UPS and Teamsters Discuss Two-Tier Wages, Sunday Deliveries---WSJ

[Chester]

It didn't rhyme.

 

[DOK]

Actually, with everyday stuff we ARE treated better. We have a much better management/hourly relationship in general. Where the problem comes in is with our benefits and pension. Our Traditional pension was stopped for new employees in 2008(?). Now they get a Portable Pensiom which is only a few hundred a month. Our best insurance has been changed to an 80/20 plan with a high deductible. When I started, insurance was free. FedEx changed it supposedly because of Obamacare. FedEx can cut back as they choose and there is nothing we can do about it.

Our benefits and pension suck right now. Until the recent pay scale change, people could work here for 20 years and not be topped out. When I started it was two years. It’s been changed to MAYBE 10 years, nothing written in stone.

Out of curiosity would you trade no harassment for better pay/benefits/pension?

Me personally I would rather deal with harassment but I know some feel the other way. It's the whole "grass is greener on the other side."

How exactly do you or drivers in your center get harassed? Where I’m at we punch in, work, then go home.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Am I happy with the last 20 years you asked? I've prospered and lived a good life in this time. I'm doing well financially and don't plan on retiring at 55 so I would like this company and the Teamsters who work for it flourish.

The past several contracts have all been slow-leak giveaways where there are a few gains, but a few more losses. That's all I was saying. If you feel the IBT has negotiated great contracts for you, that's nice, but doesn't help a lot of people and areas that are neglected. And I agree with the first part of your post, part-timers should certainly get out and vote and take more of the pie. but all the "I's" and "mes" at the end tells me that you got yours but not much else.

I did work part-time for almost five years before going full-time and the wage was $9.50/hr (preloader) up to ~13.50 when I went full-time. That was not good pay then and it's drastically less valuable now.

 

[542thruNthru]

How exactly do you or drivers in your center get harassed? Where I’m at we punch in, work, then go home.

Well to name a few just off the top of my head.

Production numbers harassment. Pulled into the office twice a week to be questioned about our day and methods.

Harassment/production rides. 1 day and 3 days. Even though we grieve it.

Telematics harassment daily. How many times you back, back first, seatbelt, bulkhead door, ext..

 

[Chester]

Well to name a few just off the top of my head.

Production numbers harassment. Pulled into the office twice a week to be questioned about our day and methods.

Harassment/production rides. 1 day and 3 days. Even though we grieve it.

Telematics harassment daily. How many times you back, back first, seatbelt, bulkhead door, ext..

Are you willing to strike over this? Not trying to start an argument, just wanna gauge how bad you think it is.

 

[1989]

Well to name a few just off the top of my head.

Production numbers harassment. Pulled into the office twice a week to be questioned about our day and methods.

Harassment/production rides. 1 day and 3 days. Even though we grieve it.

Telematics harassment daily. How many times you back, back first, seatbelt, bulkhead door, ext..

Have been asked about a few of these. But have never been harassed about it.

 

[browndevil]

Saturday and Sunday are going to be in this contract. The only question is who is going to do the delivering. The union will want to do this because it means more union dues. If they do do this there better be a big bump in pay and no forcing people in when their understaffed

Saturday and Sunday deliveries will be in the contract because part of the Union's job is to protect jobs. If UPS doesn't offer this to our customers, and believe me, the customers are demanding it, then what do you expect UPS to do? Loose business? Doesn't matter what position you have in the company. Nobody wants to loose business.

 

[Chester]

Saturday and Sunday deliveries will be in the contract because part of the Union's job is to protect jobs. If UPS doesn't offer this to our customers, and believe me, the customers are demanding it, then what do you expect UPS to do? Loose business? Doesn't matter what position you have in the company. Nobody wants to loose business.

It will be in the contract because the union has no say in how UPS runs their operation. If UPS wants to deliver 24/7 they will.

 

[Jones]

It will be in the contract because the union has no say in how UPS runs their operation. If UPS wants to deliver 24/7 they will.

I feel like a lot of people don't get this, that the union can't (and shouldn't) tell the company when they are allowed to do business. Company makes business decisions, Union makes sure that workers are treated fairly and compensated for their labor.

 

[542thruNthru]

Are you willing to strike over this? Not trying to start an argument, just wanna gauge how bad you think it is.

Me personally I do my best to not let the daily crap get to me. Does it sometimes, yes but usually I ignore it. Strike over just harassment? No. Im not looking for a strike. Being in SoCal I have it actually pretty good. I'm willing to strike for others who have bigger issues then the west and unlike most I'm also willing to for the PT workers. This of course depends on the contract we are offered.

To be clear this harassment issue I was bring up was in response to someone saying UPS would be nicer to us if we didn't have a union. I honestly find that ridiculous.

 

[PT Car Washer]

It will be in the contract because the union has no say in how UPS runs their operation. If UPS wants to deliver 24/7 they will.

Then UPS should be willing to pay a premium wage for Union employees working on the weekends.

 

[Frankie's Friend]

I feel like a lot of people don't get this, that the union can't (and shouldn't) tell the company when they are allowed to do business. Company makes business decisions, Union makes sure that workers are treated fairly and compensated for their labor.

That's why the 70 hr work week makes sense.
(The pcm lately has been about getting enough rest.)

Where are these drivers coming from and who the heck is going to train them?
Forget electric pkg cars. Buy some rubber ones that you can bounce off fixed objects in.

 

[Box Ox]

the union can't (and shouldn't) tell the company when they are allowed to do business.

Union makes sure that workers are treated fairly and compensated for their labor.

Is a 70 hour work week not inherently unfair to workers?

Unions have historically bargained for workdays of reasonable length as well as weekends and time off. I guess I feel like these things are essential to the health and safety of workers. And it’s well within a union’s purview to push for them.

 

[Jones]

Is a 70 hour work week not inherently unfair to workers?

Unions have historically bargained for workdays of reasonable length as well as weekends and time off. I guess I feel like these things are essential to the health and safety of workers. And it’s well within a union’s purview to push for them.

60/7 and 70/8 are in accordance with DOT regulations for commercial drivers, and even under the 70/8 no one at UPS can actually work a 70 hour week nor would UPS want you to. Even under the 60/7 pretty much no one works a 60 week on the regular except for feeder drivers who want those hours. There are plenty of ways to work Sat/Sun on a 5 day schedule without excessive OT, feeders already does this.

 

[Jones]

That's why the 70 hr work week makes sense.
(The pcm lately has been about getting enough rest.)

Where are these drivers coming from and who the heck is going to train them?
Forget electric pkg cars. Buy some rubber ones that you can bounce off fixed objects in.

We're on a 60/7 now, how many drivers do you know outside of feeders who work 60 hour weeks unless they want to? 9.5 language makes it a non issue outside of peak. You should be more worried about the company forcing a 6th punch during peak, get rid of that and no one will ever get close to a 70 hour week unless they want it.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

]

To be clear this harassment issue I was bring up was in response to someone saying UPS would be nicer to us if we didn't have a union. I honestly find that ridiculous.

However, you will practically never find an Express driver bricked out to the extent of UPS drivers, out delivering past 9pm year-round, stressed out bitter zombies. Not only that you saw how in this thread, an Express driver already admitted that UPS'ers probably deal with more harassment and BS overall. From this point of view, it looks like your opinion is more ridiculous.

 

[Frankie's Friend]

We're on a 60/7 now, how many drivers do you know outside of feeders who work 60 hour weeks unless they want to? 9.5 language makes it a non issue outside of peak. You should be more worried about the company forcing a 6th punch during peak, get rid of that and no one will ever get close to a 70 hour week unless they want it.

They already forced a sixth punch during peak.

 

[PT Car Washer]

We're on a 60/7 now, how many drivers do you know outside of feeders who work 60 hour weeks unless they want to? 9.5 language makes it a non issue outside of peak. You should be more worried about the company forcing a 6th punch during peak, get rid of that and no one will ever get close to a 70 hour week unless they want it.

Who works 12 hour days? PT and Art 22.3 air drivers doing package delivery work.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

They already forced a sixth punch during peak.

It sucks not to have seniority.

 

[Chester]

Who works 12 hour days? PT and Art 22.3 air drivers doing package delivery work.

If you’re part time working 12s than you want the overtime, huge difference. And every 22.3 job in our building is absolute gravy, 1 runs airport shuttle, Eams, nda and checks the lot after sort, others clean building for 2 hours then make letter box pickups, tough life.