UPS Driver Qualification Standards = "Cherry-Picking"

[InsideUPS]

Running scratch 5 days is a bunch of crap. I did it and qualified but there is plenty of others that didnt and they are still driving full time. And i dont think they can disqualify you just for that.

This is the exact reason why we need contract language that outlines a fair and equal practice to qualifying.

 

[InsideUPS]

Remember you aren't a union member until you qualify. So your gripe is with UPS not the union. But I do agree with you.

Moving thread.

I appreciate your concern about my union membership but please know that I have been a Teamster for 39+ years now... Thank you sharing and agreeing with my opinions on the subject...

 

[InsideUPS]

It's their company, they get to decide who they hire. If they want to go through 9 guys to get the one they want that's their choice. If they can't fill positions because their standards are too tough then they can change the standards, but again that's their choice.

You would be correct if UPS was like FedEx which it is not. One slight difference that I hope you are aware of... if not....I'm sure that your are sharing in the benefits of being a bargaining unit employee rather than owning, driving, and maintaining your own package car.

 

[InsideUPS]

....or maybe the Company is hiding behind that mantra, in order to keep from hiring from within???

That way, they can keep an employee in the part time ranks, while hiring from off the street for less money on the hour, no immediate benefits, and minimum vacations.
All the while claiming they had no choice, seeing they exausted the inside intent list.

I'm for sure seeing a bias from the Company for off street hiring.

100% in agreement with you!!! I'm in a unique inside position that sees this trend more and more. Full time drivers are too busy and too tired to take note of trends going on in their centers. It's a real and serious matter that we as a Union need to address. It is a loophole that no specific contract language covers.

 

[InsideUPS]

It’s their company , they can run it into the ground if they want???.....I’ve heard that line a few hundred times over the years..

Fortunately, there are many good hourly employees that still work at UPS that remember what the the "S" in UPS stood for..... "Service". I still remember the time when UPS started "Red Dotting" rural packages to farming operations stating that they were not "businesses". So thankful to the many dedicated drivers that refused to "Red Dot" a farmers package containing a vital piece of equipment that kept his farming operations going. No...it's not "their" company...... it's "our" company.... always has been....even since the days WE owned UPS shares within our old "thrift plans".

 

[InsideUPS]

It’s more than just running scratch, telematics plays a huge role in their decision. If you have back firsts, recording while idling, bulkhead, seatbelt violations or excessive backs you more than likely won’t qualify.

Regardless..... of criteria.... this should all be outlined in contract language that both UPS and the Union can agree upon.

 

[upschuck]

Regardless..... of criteria.... this should all be outlined in contract language that both UPS and the Union can agree upon.

Suggestions?

 

[InsideUPS]

The easiest way to combat that is;

Anyone disqualified on training routes, needs to grieve it.

Make the company prove it can be done. They will finally admit that it can't.
ne
-Bug-

Totally agree. Any suggestions on what Article it should be grieved under? Maintenance of Standards?

 

[Daf]

Qualifying to become a driver in our centers has become more and more of a "cherry-picking" event rather than a fair and equal process of enabling part-timers to go driving. Our current contract (Master/Central/Local Rider) fails to properly outline language that addresses specific qualifying standards. This language omission opens the door for UPS to selectively choose whom they want for drivers based on factors such as nepotism rather than bargaining unit seniority.

Although the Union does not recognize time standards once qualified, UPS does use time standards to qualify a driver. The problem with these "standards" is that they are constantly changing at the whim of an I.E. employee sitting behind a computer stroking his/her "keyboard" OR a simple matter of "favoritism". As most of you drivers know, each and every "qualifying" route can be very different with variability added each day depending on who dispatched the route and which inexperienced part-time office staff sent you a message that day instructing you to go help somone or pick up a UPS Store.

Qualifying in our building "used to be" a very straight forward process of running "scratch" for 5 consecutive days within a 30 day period. The route was to remain the same with no significant changes in stop range or area. The driver also was to remain working consistantly within that 30 day period. GONE are those days as unfortunately that qualifying criteria never made it to actually being included in contract language. Perhaps "Maintenance of Standards" could be used to defend a disqualified driver however that defense has always been weak IMHO.

UPS in our building is disqualifying long time part-timers that wish to go driving in alarming numbers thereby easily cirmunventing the 6:1 ratio of hiring 6 inside to 1 outside. I believe it is VERY important for our UPS negotiating committee to address this obsure issue on behalf of each and every part-timer who has put in his or her years waiting for a full-time job. In the meantime, I suggest that every part-time employee that was disqualified from driving file an Article 37 and/or a Maintenance of Standards grieveance forcing the company to show exactly why and how you were disqualified over those that were not disqualified. Be very detailed in your request for daily records and have your own daily notes to compare with their records. Daily documentation is your best offense. DO NOT depend on your Union BA alone to defend you. He is only as good as the information you are able to provide him.

Management was playing this game in our building for years. Now no one will sign a bid to drive for them anymore.

 

[Daf]

Totally agree. Any suggestions on what Article it should be grieved under? Maintenance of Standards?

You may need to call the corporate ethics hotline 8002204126. Favoritism can be hard to prove. May need an internal investigation to find a pattern.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

Totally agree. Any suggestions on what Article it should be grieved under? Maintenance of Standards?

I would just word it to say "Unfair disqualification, with any and all articles

that apply". Because technically, it's not a contract violation.

This is the exact reason why we need contract language that outlines a fair and equal practice to qualifying.

I understand the sentiment.... But, that kind of gets into the realm of

production standards. And we will never have that.


It reminds me of the whole mythical "lock in ride". No such thing.

It is a myth perpetuated by the company, to intimidate Drivers.



-Bug-

 

[Faceplanted]

There is an allowance for floors, gotta enter it in diad at stop. So 26 to 28 of those 44 miles are to and from center, sorry but this is a gravy route.

There is no longer an allowance. There is an “average”. I have done routes where apartments has the same exact unit number as residentials on that route. So some stair stops aren’t even classified as stair stops.

They tried to bitch about over allow one day, I hit them with a grevience for harassment and was sure to puT down the unit number issue in the grevience.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

There is no longer an allowance. There is an “average”. I have done routes where apartments has the same exact unit number as residentials on that route. So some stair stops aren’t even classified as stair stops.

They tried to bitch about over allow one day, I hit them with a grevience for harassment and was sure to puT down the unit number issue in the grevience.

When was the last time, you saw the company perform a time study ?

It's not empirical data.... it's derived from a computer.

Or, the input user.





-Bug-

 

[Faceplanted]

When was the last time, you saw the company perform a time study ?

It's not empirical data.... it's derived from a computer.

Or, the input user.





-Bug-

Last time study I got was about 9 years ago.... it was done by one of the hotties I went to high school with. It was a good day.

 

[Griffin1820]

Just out of curiosity, what article was your grievance filed under? And did the grievance win at a panel or did a local level cause the company to put you on?

Article 3. " and all others that apply"
Local