Feeder Seniority

[Dracula]

We have 2 classes of "Feeder" drivers on the seniority list. "Bid" drivers and "Cover" drivers. Bid drivers are planned to be in feeder permanently and cover drivers are brought into feeder(by seniority) as needed and when they aren't needed in feeder they are in package. In the 90s there was several seniority lists combined and so the conclusion for basis of seniority was when a driver trained to be in feeder as several drivers had been cover drivers in domiciles(2 bid and 2 cover drivers) where they were only feeder when bid drivers were on vacation. So our "feeder seniority" is based on when you take your class to be a feeder driver and once you pass class you start picking vacations and holidays off of feeder vacation list.

What a mess. Glad we have what we have.

 

[hondo]

Local 705/Chicago area: You get a new feeder seniority date when you qualify, and keep your original FT seniority for some things (see below).

....

Feeder seniority for bidding on start times,job descriptions, O.T. (or lack of).

FT seniority for vacations picks and layoffs.

Start times/routes/job types are bid twice a year, here.

 

[pharacyde]

In my area you keep your seniority when switching from friend/T to friend/T.
I was P/T for 13yrs before I was able to get into Feeders. While I can understand not getting credit for all those years since I was P/T.... It still should have counted for something... 1/2 time or at least 1/3.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

This thread would be relevant to my building if feeders in my local were handled fairly.

 

[CTRUPS]

Here P/T to friend/T results in an adjusted seniority date for company benefits but your center seniority date is when you start in that job title. Thus feeder is considered its own center for lack of a better word so therefore has its own seniority date. So I have some who are ahead of me who have less company seniority because I didn't go into feeder as soon as I could and I have some behind me in seniority because they didn't go into feeder when they could.

 

[Dracula]

Here P/T to friend/T results in an adjusted seniority date for company benefits but your center seniority date is when you start in that job title. Thus feeder is considered its own center for lack of a better word so therefore has its own seniority date. So I have some who are ahead of me who have less company seniority because I didn't go into feeder as soon as I could and I have some behind me in seniority because they didn't go into feeder when they could.

Yeah, when we go from P/T to friend/T, our friend/T seniority resets, but from PC to feeders, you carry your original PC date. Having to reset your friend/T date really blows.

That was the original point of this thread. We were just wondering how many do it like we do it and how many do it like Ontario,CA and OK City. Sounds like most do it the bad way.

We just had a school and the top guy had over 30 yrs. He comes back and starts running mileage from the start. Here, it's just a perk of seniority.

BTW, his 30 yrs only put him somewhere around 50 to 60 on our list.

 

[govols019]

We do classification seniority here.

 

[CTRUPS]

There are pros and cons to either way. As long as everyone knows the rules is what matters. Years ago(25?) your placement on the list to go into feeder was determined by when you signed up to be on the list. So you had some people with less seniority ahead of people with higher seniority. Now placement on the list goes by company seniority , so a senior driver will bump into the list should they decide they've had enough of package.

 

[Dracula]

There are pros and cons to either way. As long as everyone knows the rules is what matters. Years ago(25?) your placement on the list to go into feeder was determined by when you signed up to be on the list. So you had some people with less seniority ahead of people with higher seniority. Now placement on the list goes by company seniority , so a senior driver will bump into the list should they decide they've had enough of package.

That's how it should be, IMO. Seniority is all we seem to have left. I know street hires and drivers who do very little package car time before going feeder hate it. But so what? Seniority is what everyone of us works for. Why would we give that up?

What advantage is it to pick vacations before someone with less seniority if they can get better jobs than you?

Seniority is the biggest individual perk we have as union members. It's everything. It's BS that so many locals don't respect it and give it up. And it's a major weakness for us, as Teamsters, that we have so many different rules while we do the same jobs.

Over the years, I've had some big problems with my local, but I've got give some them some appreciation for how they've worked our friend/T package car-feeder seniority rules. They got this one right.

 

[OPTION3]

In my building (in the Midwest) FT employees carry their seniority no matter which job they bid. A lot of off the street Feeder drivers don't like it because whenever a package car driver bids into Feeders most likely they will get pushed back down the list.

As they should..... Why should a 20 yr pkg driver going into feeders choose vacation after a 5 year off the street feeder driver?

 

[Dracula]

As they should..... Why should a 20 yr pkg driver going into feeders choose vacation after a 5 year off the street feeder driver?

And likewise, why would a 20 yr driver want to pick a job behind a 5 year, off the street, feeder driver?

 

[CTRUPS]

Because feeder is top of the food chain here we have no off the street feeder drivers. Most drivers going into feeder have at least 10 yrs driving and or 15 yrs company time. I went in at 16 years of package. But I didn't go in as soon as I could have. Our local has around 1000 package drivers spread out over 9 buildings , Ontario being the largest with 3 package centers(300 drivers?) and only 3 small buildings where there is no management and around 10 drivers in each building. The other 5 buildings have between 80 and 150 drivers in each building. Feeder is dispatched out of Ontario but any package driver from our local can request to go into feeder.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Because feeder is top of the food chain./QUOTE]

Not it isn't.

 

[OPTION3]

And likewise, why would a 20 yr driver want to pick a job behind a 5 year, off the street, feeder driver?

It's his right.....who knows? Better schedule.....easier work....over all seniority should always prevail though when selecting vacations.....the number of weeks you've earned is assigned that way

 

[Johney]

Glad you guys like how it works there, I'm just fine with how we have it. Personally I would be pissed if someone passed up feeders for years while I've been in for years then decides "Oh I'll take feeders now and by the way I'll take your run and your vacation picks". No way. Sorry. I can tell you this if they changed it to your guys way crap would hit the fan. Also if they did the poor soles who jumped everyone else would be left for dead when it comes to looking for help and we all know when starting out in feeders your fellow drivers are your ONLY help.

 

[silenze]

Our feeder senority is only for bidding on runs. Full time senority is used for vacations / layoffs

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Because feeder is top of the food chain here we have no off the street feeder drivers. Most drivers going into feeder have at least 10 yrs driving and or 15 yrs company time. I went in at 16 years of package. But I didn't go in as soon as I could have. Our local has around 1000 package drivers spread out over 9 buildings , Ontario being the largest with 3 package centers(300 drivers?) and only 3 small buildings where there is no management and around 10 drivers in each building. The other 5 buildings have between 80 and 150 drivers in each building. Feeder is dispatched out of Ontario but any package driver from our local can request to go into feeder.

Sounds like another fine local to work in.