Any UPS Freight Stewards Here? Need advice, Road/ City

[Meonthenet]

I'm new to UPS Freight about six months. I'm a road driver. A dispatcher called me and said they want me to come in to do city driving. I told her I'm a road driver not a city driver. She said I'll tell them. She called me right back and said the assistant manager (AM) said to come in. I called the AM and told him I don't want to drive city. He told me he don't have road work, he needs me to do city, and I don't have a choice. I came in. As I stood there a road driver came in and said “do you have anything else.” The AM said to him, all I have is this censored: local road run.) The driver turned it down and went home. So there was a road driver run. He still forced me to do city work. I called my steward and he told me, if they need me to cover anything, they can force from the bottom up. Every driver I spoke to said bull. They can force me to do a road run nobody wants to do, but they can't force me to do city work. Like dock work you don't have to do it. If a junior city driver works while a senior road driver sits home, they argue it's not your job description. But If they need a road driver to cover city they can claim it's different? As a new driver I'm on the low hourly rate! Mileage pay is better. Clearly there was a road run.


After I returned to the yard, I found out they fired two city drivers and one is out on disability. So if there allowed to force me to do city work for less my usual mileage pay. Then they can force me to do city work until they hire replacement drivers. That can't be right!


What Say You???

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Work as directed then file a grievance.

 

[Meonthenet]

The steward acts like I don't have a grievance. I think I'll grieve anyway

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Your steward is probably right but it won't hurt to file anyway.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

The steward acts like I don't have a grievance. I think I'll grieve anyway

Get a copy of the contract book. Information is your best weapon.

Until then, do what they ask. Or they will get you on failure to follow directions.

Good luck

 

[Meonthenet]

I asked for a copy of the CBA but the steward didn't have one. He said he'll get me one. I'll have to remind him

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I asked for a copy of the CBA but the steward didn't have one. He said he'll get me one. I'll have to remind him

You can probably find it online.
Maybe attend a union meeting?

 

[Skeeters]

Work as directed then file a grievance.

Good advice...

 

[Meonthenet]

Thanks for the advice guys! I agree, it was good advice. I did find the CBA online. He can force me to work city. There being road work available is a gray area. He could argue he had to cover the city priority. I can't afford to work city at the hourly rate. I have too many bills. I have no choice but to quit.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

So you rather than take the city route and make some money you would rather quit and make no money?

 

[RolloTony Brown Town]

There's no way that quitting is the answer. Sounds like you just don't wanna do work.

 

[silenze]

Or cut back on expenses

 

[Meonthenet]

I have other options of making more money. I came from a union job making $25 hour + ot 60+ hours/week. I know in time I would be making more at UPS Freight. That's why I came here. When I'm rolling down the road now, mileage pay plus drop and hook I'm averaging $24+/-. When I planed on working here I knew with no ot and mileage and low hourly start pay, I would not make as much at first. Working city I'm making $17.70. Not that I don't want to work, I can't afford to stay. One road run they have me do a lot, I do in 8.5 hours. It pays $230. I worked city Friday for 9 hours and made $159. That's a $70 dollar a day pay cut. There is road work available. One day of city I could piss and moan and get over it. But if they plan on making me do it all summer long, through the busy season. I can't afford to stay.

 

[Skeeters]

I'm new to UPS Freight about six months. I'm a road driver. A dispatcher called me and said they want me to come in to do city driving. I told her I'm a road driver not a city driver. She said I'll tell them. She called me right back and said the assistant manager (AM) said to come in. I called the AM and told him I don't want to drive city. He told me he don't have road work, he needs me to do city, and I don't have a choice. I came in. As I stood there a road driver came in and said “do you have anything else.” The AM said to him, all I have is this censored: local road run.) The driver turned it down and went home. So there was a road driver run. He still forced me to do city work. I called my steward and he told me, if they need me to cover anything, they can force from the bottom up. Every driver I spoke to said bull. They can force me to do a road run nobody wants to do, but they can't force me to do city work. Like dock work you don't have to do it. If a junior city driver works while a senior road driver sits home, they argue it's not your job description. But If they need a road driver to cover city they can claim it's different? As a new driver I'm on the low hourly rate! Mileage pay is better. Clearly there was a road run.


After I returned to the yard, I found out they fired two city drivers and one is out on disability. So if there allowed to force me to do city work for less my usual mileage pay. Then they can force me to do city work until they hire replacement drivers. That can't be right!


What Say You???

These are two different classifications. We are not a one board system. So I think you have a grievance

I have other options of making more money. I came from a union job making $25 hour + ot 60+ hours/week. I know in time I would be making more at UPS Freight. That's why I came here. When I'm rolling down the road now, mileage pay plus drop and hook I'm averaging $24+/-. When I planed on working here I knew with no ot and mileage and low hourly start pay, I would not make as much at first. Working city I'm making $17.70. Not that I don't want to work, I can't afford to stay. One road run they have me do a lot, I do in 8.5 hours. It pays $230. I worked city Friday for 9 hours and made $159. That's a $70 dollar a day pay cut. There is road work available. One day of city I could piss and moan and get over it. But if they plan on making me do it all summer long, through the busy season. I can't afford to stay.

Nobody starts a job at the top. You need to look ahead... $27.15 is pretty good working the city not to mention time and a half...

 

[Meonthenet]

These are two different classifications. We are not a one board system. So I think you have a grievance


Nobody starts a job at the top. You need to look ahead... $27.15 is pretty good working the city not to mention time and a half...

I figured before I came I would make around $22 to $24 average. I've been averaging $24. On the road $27+/-, drop and hook $17.7. I know I can't make it on hourly alone. The mileage pay makes the difference. When I started they told me I would get mileage and hourly and my figures was close. I'm on the plus side of my figures. I was hired as a fulltime road driver. If they told me I would only get hourly ($17.7), I wouldn't have left my old job, because I know I can't afford to work for $168.15 a day. I figured when I came here I would take a 25 to 33 percent annual pay cut for a couple years. I figured I could get by for a couple years. I never thought I would take a 50+ percent cut. I'm not 21 living in my mom's basement. I've been driving for 24 years. I have a big house, mortgage, car, kids. I can't make it on $17.7 alone. I need the mileage. The AM needs a city driver, he says I have no choice. My choice is simple, be a hourly city driver until I'm homeless with no credit, or get another job and keep my home and my family together and happy.

 

[silenze]

I don't know how it works at freight but over here the number of people allowed to take vacations doubles in may. So you could be quitting right before the work picks up

 

[sppollock]

No in freight we have a set number of people allowed to take vacation throughout the year.

To the OP, I understand about mortgage and bills and everything else, but also understand that they put you to work when they could of just made you stay at home and not get paid anything. So if you are going to quit due to being made to work city while the road is slow then Im sorry to see you leave.