So I work for UPS now

[thebrownbox]

Yeah warming up is the key here.. on the second day I did not and I felt it real good the next morning. It seems each center does things different from other it seems.. I filled out the union papers and the two cards I think one was for the health and the other was if something happened to me on the job, as my HR guy said you start with $1,000 if I died and stuff like that.

I don't think a seasonal person would have to do all that would they? I know first thing tomorrow I will be buying some gloves.

 

[longlunchguy]

Brownbox, Let me first express my condolenses to you and your family on the loss of your father. I think if you went to your manager and explained (clearly) what legalities you needed to attend to, they would try to accomodate you for missing a couple of days. Understand, they are under no obligation to do so, but most people would, especially if you have been giving a good effort. Tell your management team now, and go take care of business now, before it gets really crazy in another couple of weeks. Best of luck.

 

[LKLND3380]

Yeah warming up is the key here.. on the second day I did not and I felt it real good the next morning. It seems each center does things different from other it seems.. I filled out the union papers and the two cards I think one was for the health and the other was if something happened to me on the job, as my HR guy said you start with $1,000 if I died and stuff like that.

I don't think a seasonal person would have to do all that would they? I know first thing tomorrow I will be buying some gloves.

Florida is a "Right To Work" state so employees are not obligated to join the Union. With that said our local (79) has the largest membership percentage of any local in a Right To Work state...

I am not sure about the paperwork, UPS didn't approach us to fill out paperwork and join the Union... Co workers will tell nehires about the Union and after 30 days a new hire can ask a Steward for an application to join... The Union will show up some mornings with breakfast (donuts, sausages, biscuits, water, OJ) and have a table to sign up for DRIVE and sign up new members...

There are the emergency numbers that are filled out on a computer when meeting with HR... It's been so long that I don't remember what was filled out but I do remember a benefit card for life insurance being mailed to the house...

I am in FL so we dont get as cold here but we do have more than a few days on the preload where it gets in the low 30s. Gloves are a must but you need durable gloves that wont tear up from the belts and normal use. $8.00 Baseball batting gloves may last two days... Cheaper $2.99 work gloves at Sears or WalMart last a month... One guy at our center buys some work gloves with a warranty, I forgot how much he paid but he is always sending them back and they replace the gloves...

Buy a black long sleve t-shirt and layer your clothes to keep warm. Sweatshirt, t-shirt, long sleve t-shirt... Some days on the preload it could be 34 degrees and I will take off layers down to the long sleeve t-shirt...

 

[thebrownbox]

Yeah I was never approached for the paperwork, they pretty much handed it out along with the contact cards and filled out the first page in the new hire booklet they had (forgot the name of it) but I saw they used it while I was out working in one of the sorting areas.

I did buy two pair of gloves, My fingers got pretty beat up on the first day but I should be ok now. So far it's been warm in the hub and when you start working you start sweating a bit but I keep my jacket on since it can be a bit drafty when I sort the boxes coming in.

 

[thebrownbox]

Found out today I'm not seasonal.

 

[kingOFchester]

Found out today I'm not seasonal.

Great!! Now see if you can get some time off b4 peak!

 

[LKLND3380]

Found out today I'm not seasonal.

Then "MAYBE" you can take some time off to take care of things. Explain to your Center Manager and Supes that your father passed away and you need some time to get things in order...

The way I understand it, no vacation can be taken between the last week of November and 26 December...

Not that you are asking for vacation time but under the circumstances they should be understanding...

 

[thebrownbox]

Well I must be impressing them I got called out while we sorted and was told I was making an effort to sort on the right belt where others threw stuff that was meant for the brown belt to the yellow.

A question would they be asking me to be doing drivers helper or is that something you sign up for?

 

[kingOFchester]

Well I must be impressing them I got called out while we sorted and was told I was making an effort to sort on the right belt where others threw stuff that was meant for the brown belt to the yellow.

A question would they be asking me to be doing drivers helper or is that something you sign up for?

Great job!! Wish you were sorting in my center. Also, in my center you sign up for drivers helper.

 

[LKLND3380]

A question would they be asking me to be doing drivers helper or is that something you sign up for?

Where I am, the supes walk around with a legal pad and ask: Do you want to jump? Then they take the list and go by Seniority in picking who goe with a Driver...

 

[thebrownbox]

Ok I can see my paycheck online now I was told they take like $50 or so out for union dues.

In which for me it's $57 but was it like 7 weeks they will be still taking it from my pay?

 

[DS]

they will take it forever ....and it will keep going up as long as the teamsters represent us

 

[thebrownbox]

Question.. I just received the 401K thing taking me to the site where I enter in my Pin and all I'm confused is this something I have to sign up for or did I sign up for it already?

*edit

Oh I see now I have to enroll if I want to do so.

 

[thebrownbox]

Well they have me doing something new.. I forgot what it's called but they had me do a test run yesterday, what I pretty much do right now is as the boxes come up the orange belt here I sort any of the boxes with D10 or D11 on the PAS label.. which also means I need to be quick.

Seems like they are testing me for loading a truck? I must of did good the first day since they want me to do this for now on (not sure how long) and I seem to have "jedi powers" they said with sorting the boxes lol.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

Well they have me doing something new.. I forgot what it's called but they had me do a test run yesterday, what I pretty much do right now is as the boxes come up the orange belt here I sort any of the boxes with D10 or D11 on the PAS label.. which also means I need to be quick.

Seems like they are testing me for loading a truck? I must of did good the first day since they want me to do this for now on (not sure how long) and I seem to have "jedi powers" they said with sorting the boxes lol.

Yeah, "the pick". That's probably the best job overall concerning early AM or local sort, but it's stressful on your arm(s). Make sure you use both arms, because after about 2-3 months, alot of picks get severe pain (including myself several years ago when I was part-time) from repetitive injury because of using one arm all the time.

It doesn't sound like you'll be loading cars anytime soon if they want you picking off. Believe me; you're in a good place where you are.

 

[thebrownbox]

Yeah, "the pick". That's probably the best job overall concerning early AM or local sort, but it's stressful on your arm(s). Make sure you use both arms, because after about 2-3 months, alot of picks get severe pain (including myself several years ago when I was part-time) from repetitive injury because of using one arm all the time.

It doesn't sound like you'll be loading cars anytime soon if they want you picking off. Believe me; you're in a good place where you are.

Heck yes is so much better then the sort aisle I mean I'm only 125Lb and only 5'10" some of these boxes are almost half my body weight...

My back has been killing me for weeks but not my arms anymore. So far the boxes have been light but heavy boxes or boxes still coming up while I'm trying to pull a heavy box If I can grab it I will try I had a few that went past and went down to the preloaders and they sent it back around again, one of the sups came up and said are you finding that some are getting away from you? I was like yeah... I have to push the boxes back down the belt because of labels that are face down or whatever... a good tip was boxes with the same name on it are most likely going to get pulled if you see the first one with that door number.

I'd say it was a good birthday gift yesterday for me.

 

[thebrownbox]

Ahh I see what you mean now.. Friday was packed with package for me to pick, I ran out of room on both slides so I had to stack boxes behind me.. The good thing about being a picker is my back hardly ever hurts anymore now.

 

[magoo57]

brown box, welcome to UPS and condolences. Pickoff is the easiest physical job in the hub-with one exception. NEVER try to "push back" a box with your elbow on top (arm turned where your pinky is on top and your arm is extended). You will put a lot of stress on your elbow that way. I put a lot of stress on my elbow and rotator cuff that way. ( I used to believe that pro ball players were wimps for not playing with a cuff injury. Now I know better)
Also try to find when you have a slide that is not receiving flow and try to 'park' excess flow on that slide until the wave goes through..then get help in clearing that particular slide. I parked packages behind me too, but that process can turn and bite you.
Good luck!

 

[thebrownbox]

^ yeah turn around a bite me is right.. I was picking off so quick yesterday that I had no more room behind me or on the slides so I had no other option but to let the boxes pass.. then after about 5 min later the guy from the belt where the boxes came over and asked me what was going on, and I said I'm all backed up so he asks the guy who was pulling the boxes (he has to load two trucks) and he asked him if he needed any help and he was like yeah.

once the help came I never let another box slip by for the rest of the time.

I had no clue this was peak.. so far it's not all that bad paying the union and the taxes on my paycheck eats things up pretty fast...

 

[thebrownbox]

And as I already knew it spoke with the manager today and she asked me if I had any plans on staying past the New Years and I said yes, Well she was pleased and saying she was looking to keeping me on anyways, while peak seemed easy (sometimes a bit boring) just picking stuff off the belt it was not bad just the odd hours started to get to me (as soon as I got home it was always a rush to get some sleep) And everyone calls me a night owl..

Now that the time is normal again it's not so bad start at 5AM and out before 9AM.