Feeder Question

nanobrown

New Member
Hi all, I'm new to this board and I have a question about feeder seniority when hired into the feeder ranks. Does the district you work in have a hiring red line? meaning you lose your full time seniority and have to start at the bottom again upon being hired into a feeder position.Or do you get to keep your original full time seniority hire date upon being hired into feeder?If you area does or doesn't, I'd like to know how you feel about it and the reason it should or shouldn't exist.I'd love to hear your views on this, thanks....
 

JonFrum

Member
In New England all full-timers are on the same master seniority list in their Local's building (or buildings.) They can bid back and forth from package to feeders and keep their full-time seniority intact, just like bidding from one package route to another.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
In New England all full-timers are on the same master seniority list in their Local's building (or buildings.) They can bid back and forth from package to feeders and keep their full-time seniority intact, just like bidding from one package route to another.
Hey, Nancy. Where that bubble bursting photo, again? It would be very useful here. Bursting your bubble Thinking I can't go into feeders, if I want.
 

robot

Has A Large Member
Where I'm from when you come into feeders you start at the bottom again. I've only been with the company 16 years and I have seniority over guys with 25+ because they decided to come to feeders at a later date. They also don't give us the option to go back and forth between feeders/package.
 

nanobrown

New Member
Well thanks for the responses, In my Northern California district Jobs are bid off of the master seniority list out of four different buildings in my area.I hired into feeder back in 05 when noone pkgwise wanted to make that jump.It's been really harsh in recent years cause of the influx of new drivers who have senority have made working feeder alittle more unpleasant. I just wondered if there were more areas in the country that had this same hiring practice as I don't agree with it.There are others who feel the same way I do.
 

formymax

Active Member
Enjoy your position as a UPS feeder driver - it's a great job to have. Concerning your dilema - it sounds like you're upset because you feel like you were there first. However, the reality is the more senior drivers were there first.
 

BigUnionGuy

Got the T-Shirt
Enjoy your position as a UPS feeder driver - it's a great job to have. Concerning your dilema - it sounds like you're upset because you feel like you were there first. However, the reality is the more senior drivers were there first.

I always laugh when "off the street" guys get pissed.... because a pkg driver bids into feeders.

And say things like "they are stealing our work" because they get bumped.

In some parts of the country.... when you change classifications you go to the bottom of the board....

I don't agree with that. But in some area's, thats the way it is.

My guess is.... that kind of language was negotiated by freight Locals.



-Bug-
 

brett636

Well-Known Member
In Indiana we go by classification seniority meaning when you go into feeders you start at the bottom regardless of previous company time. I can pick jobs ahead of guys with twice as much company time as me because they came into feeders after I did. I find this sytem much more equitable because I chose to come into feeders much earlier in my career and will be working nights for the next decade at least, if not longer, before I can start getting earlier starting jobs. I think its important for new feeder drivers to get the experience of being on the bottom of the list working on call, vacation picks, and nights before getting the premium runs that start earlier in the day. Being at the bottom in package car is a whole different ball of wax because atleast you will always know what time you will be starting work, and can reasonably assume when you will be getting off. When I was on call in feeders I got called in on Friday night at 2345 and didn't clock out until 1245 Saturday afternoon. Its just a completely different set of challenges requiring(in my opinion) a separate seniority list.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
All the low seniority people like "Classification seniority". It gives low seniority people seniority over people who have been with the company, AND in the union, longer.

Thankfully, my local did not sell us out that way.
 

brett636

Well-Known Member
This is just one of those debates that some of us are going to have to agree to disagree on. Classification seniority makes sense at any seniority level, and given the differences in operations, skills, and licenses required between both package car and feeders makes it almost a necessity to have a separate seniority list.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
You like it because it gives you seniority over men that have been in the union longer. I understand that. But it is certainly not necessary.
Classification seniority is the very definition of "Me-ster".
 

brett636

Well-Known Member
There are drivers with less company time than myself, in some cases half as much, who are ahead of me in seniority. In the end its a wash and works out fine IMHO.
 
You like it because it gives you seniority over men that have been in the union longer. I understand that. But it is certainly not necessary.
Classification seniority is the very definition of "Me-ster".

Back in the day, before it was created, what do you feel was the reason that people working off of a one seniority list decided to change?
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
Time in package is like time in hell compared to feeders. Why punish your brethren more? It is the same argument for the 6 to 1 card. It's BS.
 
In our building the ones who do all the bitching about classification versus FT seniority are almost exclusively lower seniority drivers. The older drivers coming into feeder accept the fact that they could have come in earlier but chose not to. They still get the vacations they want so to the it's no loss and easier work.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
If that is the way it is, then you know that going in and you should just suck it up. At my center, it's one list. But, we had one run out of our center for the longest time, so I guess that explains why we have one list. At the hub, it could be different. I have no idea. We can't bid on their jobs.
 
It's the same for going FT. If a ptimer passes on their opportunity to go driving, by seniority, and chose to go later they don't get to dovetail in to that list. If people want a one date list it should be company seniority period. From the date you started bleeding for this company. There would be a one date PT list and a one date FT list.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
It's the same for going FT. If a ptimer passes on their opportunity to go driving, by seniority, and chose to go later they don't get to dovetail in to that list. If people want a one date list it should be company seniority period. From the date you started bleeding for this company. There would be a one date PT list and a one date FT list.

So the folks who were PT and then became FT--what date would you use for their seniority and where they would fall on the list?
 
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