Driver leaves in underwear

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
there are a lot of ifs with everything. Refusing to follow a supervisors direct instructions for some ifs won't fly. If the drivers personal safety was threatened then that would be a different issue.

The fact...is that the sup was instructing the employee to break the law and park in a manner that was potentially unsafe. No "ifs" about it. Please enlighten us as to which one of your 10-point "commentaries" allows for illegal double parking, and please enlighten us as to how this sup felt he wa justified in blatantly violating Art 18 of the labor agreement that the company chose to enter into.
 

bluehdmc

Well-Known Member
Last week, during a production ride, a San Francisco driver refused to double park for a delivery. After parking legally, the superviser fired him on the spot. Driver said, "ok, i don't work for you anymore", and gave the superviser his uniform and walked away in his underwear. I got this confirmed by a business agent. Funny stuff going on.

No one has asked if the driver was wearing boxers or briefs. Enquiring minds want to know. :funny:
 

local 278

New Member
I can confirm this. He was a 30+ year vet too. I had to stop lurking and post because he was a solid union man and we are hoping the best for him.
 

bluehdmc

Well-Known Member
I can confirm this. He was a 30+ year vet too. I had to stop lurking and post because he was a solid union man and we are hoping the best for him.

Sounds like he had just had enough BS. Wish I could have seen the look on the Supervisors face when he walked off.
Hope he gets his job back, or whatever he wants. After 30yrs he deserves the best.
 

Coldworld

60 months and counting
Sounds like he had just had enough BS. Wish I could have seen the look on the Supervisors face when he walked off.
Hope he gets his job back, or whatever he wants. After 30yrs he deserves the best.

Maybe he wanted to retire and this was his way of saying "goodbye".
 

bluehdmc

Well-Known Member
Maybe he wanted to retire and this was his way of saying "goodbye".

About 10 yrs ago I worked for a union quarry/paving company. One day the paver operator didn't show up, same thing the next day.Now when they get ready to pave they have a bunch of dump trucks loaded with material, the roller operators, laborers, all ready to go to work at 6 or 7am. The dump trucks were loaded and dispatched, etc. etc. The third day they got someone else to operate the paver.
The operator stopped in a week later, he'd hit his retirement time, and that's how he did it. He said they screwed him for xx# of yrs and this is how he got even. Probably cost the company quite a few thousand dollars, the material that had to be thrown away, plus the wages for the crew. Wasn't anything they could do to the operator, his pension came from the union.
 
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soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
About 10 yrs ago I worked for a union quarry/paving company. One day the paver operator didn't show up, same thing the next day.Now when they get ready to pave they have a bunch of dump trucks loaded with material, the roller operators, laborers, all ready to go to work at 6 or 7am. The dump trucks were loaded and dispatched, etc. etc. The third day they got someone else to operate the paver.
The operator stopped in a week later, he'd hit his retirement time, and that's how he did it. He said they screwed him for xx# of yrs and this is how he got even. Probably cost the company quite a few thousand dollars, the material that had to be thrown away, plus the wages for the crew. Wasn't anything they could do to the operator, his pension came from the union.

I'm not always happy with the way UPS treats me....but the same contract that provides me with good wages and job security also requires me to give a fair days work for a fair days pay. When its time for me to retire, I will give 2 weeks notice, show up on time with a good attitude, and give 100% effort until I clock off for the final time.
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
I would have to question the mental state of an employee, who in public view takes off his UPS pants and walks away in his underwear? Why not give the shirt back as well. What kind of statement was he trying to make? And why put yourself at risk for possibly indecent exposure, if someone had spotted him casually walking his route? I'm guessing, he had to get back to his personal car somehow. And probably not by public transportation.

How will he ever face his customers again, if he gets his job back?
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
There is another key point as well, Over. I think I read that this employee was a long time driver. It has been stated in here that policy used to be we could not wear uniforms to and from work. Or at least not pants (Which makes no sense to me. It has been pointed out that our shirts have the UPS logo, not the pants). Maybe this hub/ctr still pushes this policy or recently started pushing the policy again. Flavor of the month and all.

As far as one having the cajones to walk away without pants on does not surprise me in the least. 1 because it is SF, 2 because my hubby would do the same thing if he was pissed off enough. He simply doesn't care what people think of him. He will walk out in the yard or on the front porch with nothing but bvd's on. It is no big deal to him.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
There is another key point as well, Over. I think I read that this employee was a long time driver. It has been stated in here that policy used to be we could not wear uniforms to and from work. Or at least not pants (Which makes no sense to me. It has been pointed out that our shirts have the UPS logo, not the pants). Maybe this hub/ctr still pushes this policy or recently started pushing the policy again. Flavor of the month and all.

As far as one having the cajones to walk away without pants on does not surprise me in the least. 1 because it is SF, 2 because my hubby would do the same thing if he was pissed off enough. He simply doesn't care what people think of him. He will walk out in the yard or on the front porch with nothing but bvd's on. It is no big deal to him.

It sounds as though you don't feel the same way.
 
P

pickup

Guest
There is another key point as well, Over. I think I read that this employee was a long time driver. It has been stated in here that policy used to be we could not wear uniforms to and from work. Or at least not pants (Which makes no sense to me. It has been pointed out that our shirts have the UPS logo, not the pants). Maybe this hub/ctr still pushes this policy or recently started pushing the policy again. Flavor of the month and all.

As far as one having the cajones to walk away without pants on does not surprise me in the least. 1 because it is SF, 2 because my hubby would do the same thing if he was pissed off enough. He simply doesn't care what people think of him. He will walk out in the yard or on the front porch with nothing but bvd's on. It is no big deal to him.

You touched upon what I was thinking. If this policy(wearing of the uniform) was being pushed there too with all the other silly rules. Perhaps he was making a statement by taking off his pants to show how stupid he thinks the rule is(he just got fired and now he is leaving work) He knew in advance that he was having a ride along and knew that the moment of confrontation was coming and i bet he had a pair of pants in his ride along bag. Just my speculation.

Bet he gets his job back with back pay and I think he'll work one more day and then retire
 
P

pickup

Guest
if he didn't have pants , I'm sure he can walk into one of his customer's stores and buy a pair of pants. If they knew him for a long time, I'm sure they will find his story of no pants well in accordance with the character they have come to know him as
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
There is another key point as well, Over. I think I read that this employee was a long time driver. It has been stated in here that policy used to be we could not wear uniforms to and from work. Or at least not pants (Which makes no sense to me. It has been pointed out that our shirts have the UPS logo, not the pants). Maybe this hub/ctr still pushes this policy or recently started pushing the policy again. Flavor of the month and all.

As far as one having the cajones to walk away without pants on does not surprise me in the least. 1 because it is SF, 2 because my hubby would do the same thing if he was pissed off enough. He simply doesn't care what people think of him. He will walk out in the yard or on the front porch with nothing but bvd's on. It is no big deal to him.

Understanding this happened in San Francisco, it is still not normal behavior to take your pants off and walk away in your underwear, during business hours. Regardless of how upset the driver was with the instruction of the supervisor, his actions are inexcuable in my mind.

I would love to attend this hearing. How is the union going to defend a 30 year employee who chose to make a statement by removing his UPS pants and walking away in his underwear.

With all due respect to your husband, I personally would kick my husband's ass if he walked out of the house in his underwear, which he would never do anyways, much less in the business world.

Each to their own, I suppose.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
One of the hardest things as a steward was to get someones job back after being told to do something, and refusing. Regardless of the situation. We were told to work as instructed, then file.

The article that Sober posted is one more nail in the coffin of why the contract is pretty much worthless as a legal document.

Most drivers would read that article, and assume they were covered under the contract to be able to refuse. One thing I have learned is that if that gets to an arbitrator, usually you lose. They take a dim view of insubordination by workers.

What Tie said about firing an employee is very true. They fire you several times knowing full well they will "negotiate" with the union for a couple of days or weeks off, then back to work. That couple of days or weeks off was all they wanted to do in the first place, but because of a dance contract with the union, they have to allow the union to win at getting your job back. So they are very liberal with terminations. Much more so than many other places.

And that is why terminations and warning letters really dont mean all that much at UPS. Kinda like a 30 year to life sentence in the judicial arena, that really means you can be back in about 4 years. Maybe less with good behavior.

As far as the statement made by walking off without pants, that will be the cause of his dismissal if it is actually upheld. Very unprofessional. And a case can be made that the driver at the time was combative and illogical in his dealings with the sup. He really hurt himself by acting out like a three year old. While funny, very childish.

d
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
Understanding this happened in San Francisco, it is still not normal behavior to take your pants off and walk away in your underwear, during business hours. Regardless of how upset the driver was with the instruction of the supervisor, his actions are inexcuable in my mind.

I would love to attend this hearing. How is the union going to defend a 30 year employee who chose to make a statement by removing his UPS pants and walking away in his underwear.

With all due respect to your husband, I personally would kick my husband's ass if he walked out of the house in his underwear, which he would never do anyways, much less in the business world.

Each to their own, I suppose.
Chan, While I think what the driver did was very funny I never said that it was normal or even professional. His actions may or may not be excusable. It is not my judgement to make.

As far as the difference between your husband and mine, kudo's go to you for having him trained that well. Mine would never stand by and be 'told' what to do and when to do it, by anyone other than his boss. I am not his boss. He has no problem with being asked. He has no problem with compromising. He doesn't even have a problem with letting me do pretty much whatever I want to do. He would never accept an ultimatum and I would never issue him an ultimatum (not unless I was prepared for him to walk out the door). Not to even mention a threat. He is a grown man and he can make his own decisions. :peaceful:
 
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dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
Is taking your pants off and walking away from a sup who just terminated you really that bad. Christ! We have drivers that shoot puppies, for godsake. Employees that do drugs and don't understand when they get caught. Employees that steal from the company. Employees who steal our belongings out of our trucks. Mgt personnel who lie, threaten, harrass, coerce, falsify and the list goes.

The public indecency thing? Really? You are kidding right? There are women (and men) that wear far less than a pair of bvd's and a work shirt in public everyday. Are they arrested or charged with public indecency? NO! Why is that? Because this predominately male oriented society allows it. Even begs for a woman with nothing more than a string bikini on.

As far as facing his customers if/when he gets his job back. I say, "Face em with your head held high. If you can't laugh at yourself then who can you laugh at."
 
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