I Hate Ups

[dilligaf]

So...if a Feeder driver is instructed by management TO help wrap a load up. They don't have to since it's not technically their job classification?

I agree they should help out if they are on the clock and have the time AND there is a REAL need for their help at that time. To not help is bush.

We have to work as directed, failure to do so is risking our jobs. Work first- greive later. If you are forced out of your job classification, you have the right to grieve it. Many mgrs (IMHO) will not force a feeder driver out of job classification because they don't want to have to deal with the head of the feeder dep't. I have seen our sups dealing with the feeder mgr. It's not a pretty sight. Our feeder driver will help some to but the one thing I have never seen him do is get in the back of the feeder loading pkgs. That is local sort work and for a feeder driver to do that work is to take work away from a local sorter.

The whole point of the contract is to provide jobs. If each bargaining unit stays within his/her classification and does not do work outside of that, it forces the company to put in a bargaining unit where needed. If they are forced outside of their job and grievances are filed, eventually those grievances go to panel. In going to panel, the company should be forced to hire more employees. My job in the AM is to load my air. If I am forced to load my truck because preload has not wrapped up, I put that time on preload time. They can eat the numbers. It should not go against my time. They need to hire another preload.

Why would you want to help the company falsify their numbers? Make no mistake, that is exactly what you are doing by allowing them to work you outside your job.

 

[New Englander]

We have to work as directed, failure to do so is risking our jobs. Work first- greive later. If you are forced out of your job classification, you have the right to grieve it. Many mgrs (IMHO) will not force a feeder driver out of job classification because they don't want to have to deal with the head of the feeder dep't. I have seen our sups dealing with the feeder mgr. It's not a pretty sight. Our feeder driver will help some to but the one thing I have never seen him do is get in the back of the feeder loading pkgs. That is local sort work and for a feeder driver to do that work is to take work away from a local sorter.

The whole point of the contract is to provide jobs. If each bargaining unit stays within his/her classification and does not do work outside of that, it forces the company to put in a bargaining unit where needed. If they are forced outside of their job and grievances are filed, eventually those grievances go to panel. In going to panel, the company should be forced to hire more employees. My job in the AM is to load my air. If I am forced to load my truck because preload has not wrapped up, I put that time on preload time. They can eat the numbers. It should not go against my time. They need to hire another preload.

Why would you want to help the company falsify their numbers? Make no mistake, that is exactly what you are doing by allowing them to work you outside your job.

In regards to what I'm talking about. Feeder drivers should be helping if it needs be. Say there were come call ins, drivers arriving late with outbound etc....

Obviously they shouldn't be doing it to allow management to run the shift under staffed but sometimes it's out of everyones control and people need to put aside their peeves and get the job done.

To not offer help in those types of instances is bush.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

It must be wonderful to be so smart.
I've worked for the company probably longer than you've been alive.
I'm not 10 foot tall and bullet proof like you but, unlike yourself, I am required to safely operate a 110 foot long vehicle in city and interstate traffic.
I'll leave the cardboard humping, at $8.50 an hour, to the young studs like you.

Perhaps you can explain to the feeder dispatcher how he is gonna get the load(s) to the destination because the feeder driver hurt his back lifting your "over 70" package so you wouldn't have to.

Hey fatty feeder....remember this ; the contract says feeder loads, unloads as directed...simply does not "service" packages.

The feeders , about 8-10 of them, stand in a circle while about 6-7 supervisors run around throwing in bulk in their loads. No one says a word, or anything. This goes on the entire night really; sups working, but the end of the night is really embarrasing.

This is clearly feeders in bed with management; which is pretty sad if you think about it....The feeders actually look down upon the part-timers who are busting their ass to work so hard and actually NEED HELP rather than help from managers doing all of the work that is union work.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

You, Mike, are wrong. DO YOU HAVE A CLUE AS TO THE RESPONSIBILITY A FEEDER DRIVER HAS? I do. I have had a Class A CDL for 15 years and have used it every one of those years. Everyone has his/her own job classification for a reason. Feeder drivers, drive. Thats what they get paid to do. I, for one, would rather see a feeder driver sitting on his butt resting rather than working his off because some local sort is to damn lazy to do the job he/she gets paid to do. We have a contract for a reason and if you think that it is okay for someone to do someone elses job then you don't understand the contract. It is not a matter of poor work ethics, it is a matter of misunderstanding on your part. And you can leave the Teamsters out of this, in fact if that is your belief then I hope you are NOT a Teamster.

You've got to be kidding.

I am the only full-timer in the load out of God knows how many employees and I'll tell you right now, it's not the TWI's fault that supervisors are working. They are way understaffed and all the sups (about 8 of them just for the two zones) are all working while the fatty feeders sit there and do nothing except watch them work.

It has nothing to do with laziness, i'll tell you that right now.

Feeders WAD and should load and unload where applicable, not work out deals with management so they don't have to work and the sups do work, and look down upon the part-timers as less than everyone else.


P.S. i am working outside my job disc. by being anywhere near a loading dock....should I work out a deal with management too and sleep with the enemy so I don't have to WAD? Same as the feeders....

 

[mattwtrs]

As a former feeder driver I usually ended up working in the hubs while waiting for loads after my lunch was used up. We were on paper time cards and would have a time transfer slip that we had the Sup sign whenever we did inside work. Back then the time transfer never got charged back unless you were in your own district so they were happy to get free labor. I paced myself so I didn't break a sweat cause there was no A/C or power steering in the cab over tractors back then. Somehow I know those good old days are just that!

 

[trickpony1]

IDoLessWorkThanMost-
Perhaps you should change your user name to "I worry about others when I should be worrying about myself".
Sound like you're a little envious of feeder drivers. Have any of these "lazy" feeder drivers ever kept you from signing a bid sheet to get into feeders or package cars?
I didn't think so.

 

[dilligaf]

In regards to what I'm talking about. Feeder drivers should be helping if it needs be. Say there were come call ins, drivers arriving late with outbound etc....

Obviously they shouldn't be doing it to allow management to run the shift under staffed but sometimes it's out of everyones control and people need to put aside their peeves and get the job done.

To not offer help in those types of instances is bush.

Feeder drivers (or any one else) working outside of their job classification should be the exception NOT the rule. I agree that everyone can pitch in and help on occasion and as I said earlier even our feeder driver helps some.

No they should not be doing it to help mgt run an understaffed ctr. This is when grievances need to be filed, and filed consistently until the situation is resolved.

 

[dilligaf]

You've got to be kidding.

I am the only full-timer in the load out of God knows how many employees and I'll tell you right now, it's not the TWI's fault that supervisors are working. They are way understaffed and all the sups (about 8 of them just for the two zones) are all working while the fatty feeders sit there and do nothing except watch them work.

It has nothing to do with laziness, i'll tell you that right now.

Feeders WAD and should load and unload where applicable, not work out deals with management so they don't have to work and the sups do work, and look down upon the part-timers as less than everyone else.


P.S. i am working outside my job disc. by being anywhere near a loading dock....should I work out a deal with management too and sleep with the enemy so I don't have to WAD? Same as the feeders....

Blaming the feeder or any other bargaining unit for an operation not being fully staffed is just ludicrous. If you don't have enough TWI and are allowing mgt to do bargaining unit work then you are part of the problem. Start filing on it. God man, its easy money.
Not anywhere in these posts have I even suggested making a deal with the company. GO BACK AND READ IT AGAIN. Start filing the freaking grievances or sit back and do nothing, whine and complain but stop blaming. If you aren't going to try and be part of the solution then you are part of the problem.

 

[tieguy]

The whole point of the contract is to provide jobs. If each bargaining unit stays within his/her classification and does not do work outside of that, it forces the company to put in a bargaining unit where needed.

hire another local sorter while you sit on your rear?

You working out of your classification as a local sorter is a do nothing grievance. Never seen a feeder driver file one for helping the local sort wrap up.

A local sorter working out of classification as a feeder driver is clearly an earning opportunity generating grievance.

If you're waiting on a load you can always do something to help even if its just breaking jams.

Sitting there for hours doing nothing is just plain lazy.

Most drivers know where they came from and have no problem helping make service on the packages.

 

[dilligaf]

hire another local sorter while you sit on your rear?

You working out of your classification as a local sorter is a do nothing grievance. Never seen a feeder driver file one for helping the local sort wrap up.

A local sorter working out of classification as a feeder driver is clearly an earning opportunity generating grievance.

If you're waiting on a load you can always do something to help even if its just breaking jams.

Sitting there for hours doing nothing is just plain lazy.

Most drivers know where they came from and have no problem helping make service on the packages.

If a sort is behind because of a lack of staffing then absolutely yes, hire.
If a sort is being 'worked my mgt' then absolutely yes, file a greivance.
The earlier argument was for feeders getting in the feeder and working his/her off, which I absolutely disagree with. And again, feeder drivers (or any other bargaining unit) working out of their classification should be the exception not the rule. And again, yes we can all join forces to help get it done. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

The problem is when you (mgt) abuse it and expect the drivers to finish preload work because you (mgt) won't hire the help that is needed to fill the sort. Or in this case when you (mgt) expect the feeder driver to work to fill in for your lack of staffing on the nite sort.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

sorry for sounding so harsh...

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

Grieving does nothing in some cases.

case in point; How does one person, engaging and approach to oppose both the union and management? That is the logistics..

I believe a thread author from OH a month or two back had simlar sentiments actually...

It's a battle not worth fighting. Some battles are worth standing up for, others aren't ..

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

You, Mike, are wrong. DO YOU HAVE A CLUE AS TO THE RESPONSIBILITY A FEEDER DRIVER HAS? I do. I have had a Class A CDL for 15 years and have used it every one of those years. Everyone has his/her own job classification for a reason. Feeder drivers, drive. Thats what they get paid to do. I, for one, would rather see a feeder driver sitting on his butt resting rather than working his off because some local sort is to damn lazy to do the job he/she gets paid to do. We have a contract for a reason and if you think that it is okay for someone to do someone elses job then you don't understand the contract. It is not a matter of poor work ethics, it is a matter of misunderstanding on your part. And you can leave the Teamsters out of this, in fact if that is your belief then I hope you are NOT a Teamster.

Hello Fellow Teamster,

Section 1 - Feeder Drivers Work

(A). Feeder Drivers of the IBT Locals part to this Agreement or any IBT Locals that have Agreements with UPS shall load, unload and sort at any of the Company's locations.

Seems pretty straight forward to me!

 

[trplnkl]

We can not have feeders loading, period. They might break a sweat.

 

[trplnkl]

oh, I forgot the add the

 

[tieguy]

If a sort is behind because of a lack of staffing then absolutely yes, hire.
If a sort is being 'worked my mgt' then absolutely yes, file a greivance.
The earlier argument was for feeders getting in the feeder and working his/her off, which I absolutely disagree with. And again, feeder drivers (or any other bargaining unit) working out of their classification should be the exception not the rule. And again, yes we can all join forces to help get it done. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

The problem is when you (mgt) abuse it and expect the drivers to finish preload work because you (mgt) won't hire the help that is needed to fill the sort. Or in this case when you (mgt) expect the feeder driver to work to fill in for your lack of staffing on the nite sort.

All comes down to work ethic. My experience the feeder drivers from the small outlying centers will do anything to help make service on the packages.

Feeder drivers from the bigger buildings find excuses to sit on their rears.

 

[UPS Lifer]

It all depends on the driver... Most of the feeder drivers I knew were not at all lazy and didn't sit around waiting for a load to be closed up. The SoCal basin (WLA-SoCal-SEC) have a great bunch of drivers! I was proud to work with them when I was a hub manager.

 

[ISFriendly]

Do you ever have anything good to say about UPS or do you just complain ????

Have you ever typed I hate ups in the google search?
Some of the stories are hilarious.example....they always
come when I`m not home,what am I supposed to do, take
a day off to get my package?
If they`d take the time to read the info notice they would see they have a few other options. A lot of customers think we`re
ok ...heres one tidbit I found...
The only thing that I have noticed is that all of the UPS boxes that get delivered here are very dusty and dirty.This doesn`t happen with FedEx and others,just UPS.Its like they drag the boxes behind the truck for awhile before they deliver them.
Our customers suffer dearly in the name of production.

 

[LKLND3380]

He doesn't have to break his back, he can team lift any package that is too heavy, or have a "cardboard humper" do it and stick to lighter packages. Anyone that stands around on the clock when they could be helping others work has very poor work ethics and gives Teamsters a bad name.

Everyone has a job descrption at UPS and if management has to bring in other hourlies to do someone's work then UPS needs to hire people to do that work. OR create a new job and fill that position...

I don't believe ANY Teamster would stand around and watch a co-worker struggle with an irreg or over70.

But I see no reason for any Teamster to jump in so a shift can wrap up faster... That is taking money out of you co-workers pockets. Management needs to plan better and even if management plans for 4.5 hours they try to wrap in 3.5 to make their numbers look good.

 

[LKLND3380]

Package drivers deliver packages and drive, but when the preload gets kicked out after 5 they load. I guess you think they should stand around because they are called drivers and not loaders? How do you know the loader is lazy, for all you know he is working his ass off and could use a hand.

Pretty sure the contract says bargaining unit members must do the work, feeders are Teamsters, no? I don't think the contract has language prohibiting one Teamster from helping another. "Feeder drivers just sitting around waiting for the loads, watching supervisors carry bulk into the trailers." They are following the contract by not grieving it, right?

Letting supes work instead of a teamster is good ethic?

You can not take someone's assigned work away and give it to someone else to do...

Any feeder driver sitting around waiting and watching Supes work should be documenting and filing grievences for SUPERVISORS WORKING...

That does not mean the feeder driver should do the hourly work - NOT IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION. The Hub/Center/Building should be hiring MORE HOURLY workers to load that bulk.