cover drivers sent home

[Jones]

We have it in black in white in our supplement:
Voluntary time off will be offered in seniority order in each center.

In addition all senior drivers, including cover drivers, are guaranteed 8 hours of work as long as they report by their scheduled start time. You can't be "sent home" unless you agree to it (that's why its called voluntary time off). That's never really an issue though, because it's a rare day that no senior drivers want to take a day off.

 

[HazMatMan]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong-Seniority gives you the right to work-not to go home.

I always thought it worked both ways.

 

[1989]

What exactly is a cover driver? Are these part-time drivers? I thought I was a cover driver. (no bid route, or a bid route I choose not todo on a daily basis) I have center seniority over a driver with a bid route who started after me.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

What exactly is a cover driver? Are these part-time drivers? I thought I was a cover driver. (no bid route, or a bid route I choose not todo on a daily basis) I have center seniority over a driver with a bid route who started after me.

The cover drivers they are talking about here are actually called temporary cover drivers, or "TCDs" that fill in for full-timers on vacation or for excessive call ins. We haven't had to use TCDs for a few months now but that will change once vacations start heating up.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

On a somewhat related topic, what is the policy in your center(s) of taking so-called "dead days"--days off w/o pay when you either have no time left or do not wish to burn a day but still want the day off. I used to take these every once in a while when I was married but can't afford to do it now but we still have some drivers who take dead days and I was wondering what some of your experiences/opinions were on this topic.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

On a somewhat related topic, what is the policy in your center(s) of taking so-called "dead days"--days off w/o pay when you either have no time left or do not wish to burn a day but still want the day off. I used to take these every once in a while when I was married but can't afford to do it now but we still have some drivers who take dead days and I was wondering what some of your experiences/opinions were on this topic.

We are averaging two drivers per day that are doing just that. Everyone is taking those dead days now because they know that it'll be hard to get days off once vacations start. I'm pretty low on the list so I don't get asked but even us low seniority guys can get a day off if we ask in advance. Plus, I never take off unless it's for a doctor's visit or something else that is hard to get done before or after work.

 

[cachsux]

On a somewhat related topic, what is the policy in your center(s) of taking so-called "dead days"--days off w/o pay when you either have no time left or do not wish to burn a day but still want the day off. I used to take these every once in a while when I was married but can't afford to do it now but we still have some drivers who take dead days and I was wondering what some of your experiences/opinions were on this topic.

Around here they`re called RLO(requested lay off) or scheduled off. Most of the time they are posted to sign for the following week,by day or entire week.

 

[upsdude]

On a somewhat related topic, what is the policy in your center(s) of taking so-called "dead days"--days off w/o pay when you either have no time left or do not wish to burn a day but still want the day off. I used to take these every once in a while when I was married but can't afford to do it now but we still have some drivers who take dead days and I was wondering what some of your experiences/opinions were on this topic.

We call them "Request Off" days in my neck of the woods. Our center is pretty well staffed, more so with the slow down we seem to be going through. I'd say roughly 5 drivers a day take a request off day.

I'm very close to the top of the seniorty list out of 66 drivers, so I've been known to take a Friday and Monday off every now and then.

 

[Jack4343]

This is because of new language. If a cover driver, drives 200 days in a year, they go to full time status.

Man I wish that were true since I'm a TCD. I think the contract states that if the center uses a TCD for more than 200 reports, they have to add one full-time position in the center for every instance. My understanding is that the new full-time position is created based on part-time senority and is open to all in the hub. The person with the most senority wins and the TCD, who might be an excellent driver, would get the shaft if he's not high enough on the senority list to get it. You know, when I read the changes to the contract and supplement, this language worried me the most. I'm thinking that if I don't make full-time by next year that I won't be driving every day starting next year and I really can't afford that. I would probably have to get another job or quit alltogether.