By a 97 to 3 vote the executive committee of the American Trucking Associations adopted a plan to fundamentally restructure the 65 year-old organization. The Wren Committee Plan, as it is called, was adopted at a special Executive Committee meeting in Chicago on August 6th. The overwhelming vote of approval surprised even supporters of the plan.
“You know, 97 to 3, that is an extraordinary vote for getting on with it, and that's what we're going to do,” said ATA President Walter McCormick at a press conference.
Noting concerns with past “bickering and sniping and the inability to forge consensus,” McCormick declared, “This is a new ATA.”
The plan will bring all affiliated councils and conferences — such as the Maintenance Council and the Truckload Carriers Association — under the ATA corporate roof. All carrier members of those groups will be required to
join ATA and at least one state trucking association. Meanwhile dues for many will be reduced by as much as 25 percent. The result according to plan supporters will be a more efficient, focused ATA, a fairer dues structure
and a vast increase in overall membership.
In approving the plan, the Executive Committee overrode specific concerns of the TCA, the largest most powerful group within ATA. The TCA board will take up the issue at its next meeting October 25. However, former TCA chairman and current ATA chairman, Ed Trout, President of Cornhusker Motor Lines of Omaha, said the TCA board is likely to accept the decision of the ATA executive Committee.
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