The reason bargaining unit employees feel like they do is often the result of management.
Take the following for example:
Picture It. A few years ago. A spring Friday.....
Center Manager is made aware of a social media post that I (package driver) made the previous night. Manager calls the local Police Department to have me arrested. Police Department reviews said post and refuses. PD tells Center Manager that you're a grownup..not a child, you're upset being the joke's punchline but no law has been broken..not even close.
Center Manger calls twice more and twice more the PD refuses.
Center Manger calls again but now tells PD that center manager and other employees saw me carrying a handgun that day and fear for their safety.
I receive a Diad message at 1930 to meet on route to pickup packages left in building. When I arrive there are 3 police cruisers. I jump out fearing that something has happened.
Officers approach and say "Relax, you're not in any trouble but we received a report that you're carrying a handgun"
They search me and the truck....no handgun.
center manager steps up and fires me for workplace violence. Prohibits me from having any contact with UPS. So I ride back to the center with an officer who asked if I knew what this was about. I had no idea until he told me.
The officers stop by my residence at 2330, take a statement, tell me about the center manager's earlier calls and advise me to hire a lawyer.
I take their advice.
Tuesday at 10:23 am the union business agent calls: "Good news Package Driver..you're going back to work with back pay, absolutely no discipline."
The next day an officer calls again. "I can't tell you who but someone from UPS came in screaming bloody murder this morning. Wants you arrested and prosecuted so you'd better watch out."
7 days later I receive a letter from the District Attorney......"We have reviewed the complaint and find that charges are not warranted."
UPS corporate and the local center were cc..
Then all hell broke loose. My paychecks go missing, a part-time supervisor was put on a final warning for telling the sunrise sort about bringing a gun to work to shoot me, and also spreading rumors throughout the operation that I'd:
Shot at the center manager
Shot up the center manager's house
Shot and killed the center manager's family
Shot out the windows in the center
Regional HR got involved after the union business agent conferred with the Regional Labor Manager and the Company's Panel Chairman.
For the next 20 months the center manager tried everything to get me fired but I did my job and have always kept good records. On-road tells me that center manager is livid I came back and that pocket full of COD's I'd collected that Friday had to be replaced, remember I was banned from any contact with UPS, so some customers took advantage and refused to reissue checks.
Then one day 22 months later my truck overheated. center manager and another driver bring a replacement. The next day center manager fires me saying I lied, there was nothing wrong with the truck. 2 days later I locate a witness. I'd pulled off the freeway and stopped right in front him. Turns out he was a state highway field engineer and he told the Labor Manager and Union about seeing steam and water spraying out of the engine bay and the big puddle of it he drove through.
The center manager was on a cruise and unavailable so the Labor Manager put me back to work.
I was out 4 days but he paid me for 5. When I asked the business agent about the extra day I was told that "Labor Manager knows the center manager is out for you...consider it combat pay"
But I wasn't the only one the center manager was out for. A clerk was fired for leaving the customer counter but video surveillance proved the employee never left the assigned work area.
center manager attempted to fire an employee for theft only to have the business agent discover the missing package in the high value cage.
center manager fired an employee for stopping by their residence (forgotten wallet) only to discover that employee's on-road supervisor had instructed employee to do so.
But there was a happy ending.
center manager covered a route, hit a huge apartment style mailbox and left. Two employees of this luxury apartment complex saw it, saw center manager and got the truck number.
I'd retained a lawyer and was about to file a lawsuit but was advised by counsel to ..."give it a bit more time. I've had quite a number of lawsuits and experience with UPS and with your detailed records I can tell you that center manager won't be around much longer."
Then a few days later, a young driver pulled me aside:
"Heard you're gonna sue UPS"
"Thinking about it"
"You should wait..something happened earlier this week. I can't say yet but what goes around comes around."
Turns out the manager of that luxury apartment complex was that young driver's partner and the center manager never reported the accident.
So that complex manager documented everything, as usual, from the first 1-800-pick-ups call to the center manager's continued promises via phone and e-mail that payment for the damages were coming.
The manager had filed a police report right after the incident, got fed up with the "check's in the mail" and gave the center manager one last chance to pay up but couldn't made phone contact...so an message and final e-mail were left.
Turns out the center manager was on a cruise.
So the manager turns everything over to the legal department.
One afternoon the union business agent calls me. And I'm told that when said agent arrived for a meeting, a stranger was in center manager's office with a box... cleaning out the desk.
center manager was directed the previous day to a meeting at another hub 3 hours away.
center manager arrives and was terminated in the parking lot by Loss Prevention.
Business Agent also finds out that the Division Manager was fired at the same time.
That was a good day.
A very good day.
And it's been good ever since.