Dealing with stress at UPS

[krash]

That's all I hear from package car drivers lately. Every morning they are being harassed about #'s. During the day about there ETA. Contacting them about spending 5 min to deliver a single package. Sups following drivers on there route so they can find something to write them up for. Overloading them with 10-12 hours of work during the hottest time of the year. No matter what they do it's not good enough. THIS IS NO WAY TO TREAT YOUR EMPLOYEES. I want my company to profit and I know they can do so without resorting to these tactics. May God bless his family and help them during there grieving process. I cannot imagine what they are going through but I can imagine what there feelings are toward UPS. I also pray for my brothers and sisters in package, that God will be with y'all and bless y'all and I pray that UPS will find a more respectful way of motivating. Y'all have a tough job and nobody can understand what you deal with on a daily basis unless they walked in your shoes.
I wonder if UPS notices or even cares that morale is rock bottom among there hourly employees.

 

[rpoz11]

Re: UPS Driver in Pleasantdale Hub commited suicide,suicide note blamed job stress

is it FINALLY time, when our TEAMSTER contract is coming up,
where we can include more specific worded language to help promote, support, and prevent these types of situations from ever happening again?

We are ALL under the duress of corporate visions and global profits.

Does this have to happen at the expense of a human life???

Every BARGAINING member can answer this!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

UPS does have programs in place to help employees deal with this.

 

[menotyou]

Re: UPS Driver in Pleasantdale Hub commited suicide,suicide note blamed job stress

If telling your sup that there is too much work and you can't handle it isn't getting through, here's an alternative! Upstate's guide to fixing everything!! The company you have been complaining to, but is not listening, is the same comPany you should go to for help. Ya, sure.

 

[over9five]

Re: UPS Driver in Pleasantdale Hub commited suicide,suicide note blamed job stress

If telling your sup that there is too much work and you can't handle it isn't getting through, here's an alternative! Upstate's guide to fixing everything!! The company you have been complaining to, but is not listening, is the same comPany you should go to for help. Ya, sure.

That does seem a little strange!

 

[menotyou]

Re: UPS Driver in Pleasantdale Hub commited suicide,suicide note blamed job stress

Just like someone having to much stress to drive, but they shouldn't fill out a comp claim. Noooooo. Thats a instance when you should ask the company you have been begging for help, but has been refusing, so you should ask them again. Just in a different way. The disability way.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Re: UPS Driver in Pleasantdale Hub commited suicide,suicide note blamed job stress

If you are uncomfortable seeking help through the resources offered by the company, you can always use your insurance benefits and seek assistance elsewhere.

 

[Catatonic]

Actually they are not UPS programs although funded by UPS.
They are administered by 3rd parties ... basically like insurance is.

 

[Indecisi0n]

When is the current contract up?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

July 31, 2013

 

[705red]

Krash nice to hear from you, always enjoy reading your posts. Overtime issue, these drivers have language that can help reduce the hours worked if not than they can get paid triple time. The language isnt perfect but it is a start. Harassment, call the corporate complaint line, I know it doesnt do any good because UPS protects their own, but it will document the case. File a grievance on harassment, its a grievance that will proetct you over time and actually help if you have a half way decent local backing you up.

Delivering in the heat isnt anything new to any of us, we have been doing it for years and years. However busting out routes during heat warnings is AGAINST OSHA policies and you should call OSHA and file a grievance for being force to work excessive OT in these conditions. I kinow our local is pushing the heat issue and we are waiting for OSHA's report from it when they were at our largest building and they were there when wwe lost an employee that could be heat related.

I encourage people that dont stand up for themselves to at least smile when they are being talked to by management, even if its complete BS. UPS management feed off of our emotions and if they see that it gets to you they will continue to jab at you, so just smile and wave, smile and wave.

If your local isnt at least fighting for you on these issues, toss their backsides out and try something new, your dues pays their salaries and you deserve better than what some of you are getting in represenation. IMO

 

[BrownNinjaz]

I'm a loader and that position is very stressful. I am like one of the loader I can load 200-260 every 15 minutes. However, the minute it gets jammed up.. I am screwed.
That's where it starts to get stressful. I'm glad that I am changing shift to the twilight as an unloader. I won't be stressed..

 

[705red]

Lugo you too have rights, once it gets jammed im sure egress starts building up wihich is very unsafe for you and your coworkers. Your sup is failing you if he is not getting you help, hes not doing his job if he allows this to happen. Egress jams in the trailers are bad because they also restrict the air flow in and out of the trailer during the heat and if you were to pass out or become sick theres a good chance no one would see you until its too late. Let your sup know you need help when this happens, if he wont fix it get a steward involved.

 

[toonertoo]

I think a big problem is, employees are afraid to file grievances, because the harrassment will be worse. I know for a guy like you, not saying it is a bad thing but, many people cannot stand confrontation, will go a mile to avoid it at all costs, others such as yourself thrive on it. Especially if you know you are right.
While I can understand what makes a person suicidal over a job, I also know there are far better ways to cope.
I know of a guy who was in his own car, and on his own time, who pulled 5 feet and realized he didnt have his seat belt on, and OMG. You begin to feel like you are being constantly watched, which you are, and it flows into your personal life. That is pretty sad. While we are well compensated, everything else has gone away. Compassion, respect, understanding that while we all bleed brown, we are human and will still make mistakes. Even trying to be perfection in motion, things happen. Getting into a routine of doing everything they tell us we need to do, helps make it almost like an involuntary muscle thing, such as blinking. Dont try to beat the system, just do it like they say, each and every time.
And when all else fails, take a break, a day off, enjoy the fruits of all your labor. Regroup and fight another day.
I dont think this militant like workplace shall change anytime soon. Go make money, do your best, and forget it. You cannot change what they are doing, you can only change the way you handle it.

 

[soberups]

You have to find a way to adopt the mental attitude that, when push comes to shove, you can make your management team more miserable than they can make you.

If they turn up the heat...you need to turn it up even hotter.

They do what they do because they are physically and mentally incapable of doing what we do. There is a reason they are so scared and desperate. We have job security and a union contract. They dont. They are the ones going out on stress leave, or getting involuntarily transfrerred or demoted or just plain whacked for failing to generate numbers.

Knowledge is power. Know your contract. Do some research and find out exactly how many drivers have been fired and had those terminations upheld solely over production issues. What you will find is that the ones who ultimately did get fired brought it upon themselves by cheating or cutting corners in order to meet the impossible expectations that were being placed upon them.

When I get followed or spied upon or questioned about production....I choose not to get angry. Instead, I choose to have sympathy for the poor schmuck who is so scared and desperate to justify his own job that he must resort to following me around while I do mine. I can at least take pride in the fact that, unlike him, I actually make a meaningful contribution to the success of my company.

 

[jdvanleeuwen]

it seems like Upsstress is every where in the world the same, we also have the problem that management won't listen and keeps on pushing people beyond there limits, they have to do more stops in a shorter time frame, may never make any kind of error like showing up 2 minutes late at a Pu, or missing xp deu to a bad loader, preloader counted the pckg car wrong driver has less stops, driver gets blamed, and it is getting worse they keep on going everthing has to be done to keep up there reports so there bonus safe... at the cost of people....

 

[chewbacca25]

i think too much focus is being put on these #s...i dont remember seeing anything in any contract that states a driver has to run scratch or even anywhere close...a "fair days work for a fair days pay" is based on perception, not overallowed...

 

[toonertoo]

Welcome chewbacca, great post!

 

[chewbacca25]

why, hullo an tyvm