Better Bad Ideas with Sean O'Brien

Special thanks to our sponsor Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:00:00 | Midterms and Conversations with Both Sides 00:08:13 | How Can the Next UPS Contract Better Protect Members From Retaliation for Exercising Their Rights? 00:11:55 | Is UPS Changing Route Names to Avoid Creating Full-Time Positions, and Can We Speed Up 9.5 Penalty Payouts? 00:13:50 | Any Updates on Local 355’s Arbitration Over Forced Split Shifts for 22.2 Full-Timers? 00:14:58 | Will the Next UPS Contract Improve Transfer Rights for Full-Time Drivers, Especially Those Affected by Building Closures and Relocations? 00:17:02 | What Are the Three Most Important Things Teamsters Should Remember During Peak Season? If Peak Were a Song, What Would it Be? 00:19:14 | How Can We Better Educate Non-Union Construction Workers About the Benefits of Joining the Teamsters? 00:21:32 | How Will the 2028 UPS Contract Protect Feeder Jobs From Being Shifted to Rail and Third-Party Companies? 00:23:03 | Can UPS Delay Hearing Grievances While a Member is on Leave, Even if the Grievance Challenges That Leave? 00:23:55 | How Can We Stop Other Unions From Taking Our Work During Strikes, Especially When They’ve Agreed to Stand in Solidarity With Us? 00:25:30 | With Major UAW, Longshore, and UPS Contracts Expiring During the 2028 Election Year, What Happens if These Labor Fights Overlap? Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 08:48 | Harassment and Technology 12:22 | Mass Write-Ups of UPS Warehouses in 2026 14:24 | Teamsters Organizing Delta Flight Attendants 17:28 | Changing 9.5 Penalty Pay 21:46 | UPS Utilizing Alternative Subsidiaries During A Strike to Weaken Leverage 23:31 | Establishing Delivery Cut-Off-Time 26:38 | Teamsters Fighting Amazon’s Contractor Model to Protect Drivers 28:53 | The Voice of Teamsters Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:00:00 | Threat from Technology on White-Collar Jobs00:10:15 | What’s the plan in 2028 to make sure 40-hour Teamster jobs keep up with inflation and remain middle-class jobs?00:12:46 | Should the Next UPS Contract Prioritize Quality of Life, With More Time Off and Better Work-Life Balance?00:15:38 | Why Does So Much Teamster Attention Go to UPS and Amazon When Construction, Pipeline, and Other Trades Are Facing Major Issues Too?00:19:11 | What is the Teamsters’ Plan to Organize the Nonunion Fuel-Hauling Industry Nationwide Before More Union Jobs Are Lost?00:23:32 | Can We Increase Steward Coverage Inside Every Building So Members Feel Supported Enforcing the Contract?00:26:39 | What Sets Your Bipartisan Approach to Labor Apart From Other Union Leaders?00:28:46 | Why Does the Union Sometimes Feel Divided Between Drivers and Warehouse Workers Instead of United as One Membership?00:30:31 | How Can Worldport Mechanics Get Their Own Contract Language to Address Forced Overtime and Scheduling Issues?00:32:45 | Could Worldport Members Who Waited Decades for Full-Time Work Fight for Peer 80/85 Retirement in the Next Contract? Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:00:00 | Surveillance and Technology 00:16:18 | Only Answering Easy Questions 00:19:53 | Why Haven’t Top Teamsters Leaders Done More to Support the Henry Ford Strike? 00:22:09 | If UPS Teamsters Cross the Picket Line in 2028, What Happens After the Contract is Settled? 00:24:20 | What are the Priorities for the 2028 TForce Freight Contract? 00:27:46 | Increasing Teamsters Pensions to Keep Up with Rising Living Costs 00:30:31 | Adding Contract Language Requiring Operations to Stop After a Workplace Death or Serious Fatal Incident 00:33:32 | Can We Cap Forced Overtime for Feeder Drivers to Improve Work-Life Balance? 00:35:04 | Can Sean Visit Specific Centers to See First-Hand What is Happening? 00:35:28 | What Will Teamsters Do in 2028 to Strengthen Pensions and Retirement Benefits? 00:38:21 | Should the Union Protect Drivers Who Underperform Based on Company Tracking? 00:39:26 | Should the 2028 Contract Prioritize Grievance Enforcement and Quality of Life Over Another Historic Wage Increase? 00:42:28 | Why Does the Central Region Have Lower Pension Benefits Than Other Regions? 00:43:41 | Where Can Members See How the Union is Spending Dues? Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:45 | Corporate AI and Automation 09:24 | Do pipeline and construction Teamsters get the same fight and attention as UPS and Amazon members? 13:08 | Full-time UPS Members Having the Same Transfer Rights as Part-Timers 16:19 | Who is Sean O'Brien looking to have as a guest on the show? 17:47 | Recognizing an earlier generation of Teamsters and labor fighters 22:13 | Organizing Private Security Companies and Switching Unions 23:00 | Workers Facing Retaliation and What They Should Do 26:51 | On-Site Gyms at UPS Facilities 29:27 | Should UPS Provide Socks for Workers? 31:35 | Sean O’Brien as the President of Teamster 33:33 | Adjusting UPS Mechanic Pay 37:11 | Progressing UPS Vacation Time for Workers 38:44 | Protecting UPS Drivers From Dangerous Staffing Practices During Extreme Summer Heat 41:56 | Holding UPS Accountable During Grievance Processes Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:00:00 | Intro 00:01:19 | Unions’ Ability to Strike 00:13:16 | How Should Local Unions Prepare Workers for the First Contract Fight? 00:16:44 | Building Solidarity Between Part-Time and Full-Time UPS Members 00:25:14 | Should Pensions, Healthcare, and More Optional Days be Prioritized in the Next UPS Contract? 00:25:53 | Preventing Management Harassment in the Next UPS Contract 00:28:41 | Drawing the Line Between Normal Supervision and Management Harassment 00:30:51 | Making Strong Contract Demands Without Losing Public Support 00:32:30 | Starting the Process of Unionizing at Amazon 00:34:05 |The Plan to Fight for a Better Pension Benefit at TForce Freight 00:34:49 | Will the Union Address UPS Air Progression to Prevent a Pay Freeze? 00:36:36 | Addressing Lowering Pension Payouts and Raising Healthcare Costs After Retirement 00:38:42 | Teamsters Plan to Help CSX Workers Facing Cuts and Workers Left with the Extra Workload 00:40:30 | Will UPS Address Forced Overtime, Work-Life Balance, and Understaffing Without the Threat of Discipline? 00:43:37 | Teamsters Enforcing the New 7,500 UPS Jobs and How Many Have Been Filled Nationwide? 00:44:37 | Can the IBT Assign Someone to Track and Enforce UPS 22.3 Job Creation Nationwide? Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:00:00 | Intro 00:00:39 | Teamsters Growth Strategy 00:04:23 | Faster Labor Contracts Act 00:08:59 | Will Federal Minimum Wage Differential Clauses Be Introduced Into Current and Future Contract Negotiations? 00:10:18 | How Do You Convince Someone Who Likes the Idea of a Union, But is Afraid of Retaliation? 00:12:44 | Air-Conditioned Trucks 00:16:33 | Consolidation of Pension Funds Into the WCTPTF 00:19:08 | Why Isn’t the Military in Any Unions? Are There Amish in the Union? 00:20:57 | Chances of 9.5 Violations Being Automatically Added to Weekly Paychecks in the Next Contract 00:24:23 | Tips for Keeping a Podcast for Local Levels and Younger Generations Going 00:27:44 | Big Raise Rather Than Time Off 00:29:37 | Quit Threatening to Strike and Work for Protection From Layoffs and Automation 00:31:49 | Why Do Mechanics Get Paid the Same as Drivers? 00:34:14 | Will Rank-and-File Members be Allowed to Come to the Bargaining Table for the 2028 UPS Contract? 00:35:41 | Conversations About What the UPS Will Save Over the Four-Year Progression Period Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:35 | Political Approach 06:26 | Faster Labor Contracts Act 10:26 | Everyone included, how many Teamsters are there? 12:07 | How do unions win over workers in right-to-work states where anti-union messaging is everywhere? 12:54 | Closing the Benefits Gap Across Supplements 16:04 | Protecting Full-Timers From Forced Split Shifts 16:49 | What industries are ready for a major union push? 19:18 | Removing Article 40? 20:10 | What’s the biggest mistake workers make when they’re trying to organize for the first time? 21:02 | Creating More UPS Jobs in a Competitive Shipping Market 22:12 | Preventing Workplace Harassment and Strengthening Member Protections 25:19 | Protecting UPS Jobs From Subcontracting, AI, and Automation 25:15 | Addressing Foreign-Subsidized Competition in the U.S. Parcel Market 27:22 | Modernizing Union Technology and the Grievance Process 28:43 | Is Sean O’Brien really this jacked? Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 00:00 | Intro 00:11:07 | Tips to Remain Fit and Healthy 00:12:56 | Will Union Leaders Address 22.3s Being Kept on Indefinite Split Shifts? 00:14:46 | Can Office Workers Form a Union with Teamsters? 00:15:45 | What Will Full-Time Drivers Get in the Next Contract? 00:17:01 | Striking Over Deadlocked Grievances 00:19:45 | Is the Union Prepared to Prioritize Combating Automation Over an Increase in Wages? 00:22:12 | Different Part-Time Pensions Throughout the United States 00:24:31 | How Do We Get Members to Show Up Before There’s a Crisis 00:27:15 | Securing a Day Off for a Funeral Without Using a Call-In 00:28:36 | When Do UPS Teamsters Get Surepost and Roadie Work That Was Diverted to Outside Companies? 00:30:08 | How Do We Rebuild Union Culture For Members Who Feel More Like Coworkers Than Brothers and Sisters? 00:31:12 | Looking Into Walked Back Penalty Pay Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special thanks to our Launch Sponsor, Keches Law Group! Visit https://www.KechesLaw.com for your legal needs. This episode is also brought to you by LaborFirst, the leader in healthcare navigation and advocacy for plan sponsors, union members, and retirees. Visit https://laborfirst.com/ for more information. New episodes of Better Bad Ideas drop every Wednesday! Subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when they go live! Also available where ever you download podcasts! Chapters 01:00 | Roads: Helping families who suffer from addiction and mental illness 10:21 | Keep striking in the public dialogue 12:16 | Teamsters serving members at every career stage 13:49 | Driverless Trucks 18:55 | UPS Strike Fund 21:31 | Teamster members and Amazon workers 25:15 | Teamsters prioritizing sanitation workers nation wide 29:32 | Non-union purchasedtransportation in 2028 Better Bad Ideas • https://www.instagram.com/betterbadideas • https://www.tiktok.com/@betterbadideas • https://x.com/betterbadideas Subscribe to Better Bad Ideas on Spotify & Apple! • https://open.spotify.com/show/5Br4YZ6h20M6VZGBtIsaBs?si=eaa75a585c7f4ccd • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-bad-ideas-with-sean-obrien/id1786675550 This is a 7EQUIS Network Show http://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices