Were we duped or is there hope?

[UPSwife0174]

The sad fact is that the first year of a swing driver is feast or famine. Tell him to learn as many routes as he can. At this stage, knowledge is power.

Yes!! One week they had him doing the day route AND his old evening air route, so he worked something like 56 hours.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I'm starting to really question the way UPS operates. My husband has been at UPS since 2000. He worked part time while finishing college. The plan was for him to then try to get on full time at UPS since his major is more of a hobby than a living (that's a whole other thread). Fast forward many many years (he graduated, we bought a house, had two kids, etc) and FINALLY he got a crappy full time position (but hey, it was full time!); air driver for 25 hours/week, then sorting from 10-2am Mon-Thur. It wasn't ideal, but it was full time, and being opposite my shift, we saved a lot on childcare. He worked that job for 2.5 years and this April put his name on a list to become a swing driver. We were a little leery of the fact he could be sent home any given day, but talking to some other swing (cover) drivers, they said they had only missed a handful of days. Sooo....it's now July. He made it past the 30 day period, taking two months since they kept sending him home, and now that he is legit, his hours have been crappy. The week of 4th of July he worked 18 hours, then got paid 4 hours only for the holiday. Last week he worked maybe 25 hours. Yesterday he was sent home, and today he worked 5.5 hours.

It seems like part of the problem is they hired 4 drivers, same position, at the same time, and now there is not enough work to keep them all busy. But on the financial front, this is killing us. We have to pay for childcare now that we're on the same shift, and that doesn't change if he gets sent home; we have to pay regardless.

He is a hard worker, no issues with anything ever at UPS, but at this point he doesn't even know who to talk to about this (supervisors being how they are...and the union steward not exactly available at convenient hours). Was it just a stupid naive mistake to think a cover/swing driver position would pay off??? I mean he's been at UPS for 14 years now and STILL PAYING HIS DUES. Going to full time from part time meant a mandatory 3 year pay freeze, which is finally over November 1, but an hourly pay increase doesn't mean dick if there are no hours to work. :/

Anyone have any idea how long this usually goes on, or if this is normal? Obviously peak season will be better, but in the meantime, he's essentially taken a pay cut (thanks, brown)

Enjoy the time you have with your husband. before you know It, he will be working more hours than he cares to work.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

I love wives that take more interest in their husband's employment than the husband does. Always makes me wonder if someone is fishing for info for a past, present, or future alimony / child support case. So many questions your husband does not have the answers for after 14 years just seems odd.

Guess I'm just suspicious like that...

Or maybe husband volunteers to go home 3 days a week and just tells his wife it's Brown not giving him hours....and she's not buying it. (No offense to the OP but we all know guys like that.)

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Or maybe husband volunteers to go home 3 days a week and just tells his wife it's Brown not giving him hours....and she's not buying it. (No offense to the OP but we all know guys like that.)

Good point.
She did say that "she makes more money than him"

 

[turdbrown]

if they call him in to drive, then tell him that they do not need him, they need to pay him if he tells them that he wants to work. They have to find work for him. Transfer to oakland, ca. They can't hire drivers fast enough!

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Good point.
She did say that "she makes more money than him"

Exactly. Scoring a an article 22 job after 10+ years of preload is not something I'd give up....even for less money than FT driver.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Is a swing driver the same as a temporary cover driver? Here those are part-time positions and when they don't drive they work their regular part-time shift. As far as I know a 22.3 can't be a TCD because they are already full-time in the hub. I may be wrong though. If I am logic would dictate that a 22.3 is entitled to their 8 hours in the hub when laid off from driving.

Sent using BrownCafe App

 

[Wally]

What is a swing driver. We only have FT drivers (union) and casual drivers (temps). The temps can only be used for short periods.

 

[UPSwife0174]

Oy. There are a lot of different people in the world I guess. No, he's not volunteering to come home. He actually likes the work; and the bigger paycheck that came for a couple weeks during his 30 day period where he was sometimes getting more hours. Swing driver = the person who covers those on leave, vacation, sick, etc. It is a permanent position, and allegedly at this hub, it's the path you take to get a full time regular route. Part of the problem is we don't really understand the contract (don't shoot, when he was working 16 hours/week it really didn't matter) and I think even though he was considered full time before, there seems to be some loopholes because it was technically two part time positions, different pay and everything.

 

[Rawrzxor]

Anyone have any idea how long this usually goes on, or if this is normal? Obviously peak season will be better, but in the meantime, he's essentially taken a pay cut (thanks, brown)

I think it really depends on the hub. For instance, in the Dallas hub, it takes about 4-5 years to become a full time driver. In the Mckinny hub, (I think), it takes around 2-3. In others, some have quoted 9-12 years or so.

If he works in a smaller hub, then it's likely it could take even longer, considering the amount of business they get is less than that of a metropolis like Dallas.

I've only worked for UPS for 6 months, though, so grain of salt and all that. Though, this is second-hand knowledge, coming from supervisors, drivers, and loaders at my hub.

This is exactly the mentality around our hub. We have people who are happy living paycheck to paycheck, barely scrapping by just to work the minimum possible. This behavior is increasingly popular as the work days become longer and drivers hate their jobs more.

This is also the general mentality of the newer generation (i.e., me): less hours, more free (Murkia?) time. Why waste your life away to a company whose only goal is profit and ing you as much as they can? Working for something like UPS can't be very self-affirming. We provide a role in society, but this is generally a role that pretty much anyone could fill. Even trained monkeys. (Or, machines, in the future. But that's a another rant.) So self-affirmation doesn't play much into the role, making it a grinding task, rather than an interesting job; or, providing an invaluable service.

In addition to this, many feel they are being unfairly compensated; and so, they don't want to waste around 45% (or more) of their lives away (8 hours, 5 days a week - sleep) to a greedy company whom doesn't give a about them (or, more than 5 hours, in my case). Obviously, juxtaposed to other opportunities atm, UPS does pay well; however, taking inflation, rising costs of living, the growing balls of various companies

This obviously wasn't part of the issue 20 years ago (when the min pay was STILL 8 dollars an hour--only recently changed to 10--when 8 dollars was worth $12.84 in today's value)

Though, of course, I'm mostly talking about loaders. Many of us would kill to become drivers, making all that money, regardless of the hours.

 

[Rawrzxor]

Oh, also, you were duped. There is no hope. At all. Well. Maybe a little.

 

[hondo]

Oy. There are a lot of different people in the world I guess. No, he's not volunteering to come home. He actually likes the work; and the bigger paycheck that came for a couple weeks during his 30 day period where he was sometimes getting more hours. Swing driver = the person who covers those on leave, vacation, sick, etc. It is a permanent position, and allegedly at this hub, it's the path you take to get a full time regular route. Part of the problem is we don't really understand the contract (don't shoot, when he was working 16 hours/week it really didn't matter) and I think even though he was considered full time before, there seems to be some loopholes because it was technically two part time positions, different pay and everything.

Some questions to research:

• What is the FT driver guarantee? (Here it's the top 90% are guaranteed work/pay)
• does his FT seniority date from the 22.3 job transfer to the FT PC list (and trump the other 3 new drivers), or did he get a new 'classification' seniority date?
• While we're at it, does the 2.5 years in FT progression count and is he under the old 3 year or new 4 year pay progression?

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Some questions to research:

• What is the FT driver guarantee? (Here it's the top 90% are guaranteed work/pay)
• does his FT seniority date from the 22.3 job transfer to the FT PC list (and trump the other 3 new drivers), or did he get a new 'classification' seniority date?
• While we're at it, does the 2.5 years in FT progression count and is he under the old 3 year or new 4 year pay progression?

Damn good post, Hondo!

 

[scooby0048]

Oy. There are a lot of different people in the world I guess. No, he's not volunteering to come home. He actually likes the work; and the bigger paycheck that came for a couple weeks during his 30 day period where he was sometimes getting more hours. Swing driver = the person who covers those on leave, vacation, sick, etc. It is a permanent position, and allegedly at this hub, it's the path you take to get a full time regular route. Part of the problem is we don't really understand the contract (don't shoot, when he was working 16 hours/week it really didn't matter) and I think even though he was considered full time before, there seems to be some loopholes because it was technically two part time positions, different pay and everything.

Sounds like you already know more about your husband's job than he does. Maybe you should come work for us!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Sounds like you already know more about your husband's job than he does. Maybe you should come work for us!

I'll bet she would have brought the steaks in to the kitchen.

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[UPSwife0174]

Some questions to research:

• What is the FT driver guarantee? (Here it's the top 90% are guaranteed work/pay)
• does his FT seniority date from the 22.3 job transfer to the FT PC list (and trump the other 3 new drivers), or did he get a new 'classification' seniority date?
• While we're at it, does the 2.5 years in FT progression count and is he under the old 3 year or new 4 year pay progression?

thank you! I will pass this on to him. I DO know more, lol, but then as the woman, is that a surprise? Ha, just kidding. He is just VERY laid back. If he went in and they told him to move a rock from one end of the hub to the other all day, he'd do it, and do it well, no questions asked. Me? I'd want to know why, where it's going to get me, and when.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

I think there's some confusion here on PT/FT.

The air driving job your husband had was not a FT job. He was a PT employee receiving extra hours to deliver air. A FT job includes full time pension credits, benefits, and (almost always) an 8 hour/day guarantee.

Are you sure your husband was actually brought on as a FT Package Delivery Driver or as a PT Cover Driver/Regular Temporary Driver? The rules for RTDs (I've only heard the term "swing driver" used by FedEx guys but it might be used in your area) vary widely by supplement but the general rule of thumb is that UPS cannot use them the entire year (otherwise they would never hire FT drivers) and they may not drive every day. If called to drive, they are usually guaranteed 8 hours/day and if not called to drive they are guaranteed their 3.5 hours/day (guaranteed, although most PT'ers usually get more than that) working the local sort.

Seeing as how your husband only received 4 hours for holiday pay (FT'ers receive 8 hours for holiday and 45 hours for vacation vs a PT'ers 4 & 20), that makes me think he's not a FT Driver and he's a PT Cover Driver.
Your husband (at the very least) needs to be working his guarantee (whether driving or in the building) every day he works.

 

[toonertoo]

Enjoy the time you have with your husband. before you know It, he will be working more hours than he cares to work.

The first yr, sucks. On call and all is the price you pay to have. Tighten the purse strings, Enjoy the time together, soon it will be a distant memory. It happens to everyone.
Oh, and I am a great cook. I make more than my husband, and who cares. . Neither of us care, its a marriage, its a joint venture, it all goes into one pile, we enjoy life, and each other, and thank God for each and every day, whether we are broke or living large.
Things can change in a blink of an eye, this job is only an adventure on the journey.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

The first yr, sucks. On call and all is the price you pay to have. Tighten the purse strings, Enjoy the time together, soon it will be a distant memory. It happens to everyone.
Oh, and I am a great cook. I make more than my husband, and who cares. . Neither of us care, its a marriage, its a joint venture, it all goes into one pile, we enjoy life, and each other, and thank God for each and every day, whether we are broke or living large.
Things can change in a blink of an eye, this job is only an adventure on the journey.

I missed alot of things, while my kids grew up.
Many days I barely got to say goodnight to them.
On the other hand, I made enough money,so that my wife could stay home.
And raise them to besmart and well behaved.

Everything has a trade off

 

[sortaisle]

DO NOT CALL IN THE AM! Tell him to just show up. Trust me...people will take the day off and go home. He may have to do a route cold, but hey...it's the money you need right?