Preload sort/ preferred jobs

[saintrick]

Are PT employees on the preload shift entitled to preferred jobs as outlined in Article 22 Sec 4 /Article 49 Sec 4? (Southern)

Management is directing me to work as a loader while lower seniority employees perform my normal job of sorter/unload. They tell me that no preferred jobs exist on preload that it in itself is the preferred job.

 

[ftballer67]

I'd have to read your supplement, but I think you could file and win under the preferred jobs language. Check with your BA to be sure.

I'm a steward and I helped an employee who was an unloader, that was being moved to the prelaod, file a greivance and win due to the fact management was not moving other quailified lower seniorty employees first, where available.

Management tried to stonewall our request the same as you, you will probably have to file and see it through as management will most likely not cooperate.

Bottom line is this(unless your supplement is different). As long as there are lower seniority employees who are in your work area and are qualified and available to do the job they are sending you to do, you should prevail. The key part is qualified. If you are the only employee in your work group that is qualified to load then you may be out of luck. BUT, don't let mgt tell you you are the only one qualified if they regularly send others up front to load. If those employees can load an area by themselves, they are qualified. If you have little to no experience loading, then anyone in your work area is just as qualified as you and mgt should be moving employees based on seniority.

 

[JonFrum]

You are entitled to bid onto the Preload Shift, and also bid into one of the half-dozen or so specific job categories within the Preload Shift. The Union needs to have a talk with this supervisor and explain the Contract to him. The language has been in the Contract for years, and is agreed to by UPS.

Note that you do not have a right to a specific job within the job category though. So management does have the limited right to move an employee within the job category.

 

[saintrick]

Thanks for the replys.

I am going to file, talking to these people is a waste of time.

 

[KingofBrown]

Are you bidding for a first responder job? If the answer was no, file the damn grievance. I don't think the qualified thing applies to you. Instead Seniority prevails. If not then you would be at the bottom seniority list when applying for vacation if you or your coworkers are not qualified for doing the job. Good Luck.

 

[saintrick]

I have the grievance ready will turn it in tomorrow.

I'll post updates.

 

[BoxerVR4]

Hi, I am also wondering this. I work the preload shift loading trucks, several people with 2 - 8 years less seniority then me were moved off my belt up to the sort/scanning area I think its called the mezzanine. I have asked to be moved up there before and I was told that I can't choose what I do. Is this true? or can I file for them not following seniority?

thanks

 

[JonFrum]

Sometime senior people want to stay in their current job and have management move the junior person to the less desirable job. Other times a senior person wants to be the one moved to an open job that he thinks is a better job. Either way, the senior person should prevail. Any job can be a "prefered" job, if you think it so. You can't bump someone. You can only move to a new or vacated job.

Follow your Supplement's grievance proceedure, which is probably to tell your steward verbally first, and let him try and reason with management. If he gets back to you and can't make progress, then file a paper grievance citing this language . . .

Article 22 --- Part-Time Employees
Section 4
. . .The following will be incorporated into the job selection procedures in the applicable Supplement, Rider
or Addendum:

The Employer will fill all vacancies and permanent new jobs for part-time employees from the part-time selection list in all months except November and December.

Part-time employees with six (6) months or more seniority shall have the right to place their name on the list of employees waiting to be moved to a preferred job within their building. Such preferred jobs shall include, but not be limited to: Preload, Sorter, Clerical, Irregular Train, Designated Responder, Carwasher, Loader and Unloader. Employees do not have the right to select any specific unit, load or workstation unless a prior past practice has been established.

Part-time employees with less than six (6) months seniority shall have the right to bid a preferred job prior to the Employer hiring from off-the-street.

A maximum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the employees on a shift shall be allowed to change shifts in any one (1) calendar year. The employee obtaining the new position shall remain on that shift for at least six (6) months.

http://www.teamster.org/sites/teams...06 09 Final UPS Master Agreemnt 2008-2013.pdf

Also check your Supplement for relevant language.
http://tdu.org/node/1617

 

[dillweed]

This is interesting. Our sort aisle has turned into a joke with low seniority workers being put there because they can't handle unloading trailers or loading pkg cars. Can't handle sorting either? It's OK, we'll just buddy you up with another sorter who will help with anything over 40#. And the empty spot from the sorter they gave you will be covered by those who want to and can work.

We've got orchids who wear wrist braces like medals - they are not under any medical restrictions but show their walmart braces daily. A clerk who often has no other work states she will go home if she has to unload trailers. They put her on the sort aisle beside the previous orchid with the wrist brace.

Squeaky wheels are getting the grease. I feel the preload has turned into a game of keeping the toddlers happy. Glad I don't go in to be happy; I go in to get the pkgs processed and get out in one piece.

 

[22.34life]

Hi, I am also wondering this. I work the preload shift loading trucks, several people with 2 - 8 years less seniority then me were moved off my belt up to the sort/scanning area I think its called the mezzanine. I have asked to be moved up there before and I was told that I can't choose what I do. Is this true? or can I file for them not following seniority?

thanks

If the area your talking about is where they spa the packages or pal or pas or whatever they call it where ur at, thats not a skilled position.all they do is scan a package and stick a label on it ,easy as hell but not skilled.You hear the word preferred job on here alot and here is the truth about that there isnt any only skilled and unskilled there was recently a grievance lost on this the ruling was a part timer is a part timer ,so if your not skilled they can do with you as they please,sucks dont it but thats the way it is now.No more bumping another loader for his easy truck because its preferred and if you load on this belt today you might load on that belt tommorow.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

If the area your talking about is where they spa the packages or pal or pas or whatever they call it where ur at, thats not a skilled position.all they do is scan a package and stick a label on it ,easy as hell but not skilled.You hear the word preferred job on here alot and here is the truth about that there isnt any only skilled and unskilled there was recently a grievance lost on this the ruling was a part timer is a part timer ,so if your not skilled they can do with you as they please,sucks dont it but thats the way it is now.No more bumping another loader for his easy truck because its preferred and if you load on this belt today you might load on that belt tommorow.

The fact is that to become a clerk you need to be trained. It doesn't matter if it's SPA, DCAP etc. half of my job is SPA on the mezzanine and I have also DCAP and most every clerical job in the hub. Any job that requires addl training is considered a "skilled" job. not talking about the $1/hr sorter/preload rate, but just working a job that you are not trained on.

The contract explains what jobs are considered "preferred" jobs.

For ex: I was denied OT when a lesser seniority 22.3 was getting OT in the same work area. I was told that the job was 'skilled', ( scanning and loading smalls into a retain bin.) The steward agreed, even though I actually know how to setup the load and everything, I was not entitled to the OT because I was not trained to do the work.

 

[22.34life]

The fact is that to become a clerk you need to be trained. It doesn't matter if it's SPA, DCAP etc. half of my job is SPA on the mezzanine and I have also DCAP and most every clerical job in the hub. Any job that requires addl training is considered a "skilled" job. not talking about the $1/hr sorter/preload rate, but just working a job that you are not trained on.

The contract explains what jobs are considered "preferred" jobs.

For ex: I was denied OT when a lesser seniority 22.3 was getting OT in the same work area. I was told that the job was 'skilled', ( scanning and loading smalls into a retain bin.) The steward agreed, even though I actually know how to setup the load and everything, I was not entitled to the OT because I was not trained to do the work.

To the best of my knowldege skilled and unskilled only describes jobs that are given the dollar raise ,skilled is like pickoff ,sorter,small sorter, secondary sorter ,irreg driver etc.Now clerk or small sort bagger is considered a preferred job but not skilled.the point i was making is that now if you are a small sort bagger and they want you over in the outbound loading they can do that because your not skillled .

 

[JonFrum]

The Contract defines a "preferred job" as any job that a bidder wants. Loading trailers at a dollar less per hour, for example, is a preferred job if that's what you want to do.

The Contract makes no mention of "Skilled" or "Unskilled" jobs.

The Contract defines what jobs get the extra dollar an hour, and allows management to give other jobs the extra dollar if they so choose.

The Contract does not connect a preferred job and an extra dollar job. Contractually they are destinct. Although many employees may conclude that a job that pays an extra dollar an hour is therefore to be preferred to one that doesn't.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

To the best of my knowldege skilled and unskilled only describes jobs that are given the dollar raise ,skilled is like pickoff ,sorter,small sorter, secondary sorter ,irreg driver etc.Now clerk or small sort bagger is considered a preferred job but not skilled.the point i was making is that now if you are a small sort bagger and they want you over in the outbound loading they can do that because your not skillled .

Jon is correct, what you are missing is that there is no "skilled" job in the contract. Most of the time you hear "skilled" it is just used as a farce to keep someone happy , like in the case I described. however, the "preferred" jobs like I said, are listed in the contract and a few are load, unload, sorter, preload, bulk train/irreg, etc.. you are definitly confusing the extra dollar and "skilled"

 

[saintrick]

It been a long time but here is an update.

At the first local hearing Labor said that they needed more info from management that were not there at the time.

At the second hearing the next month my FT supervisor was called in and said that I had asked to be moved from the sort aisle to load package cars and they would not move be back. (just a complete lie)

The case went to panel and I won and was put back in my preferred job of sorter.