in favor of a union. Owner Joel Rich says no matter what he will not recognize the union, but he will continue his Friday night pizza parties. Meanwhile, as with DMS, workers continue to leave for other companies (along with the customers that are leaving for other companies). The gate fees charged to the drivers and the skimming of commissions continue to be the major bones of contention.
An ex-Pro driver successfully sued ProMess about the illegal gates fees and yet the company continues to charge them.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Why we need a union : Al Yates, one of if not the City's senior Walking Messengers (20 years ?) was fired by Quicksilver after they hired a rookie.
Al Yates is possibly the only SF messenger to ever run for President of the United States and get votes.
Ultra Express
At Ultra-Ex over a dozen Messengers (riders and walkers) showed up at 8 a.m. to present the formal demand to management for recognizing ILWU Local 6 as the negotiating representative of the Bike and Walking Messengers. Management accepted the letter and again pledged to be "neutral" toward union organizing efforts by Ultra staff. Ultra's management has not yet responded to the recognition demand itself.
As one Ultra rider said later, "It feels good to actually DO something." We hope more of us in San Francisco and elsewhere will agree.
Western Messenger Service
Western, dubious winner of Voice of Da's straw poll for best courier company, fired "Ranger" Rick Bline for theoretically graffitiing Orrick's men's room. Bline denied this charge and the company offered no proof. "Those of us who know Rick donât believe he's a tagger and in any case we KNOW he's not a liar," writes Howard Williams. Bline is a 20-year veteran in the field of messenging and we hope he finds a better company that is more appreciative of his skills.

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