SPHOR

[UPS Lifer]

We had a center in SoCal that was extremely union oriented. These drivers would not talk to or acknowledge a management person until they were on the clock. It was a complete battle ground. At one point the district manager had a team of on road supervisors riding with these drivers every day. Guess what happened. The drivers became some of the most competent method followers in the entire district. This went on for years. This center which is located on the edge of the SoCal and Southeast Cal Districts. Some managers went into this center as the "best" UPS had to offer and got chewed up and spit out. Others were good battle ground soldiers who became Labor Managers because they had to become so proficient in the contract they developed a whole other skill level. One Division Manager was promoted to a Region Labor Manager position. This went on for years and the center became so infamous that the name changed at least 3 times.

While the center was in SEC district a skillful manager who understood and respected people took over. This manager used to be a driver of mine and was promoted. He is a second generation manager. It took him a year to get the trust of the people back but when he did these drivers and other employees responded. This center became a flagship center in the district. It was always at the top in all areas.

WHY - well besides extraordinary management skills, the drivers were the best trained and method oriented in the entire district. They understood the contract and followed it closely and applied the methods to the tee. The center is no longer a battleground. I have lost track of the manager but had great respect for what he and his team was able to accomplish.

So those doubters out there.... It can be done. You can follow the contract, treat people right, and follow the methods and have a great working relationship. I watched a skillful non-management and management team do it!

 

[stevetheupsguy]

It should be in the contract that if they require you to maintain a certain SPORH they in turn need to provide a consistant stop count. No more of this 110 one day and 145 the next. These clowns play by a different set of rules then we do.

Agreed!

My center does the 1 day OJS ride and tries to lock you into that sporh. I don't sign anything, nor do I acknowledge the existance of a MGMT team in my center when off the clock. I must give credit to my MNGR for my last OJS ride. He actually called the dispatch supe and yelled at him about lightening my load for the day. He said he wanted to see exactly what was going on in my route. I'm giving him credit on here and I told him to his face that I thought it was awesome to hear him "get real" on the dispatch supe.

 

[Dragon]

nor do I acknowledge the existance of a MGMT team in my center when off the clock.

Dang, Steve I had some respect for you, but not anymore. Kind of childish.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

nor do I acknowledge the existance of a MGMT team in my center when off the clock.

Dang, Steve I had some respect for you, but not anymore. Kind of childish.

I'll help you get it back, Dragon. I punch in just before start time and leave right after I punch out. I call this the blaze in and blaze out method. This helps to keep me off the radar and out of aim.

 

[dilligaf]

I have to ask the same question. Is it really all worth it? Why buck the system? We will never win.

UPS runs a tight ship and they are in control. My philosophy is to just do what they say and do it the way they want it to be done. Its a simple as that. I have never heard of a driver being disaplined, never mind fired for following the rules.

I also look at it another way. The 'Space and Visability' training is there for our protection. Knowing it and practicing it keeps us out of accidents. It benefits the driver and the company. Sometimes when I am in a rush and being unsafe, the training makes me think for a second and just slow down in the package car. Its not worth an accident. I was always told "don't make up time driving the package car".

Those are words to live by!

A couple of years back I was designated for a one-on-one meeting with a management person because my "stats" ie my age and years of driving suggested I was high risk for a Tier III accident. What I came away with was good stuff.

A good driver doesn't cause accidents. A great driver can avoid accidents that others would cause or avoid all accidents entirely.

Its all about having space around the vehicle and space for the vehicle to move, and then having the visibilty to see the entire picture and be seen by all other vehicles.
Its really as simple as this and I truly believe its something to live by just for the simple fact that it will keep you safe, accident free, and under UPS' radar.

Follow the methods and you can't be fired for production. Don't follow the methods and you're asking for trouble. The methods are there to help you, not hurt you.

Brownie, I am not trying to argue with you. For the most part I agree with what you say but there are some accidents that we have no control over. Like the old woman that clipped the back of my truck trying to make a left hand turn. We were both traveling in the same direction. There was not one single thing I could have done to avoid that.

If everyone (hourly and mgt alike) would go into meetings, such as you described, with an open mind we all could come away with something useful. Even on a day to day basis if we (again hourly and mgt) weren't so combatative with each other our days would be so much smoother.

 

[browniehound]

Brownie, I am not trying to argue with you. For the most part I agree with what you say but there are some accidents that we have no control over. Like the old woman that clipped the back of my truck trying to make a left hand turn. We were both traveling in the same direction. There was not one single thing I could have done to avoid that.

If everyone (hourly and mgt alike) would go into meetings, such as you described, with an open mind we all could come away with something useful. Even on a day to day basis if we (again hourly and mgt) weren't so combatative with each other our days would be so much smoother.

Dilli,
I hear ya and know you're not trying to argue with me. I think my post was a bit misunderstood based on your post. I didn't mean to imply that following the 5 seeing habits will prevent all accidents and you should say them every night right before your prayers, lol.

I just wanted to suggest that they are useful. I understand its annoying having to memorize them and its annoying that the company makes you recite them.

I just wanted to suggest that if you follow them instead of ignoring them because of some vandetta against the company, it will help to keep you safe.

 

[QKRSTKR]

Our BA won't recognize lock in sporh. He says it will be fine to do when they send the truck out exactly the same everyday. (Meaning exact same stops) Until then he says there is no way to hold a driver accountable for a day that may be totally different than the 3days they rode with you. I don't have a over problem nor have we had any 3 day rides in a long timein our center. Take my rte for instance, I usually have 320-340 del. pkgs. When I'm heavy certain times of the year, I can jump up to 550-600. Think my sporh is gonna be the same?

 

[dilligaf]

Dilli,
I hear ya and know you're not trying to argue with me. I think my post was a bit misunderstood based on your post. I didn't mean to imply that following the 5 seeing habits will prevent all accidents and you should say them every night right before your prayers, lol.

I just wanted to suggest that they are useful. I understand its annoying having to memorize them and its annoying that the company makes you recite them.

I just wanted to suggest that if you follow them instead of ignoring them because of some vandetta against the company, it will help to keep you safe.

I understood that Brownie. I agree.

 

[UPS Lifer]

Our BA won't recognize lock in sporh. He says it will be fine to do when they send the truck out exactly the same everyday. (Meaning exact same stops) Until then he says there is no way to hold a driver accountable for a day that may be totally different than the 3days they rode with you. I don't have a over problem nor have we had any 3 day rides in a long timein our center. Take my rte for instance, I usually have 320-340 del. pkgs. When I'm heavy certain times of the year, I can jump up to 550-600. Think my sporh is gonna be the same?

I agree with this concept in general. To keep this simple, the center team can enforce the use of the methods. Doing one method wrong at every stop could cost time and SPORH and possibly miles and missed stops as the day wears on. What a center team should do during OJS is ride the first day, correct major problems and determine a reasonable amount of work that the driver can handle. The next day, work with the driver to correct the methods that need correcting. The next day put the work on the car that represents the work needed to preform at the improved level demonstrated with the adjustments made in methods. Then the center team should monitor and trend the progress the driver shows by them-self. They should look at the SPORH level and watch the trend and they should also keep the work load the same if they expect results to be consistent. The dispatch should reflect no more than a half hour or so range from the ideal stop count to the minimum or maximum. This would be based on your ideal SPORH at your ideal stop count.

I may be wrong on the range .... for example 15 min to 1/2 hour on both sides of the range. A dispatch supervisor may have more input. However, if your stops are within that range min to max, you should preform pretty much on track to your best demonstrated SPORH.

I also would change the term lock-in ride or OJS. It is a negative term and puts everybody's defense up. It might only take two days or it might take 5.

 

[705red]

Driver was on a pending susp. and pendind term.

It was grieved, postponed twice in Nov. and Dec. then settled to a final warning in Jan. No other right ups since until a pending term in Feb.

This is not a pending term for a method violation or anything else. The letter clearly states failure to maintain certified SPORH.

ARe you kidding me???? Please tell me that you are!!!!!! By reducing it down to a verbal warning the union just recognized discipline on sporh. They might have thought they where doing the driver a favor, but now they just screwed everyone under that agreement!

 

[stevetheupsguy]

nor do I acknowledge the existance of a MGMT team in my center when off the clock.

Dang, Steve I had some respect for you, but not anymore. Kind of childish.

I'll help you get it back, Dragon. I punch in just before start time and leave right after I punch out. I call this the blaze in and blaze out method. This helps to keep me off the radar and out of aim.

May I add that if you lost respect for me that easily, maybe the respect you had was based on a poor understanding of ME.

 

[browniehound]

I understood that Brownie. I agree.

Thanks for the re-assurance Dill. Its great to know you still read my posts and agree with and understand the tone
. I look forward to hearing from you in the future...

Browniehound

 

[grgrcr88]

ARe you kidding me???? Please tell me that you are!!!!!! By reducing it down to a verbal warning the union just recognized discipline on sporh. They might have thought they where doing the driver a favor, but now they just screwed everyone under that agreement!

Reduced again to a final warning, on Tuesday.

 

[Dragon]

nor do I acknowledge the existance of a MGMT team in my center when off the clock.

maybe the respect you had was based on a poor understanding of ME.

Sorry Steve I can only go by what you post. I stand corrected.

 

[Dragon]

705red - it seems to be very simple. He did more work when supervised vs unsupervised and some one at the union hall agree's with that.

 

[SWORDFISH]

May I add that if you lost respect for me that easily, maybe the respect you had was based on a poor understanding of ME.

I got your back Steve

 

[SWORDFISH]

This SPORH thing is rediculous. Being punished for it is even more so. The contract doesnt read a fair days work for a fair days pay while maintaining the SPORH that management sets. I was supposed to be running a SPORH that is 1 stop per hr more than what I average. Management said they would pull me off car if I didnt hit it. Well I accidentally hit a few times but no more than a few times per month. Yet I have not heard a word about it. Until I see someone fired permantely for it I wont worry about it and when I do I still wont. UPS wants us all afraid. Fear based invironements are proven not to work in the long haul. I say screw them I dont live my life in fear.

 

[Bubblehead]

Reduced again to a final warning, on Tuesday.

Translation: The whole premise of firing somebody for failure to maintain a SPOHR does not and will not hold up at a panel or arbitration hearing by itself. It only encompasses two variables in a very complex equation. The company bluffed, was called, and subsequently lost the hand. Their next play will most certainly be safety related and will likely be trumped up and fabricated.

 

[SWORDFISH]

Translation: The whole premise of firing somebody for failure to maintain a SPOHR does not and will not hold up at a panel or arbitration hearing by itself. It only encompasses two variables in a very complex equation. The company bluffed, was called, and subsequently lost the hand. Their next play will most certainly be safety related and will likely be trumped up and fabricated.

AMEN! Have to play this stupid game w/ the company. I see why they do it though. I bet it works most of the time cuz people dont want to spend the energy, effort and are afraid of them. Very effective tool they have developed. Messed up but effective.

 

[UPS Lifer]

Translation: The whole premise of firing somebody for failure to maintain a SPOHR does not and will not hold up at a panel or arbitration hearing by itself. It only encompasses two variables in a very complex equation. The company bluffed, was called, and subsequently lost the hand. Their next play will most certainly be safety related and will likely be trumped up and fabricated.

http://www.browncafe.com/forum/f6/sphor-310595/index6.html#post698508
Read post 81 - after I talk about management playing shady games. Management will get you for methods violations. SPORH is used as a sign that you are not following the methods. It is a gage of your performance and ability to follow the methods.