Dues, Initiation Fees Just for Seasonal Drivers?

[MassWineGuy]

I was hired as a seasonal driver but have only gone out twice with supes and never on my own. I don't like but accept that $50 of my first 10 checks go to the $500 initiation fee, plus dues. I'm not covered whatsoever and I'm paying in order to have a job. Sucks, really, but hey? As long as it's good for the Teamsters, right? I believe strongly in unions, but sometimes they resemble organized crime.

But lately they've been using me as a helper and paying me the driver rate. Since I'm not driving, do I still have to pay these union fees?

 

[jaker]

I pay my helpers dues/initiation fees while they are working with me , I never thought it was right to take it from someone who is only going to be working a month here

 

[MassWineGuy]

That's incredibly nice of you. Oddly, last year and the one before as a helper I never had these deducted.

 

[Marne Vet]

I pay my helpers dues/initiation fees while they are working with me , I never thought it was right to take it from someone who is only going to be working a month here

I do the same thing! Ridiculous that they take that from them. They don't make anything as is. I've lost a few good helpers after they looked at their first check. I buy mine snacks and drinks all day, and give them rain gear. Found some nice brown GORTEX gear on eBay, plus a pair of waterproof socks. They always come ill prepared, so I try to help them as much as possible. Texted my helper earlier today and gave him a heads-up for tomorrow. Starting him earlier, and told him I have some extra gear for him since we have snow and rain forecasted for all day tomorrow. He wants a hat for Peak, so I have one for him. Not the wool thing they give them. A baseball cap. There have been days where I've told the helper "Look, I don't care if you work in a t-shirt all day as long as you're comfortable. I'll take the heat if my sup says something." They don't prepare these guys enough. I also let them keep all the tips I get from my regular customers. Booze I keep, but they get all the cash envelopes. I don't need them. They do. Thursday my guy said his gf, a nurse, was just laid off. Overheard a conversation he was having with her about gas money, so at the end of the day I gave him $20. Gave him another $20 on Friday for the weekend. Told him the beer and pizza was on me. He shows up on time, works hard, and never complains. Can't put a value on that.

 

[542thruNthru]

I do the same thing! Ridiculous that they take that from them. They don't make anything as is. I've lost a few good helpers after they looked at their first check. I buy mine snacks and drinks all day, and give them rain gear. Found some nice brown GORTEX gear on eBay, plus a pair of waterproof socks. They always come ill prepared, so I try to help them as much as possible. Texted my helper earlier today and gave him a heads-up for tomorrow. Starting him earlier, and told him I have some extra gear for him since we have snow and rain forecasted for all day tomorrow. He wants a hat for Peak, so I have one for him. Not the wool thing they give them. A baseball cap. There have been days where I've told the helper "Look, I don't care if you work in a t-shirt all day as long as you're comfortable. I'll take the heat if my sup says something." They don't prepare these guys enough. I also let them keep all the tips I get from my regular customers. Booze I keep, but they get all the cash envelopes. I don't need them. They do. Thursday my guy said his gf, a nurse, was just laid off. Overheard a conversation he was having with her about gas money, so at the end of the day I gave him $20. Gave him another $20 on Friday for the weekend. Told him the beer and pizza was on me. He shows up on time, works hard, and never complains. Can't put a value on that.

You're a good person. I buy lunch and everything for my helper. He complained about his shoes hurting and I said he can wear any shoes he wants dont worry about the supes. I also give my helper all my tips he's up to 100 bucks. He works hard and is always there. End of the year I plan on giving him a 100 for all the help. I dont understand why people treat there helpers so bad. These guys are doing a thankless job for pennies! It kills me when drivers treat them bad. Things like yelling at them to run when they know damn well they would never do it. Also these jerks that short there hours just to not deal with the Hassel of management!

 

[Catatonic]

Sucks, really, but hey? As long as it's good for the Teamsters, right? I believe strongly in unions, but sometimes they resemble organized crime.

I hate to disagree but they resemble organize crime all the time.
It's the nature of human organizations with power.

 

[Marne Vet]

You're a good person. I buy lunch and everything for my helper. He complained about his shoes hurting and I said he can wear any shoes he wants dont worry about the supes. I also give my helper all my tips he's up to 100 bucks. He works hard and is always there. End of the year I plan on giving him a 100 for all the help. I dont understand why people treat there helpers so bad. These guys are doing a thankless job for pennies! It kills me when drivers treat them bad. Things like yelling at them to run when they know damn well they would never do it. Also these jerks that short there hours just to not deal with the Hassel of management!

On Wed he was complaining about a blister on his foot, and asked me what I do about them. Told him to get some Moleskin. The next day he comes in and says "I asked my mom what she would do for a blister, and she said Moleskin also!" His mom got him a roll of it. It's little things that we pass along that will help them. I had some extra Moleskin in my bag in-case he forgot. lol

 

[phox1515]

I do the same thing! Ridiculous that they take that from them. They don't make anything as is. I've lost a few good helpers after they looked at their first check. I buy mine snacks and drinks all day, and give them rain gear. Found some nice brown GORTEX gear on eBay, plus a pair of waterproof socks. They always come ill prepared, so I try to help them as much as possible. Texted my helper earlier today and gave him a heads-up for tomorrow. Starting him earlier, and told him I have some extra gear for him since we have snow and rain forecasted for all day tomorrow. He wants a hat for Peak, so I have one for him. Not the wool thing they give them. A baseball cap. There have been days where I've told the helper "Look, I don't care if you work in a t-shirt all day as long as you're comfortable. I'll take the heat if my sup says something." They don't prepare these guys enough. I also let them keep all the tips I get from my regular customers. Booze I keep, but they get all the cash envelopes. I don't need them. They do. Thursday my guy said his gf, a nurse, was just laid off. Overheard a conversation he was having with her about gas money, so at the end of the day I gave him $20. Gave him another $20 on Friday for the weekend. Told him the beer and pizza was on me. He shows up on time, works hard, and never complains. Can't put a value on that.

Where the hell do you work... I wanna be YOUR helper! I work very hard and never complain either. My driver is cool and all still but you sound extra nice haha. My driver did give me an old pair of gloves he had and an old brown beanie he had... much appreciated with our colder temps.

 

[Nimnim]

Forcing seasonal hires/helpers to pay union fees at all is one of the reasons I like being in a RTW state. I'll keep paying my union dues, but really it's just not right to see someone who may get 3 months work at most losing a few weeks worth of pay because of the union even though they will get absolutely nothing from it.

You drivers that go above and beyond to help them out are great.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Wow. It's quite apparent from this thread that UPS drivers are good folks.

 

[upschuck]

The only seasonals my local charges init fees or dues are the drivers. Most drivers are good people.

 

[Inthegame]

I hate to disagree but they resemble organize crime all the time.
It's the nature of human organizations with power.

UPS = a "human organization with power" that signed the National Master Agreement containing Art 3 Sec 2. Don't break your leg climbing off that high horse.

 

[Catatonic]

UPS = a "human organization with power" that signed the National Master Agreement containing Art 3 Sec 2.
Don't break your leg climbing off that high horse.

I am an individual, therefore not an organization.
Read and think about what I posted.

Any organization will tend to accumulate power for the purpose of using that power to their advantage.
Unions as a whole are no better or worse than corporations ... they are both organizations.

But since you decided to take it here:
In this case, the Teamsters through the power of the contract essentially "robs" temporary employees, barely making the minimum wage, of their hard earned wages. It's immoral and Teamster's should be ashamed of this confiscatory practice.
A moral-based organization would not collect Union initiation fees until the employee gains seniority in a Union job.

 

[Inthegame]

I am an individual, therefore not an organization.
Read and think about what I posted.

Any organization will tend to accumulate power for the purpose of using that power to their advantage.
Unions as a whole are no better or worse than corporations ... they are both organizations.

In this case, the Teamsters through the power of the contract essentially "robs" temporary employees, barely making the minimum wage, of their hard earned wages. It's immoral and Teamster's should be ashamed of this conficatorial practice.
A moral-based organization would not collect Union initiation fees until the employee gains seniority in a Union job.

Your comment was nothing more than another slam on the Teamsters.
Your second paragraph was nearly identical to my thoughts before I condensed my post.
Your third paragraph is where we part. UPS agreed to the 30 day practice by their signatures on the National Master, so if immorality exists in your mind, apply it equally.
UPS, not the Teamsters, has sole control over the hours, hence the pay, these supplemental employees receive. When these seasonals are hired, and then not worked, UPS and UPS alone bears the responsibility for setting up this situation. While inside rates are woefully low, at least insiders work substantial hours therefore do realize decent earnings. Seasonal drivers and helpers are left hanging daily by the whim of the employer.
Our seasonals/helpers rates vary from $12.88 thru $23 which is far from minimum wage, and the result of costly negotiations between the IBT and UPS. Under your premise, these pre-seniority employees would receive the benefits of union negotiations without any charge. Once again the familar chord of RTW advocates, dubiously feigning concern that union fees rather than inadequate compensation as the problem.
In any case, UPS made no significant attempt to remove or adjust NM Art 3 Sec 2 during negotiations, while many locals routinely waive and reimburse on a case by case basis. Nobodies getting robbed here my friend.

 

[Catatonic]

Your comment was nothing more than another slam on the Teamsters.
Your second paragraph was nearly identical to my thoughts before I condensed my post.
Your third paragraph is where we part. UPS agreed to the 30 day practice by their signatures on the National Master, so if immorality exists in your mind, apply it equally.
UPS, not the Teamsters, has sole control over the hours, hence the pay, these supplemental employees receive. When these seasonals are hired, and then not worked, UPS and UPS alone bears the responsibility for setting up this situation. While inside rates are woefully low, at least insiders work substantial hours therefore do realize decent earnings. Seasonal drivers and helpers are left hanging daily by the whim of the employer.
Our seasonals/helpers rates vary from $12.88 thru $23 which is far from minimum wage, and the result of costly negotiations between the IBT and UPS. Under your premise, these pre-seniority employees would receive the benefits of union negotiations without any charge. Once again the familar chord of RTW advocates, dubiously feigning concern that union fees rather than inadequate compensation as the problem.
In any case, UPS made no significant attempt to remove or adjust NM Art 3 Sec 2 during negotiations, while many locals routinely waive and reimburse on a case by case basis. Nobodies getting robbed here my friend.

OK, you win. No sense trying to explain something to a closed Union door.

Geez! My initial reply was not really even about the Teamsters but about the nature of organizations. UPS, Teamsters, The Catholic Church, your local Elks Club and yes, even your local Flower Club. They are all organizations and the reason they organize is so they can control things such as money.
UPS and the Teamsters are about nothing but money and getting it any way they can.

Of course, you are free to continue to drool your Union drivel ... it doesn't bother me except when it is used to answer my posts with irrelevant Union apologist drivel.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Game, I find your nearly total lack of logical thinking most interesting. Forget the number of hours I do or don't work as a seasonal. UPS has nothing to do with having initiation fees and dues deducted from my checks (other than that they process the payments). I can't tell from your post what century or even world you're living in, but you may want to wake up.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I pay my helpers dues/initiation fees while they are working with me , I never thought it was right to take it from someone who is only going to be working a month here

Really? Wow----that is a very nice thing to do.

Thankfully my union local has the common sense not to pull this crap on our seasonal workers.

 

[Catatonic]

Game, I find your nearly total lack of logical thinking most interesting. Forget the number of hours I do or don't work as a seasonal. UPS has nothing to do with having initiation fees and dues deducted from my checks (other than that they process the payments). I can't tell from your post what century or even world you're living in, but you may want to wake up.

I am glad you replied as you were one of the many, many temps and "new hires that never reached seniority" that I read here on Brown Cafe about getting screwed by the Teamsters.
If the Teamsters didn't submit a request for dues and initiation fees to UPS, you and the other complainants would not have to beg for your money that the Teamster's "legally" confiscated from you.

 

[Stonefish]

I was hired as a seasonal driver but have only gone out twice with supes and never on my own. I don't like but accept that $50 of my first 10 checks go to the $500 initiation fee, plus dues. I'm not covered whatsoever and I'm paying in order to have a job. Sucks, really, but hey? As long as it's good for the Teamsters, right? I believe strongly in unions, but sometimes they resemble organized crime.

But lately they've been using me as a helper and paying me the driver rate. Since I'm not driving, do I still have to pay these union fees?

What Local are you n that you are paying $500 for initiation fees?

 

[Stonefish]

Your comment was nothing more than another slam on the Teamsters.
Your second paragraph was nearly identical to my thoughts before I condensed my post.
Your third paragraph is where we part. UPS agreed to the 30 day practice by their signatures on the National Master, so if immorality exists in your mind, apply it equally.
UPS, not the Teamsters, has sole control over the hours, hence the pay, these supplemental employees receive. When these seasonals are hired, and then not worked, UPS and UPS alone bears the responsibility for setting up this situation. While inside rates are woefully low, at least insiders work substantial hours therefore do realize decent earnings. Seasonal drivers and helpers are left hanging daily by the whim of the employer.
Our seasonals/helpers rates vary from $12.88 thru $23 which is far from minimum wage, and the result of costly negotiations between the IBT and UPS. Under your premise, these pre-seniority employees would receive the benefits of union negotiations without any charge. Once again the familar chord of RTW advocates, dubiously feigning concern that union fees rather than inadequate compensation as the problem.
In any case, UPS made no significant attempt to remove or adjust NM Art 3 Sec 2 during negotiations, while many locals routinely waive and reimburse on a case by case basis. Nobodies getting robbed here my friend.

Your post is very well written. The problem is the people you are writing with want to try to paint themselves as union people when they aren't in the least bit. They complain about paying dues when our seasonal feeder drivers are at $25 per hour and they are working almost 60 hours per week. We have also waived the dues when they haven't worked more than 30 days in the 3 month's on a case by case basis.
The people that complain about dues, can i use your membership to your country club or your membership to Costco? I don't think they would allow it. They don't want to pay dues but reap the benefits of those of us who do and leach off good union members. The OP worked 3 seasonals and ripped off the local by not paying dues should be ashamed for what he did. It should be the local that's upset not him.