Hourlies spying on Hourlies in the name of 'Safety'

[705red]

Just had a steward safety member do observations on other members. When I approcahed him he told me he worked as directed and management instructed him to do so. He wouldnt listen to reason and got defensive. I told him he was done as a steward, either he could resign or he would be removed. He refused to resign so I told him the letter saying he was removed for not performing his duties would be sent to the company the same day.

He couldnt have that letter get sent to his bosses so he resigned. He was also put on notice that if he was caught observing anyone again he would be removed from the safety committee.

 

[LiB]

So, from what I'm gathering is that some Teamsters are upset that the members of the safety committee, which is, by the way is a voluntary extra duty assignment, are making observations on other hourly employees and getting them in trouble? Which basically is in essence a violation of the contract, because if I'm not mistaken Union-represented employees are not allowed to discipline other union represented employees. I think the general rule is that a management person has to see it or it didn't happen. Now, having said that, are some Teamsters complaining that their brothers and sisters that are actually interested in keeping their brothers and sisters safe see something unsafe and report it to management? For the final breakdown and analysis of this whole thread, Teamsters are upset other Teamsters report unsafe behaviors in which the aforementioned unsafe behavior is also in violation of the contract of not working as instructed, so naturally Teamsters are all upset and vengeful when management breaks the contract but cry and cry unfairness when they break the contract.

K.I.S.S. version - follow the rules and don't care if it takes 5 hours longer. Follow the rules, be safe, be alive, be rich.

 

[uber]

We got a rat at my building.

 

[UPS Preloader]

We got a rat at my building.

Most buildings do... We have two.

 

[JackStraw]

Unfortunately, the first thing I do when I get out of the truck is to look down the street to see if anyone is following me. It is what it is. Mgt. just looking for some ticky-tack thing to write you up on. Funny though, last time I had a safety ride the sup asked why I don't cut lawns. I told him it was unsafe and that I follow the designated walk paths. Just don't understand how they can preach safety all the time then say this.

 

[Bubblehead]

The so-called safety committee is out of control in my building.
It is a farce that I committed to expose.
The company is using it as a decisive mechanism and it working.
Bargaining unit employees are whoring themselves out for money, in the name of safety and preferred assignments, and it needs to stop.
Wake up people.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

The so-called safety committee is out of control in my building.
It is a farce that I committed to expose.
The company is using it as a decisive mechanism and it working.
Bargaining unit employees are whoring themselves out for money, in the name of safety and preferred assignments, and it needs to stop.
Wake up people.

Some people need an old fashion ass whoopin!!A union brother snakes on another union brother!! You get what you deserve.......TIE WANNA BE!

 

[ikoi62]

In our building the safety committee was a Teamster safety committee,the company got a few of their favorite people on the committee and started having them ojs and watch people in the building,then report back.it was reported to the local and it stopped for a while. once it started again the local shut down the safety committee.haven't had a committee in close to a year.

 

[TooTechie]

When I was a part timer and on the safety committee I was told by the center manager to 'paper job' the SWM where they basically wanted us to watch someone for a while with their knowledge and if we saw a safety issue to educate them but if not to put the majority as positive with just a couple of manufactured issues observed. This was why I resigned the committee.

The safety committee members' observations were never used to jam anyone up and under the contract they can't be...but I still didn't like it.

 

[Dracula]

I got in a tiff some years back with a center manager about the safety committee. A long time ago, there was no safety committee. If they wanted to talk to the drivers about safety, they brought in ALL of the drivers early for meetings. But UPS soon realized that that kind of safety (making sure ALL drivers understood the issues at hand) was just too damn expensive.

Anyway, years later, when UPS formed their safety committees, our center manager was discussing some safety issue in a morning PCM. I asked why he only wanted the committee members to be safe. He look puzzled and said he didn't understand. I told him that only the committee members were able to spend the time working on safety issues, and the rest of us just got a minute or two of scraps about the issues at hand. How safe was that, I asked him? He got mad/frustrated/flustered, and ended the PCM and said he and I could discuss this one-on-one. "No thanks," I told him, "I get the picture."

Now, I take a lot of pride in being a safe driver. I make it my job to avoid having a picture of my wrecked equipment on the board in the driver's room. But I don't do it for UPS; I do it for me and my family. But as far as safety goes when it comes to UPS management, I'll give them everything I've got. But, they're going to pay for it. I'll answer all of the safety questions, and get them 100% correct. But it will be at time and a half, and I will take my time doing it. I'll demonstrate how to do my job the safe way, and it will also be 100% in the right way. But not on my own time. Never.

Safety only matters to UPS when it costs them money or bad publicity. The safety committee is indicative of this. Safety is no different than anything else UPS does. It is done as cheaply as possible. This is why where I'm at, we have over 300 drivers, and 10 to 12 safety committee members. It is a reactive system, not proactive. Everything they talk to us about is about something that has happened in the past. You tell me, how safe is that?

 

[Bubblehead]

In our building the safety committee was a Teamster safety committee,the company got a few of their favorite people on the committee and started having them ojs and watch people in the building,then report back.it was reported to the local and it stopped for a while. once it started again the local shut down the safety committee.haven't had a committee in close to a year.

That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Snitches get stitches.

 

[Indecisi0n]

By the way safety members are allowed to do observations with management but they aren't to document ANYTHING. One time i did a ride with a manager and he told me to fill out the observation sheet with what I saw. I told him to turn the car around and take me back to the center. Never again have I been asked to do this. I never understood why drivers get so upset when they get observed. Are they doing something they shouldn't? If not then who gives a ****.

 

[Bubblehead]

The safety committee provided for in the contract was designed to give union members an avenue to address safety concerns within the workplace.
It was never intended to be a vehicle for the company to teach methods, commentaries, or to perform various other managerial tasks, like observations.
The company has bastardized this process and has created a divisive committee that pits union employees against one another and it needs to stop.
If I have my way, the safety committee in my local will be disbanded entirely.

 

[norcal87steward]

The new contract has specific language for this specific issue