A way to beat the 9.5 problem

[Cementups]

We have been through this many times and a lot of you still do not get it. Do not work off the clock or skip your lunch.

Give it up for the new guy making sense!!!

PERIOD! Our start time is 900. I walk in and grab my Diad at 855. It's kinda nice at least I get to take my daughter to school.

We have people who still get to work at 8am. That is just plain crazy. And it's mostly runners. I always say to 'em, "it's no different than punching out at 17:30 - 17:45 and sitting there for an hour after u punch out". Nobody does that. So why come in at 8? I'll answer my own ? Nervous Nellies!

Our start time is 8:40 most days and I usually get there around 8:10. This gives me time to get my DIAD, get EDD, and getmy radio from my locker. then I can go to my truck, strap my radio in and put my bag in the back so i am ready to go. then I wander down to the lunch room for a drink and chat for a couple with a few other drivers, then we head on up to the PCM.
Just because I am there 30 minutes early doesn't mean i am working for free. It just means I want to be prepared. I NEVER touch a single package in that 30 minutes or do anything that implies work.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Just wondering how many drivers complaining about 9.5 would be the same people complaining if they were only getting 8.0 daily. My lifestyle was built on 9.0 each day and I know I would have been hurting if it were reduced.

...and therein lies the problem, not only with the 9.5 but with drivers working through their vacations. Live within your means based upon an 8 hour day and and any overtime that you choose to work is gravy. Of course, I chose the word choose for a reason as many of you are not given that ability and are dispatched to work over 9.5

I average 2.5 to 4 hours OT each work. That is plenty for me and for my creditors.

 

[dannyboy]

Aint that just like a communist, if there is a problem, lets get the government involved.

Government is not the solution, Government is the problem.

There are many issues when it comes to working over 9.5. Some people do it every day, but only get paid for 8 or 8.5. Working off the clock is wrong on so many different levels. But those that do it dont want to admit they are wrong, therefor they dont see that.

For those that need or want to work a lot of overtime (there are several here that have to get in 10 hours a day to be able to take home anything after paying child support to several families), UPS will always be obliging. For those that would rather work 40-45 a week, that should also be worked out. There will always be routes that by their very nature will be long day routes. To make the late service pickups, or extended areas, it is part of the business. Dont bid on one of those routes, and then expect UPS to change the route to get you in.

Its not the stewards, or the local BA that has UPS dragging their feet on 9.5 hearings. Its the National Teamsters that have allowed this to occur. Through back room dealings, and handshake deals, they have neutered the contract in many areas.

My suspicion is that it is a trade off. You know, like the one that has kept the part time wage at 8.50 an hour for decades?

In exchange for working with the teamsters on getting their hands on FedEx, they have agreed to let UPS run all over the contract. To them, we are the wife they have gotten tired of, and are looking at the fine young things they can now go after.

After all, they are squeezing UPS and the union workforce for every dime it can, and they want more easy money.

So lets call it for what it is.

d

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Really the only thing we can do to fight this is by doing the job by the methods each and every stop and by working at the same pace (brisk walk and not run) each and every stop. That means the methods determines the work speed. Not the amount of stops. This combined with putting our names on the over 9.5 list is all we can do.

 

[teresarice]

Best post yet. Im a single mom I hate this most of all at ups There is a reason most people work 8 hours a day . Life! I still dont know why the union approved these long days. Makes me want to find a new job. Life is so short Im totally missing my son growing up. I leave before he goes to school and come back just in time to say did you brush your teeth and do home work get to bed Im tired and grumpy ill be in to give you a kiss good night. What is the problem yes I will do whatever letter etc want to be real person again and have a life.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We had a husband and wife team (both FT drivers) who had a young daughter and ran in to the same issues. The girl knew her grandparents better than she knew her own parents so the wife ended up leaving UPS to go work for the local power company (NYSEG), where she has "normal" hours. I ran in to her the other day and I commented on how she got her smile back and how much happier she looked and she agreed that it was the best thing she could have done. Did they lose money--absolutely--but there are more important things in life than money. The husband is now a feeder driver who works at night so he is able to take care of their daughter when she comes home from school. Summers are still an issue but that is only 3 months as compared to 12.

(On a side note, husband actually resented the fact that the wife chose to leave UPS--all he could see was the loss of income)

 

[705red]

Best post yet. Im a single mom I hate this most of all at ups There is a reason most people work 8 hours a day . Life! I still dont know why the union approved these long days. Makes me want to find a new job. Life is so short Im totally missing my son growing up. I leave before he goes to school and come back just in time to say did you brush your teeth and do home work get to bed Im tired and grumpy ill be in to give you a kiss good night. What is the problem yes I will do whatever letter etc want to be real person again and have a life.

I am in no way slamming you, I am lucky that my wife is able to stay home and take care of my three kids. However the Teamsters have not ever approved these long hours! The Teamsters have negotiated language on your behalf that will help to eliminate the long hours or put triple time in to your pocket. It is up to you to file for it. The union cant fix your problem without you filing and informing them that your hours are a problem.

 

[1989]

And why would the union not want this? I would love it and it would save me so much time on not having to file these grievances.

Because it helps the union use the case "it's us verses them" I would love it too.

 

[705red]

Best post yet. Im a single mom I hate this most of all at ups There is a reason most people work 8 hours a day . Life! I still dont know why the union approved these long days. Makes me want to find a new job. Life is so short Im totally missing my son growing up. I leave before he goes to school and come back just in time to say did you brush your teeth and do home work get to bed Im tired and grumpy ill be in to give you a kiss good night. What is the problem yes I will do whatever letter etc want to be real person again and have a life.

Because it helps the union use the case "it's us verses them" I would love it too.

Its not the union that uses that phrase! If UPS followed the contract like they agreed to there would be no us verses them, now would there?

Let me ask you how many grievances have you filed and for what?

 

[1989]

Its not the union that uses that phrase! If UPS followed the contract like they agreed to there would be no us verses them, now would there?

Let me ask you how many grievances have you filed and for what?

I haven't had to file any grievances over 20 years...I solve any issues by talking with mgmt.

But I've had many filed against me...My favorite grievance is for calling a driver in on the preload the day after he filed a grievance on, in his opinion, not calling enough drivers in. He believed I should have gone farther than the call in list until I called him.

 

[dannyboy]

I haven't had to file any grievances over 20 years...I solve any issues by talking with mgmt.

But I've had many filed against me...My favorite grievance is for calling a driver in on the preload the day after he filed a grievance on, in his opinion, not calling enough drivers in. He believed I should have gone farther than the call in list until I called him.

I'm missing something?

The first sentence sound like you are a driver or possibly a steward. Good enough, lucky to have management that actually cares. Had some of those myself, get a lot done just by talking to them, thats for sure.

But then you have had grievances filed against you? You called a driver in for the preload. Well, lets see, in most centers, that would be the responsibility of the preload supervisor. So in this part you are a sup? Well then that would explain why you never filed one. It would also explain why you have had a bunch filed against you.

d

 

[1989]

preload supervisor


I did that job from '91 to '96.

 

[dannyboy]

preload supervisor

I did that job from '91 to '96.

I haven't had to file any grievances over 20 years...I solve any issues by talking with mgmt.

Time line issues. Preload 91-96, no grievances in over 20 years. Was that before the preload time, because there is not enough time past to cram in 20 years after. So best I can tell, you were part time sup 91-96, then driver since? OR went into management 91, with 20 years as an hourly?

d

 

[anonymous6]

Aint that just like a communist, if there is a problem, lets get the government involved.

Government is not the solution, Government is the problem.

There are many issues when it comes to working over 9.5. Some people do it every day, but only get paid for 8 or 8.5. Working off the clock is wrong on so many different levels. But those that do it dont want to admit they are wrong, therefor they dont see that.

For those that need or want to work a lot of overtime (there are several here that have to get in 10 hours a day to be able to take home anything after paying child support to several families), UPS will always be obliging. For those that would rather work 40-45 a week, that should also be worked out. There will always be routes that by their very nature will be long day routes. To make the late service pickups, or extended areas, it is part of the business. Dont bid on one of those routes, and then expect UPS to change the route to get you in.

Its not the stewards, or the local BA that has UPS dragging their feet on 9.5 hearings. Its the National Teamsters that have allowed this to occur. Through back room dealings, and handshake deals, they have neutered the contract in many areas.

My suspicion is that it is a trade off. You know, like the one that has kept the part time wage at 8.50 an hour for decades?

In exchange for working with the teamsters on getting their hands on FedEx, they have agreed to let UPS run all over the contract. To them, we are the wife they have gotten tired of, and are looking at the fine young things they can now go after.

After all, they are squeezing UPS and the union workforce for every dime it can, and they want more easy money.

So lets call it for what it is.

d

agree

 

[paidover95]

What we need is the union to negotiate pension,and health/welfare payments on every hour you work.They dont pay anything after 8 hours so the overtime rate basicly evens out those payments.If they did that your overtime would be gone or way down.It seems to me the only way we can address this problem.

 

[grgrcr88]

The Union did not agree to you working anything but your guaranteed 8hrs, if you want to work more than 9.5 that is your perogative but the language is clear in the contract. Repeated violations of the 9.5 language results in triple pay for any second over 9.5 hours!! If you work more than 9.5 hrs in any three days of a 5 day rolling period then file the grievance!! If it continues file again, it will either stop or you will get paid!!

 

[Dustyroads]

tying contributions to the pension and insurance funds to hours worked will only degrade the funds' situation even more. Currently, if you work one hour a week, the company has to pay your contribution for pension and insurance. Any change in that would only further reduce the amount of money in the funds.

Has anyone filed a 9.5 grievance and not had the issue addressed. Believe me, when I filed mine, the excessive work came to a stop. It got someone's attention.

 

[dannyboy]

Dusty

If you work any time at all during the week, any amount at all that you get a paycheck for, your benefits will be paid for that week.

Punch on for two minutes on Monday, dont work the rest of the week, they pay the benefits for that week because you worked those two minutes on Monday. As long as you get a check for the week, does not even have to be for an amount (can be zero), your benefits are paid.

d

 

[Dustyroads]

I believe in the central states one has to work an hour during the week to have their pension and insurance benefits paid. At least this is what was represented to me by the company. I specialize in working as little as possible.

 

[whiskey]

Just wondering how many drivers complaining about 9.5 would be the same people complaining if they were only getting 8.0 daily. My lifestyle was built on 9.0 each day and I know I would have been hurting if it were reduced.

Probably exactly the same number, with a 3 percent margin of error.