Seniority and bumping

[lovey]

My husband is a relief feeder driver in northern California. Every morning they call and give him the option to sit on relief or go to packages. Most days he goes to package because his seniority in feeders is pretty low. In packages he is on page 1 of the seniority list, so he is pretty high in seniority there.
For the last few years he has been the regular cover for a package route whose bid driver was out on comp, then state disability. He has performed this route successfully every time he was not required to stay in feeders. A few months ago, the center manager pulled him off that route to train a new driver on it. They put him on a different route (cold) every day that week. After the week the training driver DQ'd himself and they put my hubs back on the original cover. A week later they yanked him again to train yet another new driver. They told him then that it was a 'designated training route'. After all this he finally accepted that the route he preferred was no longer available and requested to be put on a different route that was being covered by a lower seniority refief driver. He was denied daily for a week. During this time he was again put on a different route cold every day, while the lower seniority driver continued to do the requested route. His request was ignored until we started filing grievances for violation of seniority. Then the center manager pulled him in the office and told him it would be 4 months until he could be trained on the new route. I have tried talking to the BA about this to confirm the existence of the designated training route, the willingness to send him out cold on every route except the one he requested, the daily harassment for not reaching UPS's magic 'numbers, etc., but he will not talk to me because I an not a teamster. The hubs has called him, but they have not been able to connect because the hubs is working during the day.
My husband is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This center manager has beat his pride and integrity to a pulp. I need help. I don't know where to turn. I have read the supplemental, but there are parts I dont understand. I don't know how long the manager can violate seniority and be a general dick before the hubs looses it all together. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[anonymous6]

i would speak to some of the senior drivers first and then the senior shop steward. BA's usually don't want to be bothered.

 

[lovey]

So it looks like we will be filing grievances for the violation of seniority, the overtime hours missed because of the violation, and violation of the designated training route procedure.
What kind of retaliation should we expect from the center manager (who is a jerk anyway) when the grievances hit? Do we have options for dealing with that?

 

[Brownslave688]

If your husband is getting to run a route I don't see the big deal. I applaud you for trying to help but this is your husbands battle. Your only going to make matters worse for your husband by trying to fight his battles for him.

Also cover driver is just that. Someone that covers for FT drivers. Since your husband is a feeder driver he can't bid a route. So do the route your assigned to clock out go home and do it all again the next day.

Every local is different your husband will have to talk to a steward or BA. Not much u can do about this.

 

[lovey]

Actually, being a feeder driver he CAN bid a route. He has the option of bidding either a feeder route or a package route, but not both. His center is currently not bidding available package routes, and the package routes dont get bid annually here. IT has been at least 2 years since they have had a package bid list. And while you may have interpreted it as fighting his battles, I don't see it that way at all. Between commuting and working a 12 hour, his time is limited. As his wife, it is my duty to help him succeed (my personal opinion). I do the research and write the grievances, or print maps, or whatever else will help his day run more smoothly so that when he gets home from his 14 hour day he can spend a few minutes with his kid before going to bed. That 'do what you're told and go home' attitude defeats the purpose of the contract and seniority entirely.

 

[Harry Manback]

Actually, being a feeder driver he CAN bid a route. He has the option of bidding either a feeder route or a package route, but not both. His center is currently not bidding available package routes, and the package routes dont get bid annually here. IT has been at least 2 years since they have had a package bid list. And while you may have interpreted it as fighting his battles, I don't see it that way at all. Between commuting and working a 12 hour, his time is limited. As his wife, it is my duty to help him succeed (my personal opinion). I do the research and write the grievances, or print maps, or whatever else will help his day run more smoothly so that when he gets home from his 14 hour day he can spend a few minutes with his kid before going to bed. That 'do what you're told and go home' attitude defeats the purpose of the contract and seniority entirely.[/QUOTE

Do the damned thing, ma'am. Behind every good man is an even better woman.

 

[lovey]

Thank you Harry! I hope you have a good wife at home who puts your sanity and well being high in her priority list too.

 

[DS]

My biggest concern here is the "ready for a nervous breakdown" comment.
After being at UPS so long you'd think he'd have learned how not to let the crap bother him.
His health is more important.

 

[lovey]

I think part of it is feeling defeated. In his career (18 years) he had never filed a single grievance, and up until 09, he didn't have to take the packages option every day to support his family. When he approached the center manager he got a basic 'I'm the boss and you'll do what I say, the union can't help you here' response. I hope that his attitude will change from defeated to optimism when the greviences hit the union (currently they have been received by management but not the union). I believe that once he can tangably see that the union is really on his side he will feel better.

 

[anonymous6]

My biggest concern here is the "ready for a nervous breakdown" comment.
After being at UPS so long you'd think he'd have learned how not to let the crap bother him.
His health is more important.

I seen a driver have a nervous breakdown after 24 years of service. it was the result of small things that UPS does to all of us that just built up over time. also it is not just work. it's things in LIFE too.

the sad thing is , almost everyone saw it coming. i tried talking to him a couple times and invited him and his wife for a BBQ but he never took me up on it.

the good news is he is collecting a pension and is actually happier now after he quit and stays real busy with his business. his wife is even happier now that he is home all the time.

 

[Jones]

You go lovey. UPS can be a bear sometimes and I know from experience how important it is to have your partner backing you up when things get rough.

 

[DSM515]

I see your point and agree it sucks but he is Not a "bid cover driver" if he was he would have had to sign a "bid cover driver job" he fall into just a cover driver and has to take whatever they give to him that day or if lucky that week. In our center we have 4 bid cover drivers who get to pick by seniority what route they want to do the following week and the other 10 work as directed. He can't have his cake and eat it too. Either sign a bid cover or a bid route in package when they come up or sign one in feeders. The issue with the lower senior driver will be a wash because he is most likely a "bid cover driver" and your hubs is bumping in which means he can only bump the least senior driver who isn't a "bid cover driver". He should just be greatful he's not the Package guy HE'S bumping back into the hub and taking a pay cut with no OT. I think I would count my blessings making 33 bucks a hour before I got into a pissing match about what route I'm gonna run. My route is a training area so about once a year I get bumped off it for them to train a newbie and I have to work as directed even though I have way more seniority then all the bid cover guys combined.

 

[104Feeder]

To the OP,

Unfortunately, Feeder work rules are so location specific that no one here can give you a knowledgeable answer to your main questions. You would need to look to those work rules as to how it governs feeder and package transitioning, and to the Package supplement as to training routes. In my area the Company is limited to no more than 4 training routes based on the number of drivers and they must be bid as such. You may have similar language.
If the BA is being unresponsive (and really his duty is only to the member not to you), seek out that knowledgeable Steward that may be more receptive. It sounds like you are on the right track with your grievances. Generally they will keep on violating until they grievance process is resolved in your favor. There are other methods he might use to push back, but seeing as you say he is near a nervous breakdown you might encourage him to seek professional help for that and request intermittent FMLA leave. It would, of course, be coincidental if putting your husband on an undesirable route triggered the need for an FMLA day on the days the center manager can least afford him to be absent.