Can a local agreement over-ride the national?

[JohnnyPraze]

Reason I ask is the majority of officers I've talked to, including our steward, said the $.35 in February is not guaranteed. (Not only that, but our chances of getting it each year is slim, making our raise approximately $2.00 over five ears instead of $4.00.

I read over the national contract and didn't see any wording that would lead me to believe this is true. However, I haven't seen our local contract. (Could it be in our local agreement?)

What we are being told, is that there is a clause that states if health care cost goes up, that $.35 will go to the cost of health care and not in our paychecks...

 

[cachsux]

"IF" health care costs go up?

 

[JohnnyPraze]

"IF" health care costs go up?

Exactly...

 

[drewed]

well thats kind of something dumb to ponder of course health care costs are going to rise....i havent heard anything about language that reads like that.....doesnt mean it doesnt exist tho

 

[tritese]

apparently local agreements can override national as the local here made an "agreement" to make combination employees work one four hour day and four nine hour days! it has been like this for a few years now. they would have never asked a feeder driver to work that. the contract has language for five eights or four tens.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

Reason I ask is the majority of officers I've talked to, including our steward, said the $.35 in February is not guaranteed. (Not only that, but our chances of getting it each year is slim, making our raise approximately $2.00 over five ears instead of $4.00.

I read over the national contract and didn't see any wording that would lead me to believe this is true. However, I haven't seen our local contract. (Could it be in our local agreement?)

What we are being told, is that there is a clause that states if health care cost goes up, that $.35 will go to the cost of health care and not in our paychecks...

It's like this every year, and will continue that way. The raises are never garaunteed and the language remained the same. The last time a raise was withheld for h/w was before I started with UPS and that was 2001. A couple stewards and I were talking about this a few months ago.

 

[browniehound]

I thought we had a binding contract that gave hourly employees a raise every August and February?

The company can't unilateraly stop raises. This is my understanding at least.

 

[tritese]

It's like this every year, and will continue that way. The raises are never garaunteed and the language remained the same. The last time a raise was withheld for h/w was before I started with UPS and that was 2001. A couple stewards and I were talking about this a few months ago.

with nineteen years i have never had a raise withheld......i don't believe ups has ever done that.

 

[ups79]

with nineteen years i have never had a raise withheld......i don't believe ups has ever done that.

It's not being withheld, it's still being paid by UPS. Only instead of going to you, it will go to your union held health and benefit plan.

 

[soberups]

Some areas...such as mine (Western Region, JC#37) have full M.O.B. (Maintainence of Benefits) language which requires the company to pick up any increases in the cost of medical over the life of the contract. Those areas with MOB will get the full raise. Those without MOB will have any increases in medical deducted from their raises. Their base rate of pay over the life of the contract will be the same, but the actual cash going in their pocket will be less. This is yet another example of employees who dont read or understand the language of the agreement they are voting for, and who instead fixate solely upon the amount of the pay increase...which in my opinion is about the LEAST important part of the contract.

 

[soberups]

To answer another part of the question, the local and the national can make an agreement which conflicts with the national language. For instance, the contract requires all warning/suspension letters to be issued to the employee via certified mail. It also requires grievances to be issued to the company in the same manner. My local has an agreement with the company that both warning letters and grievances can be faxed or handed to the involved party personally, an agreement which saves both the local and the company about $500 a year in postage fees. The certified letter is only used if the employee is absent or on vacation and the company wants to make sure that the letter is issued in a timely manner.

 

[JonFrum]

Reason I ask is the majority of officers I've talked to, including our steward, said the $.35 in February is not guaranteed. (Not only that, but our chances of getting it each year is slim, making our raise approximately $2.00 over five ears instead of $4.00.

I read over the national contract and didn't see any wording that would lead me to believe this is true. However, I haven't seen our local contract. (Could it be in our local agreement?)

What we are being told, is that there is a clause that states if health care cost goes up, that $.35 will go to the cost of health care and not in our paychecks...

The Master Agreement allows the "re-allocation" of 35-cents each year without a vote of the members, and the "re-allocation" of additional money, with a membership vote.

National Master United Parcel Service Agreement
For the Period: December 19, 2007 through July 31, 2013

Article 34 --- Health & Welfare and Pension
Section 4 Re-allocations of Contributions/Wages
The Teamsters UPS National Negotiating Committee may re-allocate designated increases in Health & Welfare and/or pension contributions (HWPC) and/or general wage increases (GWI) provided in this Agreement in accordance with the following rules:

1. Thirty-five cents ($0.35) of any GWI may be re-allocated as an increased contribution to a Teamster Pension or Health & Welfare Fund. The re-allocation shall apply to all employees in a Supplement, Rider or Addendum, as applicable, provided all of the affected employees (full or part-time, if applicable) are covered by the same Pension or Health & Welfare Fund.

2. Twenty-five cents ($0.25) of a HWPC may be re-allocated as a GWI. The re-allocation shall apply to all employees in a Supplement, Rider or Addendum, as applicable, provided all of the affected employees (full or part-time, if applicable) are covered by the same Pension or Health & Welfare Fund.

3. Once a re-allocation becomes effective, it may not be changed.

4. A specified HWPC cannot be re-allocated to a GWI if the pension fund has been certified as being in endangered or critical status (as defined in ERISA section 305 (b)(1) or (b)(2).

5. The Employer must be notified of any re-allocation, in writing, at least thirty (30) days
prior to the effective date of the GWI or HWPC.

Memorandum of Understanding
Teamsters United Parcel Service Negotiating Committee (Union) and United Parcel Service Inc. agree that pursuant to the past paragraph of Article 34, Section 1(a), the maximum amount of a general wage increase that will be reallocated to a pension contribution is thirty-five cents ($0.35). The parties will not implement any reallocation of GWI to pension contributions in excess of thirty-five cents ($0.35) without mutual agreement by the parties and subject to it being ratified by the affected employees.

http://www.teamster.org/divisions/parcel/2008UPSagreementandsupplements.htm

 

[JonFrum]

The official Teamster website was overhauled recently and given a new look. I just realized that links to specific pages of the old site don't work anymore so the link I provided above to the Contracts & Supplements page is a dead end.

For the UPS Master Contract & Regional Supplements try this link instead . . .
http://tdu.org/node/1617

And, of course, you can also click on the two "NMA" (National Master Agreement) links at the left of Browncafe's webpage under "Teamster News."

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

with nineteen years i have never had a raise withheld......i don't believe ups has ever done that.

I worded that poorly. The raises can be re-allocated. It did happen once here in NE anyway, at least according to one of the stewards I talked with.