outside hire
- Thread starter out side cover driver
- Start date
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
gandydancer
Well-Known Member
"Utility driver" is a part-timer who gets into uniform to perform shuttles between centers and such. The term doesn't appear in the National Master Contract, but preceeds the creation of Article 40, which has complicated things by paying substandard rates for air-only shuttling. A "cover driver" is presumably someone covering someone else's route, and since there's language in the contract prohibiting parttimers from driving except in certain limited instances ("Article 22 Part-Time Employees, Section 1: No part-time employee shall drive except:...") I would think it would have to be a full time driving position just like any other package car driving position in terms of wages, etc. Unless there's something supervening in a rider or supplement...
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
I do agree that working on the inside does give you a deeper appreciation for what these kids go through on a daily basis and that dangling the carrot of a full time position does give these kids incentive to bust their butts for minimal wage and an extended wait for benefits but I have to disagree with you in that all open positions be filled only by inside employees. This is why there is a ratio (6 to 1) for promotion to full time positions.
longlunchguy
Runnin on Empty
I never thought I'd say this. but I disagree with you, Upstate. At least as it pertains to full time package car driving... I believe there is no reason to hire "one" from outsde. A lot of these part time guys have waited for years and then someone off the street slides in ahead of them. Then the part time guy, who has paid some dues with the company, gets to wait even longer. I have always felt that was one part of the contract that should be changed.
helenofcalifornia
Well-Known Member
I would be curious as to how many true "outsiders" really get hired off the streets. I haven't seen one in our center since I got there in 1991. And the drivers say our last "off the street" hire was in 1990.
Anybody seen someone hired off the street to go FT driving? I thought it was all inside PT management now.
Anybody seen someone hired off the street to go FT driving? I thought it was all inside PT management now.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
Actually I see one every time I look in to the mirror. I was hired off the street in 1989 along with 2 others and we all were full time within a year as this was during a period of growth. I think the last group we hired off the street was about 5 years ago and only 1 out of the 3 remain and has yet to go FT. I don't see it as much of an option anymore, what with the ratio at 6 to 1. It was only 3 to 1 when I was hired.
"Paying your dues" is all well and good but people don't always take the same path but often end up at the same place. To be honest, UPS was the furthest thing from my mind as I had my degree and wanted to use it. Well, a phone call to a friend changed all of that and here I am 19 years later, making more than I would have had I chosen to use my degree.
SmithBarney
Well-Known Member
Lots of outsiders make there way in, just depends where you look.
in the center I left, 33% of the driver roster has already been replaced.(2 year time frame)
Thats not including how many have come and gone, thats just that 33% of the
guys on the list now were not there when I was. And many of them did not
come from the P/T ranks.
in the center I left, 33% of the driver roster has already been replaced.(2 year time frame)
Thats not including how many have come and gone, thats just that 33% of the
guys on the list now were not there when I was. And many of them did not
come from the P/T ranks.
New Englander
Well-Known Member
Seems it doesn't really matter since we all agreed to the 6 to 1. It's never been a contract issue.
What about the part-time union employee who goes into part-time management, decides it's not for him then goes into full-time package on the outside bid?
The seniority process is broken in regards to promotion to full-time. I see part-timers who in the real world would be serving fries somewhere becoming absolutely crappy drivers all the time. Let's face it The Union doesn't recognize performance issues with UPS so disqualification is not easy at best.
I myself was one of the outside hires. I spent a Holiday and vacation season as a DUES paying seasonal driver prior to getting the outside bid
gandydancer
Well-Known Member
Yeah, when I went driving the first words out of the manager's mouth were about how his experience was that inside hires (like me) didn't want to work. Welcome aboard!
brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
I was an outside hire also. I've seen situations where the best driver, be it peak or summer were off the street temps that the bosses would have liked to hire but had to take a sub par driver per the contract. Never felt any animosity from those that paid their dues in the part time ranks. I wish I would have had the foresight to start at 18 out of high school as a part timer. I would have been driving by 21 and retiring in 3 years.
New Englander
Well-Known Member
Whats your point? They shouldn't be allowed a full time spot?
gandydancer
Well-Known Member
Why should they, if they've put less time in?
If you're sure your a 1 in 6, you're not per se a cover driver. You're a full time driver without a bid route. You should be making 17.10 an hour per the contract.
New Englander
Well-Known Member
Depends what region you are. Our full time drivers with out bid routes are called cover drivers here.
We BID a cover spot on the rebids.
Jeez, that just makes it harder than it actually is. Over here, people keep their routes and only bid on open routes from retirements. In the morning when the "cover" drivers show up, they usually trade routes. It's easier for us that way. We all know who has the most seniority and we abide by it happily.
And as a side, if you got hired during the new contract, then the progression is 36 months now. If you're old contract it's 30 months.
out side cover driver
Member
How do I know for sure I am a 1 in 6 ?
There are other drivers hired around the same time I was; actually I was hired before them but qualified after them. < I was never absent from work; or turned down work before I was qualified. So shouldn't I be ahead of them.
I'm titled as a utility driver. Should I be a full time driver without a bid route?
New Englander
Well-Known Member
Pretty easy here as it's written in the contract book that seniority does not give you the right to choose a specific load or route.
We work as directed as covers here. We come in, look on the line up plan to see what route we are doing.
Each rebid there is "x" amount of bid spots put up. Small center but 24 true routes put up then usually 4 or 5 cover bids put up. These cover bids are the exact same as a bid route in terms of work from our center.
