UPS vs. Union proposals now on the table

[TreeIsLegend]

My wife noticed this last peak about my hours and mentioned it to me.

In Metro Chicago it was pure, typical peak. Everyone turning in after 12 hours, missing stops, more work than able to manage, not enough qualified drivers or helpers to get it done. I went from 16 hours a week as PT to 60 in the blink of an eye, my first season as a driver and fourth out on a truck. I start spring/summer peak this morning, I report in a few hours. I hope you're right about the trajectories in this case, as I wouldn't mind the hours at all. As a fan of fact and a staunch opponent of conjecture and hyperbole I am just going to keep doing my job until the absolutes come in from negotiations, the hard copy. Until then, I would relax.

 

[959Nanook]

...

The "30/60/90" should go away once the union formally takes over our healthcare.

...

That seems like a bold statement to me. Based on what is going on in Local 959, I am of the believe that UPS is asking for 30/60/90 to force conversations in the Health & Welfare Trusts across the country and less of a concern about whether UPS Teamsters (i.e. UPS employees) are helping to pay their healthcare premiums.

UPS Teamsters (i.e. UPS employees) are stuck in multiemployer Health and Welfare Trusts and UPS knows Teamsters are NOT letting go so UPS has to figure out how to strengthen the Health & Welfare Trusts because the proportions are changing as healthcare costs raise and UPS can't sustain the Health & Welfare Trusts as easily. 30/60/90 forces UPS Teamsters to consider the issue within their respective Health & Welfare Trusts whereas increasing Health & Welfare contributions made by UPS does not.

UPS would benefit greatly if more Teamster Health and Welfare Trusts started following the lead of other organized labor trades that have switched from Hours to Dollars because it forces the employees of other employers (with lower negotiated H&W contributions) to pay the remainder of their share of healthcare costs and strengthens the plans. Alternatively, UPS would benefit if Teamsters from other employers in H&W Trusts were contributing out-of-pocket similar to 30/60/90.

I don't know a whole lot other than our experience in Local 959. I am sure there are other forces at play but I suspect that the concern I discussed is part of it. I would imagine that it is possible that our (959) Health & Welfare Trust was skewed against UPS more heavily than most others but the same pressures (changing proportions due to increasing health care costs) are present across the jurisdiction of the the NMA between UPS and IBT. If the situations aren't as bad as ours was becoming, then most Health & Welfare Trusts are probably less likely to make the bold changes ours did.

The only way for Corporate UPS to address these concerns across the board is to address it in some fashion in the NMA. 30/60/90 addresses the concern. Money talks. Start taking money out of UPS Teamsters pockets and maybe UPS Teamsters will be encouraged to act. Teamsters are focused on the strike... maybe the strike is just a distraction (or opening act) to the action that UPS is trying to achieve on the grander scale.

More importantly, if 30/60/90 goes away... it is just kicking the can down the road in the Health & Welfare Trusts which is why I think it is a bold statement that 30/60/90 goes away if the union takes control of healthcare for all UPS Teamsters because that actually acerbates the problem for the Health & Welfare Trusts.

 

[twoweeled]

In a nutshell, judging by the lack of interest the union has shown concerning all the harassment at work. I honestly and sincerely have little confidence in our union. Although I would take Hoffa SR back in a second! Deals have always been cut, but now it seems NOT for the betterment of the brotherhood.