Vacation payoff

[bubsdad]

At a recent union meeting I brought up the idea of guys actually taking the vacation time they were entitled to instead of selling it back or working through scheduled weeks. It wasn't received very well. I know it is contractual that a person can sell it back or work it, but at our hub at least, if the guys took the vacation they had coming there would be alot more work for the guys lower on the board. I wasn't asking for a change in policy, just a change in attitude. But the guys at the top don't seem to want to help out the guys at the bottom. Just wondering if other areas are having the same kind of discussions. We have alot of guys that have earne 5, 6, 7 weeks that will take 2 and sell the rest back or work through. At some point, (and I've seen it done at other companies) UPS might ask why they are paying a person to work when they are entitled tovacation and try to negotiate it out.

 

[trplnkl]

I'm with you on this one Bubsdad. I can't imagine selling back my vacation weeks, geeez I might be willing to buy a week or two from some else though.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We do not have the option of selling our vacation time back and are strongly discouraged from working through our vacations.

 

[User Name]

This has been a topic before and I still feel the same way, Take the time off. Some people say that they can't afford seven or five vacations a year that is why they sell them back and that is just garbage. I have been on vacation before and just done one tank trips just to get out and see things that I have taken for granted that were in my home state.

The real problem is that people can't pay the enormous bills that they have accumulated and sell them for that reason. I have also heard people say that they put that money back for the kids and such, really, then why not put more of your paycheck away each week and still take the time off. JMO.... who really cares anyway

 

[dilligaf]

Western Conference has language that bars UPS from letting bidded vacation drivers work. It is grievable. I have had discussions with mgt over this as it screws me out of a rte for a week.

 

[Fenah]

When you take a vacation you don't have to go somewhere Staying home and sleeping in. NOW THATS A VACATION. ! I would never sell back my vacation. Should not even be allowed.

 

[Galaxy48]

I am a first time poster here at Brown Cafe, but a long time lurker. 32 years with the company, started part time and have been in feeders for a very long time. I just had to put my 2 cents worth in because I have been seeing more and more of this type of thing in recent years where I work (very large hub). The younger guys just don't have the patience to wait their turn anymore. Why would anyone care what the guys at the top do with vacations ?? They are at the top for a reason, they waited. They put their time in. They EARNED those vacations so as far as I can see, they can do whatever they want with them. Personally, I take any day off I can get. There is more to life than working , but there are some guys who look at this job as their business. I have actually had guys tell me they are " losing money " when they go on vacation. This I do not agree with, because in my eyes, vacation time and pay is " free money ". Everyone is entitled to their own ideas and beliefs, but these younger guys just need to take a pill and wait their turn or get out if they can't wait to get to the top. There, just call me an old grumpy feeder driver...lol

 

[feederdriver06]

Some situations taking a vacation you lose alot of money. If a driver is making 2000.00 a week and need the money to keep flowing in why would he take a vacation week and only get 1325.00? We can sell our weeks but I haven't done that for quite some time. But if I needed cash in a hurry I would dump all of them for the 6600.00 + dollars a few weeks after I changed my federal witholding number to 9 on UPSers.com to avoid LAME uncle sam taxing me to death.

 

[brett636]

I'm with the rest of you, as I take my vacations when they come around. We don't have the option of "selling" them back to the company. We just have the one option week where we have the option of either working or not, but I refuse to work during a vacation. Paid time off is to be enjoyed, not squandered.

 

[Highwayman]

I would NEVER sell my vacations if I could. I use all my sick and personal days too. Yes there is more to life than work. Get your finances under control,live on LESS than you make!

 

[helenofcalifornia]

User Name, what is a "tank trip?" A trip in a gas hog?

 

[User Name]

User Name, what is a "tank trip?" A trip in a gas hog?

Any type of excursion taking only one tank to and from.......

 

[brownmonster]

The only week we can sell is the option week. No one is allowed to work thru vacation in our center. We cannot trade weeks either.

 

[bubsdad]

I am a first time poster here at Brown Cafe, but a long time lurker. 32 years with the company, started part time and have been in feeders for a very long time. I just had to put my 2 cents worth in because I have been seeing more and more of this type of thing in recent years where I work (very large hub). The younger guys just don't have the patience to wait their turn anymore. Why would anyone care what the guys at the top do with vacations ?? They are at the top for a reason, they waited. They put their time in. They EARNED those vacations so as far as I can see, they can do whatever they want with them. Personally, I take any day off I can get. There is more to life than working , but there are some guys who look at this job as their business. I have actually had guys tell me they are " losing money " when they go on vacation. This I do not agree with, because in my eyes, vacation time and pay is " free money ". Everyone is entitled to their own ideas and beliefs, but these younger guys just need to take a pill and wait their turn or get out if they can't wait to get to the top. There, just call me an old grumpy feeder driver...lol

I don't disagree with you. I just wish the guys at the top could remember 30 yrs ago or so when they were struggling and wishing the guys at the top would have a little compassion. If times were good and there was plenty of work for everyone it probably wouldn't even be a thought but times aren't good and there isn't enough work for everyone. I don't want to lose the right to cash out your vacation but sometimes it seems greed overshadows compassion. At least that's the perception.

 

[wannabeups]

I don't disagree with you. I just wish the guys at the top could remember 30 yrs ago or so when they were struggling and wishing the guys at the top would have a little compassion. If times were good and there was plenty of work for everyone it probably wouldn't even be a thought but times aren't good and there isn't enough work for everyone. I don't want to lose the right to cash out your vacation but sometimes it seems greed overshadows compassion. At least that's the perception.

+1

 

[helenofcalifornia]

I can see both sides. My seniority is kinda in the middle so I am not laid off or can't get the weeks I want for vacation. The guys at the top have earned their stripes by working for so many years here, yet appear sometimes to be a little arrogant when it comes to those stripes they have earned. We have about 5 or 6 guys in our building who could have retired several years ago, but choose to still work.

If I were any one of them, I would probably still be working too. They got the cushiest jobs. But they have earned these jobs just by the fact that they are still working after all these years.

Yeah, maybe they should retire, giving those of up below them a chance at moving up to an easier route. But it is kind of the stuff you have to go through at UPS, a form of "hazing" if you will, to get to the top or near top at UPS.

And no, I don't think there should be vaca payouts just because you make more working than your vaca check. It is a definite "no no" out here.

 

[some1else]

this is the first time in 5 years i took vacation; took two weeks so we could avoid a lay-off for a new guy (when i came back he got lay-off anyway...)

personally i hate taking time off cause it just sucks coming back. 2 days off a week is plenty for me; and all those personals, sick days, and vacation ADDS UP when you cash em.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

Wait until you are older, then those vacation weeks will be needed. It will take more than two days to recoup from a regular work week.

 

[User Name]

I don't disagree with you. I just wish the guys at the top could remember 30 yrs ago or so when they were struggling and wishing the guys at the top would have a little compassion. If times were good and there was plenty of work for everyone it probably wouldn't even be a thought but times aren't good and there isn't enough work for everyone. I don't want to lose the right to cash out your vacation but sometimes it seems greed overshadows compassion. At least that's the perception.

Those guys can't remember back to the forties when they started. Back when some of the guys started driving in my center they still used the bicycle.........

Hey also it isn't their fault that they have been making top rate for 30 years and have no money......................

 

[brett636]

I am a first time poster here at Brown Cafe, but a long time lurker. 32 years with the company, started part time and have been in feeders for a very long time. I just had to put my 2 cents worth in because I have been seeing more and more of this type of thing in recent years where I work (very large hub). The younger guys just don't have the patience to wait their turn anymore. Why would anyone care what the guys at the top do with vacations ?? They are at the top for a reason, they waited. They put their time in. They EARNED those vacations so as far as I can see, they can do whatever they want with them. Personally, I take any day off I can get. There is more to life than working , but there are some guys who look at this job as their business. I have actually had guys tell me they are " losing money " when they go on vacation. This I do not agree with, because in my eyes, vacation time and pay is " free money ". Everyone is entitled to their own ideas and beliefs, but these younger guys just need to take a pill and wait their turn or get out if they can't wait to get to the top. There, just call me an old grumpy feeder driver...lol

I can't disagree with you there. Those guys at the top have every right to do what they wish with their vacations. Although those same guys at the top are the ones closest to retirement, and if they can't make it month to month by taking a vacation where they get fewer hours than they normally would then they have a serious problem. Once they make the decision to retire they need to figure out how to live on 40% or less of their current take home pay, and their poor financial decisions now will hurt them when they leave their buildings for the last time.

Case in point, my sister has a friend whose father was a feeder driver for a number of years and ended up retiring. I am not certain how many years he worked, but both him and his wife(was a stay at home wife before retirement) had to go out and get jobs just to keep themselves afloat financially. They didn't adjust their lifestyle from the $1200+ a week(net pay) he was bringing home to the $3000ish/month(probably less) pension he was receiving.