Can They Do That?

[brownIEman]

It's a story you heard once and a tactic that is widely used at UPS. Those of us in operations know it all too well. Good to know the right kind of managers are getting promoted, not.

Well, yes and no. Your observation is not overly inaccurate, it is however a grave oversimplification. She was not promoted because she targeted unproductive and disruptive employees. The company does not promote based on that. There is no profit in it, and as an organization, that is what the company is chiefly concerned about. She was promoted because she gets things done, and that is the type of manager that gets promoted. Now, the manager I was speaking of is of the old school that says the most expedient way to get things done through other people, is by being an $$@@%. Basically by screaming and yelling a lot. Personally, I believe there are better ways to motivate people to get done what you need to get done, but often these other methods take a deeper interaction and therefore take more time.

Look at the story. She had a driver that was hurting her operation. In order to improve her center, she needed to get rid of him. Based on her knowledge of this driver, she found an expedient way of achieving that, and her operation improved. Was it the right thing to do? I really don’t know, I doubt that is how I would have handled it. Do I have any sympathy for the driver in this story? I did, up to the point that he was unable to control himself and turned to physical violence. There is no excuse for that no matter how picked on or wronged you feel, if you cannot control yourself you have no place in pretty much any organization.

 

[mva1985]

MVA

I always treated them as equals and with respect, and the same was shown back to me. We are adults. We can handle the situation without getting into cussing and carrying on. And if it is not settled here today, then there are other means to settle labor issues. And while the exchange might be heated, there should not be conduct that should come back to bite you later on.

Now, that being said, there were many issues that I represented people for where it was cut and dry, the company was out of bounds or just plain wrong.

BUt there were many more when the driver or other hourly brought the crap on themselves. In that case, while you walk in as equals, you also know they have you. And you are asking them to please allow this driver to come back. That he will not act like a spoiled brat and quit his/her job again, or walk off the job. Believe it or not, we have had many drivers quit while on the job and walk off. And after they get home to the wife and kids and realise what they have actually done......

It is at times like that your previous treatment of management will come back to haunt you. While we are equals in the meetings, I never forget that in cases like the ones above, they are doing you a real favor by bringing the employee back. They dont have any obligation to, and they know it. And so does the union.

I dont like, nor would I tollerate someone getting into my face. I would not expect for them to put up with it from me either.

BTW, there are many things that are legal, but still not right.

d

Really, my point was that many sups will treat a steward as if they are just a regular employee, and this is just not the case when the person is in the role of steward.

I do not disagree that everyone needs to treat everyone with respect. Many times it is best to let things lie for a day and come back once tempers have settled down.

I agree that there are times when an hourly brings things on themselves, but as stewards we are still called to represent them as best we can.

 

[Braveheart]

Many of you hold the contract up and ask management to follow it. If you're going to do so then you have to support all of it not just the parts you agree with. There is also a grievance process for the above event. Let the process run its course.

The problem is when employees fail to follow instructions, rules, policies, procedures, and so forth it is straight to definitive actual discipline.

When management willfully and intentionally violates the contract we have to obey their clear contract violating directives and file after the fact.

Why is it that management can get away with constant contract violations as well as ethics violations, and so forth but we are still expected to give them respect and follow the process.

If an individual knows in advance what to do and not to do he is obligated to follow the laws and so forth. I guess management works to a different tune.

Why is that managers at UPS can walk around like KING AHAB and do whatever they what with reckless disregard to not only the contract but also to it's only rules policies and procedures with no accountability.

It all starts with the person in power, if he earns the respect he will get it. If he violates that respectful bond, then he needs to work twice as hard to earn it back!

Just as an employee who has messed up needs to correct his mistakes and work twice as hard to earn back the respect he lost.

The day my boss starts to work to earn back my respect is the day I give it back.

I have had some bosses over the years apologize and work to earn my respect and I in turn have helped to rebuild those bridges.

However the current tyrant running my center is a sociopath as far as I am concerned and looks like he actually gets off on disciplining and firing employees. I am not holding my breath.

 

[filthpig]

Trollin' trollin' trollin'! Keep them doggies trollin'!