Business Journal - Here's The Story Behind The Strike That Got 250 UPS Workers Fired

[QKRSTKR]

Why are we able to change our start times on the Diad and Ivis? UPS is lazy, that's why. Take upstate. He starts at 9 on Mondays and 940 the rest of the week. It's easier for UPS to allow him to change his start time every day than do the responsible thing and take this option of changing start times away and adjusting start times themselves. Then they claim a rogue employee did it on his own after being warned not to. His word against management word.

Now I'm not positive here, but I'd bet upstate s Diad says start time of 940, but every Monday he has to change it to an earlier time of 9. That's how it was when I was in package. So maybe 804 guy didn't do anything wrong.

 

[realbrown1]

he couldn't do the job.

See, why nobody likes you.

Who says he couldn't do the job? UPS? Happens at my work all the time. They will ride a different driver when they become least best. I thought this was just UPS policy.

804 former leadership must have been terrible to let an experienced driver get fired for production. I had never heard of that happening before.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

More then one time told them no, I won't get paid for it when you want me to start early. Or have to file a grievance and get paid a week or 2 later if at all.

For years...even before the timecard web...we could change our start times on the timeclocks. I shouldn't have to hound my center manager to make sure I get paid for the hours I worked....jmho

 

[lovcgars]

I was a driver for UPS and terminated in 2001, while I have been gone for quite some time; I remember clocking in and changing my start time only if approved by management. It would be a shame if this driver gets his job back, while some or all of the walk outs lose their positions. I just can't imagine UPS is going to allow a major precedence like this to be set. What would prevent this in the future if they back down this time? For the ones here who say his union representation was less than adequate, I say it's all a game and you're all pawns. My local union 822, used me as a bargaining chip and traded my job for several more senior drivers who had also lost their jobs at the same time. The VP of the local told me he would take care of me and get me a job at the local Ford plant, 13 years later and not a peep out of them. Please don't let the union brainwash you into thinking you cant be terminated, I'm here to tell you it can happen. I was a shop steward for these guys and they hung me out. Several years later the President of local 822 took a job on the west coast for a large corporation, he is now helping them fight the union that represents their employees.

 

[browned out]

In our hub, start times are posted as 900. Drivers are allowed to start anytime before that as long as the loads are ready to go. There is no written permission needed, it is mutually understood. This also seems to be the same in the Reyes case.

Why was he discharged when this practice is commonplace and other drivers in Queens received no discipline?

 

[joeboodog]

The only time we start early is if the center manager says to start early. It is not up to us to make that decision. We can ask but if the answer is no, oh well.

 

[pretender]

I was a driver for UPS and terminated in 2001, while I have been gone for quite some time; I remember clocking in and changing my start time only if approved by management. It would be a shame if this driver gets his job back, while some or all of the walk outs lose their positions...

This is an interesting scenario: Let's assume this driver gets his job back--Does he go back to work, or does he tell the company that he is not going back until the other drivers are reinstated as well?

 

[Jones]

This is an interesting scenario: Let's assume this driver gets his job back--Does he go back to work, or does he tell the company that he is not going back until the other drivers are reinstated as well?

If he does that he'll be replaced as well, it's not like he has any leverage.

 

[Johney]

This is an interesting scenario: Let's assume this driver gets his job back--Does he go back to work, or does he tell the company that he is not going back until the other drivers are reinstated as well?

Talk about making a bad situation worse. Say Reyes get's his job back yet the rest do not?

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Im suprised UPS doesnt bring him back. Just to rub a little salt in the wound!

 

[Jones]

Im suprised UPS doesnt bring him back. Just to rub a little salt in the wound!

Just from what's been said here about his firing it sounds like he was always going to get his job back eventually. This Liam guy sounds like a real idiot.

 

[lovcgars]

Just from what's been said here about his firing it sounds like he was always going to get his job back eventually. This Liam guy sounds like a real idiot.

Seems like a knee jerk reaction by the union. Don't know this Liam person, but I did watch the video. Yes he did say people may lose their jobs, however he certainly played on the emotions of the crowd. Another dumb union move.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

This is an interesting scenario: Let's assume this driver gets his job back--Does he go back to work, or does he tell the company that he is not going back until the other drivers are reinstated as well?

Interesting question.

Reyes has zero leverage so trying to play the "I ain't coming back unless..." card is not going to work.

I can't imagine coming back to work knowing that 250 of your co-workers lost their jobs supporting you.

 

[Catatonic]

Interesting question.

Reyes has zero leverage so trying to play the "I ain't coming back unless..." card is not going to work.

I can't imagine coming back to work knowing the 250 of your co-workers lost their jobs supporting you.

Remember, he and Liam are real close and Liam did this.
I could see him coming back while the 250 are still out of a job.

 

[Jungle boy dee]

hall will be going to maspbeth building in queens today. International is going have the last word. All my 804 stand up

 

[island1fox]

It seems his union representation was not up to the job in 2007, 2008 when he was fired and discharged. It was the old E/B that could not save their member's job. Stop blaming the victim.

804,

Sounds like the member could not save himself !!

If the former executive Board was so bad --why did Liam not save himself in front of an Arbitrator with Union Attorneys and Liams testimony ???

Bottom line --could not save himself --should not be the BA in the same building trying to save others !!!

 

[rpoz11]

Somehow this 804 issue here needs to brought into 1 thread.

Time :
We are constantly being asked to work prior to start times.
As soon as the pre-load Supervisor sees the friend/T drivers report, they send the pre-load employee home; leaving the friend/T driver to finish loading that truck.
We have a 25+ year PRODUCTION driver in our center who constantly works off the clock YEARLY, yet the steward does nothing about it.
And this Steward is supposed to be GOD, according to our BA's and Local EB.

No one is firing him for working for the company UNPAID!
Whether an employee is being actually paid or not, for working as directed, punching in earlier than the posted start times, each affected employee has to follow up with management to ensure that that time is actually recorded and paid.
This is what occurs here.

There was a time when employees actually wrote in a paper timecard.
That timecard must reflect the actual start time requested by the management group from the prior week as directed.
What happens when the electronic timecard device fails?
We ALL will have to fill in a paper timecard.
Guess what?
Its all performed under trust and confirmed by the management person in charge at the end of each work day.

Your 804 driver in this situation must have had that trust placed upon him to work, work as directed, and doing so prior to his posted start time.
UPS must have had a need to request this employee's time in order to NOT disrupt service to their customers.
We are asked to do this all of the time.
T.O.S. explicitly states this demand placed upon us.
It's NOT an abnormal, nor unusual request placed upon us all nationally.
This is an on demand, as needed work performance activity.
It is an expected and routinely asked for action.

The 804 Leadership seriously needs to demonstrate and produce this work expectation is an action/activity routinely asked by UPS management towards it's employees regularly; whether sporadically of often over several months if not years over time.

If every union employee stood their ground, collectively, and performed the job correctly, then we all would stand in a better place of respect by the company.

No one knows EXACTLY what happened here in this situation.
Only the 804 driver and his direct management person do.

 

[island1fox]

rpoz11,

Bottom line the Union and Company both have rights and responsibilities under the contract.
804 forget about it --they have lost all street cred in this situation.

Hoffa and The Company obviously have been working on a settlement from the start --Hall and Sean did not magically show up in Maspeth and a-POOF -a solution. 804 was never going to get this resolved.

The leadership of 804 were responsible for the entire incident putting an "emotional " discharged employee into the same building he was fired from --to "stick it in the companies eye" as a Business Agent ????

AS any sane person can see by the settlement --804 lost BIG TIME.

250 members will have their "DISCHARGES" reduced to a two week suspension--a clear admittance of guilt and will stay on their records.
804 must make financial restitution to UPS --this will be a large number if Lawyer fees are included with the late air.
Liam is banned from UPS buildings ----Common sense or anyone with a brain would have done this BEFORE he "put it in the companies eye" and caused this fiasco. Will Liam pay the 250 drivers for two weeks lost pay ??

I have not yet heard --but Reyes will probably face an arbitrator --as he should have from the jump !!

 

[island1fox]

rpoz11,

To address your other point. ????

Whether drivers or other employees like this or not UPS has the right to make decisions to run the Business.

Among these rights : The Company can decide to send the part-time Preloaders home -by contract. Even if some disagree with that --there is a GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE.

The Company can and will ASK drivers to start early --by contract the driver can start early or THE DRIVER BY CONTRACT can decide not to

Drivers because they were asked ---cannot freely take it upon themselves to change their start times whenever they want when not asked.

It really is a pretty simple process with contract restrictions and obligations on both.

 

[upschuck]

Hoffa and The Company obviously have been working on a settlement from the start --Hall and Sean did not magically show up in Maspeth and a-POOF -a solution. 804 was never going to get this resolved.

Too me, this agreement doesn't seem to have needed 10 hours to come too, let alone month and a half. Common sense outcome really. If we know the whole agreement or not, is another thing.

UPS didn't want to give the local any credibility or win for getting this agreement. How many times did we hear about L804 have meetings/talks with UPS? Not much after first day. All we heard were rallies and public outcry. L804 didn't want the Int's help, because they wanted the win.