Vacation selection (Summer weeks)

[bumped]

Trading vacation is not an option in my center. Is used to get done years ago, but too many hard feelings. The only times its happened recently is an under the table switch with a management person involved if a driver was getting married. Basically, the trade would be made, but would not be switched on the centers vacation list for all to see. The switch would be on the schedule that goes to payroll/HR or wherever it goes. The vacation checks would be in the weeks it would normally be. The only people that would figure it out are the bid covereage drivers when the high seniority driver "should" be on vacation. At that time, people bitch, but its too late to do anything.

 

[tfinnegan]

I thought that the "Sick Day" was made for low seniority drivers and you could also see "Dr. Summeroff"...Stress, backpain, etc.....from the LONGGGG hours

 

[browniehound]

Trading vacation is not an option in my center. Is used to get done years ago, but too many hard feelings. The only times its happened recently is an under the table switch with a management person involved if a driver was getting married. Basically, the trade would be made, but would not be switched on the centers vacation list for all to see. The switch would be on the schedule that goes to payroll/HR or wherever it goes. The vacation checks would be in the weeks it would normally be. The only people that would figure it out are the bid covereage drivers when the high seniority driver "should" be on vacation. At that time, people bitch, but its too late to do anything.

Same thing here. Trading vacations doesn't sit well with many drivers and I can sympathize with this. The chance to get even a late June week is so competitive amoung us "middle senority guys" that I have the guy or two that are directly under me ask not to pick the final week in June because they reserved a cottage for that week.

First of all, they are lying. Second, I wasn't going to take it because there is only one week I really need and as everyone at BC knows its a week at the end of July. Third, I really don't care about you and your cottage. Why are you even coming to me and asking this? Do you think I'm going to change MY plans so you can get YOUR week?

Now, if I had 6 summer weeks then I would be more than happy to give you the week or even two you are looking for. However, we all know I can't do that because July and August is gone to anyone with less than 15 years in.

Yes, this year, the last week in June was available for me and I didn't need it. The driver picking right after me came to me and ask me what my vacation picks were. I didn't know his name, but he obviously knew mine. He came up to me and ask what I picked for vacations. I began to tell him and he rudely cut me off and asked if I picked the last week in June.

I told him no and he ran away. If I did pick it, did he expect me to change it? I may have if I knew him, but I didn't.

I guess this comes back to senoirity rules and we have to live with it. I'm good friends with a driver that takes all six weeks in the summer. I give him crap every year that its guys like him that leaves guys like me and everyone else around my hire date without a summer week.

His response: "Browniehound, when you get the seniority you get to have the weeks". I can't argue with this. Still, I tell him that I look like a fool to my future in-laws and I have for 6 or 7 summers now. He just shrugs his shoulders and says "Its seniority".

Thanks buddy! I love you too!! HA HA

 

[Scoot]

Another scenario that might work would be to continue letting everybody pick any weeks they want in seniority order...but only 3 weeks at a time. Once everybody in the center has picked their 3 weeks, then selection goes back to the top of the seniority list and starts all over again until everyone has picked all of the weeks they have available.

My personal opinion though...is that I paid my dues when I was low seniority and I didnt complain about it. You know ahead of time when you accept the job that you will be selecting vacations in seniority order.

I have 23 years and this is the first year that I had all weeks still available when it was my turn to pick. And it probably wont be that way next year. We are transferring a bunch of our routes up to the new facility on Swan Island and our building is contracting from 3 centers down to 2. The drivers in my loop...many with more seniority than me...are being shifted over to a different center, with a bunch of lower-seniority drivers from the defunct center being transferred into the one I am currently in. I'm going to drop several rungs down the ladder.
I'm not at all happy about it, but the company is following the change-of-operations language so I have to just accept it.

This is an option in our center if the local union approves it, but good luck getting a majority vote....

 

[Re-Raise]

I traded last week with a higher seniority driver for the week before the 4th. I was in with some guys who did a series of poker tournaments with a point system.

The top two in points got their $ 10, 000 entry paid into the WSOP Main Event in Vegas with all of us receiving a share of the winnings.

When we picked vacations the WSOP hadn't announced the dates yet. I took the week before the 4th and was wrong. A driver above was cool with swapping weeks with me.

It probably didn't hurt that our center manager was one of the group playing in our poker tournaments. I didn't win our points so I didn't get to be one of the guys who played but I still had a great time.

I gave the driver who swapped me a $ 50 gift card to a local restaraunt and I won't forget that he helped me out.

 

[Re-Raise]

I do understand the problem about the guys in between the people switching weeks being screwed. The driver I swapped with and I are very close on the seniority list.

A couple of years back a low seniority driver that I was very good friends with asked me to give up a summer week for him. I agreed with no problem but when the middle seniority guys found out who were shut out of summer weeks they weren't too happy.

I told him he had that week if he wanted it but being a younger driver it probably wasn't the best thing to piss off the people who he made need help from at some point.

He decided he would wait his turn for the best weeks.

 

[dilligaf]

Yes, I would. I would be satisfied with 3 high weeks and 2 low weeks.

High? Low? What is this?

 

[klein]

Just like High and low season (travelling for example)...... high season are the vacations when school is out.

 

[browniehound]

I traded last week with a higher seniority driver for the week before the 4th. I was in with some guys who did a series of poker tournaments with a point system.

The top two in points got their $ 10, 000 entry paid into the WSOP Main Event in Vegas with all of us receiving a share of the winnings.

When we picked vacations the WSOP hadn't announced the dates yet. I took the week before the 4th and was wrong. A driver above was cool with swapping weeks with me.

It probably didn't hurt that our center manager was one of the group playing in our poker tournaments. I didn't win our points so I didn't get to be one of the guys who played but I still had a great time.

I gave the driver who swapped me a $ 50 gift card to a local restaraunt and I won't forget that he helped me out.

See, this is the S- I don't really like when I can't get one summer week after 11 years. Just one week. What gives you the right to get or switch that week if its not senority? I'm fine with not getting 1 summer week out of 10 because of seniority, but I'm not fine if senior drivers are picking summer weeks for junior drivers. Thats not how it should work. Seniority rules but back door deals are bull.

I could give two flying flamigos about your poker tournment. Its simply not that important of an event to double-cross your lower senoirty brothers with. Its the same as you could care less that I'm outcast by the in laws because I haven't gone on the family vacation in 11 years. Believe me, I don't expect you to care, but I get pissed when people undermined the system by senior drivers picking weeks for junior drivers because that is a "high" or summer week that the senior driver would have not taken that would be available if not for a deal.

However, do you know what? Screw them, lol! If they are mad at me or think less of me because I can't go because of work, then I think UPS is doing me a favor (finally!) in this case. See, my in-laws work normal 9-5 jobs in which they went to college for and can always get the time off. They probably look down on me because I drive a truck and sweat for a living.

However, I would still like to spend that time for my woman's sake. This is what I really care about. I don't care about me or my image, but she looks like a total jackass when everyone of her 3 sister's husbands are there except me. They don't understand and its her feelings I'm worried about. I don't care about what I'm left for vacations except for making her happy. If 3 or 4 lower senoirity drivers are getting summer weeks because of a switch then its simply not right.

So when I hear about back-door deals with lower seniority drivers getting a week I could use it really gets under my skin. Besides, Its simply not right. Senoirity rules and no junior driver should be on vacation on a week that I wanted or week I could have picked.

Lastly, you have the driver who is 'mid-senoirty' crying and asking people not to pick a certain week because he reserved at cottage for a specific week. Again, I don't care because I'm shut out every summer by senior and now junior drivers! Don't cry to me about your cottage. Don't reserve it if you know you might not get the week.

Sorry, but you have no sympathy from me. It actually turns my stomach to hear drivers saying I need this week because of this or that.

How about this, stop whinning and get your cottage in June or early September. Not the months you want? Join the club and what gives YOU the right if NOT SENIORITY?

Sorry for my rant, but I'm passionate about this because I play by the rules and have been enjoying my summer vacations in June and September. Guess what? I actually like these weeks and have become accustomed to them over the last decade. I wouldn't change a thing except for my woman's feelings. Thanks for hearing me out.

Browniehound

 

[klein]

Browniehound, I paid a senoir guy once $50 dollars , too, way back in the late 80's (lots of money then)..... I needed that week off.... had to give a bait.

But yes, I enjoy JUne or Septmeber vactactions myself, just like you, got used to them.
And with 2 major plus sides... : You don't pay high season hotel or flight rates, heck, even gas is cheaper. Plus you don't need to deal with kids at vacation spots.
I love it !

My trip tomorrow worries me, being in summer.
I really don't want kids all around me, and pissing in the pool, too.

 

[Re-Raise]

I could give two flying flamigos about your poker tournment.

Fair enough ... and you just wasted 5 minutes of my day reading about your in-laws. Your situation is important to you and you couldn't care less about anyone else. I have 25 yrs in , I don't cry about things I want.

I didn't give the man $50 to switch me , in fact I had to hide it in his truck to get him to take it. I am high enough to get any week I want I just didn't know what the the dates were for the main event.

You seem like a great guy, we should hang out sometime.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

You seem like a great guy, we should hang out sometime.

I wouldn't go "All In" holding those cards.