On the subject of the union and stewards not having a backbone....

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
A lot of people have posted and responded to posts about stewards not having the backbone to stop company abuses of the contract, and as a result, have issues with the union.

The problem lies with you, the union member.

Nothing is more telling of the union membership than a steward being crucified by the members for getting the company to honor the contract. The contract is what it is. Agree or disagree with it, it is what you work under until a new one comes about.

Dont like something? Dont violate it, get it changed on the next contract.

Dont like the way the union is taking us? Then get involved in the union activities. Run for office. Vote against those that are forgetting they work for us, not the other way around.

There is also what I call the waiter concept.

When you are out at a really nice restaurant, and you spill your drink, do you wait on the waiter to clean up your spill? or do you begin by taking your napkin and cleaning it off your clothes?

A steward is there to help and advise, not to wait on you hand and foot. We have a life, just like you. We volunteer to do what we do, because we want to help. But you gotta help yourself too.

Too many times as a steward, I had to fight hourly and management to get the right thing done. Everyone else was only interested in themselves, and how they could bend the contract to suit themselves.

You want a steward to stand up for you? Stand up for them for a change.

d
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
A lot of people have posted and responded to posts about stewards not having the backbone to stop company abuses of the contract, and as a result, have issues with the union.

The problem lies with you, the union member.

Nothing is more telling of the union membership than a steward being crucified by the members for getting the company to honor the contract. The contract is what it is. Agree or disagree with it, it is what you work under until a new one comes about.

Dont like something? Dont violate it, get it changed on the next contract.

Dont like the way the union is taking us? Then get involved in the union activities. Run for office. Vote against those that are forgetting they work for us, not the other way around.

There is also what I call the waiter concept.

When you are out at a really nice restaurant, and you spill your drink, do you wait on the waiter to clean up your spill? or do you begin by taking your napkin and cleaning it off your clothes?

A steward is there to help and advise, not to wait on you hand and foot. We have a life, just like you. We volunteer to do what we do, because we want to help. But you gotta help yourself too.

Too many times as a steward, I had to fight hourly and management to get the right thing done. Everyone else was only interested in themselves, and how they could bend the contract to suit themselves.

You want a steward to stand up for you? Stand up for them for a change.

d

Interesting post.

Here, (as you are aware but maybe not others), stewards are paid back all dues for the year which is a considerable amount of money. So yes although they are volunteering their time, they are also getting a nice 42" TV every Christmas to represent the union members.

Now as far as running for office, if that were to happen, you would no longer be represented at ALL by the union here. Forget about it. If UPS ever wanted to hang you out to dry, the union would be the wind machine. I do value my job and running for office is one way to put one foot out the door! If that is not corrupt I dont know what is.

All I ask is that the officers do not make radical side-deals with UPS. It has nothing to do with the stewards who are simply messengers. In my eyes anyway, it has to do with the selling out on issues where UPS is simply wrong yet the union, up to the pres, backs them on a wrong interpetation that even a blind man could see.

To say that the problem lies with the union member and not the union, although true in some cases, is hardly one size fits all. Good suggestions and ideas though.
 

jimstud

Banned
Interesting post.

Here, (as you are aware but maybe not others), stewards are paid back all dues for the year which is a considerable amount of money. So yes although they are volunteering their time, they are also getting a nice 42" TV every Christmas to represent the union members.

Now as far as running for office, if that were to happen, you would no longer be represented at ALL by the union here. Forget about it. If UPS ever wanted to hang you out to dry, the union would be the wind machine. I do value my job and running for office is one way to put one foot out the door! If that is not corrupt I dont know what is.

All I ask is that the officers do not make radical side-deals with UPS. It has nothing to do with the stewards who are simply messengers. In my eyes anyway, it has to do with the selling out on issues where UPS is simply wrong yet the union, up to the pres, backs them on a wrong interpetation that even a blind man could see.

To say that the problem lies with the union member and not the union, although true in some cases, is hardly one size fits all. Good suggestions and ideas though.
so you think the money you get back at the end of the year is worth the phone calls after hours,saturdays and sundays? first of all any steward that does it for his/her dues back is not the person i want for a steward. you ask any steward that has had a member yell and scream that he has not been treated fairly, you go in the office to take up for the member and what happens you are left standing by yourself.how do you think that feels?if more members would stand with their stewards than the union would be a hell of a lot stronger.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Interesting.

Here, I pay what every one else pays, 100%. And we do not get it back at the end of the year.

Here, we do not get a thing from the union at Christmas, not even a card.

Here, we spend a lot of after hours time taking care of drivers that have lost their jobs, been suspended, etc. A really big time consumer is going back on UPS to get the proper progression pay for drivers. Some have gotten 20 grand or more in back pay from UPS. For that we have spent untold hours doing research, company records, pay check stubs etc. A good 20-40+ hours on each case we win. All on our time. At most we might get a thanks. Maybe.

Here, even on a day off, if needed we show up to represent a member in need. Might get paid the 15 minutes for the meeting, maybe.

So I guess some stewards get something of value in return for doing their jobs.

Here, the only thing of value is knowing that you did your best to see to it that justice was done.

As for the union representing you if you run against the status quo, there is nothing gained by standing by and allowing those that run and ruin the system do so.

Here, a part time car washer, ran against the Good Ole Boy network BA. The former BA had all the feeder drivers in his back pocket (most were stewards) and talked trash against the car washer. After all, how could he represent drivers if he had never been one.

But knowing that the Car Washer was honest and eager to learn, we supported him and won. The old BA did the scorched earth thing with the union and the money, but we now are a model of how corruption can be weeded out of the union, one at a time.

Get active. Get involved. Understand the issues. And always, do what is right, no matter who is watching or how it will affect you.

At the end of the day, it will work out.

d
 

JaxUPSHub

Well-Known Member
I was told by a 12 year 'veteran' that in our local, the Union Stewards get FREE GAS, and their cell phone bill paid. - Guess that in itself is somewhat acceptable, however, he told, that these Stewards been using the FREE GAS to fill up their spouses car, and letting his/her family use his/her phone. Just my two cents.
 

DenverBrownDotCom

Well-Known Member
I was told by a 12 year 'veteran' that in our local, the Union Stewards get FREE GAS, and their cell phone bill paid. - Guess that in itself is somewhat acceptable, however, he told, that these Stewards been using the FREE GAS to fill up their spouses car, and letting his/her family use his/her phone. Just my two cents.
Unbelievable what you guys believe. In a few areas stewards dues are reimbursed in order to compensate the stewards for time spent outside of their duties at UPS. The steward does not owe you their life. Yet they fight to keep you employed, and rise to your occasion when you need them. Most of you are pretty greedy when it comes to standing up for yourselves. You think the steward owes you something. Rise to your own occasion sometimes and quit blaiming someone else for your problems. Your steward will be there to back you up. KMA Tie Guy.
 

JaxUPSHub

Well-Known Member
But to stay on the subject and this is what I've heard around my hub.

1. Some stewards aren't worth a dime. They do not care and/or have become 'lazy'
2. They will get paid regardless by UPS and the teamsters, so why try ...

I've asked few people in the hub about the meeting, every 3rd Saturday, and was told that those meetings are pointless, and basically NO ONE from my shift ever goes. IMO that majorly sucks, and that is probably the reason Stewards are becoming weaker. If you don't go to the meetings, you can't vote for your officers, so therefore, if you have a 'weak' steward, IT IS OUR FAULT for not voting (or voting for the wrong person).

So, what I am trying to say is, that 'you' voted for that steward.. SOL.

Kinda like our current president, or not?
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
Our stewards are hard working, the hours they put in are never matched by the waiver of union dues. Employees call them day and night. They never get out of the building by start time, because they are in a meeting for a half hour getting someone out of trouble.

Above all, our stewards are honest.
 
Another thing I`ll say in defense of the stewards is how they are badmouthed if they won`t storm off to the Mgrs office for every chicken**** excuse that someone dreams up. If something is a legitimate complaint,fine,but because they didn`t spell your name right or didn`t give you a hearty pat on the back is no reason to take up the stewards time that could be better used elsewhere. If it`s petty,take care of it yourself. They`re not your mom.
 

tieguy

Banned
Another thing I`ll say in defense of the stewards is how they are badmouthed if they won`t storm off to the Mgrs office for every chicken**** excuse that someone dreams up. If something is a legitimate complaint,fine,but because they didn`t spell your name right or didn`t give you a hearty pat on the back is no reason to take up the stewards time that could be better used elsewhere. If it`s petty,take care of it yourself. They`re not your mom.

Great point . You do have people that will try to put the stewards up to chasing issues they theirselves would never chase. Or they send them off half cocked without all the information. Your steward still has his ups job to do. If you waste his time chasing things he should not be chasing then you make him less effective.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
I was told by a 12 year 'veteran' that in our local, the Union Stewards get FREE GAS, and their cell phone bill paid. - Guess that in itself is somewhat acceptable, however, he told, that these Stewards been using the FREE GAS to fill up their spouses car, and letting his/her family use his/her phone.
We pay our own way here. No gas money unless you are to appear at a hearing out of town. No money on cell phone bills.

IF that is true, filling up the spouses car, that is fraud. The phone thing is subjective if the use is not excessive, but the gas is not. They should only be reimbursed for things they actually do for the union/members. Period.

So, if there is anyway you can prove it, you need to clean house.

d
 
I respect my stewards here. A lot of them are very involved in whats going on. A few have saved my ass a couple times and I respect and thank them for there hard work every time. There are of course the stewards that are not worth a smile* and those always seem to be the ones that are management team calls in to represent you when they want to write you up for bullS***. I know you can ask for a different Steward and I do but I always feel bad for pretty much telling the guy by not using him that I wouldn't trust you to take out the trash let alone represent me! Some of them are just there for their extra 15 min on the clock and don't even know the contract. The people that usually get pissed off at Stewards are the ones that have gotten themselves into a lot of trouble and when they tell them sorry there is nothing I can do they get pissed off. Even though they know what they did is a big NO NO. there thats my rant :)
 

bubsdad

"Hang in there!"
I've heard that stewards here used to get free union dues but that practice hasn't been around for some time. I pay the same dues as everyone else, buy my own gas, pay my own cell phone bill and give up alot of my own time dealing with issues that alot of times are really non-issues. The only "free" thing we get here is a dinner once a year and the right to be called an ***hole whenever things don't turn out the way the member thinks they should.
 

grgrcr88

No It's not green grocer!
i've heard that stewards here used to get free union dues but that practice hasn't been around for some time. I pay the same dues as everyone else, buy my own gas, pay my own cell phone bill and give up alot of my own time dealing with issues that alot of times are really non-issues. The only "free" thing we get here is a dinner once a year and the right to be called an ***hole whenever things don't turn out the way the member thinks they should.


amen to that!!!
 
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