Thoughts On PAM Transports Class Action Lawsuit?

Everyone wants a free lunch, but not everyone thinks it should be earned. Another example of the entitlement mindset that continues to boggle my brain.

This way of thinking with this lawsuit would be very similar to unionizing the entire trucking industry in my opinion.

Which is incredibly unlikely. While some shops in certain states might be unionized - I doubt the owners of the megas want to have anything to do with them. And with the Jimmy Hoffa hi-jinks, still in peoples memories - a great deal of drivers wouldn't want them either.

Not to say that I am anti-union, I'm a member of one (Longshoremans) - just that in certain industries, they can be a good thing, and in many they are not.

Rick

I'm resurrecting this older thread as a result of an email I received yesterday. Why this person felt the need to contact me directly vs addressing this in the open forum in which it first appeared is a mystery.

The following is a copy of the email, along with the back n forth replies. I had neither the time nor inclination to deal with this at the moment, but felt I needed to say something. I'm curious as to your thoughts.

Sir, You perhaps don't remember making the statement concerning the person bringing the lawsuit against Pam. You characterized the person as a failed driver.

I beg to differ. I am that driver. I am neither failed nor deserving of that slur. I worked for Pam for ten years. You don't stay on the payroll that long if you are not doing the work satisfactorily. I was approached by the attorneys to be the lead plaintiff along with my co-driver, and daughter, (name omitted). This suit will put a little extra money in the pockets of the 3000 other, (failed) drivers on the suit. There is going to be a settlement conference tomorrow. Dec.17. With a bit of luck, I'll be able to buy a new car. But I'm sure you'd turn your nose up at the chance to be in my place since you have such a poor opinion of my actions. Right.  Regards, (name omitted)

My reply:

Staying at a company for 10+ years under alleged mistreatment instead of either finding a better job, or improving the skills necessary to earn better pay neither sounds like a successful driver, nor grounds for a lawsuit to me. Especially when the only real winners in this will be the bloodsucking lawyers. 

I stand by what I said. It sounds to me like someone trying to get something for nothing.

Good luck to you.

His reply:

Sir,  well. It just proves that you can't argue with a closed mind. Something for nothing? You think 10 years of labor is nothing,hih??

By the way, sir, I am 80 years old. You have NO IDEA of my life. But it sure as he'll doesn't keep you from making broad generalization.

Please do not contact me again.

My reply:

YOU contacted me, sir. Please refrain from doing so again.

🖕

I felt his last reply perfectly Illustrated the level of mentality and maturity we're dealing with.

Thanks for sharing this with us Turtle!

Wow! It doesn't surprise me, but hardly anything does anymore. It's a sad commentary when someone is so proud of winning a spurious law suit. They can get a new car with their settlement - big deal! Their award actually illustrates how silly the lawsuit was in the first place. Had they truly been wronged, the court would have awarded them something substantial.

He's speaking out now before the actual monies have hit the bank. He may feel he was wronged again when he discovers the actual payout. A professional truck driver's performance is pretty dang shoddy if he's got to go through a lawyer's shenanigans just to buy himself a car.

At eighty years old, and in financial straights already, what a foolish purchase with a small windfall of money. That's what's really baffling to me. It says a lot about this poor individual, just as his email interaction with you does. In the South, we would say "Bless your heart" to him. Most people don't realize that's not a compliment.

I was approached by the attorneys

That statement kind of says it all for me. I have thrown so many letters in the trash from attorneys trying to gather up low performing drivers that previously worked for Western Express. They are actually seeking drivers who perform poorly so they can sue these companies for paying less than minimum wage. It's a common tactic these days. I always laughed at those letters. I sometimes wish I had engaged with the attorneys. I have a feeling they would have shut me down real quickly.

Turtle your reply to the "Pigeon" was nothing short of brilliant. Well played!

While getting a feel for what’s ahead of me, I found this old thread. It caught my attention because I lived a similar situation in the plumbing world. And I thought some would be interested in where this lawsuit is going.

Last word I can find, the Pam lawsuit is being settled for $16.5M:

PAM must pay $16.5 million within 10 days of the final order granting approval of the settlement. Class members’ attorneys, Swartz-Swidler, will walk away with $5.5 million, plus “reasonable actual case-related costs and expenses” not to exceed $600,000. link

I thought it was noteworthy that the “bloodsucking lawyers” did quite well as predicted.

My case was working for a large national plumbing contractor on a strictly commission pay scale. I loved it and was making more money than ever before in my life. Then I was handed a check for $5K as part of my ‘settlement’. I didn’t even know there was a case.

My first thought was “this will be the most expensive $5k I’ll ever see”.

I was right. The entire pay structure was reconstructed. The company took on more expenses, paid for meeting time, tracked hours better, and cut commission rates. The formula for cutting commission left some of us with significantly higher pay rates than new hires. It didn’t take management long to reckon we should be driven out.

Still irks me that some “blood sucking lawyer” got rich by destroying my living, in the name of doing me a favor.