Cognition Issue 16
Win-Win
at Ultra Ex
On Monday June 5 the first ILWU contract for Messengers took effect at Ultra
Ex SF operations which became Speedway once again after a bloodless coup d'etat
. Showing their eagerness to work harder for the locally owned union shop
Speedway, many Messengers arrived early for work.
On May 17 Messengers at Ultra Ex had overwhelmingly approved a contract granting
commission increases for Bikers and Drivers, major hourly pay increases for
Walking Messengers, more paid time off, minor health plan improvements, available
printouts, overtime pay, a safety committee, ILWU credit union access and
other gains making Ultra the nation's first union messenger shop since the
early 90s. The secret ballot vote was 22 to 1 to ratify the one year contract.
Bike Messenger commissions increased from 38 to 40.5 % -- the highest rate
for Ultra bikers since 1996. Driver commissions went from 45 % (SF) &
35 % (out of SF) to 41 % for all tags. Because Ultra/Speedway Messengers will
be paid legal overtime rates, many will make over their commission. Also $
7 per day of each Biker's pay will be for bike maintenance and thus will not
be taxed (with receipts). Ultra's tag rates increased on April 17 for the
third time since February 1999.
The biggest increases went to Ultra's lowest paid and more senior workers
-- the Walking Messengers. Walker pay went from $ 5.75 and $7.40 per hour
to $ 7.25 and $ 8.20 respectively. Solidarity by Bikers helped reinforce the
effort to get the big pay raises earned by the Walkers. This marked the strongest
effort by Walkers in the three year struggle for better working conditions
in the Bay Area's Messenger Industry.
The contract honors the four major improvements sought by Messengers in the
1998 SFBMA survey : higher pay,health plan improvements, holiday pay and vacation
pay. While all four issues are improved in the contract, Ultra Messengers
know that this is a first step and that we all have a long way to go -- at
our company and throughout the industry.
The contract was also significant for what it did NOT have: drug tests. The
fact that tests were proposed by management and eliminated in the final contract
wipes out that problem.
The agreement capped a long, hard but not really bitter struggle. No violence
occurred on or off job actions at Ultra and people who yelled at each other
one day were polite and even friendly the next. Nevertheless quotes by Ultra
CEO Sal Grassia show that the ever increasing class polarization of this City
and the whole world is no stranger to the Messenger Industry. In the "Examiner",
SG said the union effort provided little in pay. However Walkers will be making
10 to 26 % more each week thanks to this " little " increase. In
the "Chronicle" SG -- a former Fed Ex driver -- was quoted saying
that Messenger work was unskilled. With Messenger Industry bosses having such
a low opinion of the value of their companies' services, it is no surprise
that tag prices remained so low throughout the 90s and began to rise only
after we ourselves began to fight back.
Furthermore the lawsuit filed by the ILWU on behalf of current and former
Ultra Messengers was settled out of court. Ultra agreed to compensate the
plaintiffs for pay practices that still continue at other Messenger firms.
In addition Ultra transferred SF operations to Branch Manager Lori O'Rourke
and Chief Dispatcher Charlie Lutge changed the name back to Speedway. Lori
and Charlie have decades of real Messenger service between themselves and
they have a respectful attitude toward all aspects of Messenger Industry work.
So a "Win" situation can become a "Win - Win" one.
From
the Pro Side
At the moment, talks between pro's management and union negotiating committee
are on hold. This was a mutual agreement decided between both party's before
last meetings adjournment. The reason...although untimely, their main man,
pseudo-ace negogiator of the firm you love to hate: Lil' Mend... made prearranged
blackout dates starting the end of May til the first/second of June.
Without going into details the talks have been lengthy and frustrating. Each
meeting has been baby-steps of careful tip-toeing of minor/major issues on
both sides: a pawn for a pawn. Contract proposals have been written, discussed,
and edited, and exchanged between the committees.
So where does that leave us? Until the next decided negotiations, hopefully
set for the second/third week of June, we'll/we've be in touch with all participating
Pro-Bikers & Drivers about what we will be taking action on.
Let's hope with all our wheels lined together that we can push for a fair
and abiding contract. Just like our brothers & sisters at Ultra Ex...oh
I mean Speedway. From the curb, Kwai
Treasurer's
Report
by Rak
First I thank the Membership for your votes. Also I'm looking forward to a
great year ahead for all of us.
At the beginning of May, the SFBMA balance was $ 275.59. Since then $ 920.00
was collected in dues and contributions. Bernie's Alley Cat was a great success,
thanks Bernie. A total of $ 365.40 was spent for printing new membership cards,
ILWU working agreement dues and office, and office keys. This leaves us with
$ 830.19 as we go into June.
There will be a new system of dues payment for SFBMA members starting Monday
June 12. Dues will be payable to SFBMA officers (Damon,Kwai, Howard and Rak).
Each officer will have new membership cards and dues logs. We look forward
to see how this new system works.
I am also in the process of setting an account with a bike parts wholesaler
so that SFBMA members can buy parts at cost. More on this next month.
Well that is it for this month.
Ride safe, Rak
Who
in the Hell Wants to Ride the HANX Russian River Ride after Working All
Week Anyway?
I've always looked for a good excuse, not to myself, I mean like Memorial
Day weekend's supposed to be a holiday ? Ain't it ? Damn, when I get home
the bike goes on the hook and it stays there till Monday, let alone ride
to Guerneville.
But hey this is the Russian river Ride. Close to a hundred Messengers celebrating
another year doing what we do. A weekend of Reckless Abandon for the Abandoned
Reckless.
And that's why most of us usually go. Not so this year.
Last year's party almost ended our welcome in Guerneville. Bullshit static
from locals crashing the campsite. And too many Messengers dying to beat
their ass. The owner of the beach came down, the police came down. If the
shit came down we were no longer welcome. After spending a fucked nite doing
HANX security, I swore "Never again. " Looks like I wasn't the
only one.
About a month ago II got a call from Cat. you all know Catty-- Old as Fuck
School HANX. "Meow !"
Well Cat hasn't really ridden since he got fucked up by a bus years ago.
He used to ride his Aero tank bike up to the Russian river. So one day he
calls me.
"Hey Rak you know the Aero tank in your basemnt, the one we raffle
off every year and the loser has to ride it up to the Russian River ? Well
this year I'm riding it up. When can I come pick it up ?" All I can
say is " No fucking way, you're crazy !"
I'm finding the whole thing very amazing. I'm thinking: "Like sure,
Cat's going to ride his old ass up to the Russian River on an Aero tank
after not riding for years. Yeah right.! "
Then cat starts showing up downtown on the Aero tank. He's riding it to
work from Daly City to Pier 29 every day. He says to me "Hey HANX you
gonna ride too ? "
Now I met Cat at Speedy's 18 years ago at our first messenger job in the
City. Do you see where this is going ? "Hey HANX you gonna ride too
? "
Danny Crew and I were to meet Cat at Pier 29 at 6 in the morning to leave
for the river. We get there at 10 after. No Cat. So I call him, cell to
cell."I'm at the entrance to the Golden Gate," he says."I'll
wait here." Of course when I get ther he's gone. To make a long story
short: we met in tiburon. And he ain't stopping till Guerneville.
Well Cat made it to the river screaming "I have returned !" at
the top of his lungs. About 16 others returned this year too. And if you
looked, all but a few were way Old School HANX. A good 150 years of Messenger
experience. Definitely a good time was on. There must have been a good 200
years of party experience but still not enough to stop me from falling 8
feet on my noggin and waking up in a hospital in Sebastopol. And missing
4 days work. Classic Russian River. Who in the Hell wants to ride the HANX
Russian River Ride after working all week anyway ?
Editor's response to the question in Rak's article above: A lot of us also wanted to ride up to the Rusian River after working all week but we couldn't for various reasons. Many thanks to Cat, Rak, DC and all the other veterans who kept it alive this year so that we can do this some more in the new century !!