taking lunch at your home

[trplnkl]

No. This cannot be allowed to fly. You guys need to make a stand. You call your BA, and tell him you are being disciplined for peeing on company time. You all get together and you break route 15 times a day to pee untill your center manager sees the light. There is nothing wrong with going to a public bathroom with a sink to relieve yourself.

My point was one of your pees could be taken at a restaurant. You break trace to pee, and have lunch while you're there.

You guys can't allow this foolishness to continue.

I agree Over, 100%...however(in our center) getting more than 3 drivers to band together to fight for our rights are near to impossible. It took me a month to get more than one driver to file excessive overtime grievances instead of just bitching about it.

Anyway, for here, it's a moot point, they never say too much about staying on trace because most of the traces are so screwed up.

One big mistake we make is waiting until we are fired to stand up for our rights.

 

[Catatonic]

No. This cannot be allowed to fly. You guys need to make a stand. You call your BA, and tell him you are being disciplined for peeing on company time. You all get together and you break route 15 times a day to pee untill your center manager sees the light. There is nothing wrong with going to a public bathroom with a sink to relieve yourself.

My point was one of your pees could be taken at a restaurant. You break trace to pee, and have lunch while you're there.

You guys can't allow this foolishness to continue.

There you go, as long as it is a reasonable distance and you did not pass a lot of other restaurants to get to the pee location.

 

[dilligaf]

Tell me again, does UPS have integrity or not? When they practice selective discipline, when they change the rules daily within the grey area, when the rules are changed and they tell no one is this integrity? No it is not.
I too, would like to know if there is another problem that started this 7 day surveillance. Was there a problem with missing packages? Was the driver going over 9.5 worked days against the CMs instructions? Was there any other issue that put him on the radar?

Since I first started driving, we were told(by multiple CMs) that we were NOT to drive the PC unless we are on the clock, PERIOD NO EXCEPTIONS. To me that means if you have to go off trace to take your meal time, you don't start lunch until you are no longer driving the PC. I see no grey area in that. Of course that isn't in the contract.
If this guy doesn't get his job back the arbitrator is a traitor to fairness and human decency and has no business being in that position. JMHO.

I agree with everything you said. As for the driving and lunch you are absolutely correct. It doesn't matter if it is in the contract though. DOT regulations (which UPS chooses to abide in as far as pkg goes) trumps the contract and UPS's ever changing policy. If more drivers would stand on this, the issue would disappear in a heartbeat. I've been involved in DOT regulations for a long time. Come on drivers wake up. Any CDL'd driver already knows this but those that are in pkg, sans a CDL, needs to learn this. DOT regulations can be a great friend to us if everyone would learn how to use it.

 

[1989]

I am a 15 year employee .. driving for 5 years ...I am currently "Discharged" for dishonesty and "stealing time" It may have had something to do with the March cost cutting incentive (not sure )... I had a 7 day investigation done on me by lp with pics of me taking lunch at home . I would come home to see my kids and have a home cooked meal that was free!!! Which is between 1-4 miles round trip (depending on which route I would do. I would take 45 min for lunch and first break( not one sec more) and at end of day on the way back to bldg. would stop at home for last 15 min. break . Did this for the last 5 years when I did the routes near my home. Never was given ANY warning that I was doing ANYTHING wrong. Been out of work since March awaiting arbitration.. all the union B.A is telling me is "the DM doesnt feel that you are remorseful and the company does not want to negotiate." I worked 11 1/2 hour days and just wanted to see my kids during the week .

I find this hard to believe. There is some info missing. I would definately know why I was fired. Every center I've worked in has said taking lunch at home could be sketchy. Working 11 1/2 hour days is not a defense for yourself. Sounds a lot like my 15yo who had no idea that an assignment was due that day, but the rest of the class knew. "But nobody told me!" Yeah right.

 

[some1else]

I agree with you on principle, but as far as I know there is no mention in the contract of the right to pee while on the clock.

article 37

 

[dilligaf]

article 37

Art 37 is a blanket statement. And yes, one would think that it would cover this as well. If I had to file on the right to pee I would use Art. 37.

 

[Work right slow and safe]

I find this hard to believe. There is some info missing. I would definately know why I was fired. Every center I've worked in has said taking lunch at home could be sketchy. Working 11 1/2 hour days is not a defense for yourself. Sounds a lot like my 15yo who had no idea that an assignment was due that day, but the rest of the class knew. "But nobody told me!" Yeah right.

CWB is a family member and i have seen his paperwork. yes this is what they are trying to get him on. I work for a different union and have asked my center manager and he stated that you have to be off the clock after your last stop to take your lunch. I then asked well if something happends to the pc when driving it off the clock who will be at fault. Due to it being on are time I think it would me at fault. that is like saying you work in an office you go to lunch and when walking out you hurt yourself just walking can you get workers comp no your not on comp time. they have never been written up in thire 15 years he has worked there and everyone knows he whent home for lunch even the center manager did. we are thinking that it has to do with the march cost cutting thing that was posted on brown cafe

 

[brownrodster]

I thought DOT regs said that as long as we were in the drivers seat, we were on the clock. I agree with Stug though, get your job back first, then argue. I go about 1 mile one way home for lunch very day. No flack from anyone here.

I'm sure that if we were off the clock driving a UPS truck and got in an accident we would be fired without the possibility of getting our job back.
If we are operating a UPS vehicle we have to be on the clock. How far you are allowed to go off trace for lunch while on the clock is the issue here. I never go off trace for lunch except for a few very small city blocks (talking less than a few hundred feet) to get to a store on a certain route. Only time I eat lunch at home is when I deliver to street I live on. I don't trust anyone at UPS and try to cover my ass at all times. Which includes NEVER driving a UPS truck while off the clock. Never breaking trace for lunch unless I'm positive I can justify it.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I expect we'll be seeing a lot more of this type of disciplinary action being taken. A few weeks ago we had our Telematics meeting to let us know how it's going to be from now on. Our division manager said it straight out: you will take lunch on trace, even if that means you bring a bag lunch to work (like he did for 10 years, according to him). He showed us a lot of neat Powerpoint slides of a driver who drove all around town on the clock, at a pizza joint for 45 minutes, at a park for a couple of hours, etc. Obviously this guy was stealing time, but they are apparently using that example as justification for eliminating any deviation from trace that does not involve making service on a package. Doesn't matter whether you are off the clock while driving off route, they don't want to spend the fuel cost either.

Heads up to all of you out there, Telematics/Big Brother is no joke. I have been pushing the envelope a little every few days, just to see what Telematics can and can't catch. It catches everything, as far as I have been able to tell. My advice to everyone is to work as directed. Sucks that they didn't give the OP any warning that he was doing anything wrong before they fired him, they gave us that much courtesy here, at least.

My center manager says that you're responsible for that PC from the time you turn the key on the lot until you return to the lot park and pull the keys. If someone breaks into it while making deliveries, away from it at lunch, break, or is hit while parked, as long as it's secured and parked safely your good. If it gets stolen you better have the keys. Lunch and break time start after the car is secured and your foot hits the ground. It ends when your foot hits the step of the PC. If you travel farther than the 1 mile radius they will make exceptions if they can't justify they tell you to pack a lunch. Show what you take and take what you show and do it by Diad time not your watch.

Tell me again, does UPS have integrity or not? When they practice selective discipline, when they change the rules daily within the grey area, when the rules are changed and they tell no one is this integrity? No it is not.
I too, would like to know if there is another problem that started this 7 day surveillance. Was there a problem with missing packages? Was the driver going over 9.5 worked days against the CMs instructions? Was there any other issue that put him on the radar?

Since I first started driving, we were told(by multiple CMs) that we were NOT to drive the PC unless we are on the clock, PERIOD NO EXCEPTIONS. To me that means if you have to go off trace to take your meal time, you don't start lunch until you are no longer driving the PC. I see no grey area in that. Of course that isn't in the contract.
If this guy doesn't get his job back the arbitrator is a traitor to fairness and human decency and has no business being in that position. JMHO.

I find this hard to believe. There is some info missing. I would definately know why I was fired. Every center I've worked in has said taking lunch at home could be sketchy. Working 11 1/2 hour days is not a defense for yourself. Sounds a lot like my 15yo who had no idea that an assignment was due that day, but the rest of the class knew. "But nobody told me!" Yeah right.

Or maybe your 15 year old was paying attention to the class hottie and really didn't hear anything.


I was told by a supe that once I break trace, that's when my lunch starts. My route is tight, so it's not like I travel that far out of the way, or use up a lot of time. But I'm certain that they said, "once you break trace".

 

[cwb]

I really appreciate your input and knowledge on this . There is a lot of time they are not giving me credit for for example my breaks that I never recorded in DIAD (I know this is my fault but but in 5 years was never told it was a problem) other than that, the times
that they are charging me with are times between stops ,and an airdrop and pickup that they are now saying has an 18 minute time allowance , I have no idea where the 18 min came from but it always took me between 20-30 minutes. The other times are the 3 min. to get home from last stop for lunch and 5 min. back . Other than this I have never been diciplined or reprimanded for anything in 15 years. I have 5 years safe driving and have been employee of the quarter. I also have quite a few customers that I am sure are really missing me. Hopefully they will take that into consideration. Thanks again.

 

[cwb]

No ,I never had missing packages I went over 9.5 but that was every day because it was an 11 hour planned day. I was told by LP that the investigation started after a fellow union employee informed them that I was going home for lunch and "stealing time" and that they were tired of seeing me steal time form the company . I thought that was pretty unprofessional and so did the shop steward . Yeah there is a whole lot of info I didnt put in here but it was a 7 DAY INVESTIGATION it would take me a lot of time to write down all the times that are trying to get me for . But I really appreciate everyones help.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

(I know this is my fault but but in 5 years was never told it was a problem) I also have quite a few customers that I am sure are really missing me. Hopefully they will take that into consideration. Thanks again.

You've only been doing this for 5 years? What did you do for the other 10? Just because no one tells you something is wrong, it's not?

UPS is not worried about your customers.

 

[cwb]

You've only been doing this for 5 years? What did you do for the other 10? Just because no one tells you something is wrong, it's not?

UPS is not worried about your customers.

For my first year at UPS I was a loader then became a pick off for 3 years then worked as a mule shifter until I went package driving . If I ever felt that I was doing anything wrong I wouldnt have done it and jeopordized my carreer and my family's well being !!!It was never a secret that I was going home . If anyone would have told me that I was doing something that I was not allowed ,I would not have done it , Period ! I know UPS doesnt care about my customers I wasn't counting on them getting me my job back but hopefully at least it shows that I am a good person and that I care about my job.

 

[Catatonic]

I really appreciate your input and knowledge on this . There is a lot of time they are not giving me credit for for example my breaks that I never recorded in DIAD (I know this is my fault but but in 5 years was never told it was a problem) other than that, the times
that they are charging me with are times between stops ,and an airdrop and pickup that they are now saying has an 18 minute time allowance , I have no idea where the 18 min came from but it always took me between 20-30 minutes. The other times are the 3 min. to get home from last stop for lunch and 5 min. back . Other than this I have never been diciplined or reprimanded for anything in 15 years. I have 5 years safe driving and have been employee of the quarter. I also have quite a few customers that I am sure are really missing me. Hopefully they will take that into consideration. Thanks again.

Good luck cwb ... hope you get your job back.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Good luck cwb ... hope you get your job back.

 

[hurricanegunner]

Nice-I've seen it done.

That is AWESOME!!

 

[upsgrunt]

No. This cannot be allowed to fly. You guys need to make a stand. You call your BA, and tell him you are being disciplined for peeing on company time. You all get together and you break route 15 times a day to pee untill your center manager sees the light. There is nothing wrong with going to a public bathroom with a sink to relieve yourself.

My point was one of your pees could be taken at a restaurant. You break trace to pee, and have lunch while you're there.

You guys can't allow this foolishness to continue.

Over,
You prefer to pee in sinks? I mean other than over crowded bathrooms at sporting events?

 

[over9five]

Over,
You prefer to pee in sinks? I mean other than over crowded bathrooms at sporting events?

Lol!! I see how bad that looks NOW......!!!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Over,
You prefer to pee in sinks? I mean other than over crowded bathrooms at sporting events?

Note to self: Bring bottled water and take out food when going to Over's house.

 

[over9five]

Note to self: Bring bottled water and take out food when going to Over's house.

What about when I come to your house???