3.5 Guarantee

TapeItUp

Member
I've never filed a grievance before. It's my understanding that if you request to stay and management sends you home regardless you are guaranteed 3.5 hours of pay. I'm on the local sort, worked maybe 2.5 hours tonight. The part time supervisor told me to clock out because we were finished. I told him I'd like to stay, he said no there isn't anything left and to go home. Is something I can file a grievance for? The facility I'm at is incredibly small, with on average 20 routes.
 
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FrigidAdCorrector

Guest
You probably have a case for a grievance.

One thing to help you get your 3.5 though is learning something besides sort stuff. In my center our sort is very short since we have such little volume. It's almost all just prepping for tomorrow. I have guys who I try to train on add correct and parking, but people don't seem to want to learn. That's fine, but don't expect many hours. Post sort I have nothing else for you.
 

Mugarolla

Light 'em up!
I've never filed a grievance before. It's my understanding that if you request to stay and management sends you home regardless you are guaranteed 3.5 hours of pay. I'm on the local sort, worked maybe 2.5 hours tonight. The part time supervisor told me to clock out because we were finished. I told him I'd like to stay, he said no there isn't anything left and to go home. Is something I can file a grievance for? The facility I'm at is incredibly small, with on average 20 routes.
Yes. When you show up for work, you are guaranteed 3.5 hours. File a grievance for the difference in pay.

Actually, find your steward and talk to him. He should be able to get you paid without even filing a grievance.

Your 3.5 hour guarantee is only broken at your request, not theirs.
 

greengrenades

To be the man, you gotta beat the man.
I've never filed a grievance before. It's my understanding that if you request to stay and management sends you home regardless you are guaranteed 3.5 hours of pay. I'm on the local sort, worked maybe 2.5 hours tonight. The part time supervisor told me to clock out because we were finished. I told him I'd like to stay, he said no there isn't anything left and to go home. Is something I can file a grievance for? The facility I'm at is incredibly small, with on average 20 routes.
Yes you are entitled to 3.5 hours as long as you tell them you want your 3.5 and if they tell you they don't have anything then you should get your 3.5. If they were to tell you to go home and you willingly left or asked to go home early then you are not. You should tell your fellow employees about this rule as well so they file on it also. Really stick it to them.
 

TapeItUp

Member
The thing is I am the bottom guy. I recently transferred out from a larger center to this small one. Basically we went from loading two semi trailers to checking the mileage and oil levels on the package cars and we were finished for the night. Normally we have to wash the trucks down after as well but if it is under freezing they don't have us do that. That was the excuse last night, it's too cold, you can't wash the trucks down, there is nothing else to do so go home. I just got off the phone with the steward, he told me the exact same thing. I have a case to file for a grievance, but he could also try to get it settled first. He also said to make sure I'm not at the bottom if they do decide to lay someone off. I'm going to fill the form out when I go in tonight and see how it goes.
 

TheFigurehead

Well-Known Member
You probably have a case for a grievance.

One thing to help you get your 3.5 though is learning something besides sort stuff. In my center our sort is very short since we have such little volume. It's almost all just prepping for tomorrow. I have guys who I try to train on add correct and parking, but people don't seem to want to learn. That's fine, but don't expect many hours. Post sort I have nothing else for you.

It's not OP's problem. He's guaranteed 3.5 if he shows up. It's managements job to keep him busy. He is not required to learn any additional skills to get his guarantee.
 

TheFigurehead

Well-Known Member
You are not guaranteed any hours when you are laid off.

Clearly… but there is no guarantee that op, or anyone else, for that matter, would be laid off. It's possible, for sure… but that's part of the game at UPS, no? If OP has more seniority than his coworkers, he has every right to his guarantee without fear of layoff. Whether he's ok with that or not is up to him. We all know the deal when we sign on.

That said… even if OP demands his guarantee, and he's working 2.5 hours a day, I doubt the five extra hours a week are going to get anyone laid off. If his coworkers all start demanding theirs as well, then sure, the hours will rack up into something meaningful.
 

RealPerson

Well-Known Member
It's not OP's problem. He's guaranteed 3.5 if he shows up. It's managements job to keep him busy. He is not required to learn any additional skills to get his guarantee.
NO..... he is Guaranteed 3.5 IF he isn't sent home before start time.....
Once you hit the clock in time posted, you are guaranteed 3.5
Make sure to have a witness (steward preferred), or the supervisor will say you clocked out willingly!

Like someone else said, down fall is, there is a chance if you start staying the 3.5 they might just lay you off instead.
 
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FrigidAdCorrector

Guest
Your 3.5 hour guarantee is only broken at your request, not theirs.
No. If the sup asks if you want to go home and you do it is also broken.
It's managements job to keep him busy. He is not required to learn any additional skills to get his guarantee.
If you're not willing to learn you may as well just stay at home. Sorting isn't the only thing we do in small centers. Where you at the larger hubs might have a bunch of different job classifications. But it's a little bit of everything for us. If you just want to learn to sort, you better learn that you aren't going to get a lot of hours.
 

TheFigurehead

Well-Known Member
No. If the sup asks if you want to go home and you do it is also broken.

If you're not willing to learn you may as well just stay at home. Sorting isn't the only thing we do in small centers. Where you at the larger hubs might have a bunch of different job classifications. But it's a little bit of everything for us. If you just want to learn to sort, you better learn that you aren't going to get a lot of hours.

You'll get the 18.5 you are guaranteed, if you demand them.
 

Mugarolla

Light 'em up!
No. If the sup asks if you want to go home and you do it is also broken.

You are correct. But I believe that is what I said. A sup can ask you all he wants. It is up to the employee whether he wants to forfeit his 3.5 hour guarantee and go home. I guess it wasn't worded very clear in my original post.
 

box_beeyotch

Well-Known Member
No. If the sup asks if you want to go home and you do it is also broken.

If you're not willing to learn you may as well just stay at home. Sorting isn't the only thing we do in small centers. Where you at the larger hubs might have a bunch of different job classifications. But it's a little bit of everything for us. If you just want to learn to sort, you better learn that you aren't going to get a lot of hours.

Regardless of what they know, their still entitled to their 3.5 hours per day as long as they showed up on time to work that day.
 

TapeItUp

Member
Thanks to everyone for the advice. I went in tonight, the supervisor apologized and said he would find work for me to do. On top of that I'm also getting paid for the 3.5 from last night. 45 minutes after I called the steward today he said it was taken care of. No grievance necessary at this point.
 
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