our so-called "safety committees"

[Bad Gas!]

The best thing this company could do for safty is to ease back on thier dispatches and quit cutting routes while letting drivers go home.The daily stress of a heavy dispatch alone is worth $30 an hour or more....If the hotshots in corporate really cared about safty, they would seriously try to fix time allowances......I see more than 70 percent of accident and injuries are due to rush,rush rush.It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out...it would cost the company to put in the extra routes but they could save on the accident and injury side of costs.....It will never happen...and this thread is going going no-where..

 

[JustTired]

Word of caution as a former shop steward, be veerrryyyy careful to whome you say that to. You might find working at wallyworld more to your likeing. You never ever refuse to work as instructed unless there is someting inherently dangerous.

d

d
I think he was refusing to participate in safety committees. Which he has a right to do, being that the meetings are held generally before the posted start time. Now , if he is refusing to learn the 10pt. commentary (etc.), that is a different matter. While I don't think they can disipline you as long as you are attempting to learn it, refusal in that case might not be a prudent response. Personally, I think memorizing that stuff word for word serves little purpose. It's what we practice......not what we preach that will make us a safer employee. I may not know the constitution word for word.....but I know what rights it affords me.

I find a lot to agree with in soberups' posts as I do yours. His posts seem to reflect things as they are, while yours reflect those same things as they should (or could) be. All in all, very informative from both perspectives. Post on.

PS Just thinking how certain sayings become part of Americana. For example: "Welcome to Walmart" "Do you want fries with that?". Both, a connotation of low income jobs. Although in respect (at least) to McDs, low income may be in relation to whether you are friend/t or p/t at UPS.

 

[Pip]

Dannyboy, You write great posts and I don't differ to far from your opinions but how the heck is that a safety issue. If anything, and I mean anything the driver is simply in the way of the loader and should get out of the way. Rude, yeah. Safety issue, not even close. I don't even know how this could be brought up without someone laughing at the meeting

What dannyboy is referring to does make sense. Actually it is two-fold.

1st, why be in the back of the car sorting while the preloader is still loading, working for free? I think the union has addressed this in the past to drivers, that your shouldn't be working off the clock.

2nd, As Dannyboy alluded to, if you get hurt off the clock then workers comp. will not be there for you to use.

Case in point. Last year in one of the Baltimore buildings, a mechanic just got off the clock for his shift, but was checking something on a package car after. A package jam, up on the overhead primary caused a package to fall, hitting the off-duty mechanic in the head, knocking him out cold. The mechanic was off work for 4+ months. Workers Comp was not available to him because he had just clocked off. Medical bills got paid by the regular insurance, but his wages were not replaced.

Things can happen, not often, but when they do, it is usually unexpected and the repercussions can be life changing.

Just something to think about.

 

[over9five]

Workers Comp laws obviously vary greatly. Here in Mass, I believe you would be covered if injured at the workplace, doesn't matter if you're on the clock.

IE - if you slip on the ice walking into the building and break your arm, that's workers comp.

If a box hits you in the head while you're walking away from the timeclock after punching out, that's workers comp.

The mechanic in the last post would be receiving workers comp. (Here).

 

[dannyboy]

9.5, are you sure about that?

It is pretty much standard that if you are on the clock, you are covered under comp. But if you are off the clock, then the company insurance coveres you and your injury, but no comp wage bennies.

One thing that most dont recognise is that the union is not the one that is responsible for getting the members off the clock, managment is. It is management that is allowing them to break the rules and law, not the union. The union has pretty much shown its stand, as has the company.

So it is the companies liability and responsibility to remove people not on the clock from an active work area.

d

 

[browniehound]

Danny,
I can back what 9.5 said. I don't know from experience, but guys who have been around since dirt told me that you are covered as far as drivng to and from work! As 9.5 said, this is in Massachusettes. Also, this is not fact, but the opinion comes from a well respected source.

Brownie

 

[dannyboy]

How interesting. But then again, you have some real icons in leadership when it comes to making laws there.

d

 

[browniehound]

How interesting. But then again, you have some real icons in leadership when it comes to making laws there.

d

You don't mean politicians who are convicted felons, do you? Because whe have them here

 

[dannyboy]

How far are you from boston? I will be up there for a week sometime the first of april. Doing a project for Zoo America.

d

 

[browniehound]

How far are you from boston? I will be up there for a week sometime the first of april. Doing a project for Zoo America.

d

d, I live 7 miles "as the crow flies" from Boston. Its more like 10 miles driving.

Are you going to the "Stone Zoo" in Stoneham MA? I don't know what Zoo America is?

D, if you need some information about the area, drop me an e-mail before you come. If you get stuck while you are here, just PM or e-mail me and I'll help you out with anything you might need.

 

[dannyboy]

Thanks

We will be up there doing a repair on the mandrill exhibit. He kinda looks like some of the guys I used to work with. I actually miss posted, the Zoo america project is in Hershey PA, and is the alligator exhibit. The one in Boston is the Franklin Park Zoo.

I hope to be the one chosen to do the Tie exhibit there as well.



d

 

[soberups]

Word of caution as a former shop steward, be veerrryyyy careful to whome you say that to. You might find working at wallyworld more to your likeing. You never ever refuse to work as instructed unless there is someting inherently dangerous.d

I refuse to make any effort to mindlessly repeat idiotic phrases and buzzwords.
If I am instructed to show up at a certain time I will do so. If I am instructed to sit in a room and watch a movie or listen to what the safety commitee has to say, I will do so. If I am instructed read the 10-pt commentary out loud...or copy it onto another piece of paper...I will do so. I will go through the motions and give the absolute bare minimum of cooperation, just as UPS does when it comes to my safety. But as far as going to the extra effort to "help" UPS get a passing grade on a Keter audit? Forget it, it isnt in my job description. Show me where in the contract it says that rote memorization of silly buzzwords is a condition of my employment.