Can UPS force us to work a sixth day?

Threshold

Member
Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I work for UPS in Southern California. I've been with the company for four years. Hopefully I'll get the call to go package car driving after peak, but for right now I still have to endure being inside the dust house... errr hub center all day.

Anyways, my shift is supposed to work from Sunday through Thursday, but today (Wednesday) a sup came around telling everyone that "we're working on Friday". I asked him, "Do we HAVE to come in?" He said, "Yes you HAVE to come in. The whole hub is working."

Now, on my shift, they tried this once before. Made it look like we we're being forced to work on Friday, but before the day ended they went around with a list asking people if they we're gonna come in or not. So I guess we did have a choice. I made up some bogus excuse to get the lead off my back. This happened on Thursday, as opposed to Wednesday like today.

Is there any way UPS can force us to work a sixth day, like telling us 2 days in advance? Can we refuse, and not be punished for it?

Thank you.
 
Force you? No. Any day not a scheduled work day is optional, now on the other hand 6th day is time and a half,7th is double time,all day. If you don`t want to work it tell them you`ve have something to do that can`t be rescheduled on short notice. Around here they try and cut our hours even with brokers on property, telling us we need to save our hours for Sat,we tell them "see you Mon".
 

NickT916

Member
They can only make you work if you are with the low seniority guys. They have to ask higher seniority people to work then work down on the list. But you have 4 years so i dont even see why this is a problem, there are plenty of lower guys bellow you, just say you have an options because its the 6th day and you have seniority. But with the week officially starting sunday, they can make you work till friday no? If i remember correctly saturday is always OT and sunday is always DT??
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I work for UPS in Southern California. I've been with the company for four years. Hopefully I'll get the call to go package car driving after peak, but for right now I still have to endure being inside the dust house... errr hub center all day.

Anyways, my shift is supposed to work from Sunday through Thursday, but today (Wednesday) a sup came around telling everyone that "we're working on Friday". I asked him, "Do we HAVE to come in?" He said, "Yes you HAVE to come in. The whole hub is working."

Now, on my shift, they tried this once before. Made it look like we we're being forced to work on Friday, but before the day ended they went around with a list asking people if they we're gonna come in or not. So I guess we did have a choice. I made up some bogus excuse to get the lead off my back. This happened on Thursday, as opposed to Wednesday like today.

Is there any way UPS can force us to work a sixth day, like telling us 2 days in advance? Can we refuse, and not be punished for it?

Thank you.
Your eyes look a little swollen, and on my, that cough you just let out sounds nasty. I think you should call in sick and get some rest :wink::wink::wink::wink::wink:
 

Dutch Dawg

Well-Known Member
We've also discussed this topic in our building recently. I suspect some are in fear of working Saturday the 24th.

Different contracts throughout the country will invariably have variations. With that said, in the midwest the consensus is that yes UPS can force a sixth day of work starting at the bottom of the seniority list after in all probability seeking volunteers by going down from the top of the list.

For many drivers this is a mute point as they would not have the hours of service available for a sixth day.

What would they do if an obligated employees did not show up?

a) Come and get you in cuffs?
b) Spank you and send you to bed without supper?
c) Get the job done with the people that did show up?

There you go.....
 

cpio

Active Member
The Wednesday before Black Friday, my full-time supe came through my department telling everybody that he needed four people to do data acq that day, and that we'd be working between 3-5 hours and making overtime on top of holiday pay. When I got there I was off the clock in less than 2 hours and later found out I was getting straight time. Had I known I wasn't getting overtime I wouldn't have bothered showing up.
 

tieguy

Banned
yes they can force you to work. Generally from the bottom of the seniority list up until they have filled all postions. In a hub they can force the whole shift to work If you decide you are too sick to work you better not have an attendance problem prior to this sickness or you will pay the piper.

Short answer its the christmas rush. The work is there. The union would prefer you do the work rather then some supervisor. You need the extra money to pay the christmas bills. You work in an industry that delivers christmas. Suck it up for this one month and do the work. If not then you don't deserve to work for big brown.

Did I mention that I hate christmas?
 

mattwtrs

Retired Senior Member
yes they can force you to work. Generally from the bottom of the seniority list up until they have filled all postions. In a hub they can force the whole shift to work If you decide you are too sick to work you better not have an attendance problem prior to this sickness or you will pay the piper.

Short answer its the christmas rush. The work is there. The union would prefer you do the work rather then some supervisor. You need the extra money to pay the christmas bills. You work in an industry that delivers christmas. Suck it up for this one month and do the work. If not then you don't deserve to work for big brown.

Did I mention that I hate christmas?
tie, Do you really hate Christmas or is it the people you have to answer to? My sup and manager usually try to get the packages on the right cars for delivery on the right day in a Safe by Choice not by Chance fashion!
 

tieguy

Banned
tie, Do you really hate Christmas or is it the people you have to answer to? My sup and manager usually try to get the packages on the right cars for delivery on the right day in a Safe by Choice not by Chance fashion!

Christmas is a grind that mentally drains me each year. The season itself is still beautiful in concept but is now heavily overdone. Most shippers rely on a good christmas season to make a profit for the year. Thus the over marketing and over commercialization that takes place. I try not let any people ruin the season for me.

The one nice thing about christmas at UPS is when you have the pleasure of delivering something special to a house especially if there are kids involved. Truly rewarding.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
The Wednesday before Black Friday, my full-time supe came through my department telling everybody that he needed four people to do data acq that day, and that we'd be working between 3-5 hours and making overtime on top of holiday pay. When I got there I was off the clock in less than 2 hours and later found out I was getting straight time. Had I known I wasn't getting overtime I wouldn't have bothered showing up.
but what's the showup time in your state? 4 hours? so technically, you got double time :wink:
 
W

westsideworma

Guest
but what's the showup time in your state? 4 hours? so technically, you got double time :wink:

they told us that sat sorts are straight time (which would be a 6th day for me)....I've heard some on here say its OT so which is it my friends?, or does it vary by regional supplements? Our supes and union people assured us it was time and a half (OT) But come payday it was added to straight time section. When I found this out I was pissed, but I figured if someone is stealing my overtime its going to be me. I asked my FT supe (who despite what people say on here, seems to be a good guy) and he said he doesn't know why its not and that it should be OT but UPS says no. If thats true oh well we got screwed (not surprising)...however if that is NOT the case I feel a grievance coming.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
they told us that sat sorts are straight time (which would be a 6th day for me)....I've heard some on here say its OT so which is it my friends?, or does it vary by regional supplements? Our supes and union people assured us it was time and a half (OT) But come payday it was added to straight time section. When I found this out I was pissed, but I figured if someone is stealing my overtime its going to be me. I asked my FT supe (who despite what people say on here, seems to be a good guy) and he said he doesn't know why its not and that it should be OT but UPS says no. If thats true oh well we got screwed (not surprising)...however if that is NOT the case I feel a grievance coming.
your state doesn't have laws indicating the minimum amount of hours you have to get paid for? so technically, a place can pay an employee for 5 minutes of work? :confused:1:confused:1:confused:1

and at least in my province, employees cannot get less than what they're legally entitled to, even if they agree to receiving less than what they are entitled to, whether it be through verbal or written contract, or a collective bargaining agreement.
 
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