Lunch Breaks

Doc Holiday

Member
Okay guys and gals, here a question for you.

I was told from my center manager that you could not take your lunch break if it would cause service failures. I have to work as directed and grieve later. How much of this is true?

Let's say for example your a swing driver and you get and extra split of buisness on your route for the day. Now you know the route already has enough buisness on it already without the split not do get a lunch break until the end of your day. What do you do?
 

sortaisle

Livin the cardboard dream
Bottom line is you MUST take a lunch before your 5th hour. If your business manager is to much of a wuss to stand up to his division manager about over dispatching his businesses or if he's just a prick, then you have every right by the contract to take your lunch. As a matter of fact, in SpoWA we get in serious trouble if we don't take our lunch before our 5th hour.
 

drewed

Shankman
Its not just a contract issue its a wage and labor law issue, that varies by state, most say something in the midsts of you must start a 30 min unpaid lunch by the begining of your 5th hour (also language for your breaks).
 

Doc Holiday

Member
See I know this is in the contract. I was also told by my stewart that I had to work as directed and grieve later. I'm like okay what happens when I just faint and passout because I couldn't nourish myself. He just looked at me with a blank stare.
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
I was told from my center manager that you could not take your lunch break if it would cause service failures. I have to work as directed and grieve later. How much of this is true?

That won't fly here because of our state laws. The law requires us to take our lunch break. In fact, we get a warning letter if we don't take a lunch break.
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
Speaking for Local 25 NE,

Your management team can indeed make your work your lunch. You are garaunteed 9 hours for the day, and also a 20 minute break, paid.

But yes, you can be forced to not have an hour lunch up here.
 

New Englander

Well-Known Member
You can't be forced to work your lunch. Stop and take it or just do not take one and do not enter it. The choice is yours. I seriously doubt that warning letter would hold up.

You can be told to do all commercial deliveries prior to any house calls. If you don't and have commercial failures well then they have something. Though in all honesty I don't see that happening either because EDD is something they designed for us to follow.
 

drewed

Shankman
You can't be forced to work your lunch. Stop and take it or just do not take one and do not enter it. The choice is yours. I seriously doubt that warning letter would hold up.
Up here you can get fined if you dont let employees take a lunch, so im pretty sure a warning letter would hold up
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
You can't be forced to work your lunch. Stop and take it or just do not take one and do not enter it. The choice is yours. I seriously doubt that warning letter would hold up.

You can be told to do all commercial deliveries prior to any house calls. If you don't and have commercial failures well then they have something. Though in all honesty I don't see that happening either because EDD is something they designed for us to follow.

Re-read the new england supplement.

It clearly says that "any employee who is ordered to work during any part of his meal period shall be paid for the full meal period and shall be allowed and must take 20 minutes to eat lunch and such time will be considered time worked"

AKA managemet CAN work you in your lunch and take it away. period.
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
Up here you can get fined if you dont let employees take a lunch, so im pretty sure a warning letter would hold up

read what I just pasted, straight from our supplement. the paid 20 minutes given is ALL that is required under contract and likely labor laws. (along with the two (10) minute breaks). An hour is not promised.
 

New Englander

Well-Known Member
I don't have my book in front of me...but doesn't it say we will be allowed one hour for lunch between the 4th and 5th hour?

I'll look later.
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
I don't have my book in front of me...but doesn't it say we will be allowed one hour for lunch between the 4th and 5th hour?

I'll look later.

Oh yes it does. Article 66 section 3 when you get around to it. Wording is you get 1 hour between 4th and 5th hour, and inside employees can take it after 3 1/2 hours. Also says management can work you in your lunch hour, but you will be paid for the hour and take 20 minute lunch, paid also. Moreover, it garauntees the employee is paid 9 hours for the day. Financially and more so numbers wise it's a kick in the groin, but yes management can still take your hour lunch away if they wanted.
 

StopCount

Well-Known Member
C'mon, I'm all for a being a strong Teamster, but it takes all of 12 seconds to eat a Snickers bar or a banana. :angry:

So you are willing to not take your lunch break untill after 5pm everyday?

I just repeated what is said all the time... "Work as directed unless it is 1)illegal 2)unsafe 3)immoral."

My true thought on the issue is this: Work untill you feel dizzy, stop working, call 911 and go to the hospital.

Let your center manager figure out the rest.
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
So you are willing to not take your lunch break untill after 5pm everyday?

I just repeated what is said all the time... "Work as directed unless it is 1)illegal 2)unsafe 3)immoral."

My true thought on the issue is this: Work untill you feel dizzy, stop working, call 911 and go to the hospital.

Let your center manager figure out the rest.

So you call 911 every day? I don't get it?
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
You wouldn't get dizzy everyday if you ate more than a snickers bar or a banana...

I eat all day at work, little snacks. no one cares or bothers me, " just make it happen" is all I get before a shift. when it's lunch time, it's lunch time. apple, banana, crackers, protein bar, etc etc...none take more than 30 seconds to eat. If your route is that poorly planned, and you made such good numbers with that route, who's fault is that for running and gunning it?

Just playing devils advocate here, in part.
 

tieguy

Banned
See I know this is in the contract. I was also told by my stewart that I had to work as directed and grieve later. I'm like okay what happens when I just faint and passout because I couldn't nourish myself. He just looked at me with a blank stare.

that might be a borderline unsafe act....:happy-very:

I've had many a red light lunch. The lunch is mandated by law and contract. As you fight this one try not to screw the customer in the process.
 
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