Fredless
APWA Hater
I've seen a lot of threads asking the same questions over and over. Maybe we can get some other experienced people and stewards to chime in and potentially make this a sticky?
I'm in the SOUTHERN REGION, so please bear with me if I don't match exactly how it is in your building.
I'm the PM steward for my hub for the part timers, so bear with me here too. I don't know all the 9.5 language, doesn't apply to me or the members I represent the majority of the time.
Q1: My steward is a piece of crap why won't he/she do anything, I really want to file a grievance!?
A1: Hold on one second. I know at my building, I have a small amount of cry babies and they're usually older and haven't been employed that long. Don't think for ONE SECOND that just because you are going to the steward, that he/she can wave their magical steward hand and get you off the hook for anything. We ARE NOT Gods! If you REALLY think you are being shoved off, DON'T GO CRYING ABOUT HOW CRAPPY YOU
THINK you are being treated, go to another steward or someone whose been here for awhile and see what they think. Most of the time you will be told that's how it is. If you don't get any further, work your way up the ladder, contact the Business Agent for UPS at your local, most of the time communication errors can be solved in a 5 minute phone call. Talk trash about the steward and see who you go crying to when they try to suspend you for petty misloads. Point - be careful who you burn bridges with. If you REALLY think you could do better, try and put yourself in the stewards shoes. We don't get paid extra for being a baby sitter, yet we get yelled at for everyone and have to get you off the hook for EVERYTHING.
Q2:Why does that punk ass kid who still has a good back get to leave before me or why does that punk kid able to take the over time from me? Shouldn't they respect my age and the fact that I have a family?
A2:Seniority PREVAILS. THATS HOW IT IS, BAR NONE NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Just because this punk 22-23 year old kid is going home before you on a Friday night and you are sent to the bulks to load iregs. and you think you should go home first because you are older, etc..DOESN'T FLY. That punk kid has been here longer than you, probably since he/she was in high school and has about 4 years of seniority (which is a decent amount for the PM shift at my hub). The union creates everyone as EQUAL, or at least thats the idea. Weather or not thats enforced, or true..well you be the judge but nothing is perfect. Anyway, I went through the SAME orientation everyone else SHOULD HAVE went through. I was TOLD I HAD to lift up to 70 pounds BY MYSELF continuously!! That applies to ALL jobs folks. Don't think because you bid out of reload to a clerk or car wash job doesn't mean you won't ever have to touch a package again.
To the older people looking for benefits, this is NOT an easy job. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH SENIORITY BEING EVERYTHING, GO INTO MANAGEMENT OR SEEK EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE!! I cannot make that more clear. Do NOT come crying to me that its hard on your 40+ year old body to unload trucks for longer than some kid. If the kid has seniority on you, and they say who wants to go home first, and he says he wants to go AND has seniority - sorry pops, get your ass back in the trailer. As a steward, I cannot wave my magical stewards hand to get you out of work to violates someone seniority. My best advice to this is to befriend your senior employees in your area and say "hey i've got a bad back ache thats been going on for days, you mind if I can go home first tonight?" MOST of the time, they will help you out. I know I do when our junior clerk wants to go home early for family reasons etc. She just asks, "hey my aunt so and so is in town, can I go home early for the next few days?" 99% of the time I say yes, unless I have some exam the next morning for class. ITS THAT SIMPLE FOLKS
Q3: My supervisor was a jerk off to me last week, so now I want to file on him to get him back
A3:Great, now you get shown that because you were "cool" with your sup and he sent you down the river, now you'll enforce the contract? I hate these "vengeance" greivances. Regardless, glad you started to enforce the contract. First solution is ALWAYS, hey stop working. LET ME DO THAT FOR YOU. If they tell you to get lost or continue, you have HELPED YOUR CASE A GREAT DEAL. When the steward presents the greivance to the manager, mine like to come back with "well we had call ins and did YOUR MEMBER offer to do the work?" Fine, I can play that. Warn them once, then greive after and always. If the sup or other sups KEEP working, WRITE THIS DOWN during break or BEFORE/AFTER your shift. Per the UPS policy book, NO UNION BUSINESS WHILE ON THE CLOCK (like this, safety/discilpline/dispute issues are another story).
Write:
Who
What
When
Where
Why
WITNESSES!!
Read article 3, section 7.d for the penalty you are entitled to. If its under 2 hours, you are entiled to that time worked at YOUR CURRENT overtime rate of pay. If they work OVER 2 HOURS, you get 4 hours at straight time or the actual time worked at your over time rate of pay, whichever is greater. Page 11, also check out your local supplements. Also, don't just write you want the money. It helps if you write along with the monitary this: "TO STOP MANAGEMENT FROM WORKING. TO CREATE MORE HOURLY JOBS" It helps later on for a large case, the union can pull out greivances and say "we've continued to grieve you and yet you still are doing bargaining unit work!"
Q4: What should I write on the greivance for a contract violation?
A4: Be as BASIC as possible. For example you caught your supervisor working,
Contract violation:
Supervisor john doe was working for 3 hours loading on bay 18.
Remedy sought: To be paid 3 hours at my current over time rate of pay. To STOP MANAGEMENT from working. TO CREATE MORE HOULRY JOBS
Don't write the whole story on the front, management gets a copy and when the greivance is heard, it gives management a chance to have ammunition against the greivance. Give your details to your steward. The union is called the MOVING PARTY on these issues, WE HAVE TO PROVE they were working or violating the contract.
Q5: Ok I'm getting a green check for an article 17 (pay issue) will be I taxed like a european?
A5: NO NO NO! Its spelled out CLEAR AS DAY. In fact, on all my A17 greviances, I REMIND management on my remedy saught. Open to page 43 of the master agreement. I quote, "All green checks will be taxed at the employee's regular with-holding tax rate."
I have more to add, but I have to get to class right now.
I'm in the SOUTHERN REGION, so please bear with me if I don't match exactly how it is in your building.
I'm the PM steward for my hub for the part timers, so bear with me here too. I don't know all the 9.5 language, doesn't apply to me or the members I represent the majority of the time.
Q1: My steward is a piece of crap why won't he/she do anything, I really want to file a grievance!?
A1: Hold on one second. I know at my building, I have a small amount of cry babies and they're usually older and haven't been employed that long. Don't think for ONE SECOND that just because you are going to the steward, that he/she can wave their magical steward hand and get you off the hook for anything. We ARE NOT Gods! If you REALLY think you are being shoved off, DON'T GO CRYING ABOUT HOW CRAPPY YOU
THINK you are being treated, go to another steward or someone whose been here for awhile and see what they think. Most of the time you will be told that's how it is. If you don't get any further, work your way up the ladder, contact the Business Agent for UPS at your local, most of the time communication errors can be solved in a 5 minute phone call. Talk trash about the steward and see who you go crying to when they try to suspend you for petty misloads. Point - be careful who you burn bridges with. If you REALLY think you could do better, try and put yourself in the stewards shoes. We don't get paid extra for being a baby sitter, yet we get yelled at for everyone and have to get you off the hook for EVERYTHING.
Q2:Why does that punk ass kid who still has a good back get to leave before me or why does that punk kid able to take the over time from me? Shouldn't they respect my age and the fact that I have a family?
A2:Seniority PREVAILS. THATS HOW IT IS, BAR NONE NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Just because this punk 22-23 year old kid is going home before you on a Friday night and you are sent to the bulks to load iregs. and you think you should go home first because you are older, etc..DOESN'T FLY. That punk kid has been here longer than you, probably since he/she was in high school and has about 4 years of seniority (which is a decent amount for the PM shift at my hub). The union creates everyone as EQUAL, or at least thats the idea. Weather or not thats enforced, or true..well you be the judge but nothing is perfect. Anyway, I went through the SAME orientation everyone else SHOULD HAVE went through. I was TOLD I HAD to lift up to 70 pounds BY MYSELF continuously!! That applies to ALL jobs folks. Don't think because you bid out of reload to a clerk or car wash job doesn't mean you won't ever have to touch a package again.
To the older people looking for benefits, this is NOT an easy job. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH SENIORITY BEING EVERYTHING, GO INTO MANAGEMENT OR SEEK EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE!! I cannot make that more clear. Do NOT come crying to me that its hard on your 40+ year old body to unload trucks for longer than some kid. If the kid has seniority on you, and they say who wants to go home first, and he says he wants to go AND has seniority - sorry pops, get your ass back in the trailer. As a steward, I cannot wave my magical stewards hand to get you out of work to violates someone seniority. My best advice to this is to befriend your senior employees in your area and say "hey i've got a bad back ache thats been going on for days, you mind if I can go home first tonight?" MOST of the time, they will help you out. I know I do when our junior clerk wants to go home early for family reasons etc. She just asks, "hey my aunt so and so is in town, can I go home early for the next few days?" 99% of the time I say yes, unless I have some exam the next morning for class. ITS THAT SIMPLE FOLKS
Q3: My supervisor was a jerk off to me last week, so now I want to file on him to get him back
A3:Great, now you get shown that because you were "cool" with your sup and he sent you down the river, now you'll enforce the contract? I hate these "vengeance" greivances. Regardless, glad you started to enforce the contract. First solution is ALWAYS, hey stop working. LET ME DO THAT FOR YOU. If they tell you to get lost or continue, you have HELPED YOUR CASE A GREAT DEAL. When the steward presents the greivance to the manager, mine like to come back with "well we had call ins and did YOUR MEMBER offer to do the work?" Fine, I can play that. Warn them once, then greive after and always. If the sup or other sups KEEP working, WRITE THIS DOWN during break or BEFORE/AFTER your shift. Per the UPS policy book, NO UNION BUSINESS WHILE ON THE CLOCK (like this, safety/discilpline/dispute issues are another story).
Write:
Who
What
When
Where
Why
WITNESSES!!
Read article 3, section 7.d for the penalty you are entitled to. If its under 2 hours, you are entiled to that time worked at YOUR CURRENT overtime rate of pay. If they work OVER 2 HOURS, you get 4 hours at straight time or the actual time worked at your over time rate of pay, whichever is greater. Page 11, also check out your local supplements. Also, don't just write you want the money. It helps if you write along with the monitary this: "TO STOP MANAGEMENT FROM WORKING. TO CREATE MORE HOURLY JOBS" It helps later on for a large case, the union can pull out greivances and say "we've continued to grieve you and yet you still are doing bargaining unit work!"
Q4: What should I write on the greivance for a contract violation?
A4: Be as BASIC as possible. For example you caught your supervisor working,
Contract violation:
Supervisor john doe was working for 3 hours loading on bay 18.
Remedy sought: To be paid 3 hours at my current over time rate of pay. To STOP MANAGEMENT from working. TO CREATE MORE HOULRY JOBS
Don't write the whole story on the front, management gets a copy and when the greivance is heard, it gives management a chance to have ammunition against the greivance. Give your details to your steward. The union is called the MOVING PARTY on these issues, WE HAVE TO PROVE they were working or violating the contract.
Q5: Ok I'm getting a green check for an article 17 (pay issue) will be I taxed like a european?
A5: NO NO NO! Its spelled out CLEAR AS DAY. In fact, on all my A17 greviances, I REMIND management on my remedy saught. Open to page 43 of the master agreement. I quote, "All green checks will be taxed at the employee's regular with-holding tax rate."
I have more to add, but I have to get to class right now.