Due to the volume of calls we have received asking where some of the information from Update 05-03 was obtained we are sending out this amended Update. 

The following is a quote form a letter written by J.E Metschan on March 4, 2003.  Mr. Metschan is a former President and Chief Operating Officer of Farmers Insurance Group.  The letter was written in response to a UFAA members;’ letter that alleged that a representative of the management team had threatened an agent with termination for being involved with UFAA. 

“I categorically deny that anyone in our management has threatened anyone in the agency force with termination because of involvement with the UFAA.  As you know perfectly will, no one has ever been terminated for this reason.  Management policy recognizes that our agents have a perfect right, under the constitution, to associate with each other in any way they see fit.” 

The former President of Farmers Group Inc has acknowledged your constitutional right to freely associate with any individual or group and this written statement makes the UFAA wonder why Farmers management is interested in knowing which agents are members of the UFAA.  Why are some State Executives researching which agents in their state belong to the UFAA?  The UFAA has never asked management for a list of their 15,000 agents. 

If you feel you have been harassed or threatened by your DM, DMM or any other person representing Farmers because you are a UFAA member please call our National Office at 800-275-8668 and report the incident.  Your call will be confidential unless you would like UFAA or one of its attorneys to address the issue on your behalf. 

Have you visited www.farmersinsuranceagent.com  recently?  Read Mr. Feinstein’s welcome and then use the drop down on the left side of the Home Page to go to “Why Farmers”.  The third paragraph reads that you’ll be in business for YOURSELF making YOUR OWN day-today business decisions.  Further down, you will read that YOU WILL BE YOUR OWN BOSS.  You will have the latitude to set YOUR OWN professional goals and make the day-to-day decisions to help YOU achieve those goals… Your agency’s growth will be dependent on YOUR OWN CRATIVE ABILITY…NO BOSS.  Move to the “Depend on Farmers section and read the “Other Benefits” Paragraph.  Does that section read as if Farmers is allowing agents to ENJOY the PERKS and BENEFITS as Farmers is paying for the benefits?  Is it a benefit if you are paying for any or all of it?  When you tell your CSR that a certain paid day off is a perk and benefit do you ask him/her to contribute to the cost of having the PAID day off?
 

If the www.farmersinsuranceagent.com home page is the IN-DEPTH TRUTH used as a tool to recruit new agents and you are your own boss, you make your own business decisions and your Agent Appointment Agreement has no production requirements, UFAA wants to know why career agents are being DARGed and given production requirements?  WHO’S THE BOSS?  What is fact and what is fiction?  Who can we trust?  Is the AAA a fair deal for the agent?
 

UFAA is currently in the process of gathering information from members and non-members who have or are having an attorney help them with any type of legal action against Farmers Group Inc.  UFAA has a forum at our National Convention where attorneys can openly share and exchange information pertaining to their legal activities with Farmers.  If your attorney is interested in participating in the fifth annual “Gathering of Attorneys” with other attorneys representing Farmers agents form across the country please have him/her contact the UFAA National Office at 800-275-8668 to make arrangements to participate in this educational and informative experience.