"Work as Directed" and Production Standards

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone. So, if you have read my previous thread on supervisors working grievances, then you will know who I am. Basically, ever since I started filing supervisors working grievances, I have been moved to a heavier load area with a supervisor that has been explicitly instructed not to touch packages. Just today, I was given a "talk with" for not working as directed (I have been following the methods to a "T", but the part that they say I am not meeting is loading 4 packages a minute). They seem to be implying that 4 packages a minute is a method, even though it is clearly a production standard. I am being very careful to follow the methods and ensure that I get no misloads, since I know that I have a target on my back.

The silly part is that my supervisors seem to be implying that I am not working hard enough. I have repeatedly told them to simply come watch me load, and that if they watched the speed that I load at, then there would be something wrong with them if they could fire me for not "working as directed" in good conscience. My part-time supervisor also told me to watch my back, as a lot of higher-ups are watching me and that "UPS will always win in the end" (whatever that means). I have talked to my steward about this, and he was present at the "talk with", and he said to just keep doing what I am doing, and that they could not fire me over production as long as I follow the methods. I intend to keep doing as I have been doing, and to file grievances, but what advice can people who have been harassed give me? Can they take this beyond a "talk with" and begin to discipline me? Thank You.
 

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
Re: "Work as Directed" and Production Standards

Time to start filing harassment grievances I believe.
I have already filed a retaliation grievance against the supervisor who moved me to another load area, but would what they are doing right now be considered harassment? I can see how it would, since no one else is having production standards put on them, but I figured that my steward would have told me to file for harassment. I guess I will ask him if I can file for harassment for this.
 

Bubblehead

My Senior Picture
Re: "Work as Directed" and Production Standards

I have already filed a retaliation grievance against the supervisor who moved me to another load area, but would what they are doing right now be considered harassment? I can see how it would, since no one else is having production standards put on them, but I figured that my steward would have told me to file for harassment. I guess I will ask him if I can file for harassment for this.

It is not up to the steward to decide whether you can file a harassment grievance.
If you feel harassed, file and document any all instances.
What is your opinion of your steward?
Is he filing on supervisors working also?
Have you considered running for the steward position or becoming an alternate?
It would give you some added insulation.
Have you considered filing labor charges with the NLRB?

If your work record was clean before you started filing, then it should be obvious to anybody looking that they only began to have a problem with you when you began to have a problem with them.

Don't wait to claim harassment till after they start their paper trail.
You seem like a stand up guy, which makes you a minority.
Don't let them bully you off your position.
 

Brownslave688

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
Hello everyone. So, if you have read my previous thread on supervisors working grievances, then you will know who I am. Basically, ever since I started filing supervisors working grievances, I have been moved to a heavier load area with a supervisor that has been explicitly instructed not to touch packages. Just today, I was given a "talk with" for not working as directed (I have been following the methods to a "T", but the part that they say I am not meeting is loading 4 packages a minute). They seem to be implying that 4 packages a minute is a method, even though it is clearly a production standard. I am being very careful to follow the methods and ensure that I get no misloads, since I know that I have a target on my back.

The silly part is that my supervisors seem to be implying that I am not working hard enough. I have repeatedly told them to simply come watch me load, and that if they watched the speed that I load at, then there would be something wrong with them if they could fire me for not "working as directed" in good conscience. My part-time supervisor also told me to watch my back, as a lot of higher-ups are watching me and that "UPS will always win in the end" (whatever that means). I have talked to my steward about this, and he was present at the "talk with", and he said to just keep doing what I am doing, and that they could not fire me over production as long as I follow the methods. I intend to keep doing as I have been doing, and to file grievances, but what advice can people who have been harassed give me? Can they take this beyond a "talk with" and begin to discipline me? Thank You.


This is exactly the crap that turns good hard working employees into the type management hates further down the road. Almost all of us started as very hard working individuals who wanted to help this company succeed. Somewhere along the line we get tired of never being good enough and say screw it I'm worried about me now. The company can't see this and it's sad. Treat your employees with some respect. Tell them and show them how great of a job they are doing. Don't make them feel like your over their shoulder all the time. You just mind end up with employees who are invested in the company for more than a few years.
 

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
Re: "Work as Directed" and Production Standards

It is not up to the steward to decide whether you can file a harassment grievance.
If you feel harassed, file and document any all instances.
What is your opinion of your steward?
Is he filing on supervisors working also?
Have you considered running for the steward position or becoming an alternate?
It would give you some added insulation.
Have you considered filing labor charges with the NLRB?

If your work record was clean before you started filing, then it should be obvious to anybody looking that they only began to have a problem with you when you began to have a problem with them.

Don't wait to claim harassment till after they start their paper trail.
You seem like a stand up guy, which makes you a minority.
Don't let them bully you off your position.
Although my steward does not file supervisors working grievances himself, I really feel like he has the best interests of the bargaining unit employees at heart. He did not dissuade me from filing harassment grievances. In fact, he told me to file the retaliation grievance based on what the full-time supervisor told him (namely, that if I have so much time to file grievances, that she will move me to another load area so that I cannot file), and he said to list him as a witness.

The funny thing is that another full-time supervisor, when told by my full-time supervisor about the "problems" that she had been having with me, told my full-time supervisor that it is probably her fault seeing as how my name had never come up before in terms of disciplinary action.

I have actually (jokingly) considered becoming a steward, since a couple of people that I had been explaining the contract and supervisors working grievances to thought that I would make a good steward. I might seriously start looking into assisting the steward in the future.

My work record was clean before I started filing except for an attendance problem I had more than 5 years ago when I started. Otherwise, I have not had as much as a warning letter in 4 years.

I will file harassment grievances tomorrow. I do not know if they can indeed begin to discipline me for not "working as directed", when "working as directed" is production harassment, but if I get so much as a warning letter over it, I will file charges with the NLRB.

The sad part is that 3 other preloaders on the metro that I now work on who had been filing supervisors working grievances were intimidated into stopping, presumably because of the same things that I am now being subjected to. However, I have already decided that I will not stop filing supervisors working grievances. This will end with either my full-time supervisor being fired, or with me being fired. Period.
 

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
This is exactly the crap that turns good hard working employees into the type management hates further down the road. Almost all of us started as very hard working individuals who wanted to help this company succeed. Somewhere along the line we get tired of never being good enough and say screw it I'm worried about me now. The company can't see this and it's sad. Treat your employees with some respect. Tell them and show them how great of a job they are doing. Don't make them feel like your over their shoulder all the time. You just mind end up with employees who are invested in the company for more than a few years.
There was a part-time supervisor telling me something very similar to this. This was after I was pulled from my regular load area to cover for someone who had called in, and the part-time supervisor of that belt had gotten sick of getting bad loaders as replacements. He told the full-time supervisor (who did not like me since I had filed against him for harassment) that he needed a loader, as in a real loader. Surprise, surprise, I was the one that was picked, since I have a reputation in the building as being someone who never misloads, no matter what new, random area I am loading (which at one point happened just about every day). The part-time supervisor was telling the full-time supervisor that UPS needs people like me, even if management does not act like it.
 

stink219

Well-Known Member
It is not up to the steward to decide whether you can file a harassment grievance.
If you feel harassed, file and document any all instances.
What is your opinion of your steward?
Is he filing on supervisors working also?
Have you considered running for the steward position or becoming an alternate?
It would give you some added insulation.
Have you considered filing labor charges with the NLRB?

If your work record was clean before you started filing, then it should be obvious to anybody looking that they only began to have a problem with you when you began to have a problem with them.

Don't wait to claim harassment till after they start their paper trail.
You seem like a stand up guy, which makes you a minority.
Don't let them bully you off your position.
This is right on the money. To the OP, read article 37 of the contract. I'll post it on here for you. The only production standard is the understanding of a fair days work for a fair days pay.
 

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
This is right on the money. To the OP, read article 37 of the contract. I'll post it on here for you. The only production standard is the understanding of a fair days work for a fair days pay.
I know of that language (fair day's work for a fair day's pay), but it is extremely vague. Could you clarify it for me?
 

stink219

Well-Known Member
Article 37 a
image.jpg
 

Dracula

Package Car is cake compared to this...
Re: "Work as Directed" and Production Standards

Although my steward does not file supervisors working grievances himself, I really feel like he has the best interests of the bargaining unit employees at heart. He did not dissuade me from filing harassment grievances. In fact, he told me to file the retaliation grievance based on what the full-time supervisor told him (namely, that if I have so much time to file grievances, that she will move me to another load area so that I cannot file), and he said to list him as a witness.

The funny thing is that another full-time supervisor, when told by my full-time supervisor about the "problems" that she had been having with me, told my full-time supervisor that it is probably her fault seeing as how my name had never come up before in terms of disciplinary action.

I have actually (jokingly) considered becoming a steward, since a couple of people that I had been explaining the contract and supervisors working grievances to thought that I would make a good steward. I might seriously start looking into assisting the steward in the future.

My work record was clean before I started filing except for an attendance problem I had more than 5 years ago when I started. Otherwise, I have not had as much as a warning letter in 4 years.

I will file harassment grievances tomorrow. I do not know if they can indeed begin to discipline me for not "working as directed", when "working as directed" is production harassment, but if I get so much as a warning letter over it, I will file charges with the NLRB.

The sad part is that 3 other preloaders on the metro that I now work on who had been filing supervisors working grievances were intimidated into stopping, presumably because of the same things that I am now being subjected to. However, I have already decided that I will not stop filing supervisors working grievances. This will end with either my full-time supervisor being fired, or with me being fired. Period.

Article 37. And start attaching monetary damages to your grievances. Nothing major, maybe one hour overtime for every instance of harassment. Do that, and hopefully win a few grievances, and Part-Time Bossman's hero Center Managers will start to feel the pain. You can count on that. Yeah, they are real big talkers when they are harassing you, but when it starts costing them money, their smart-assed tune changes overnight.

Back in the late 90's, I had a center manager like the one PTbossman talks about. His sups were delivering airs, shuttling packages out to drivers, etc. I started filing grievances, and started winning 3,4,5 hundred dollar green checks from these monkeys. After a couple of these checks, they elevated their big talk and intimidation. But after a few more weeks of paying out these checks, someone above their pay grade put the hammer down on this center manager. This tough guy followed me out to my car one night. He got real nice all of the sudden and politely asked me what it would take for me to stop filing grievances. He said his superiors told him if he kept paying out grievances, he was going to be transferred to a far off, rural area of our state, to work a car wash shift. I told him as soon as his guys stopped doing our work I would quit filing grievances. And that was how it ended. We actually got along real good after that.

So don't be intimidated, just be smart about it. Follow their methods, work safe, and most importantly, always keep your temper in check. It will get rough before it gets better, but stick to your guns and do your job, and you sir, should come out on top.
 

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
Re: "Work as Directed" and Production Standards

Article 37. And start attaching monetary damages to your grievances. Nothing major, maybe one hour overtime for every instance of harassment. Do that, and hopefully win a few grievances, and Part-Time Bossman's hero Center Managers will start to feel the pain. You can count on that. Yeah, they are real big talkers when they are harassing you, but when it starts costing them money, their smart-assed tune changes overnight.

Back in the late 90's, I had a center manager like the one PTbossman talks about. His sups were delivering airs, shuttling packages out to drivers, etc. I started filing grievances, and started winning 3,4,5 hundred dollar green checks from these monkeys. After a couple of these checks, they elevated their big talk and intimidation. But after a few more weeks of paying out these checks, someone above their pay grade put the hammer down on this center manager. This tough guy followed me out to my car one night. He got real nice all of the sudden and politely asked me what it would take for me to stop filing grievances. He said his superiors told him if he kept paying out grievances, he was going to be transferred to a far off, rural area of our state, to work a car wash shift. I told him as soon as his guys stopped doing our work I would quit filing grievances. And that was how it ended. We actually got along real good after that.

So don't be intimidated, just be smart about it. Follow their methods, work safe, and most importantly, always keep your temper in check. It will get rough before it gets better, but stick to your guns and do your job, and you sir, should come out on top.
The temper will never be a problem, as I have never had one, and I simply smile at the supervisors when they harass me. So I am guessing this means that "4 packages a minute" is not a legitimate method that they could discipline me for?
 

Dracula

Package Car is cake compared to this...
Re: "Work as Directed" and Production Standards

The temper will never be a problem, as I have never had one, and I simply smile at the supervisors when they harass me. So I am guessing this means that "4 packages a minute" is not a legitimate method that they could discipline me for?


Put it to you this way: they might tell you the sun is green...will you believe it? No, 4 packages a minute doesn't mean anything, as far as the union is concerned. Even at that...4 pkgs a minute? Jeez, grab 4 pkgs from a bulk stop, load them real quick, then sit on your ass for 45 seconds...haha...NO, productions standards are Viagra for the management mind, son.
 

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
Re: "Work as Directed" and Production Standards

Put it to you this way: they might tell you the sun is green...will you believe it? No, 4 packages a minute doesn't mean anything, as far as the union is concerned. Even at that...4 pkgs a minute? Jeez, grab 4 pkgs from a bulk stop, load them real quick, then sit on your ass for 45 seconds...haha...NO, productions standards are Viagra for the management mind, son.
When you put it that way, it does seem ridiculous that I am even asking that question. I guess I will find out tomorrow if they are going to discipline me for not "working as directed" by failing to load 4 packages a minute. All I know is that I will maintain the pace that I have been using, so that they know that they are not going to intimidate me into submission like they did to the other preloaders that were filing grievances.
 

stink219

Well-Known Member
Article 37 a
I know of that language (fair day's work for a fair day's pay), but it is extremely vague. Could you clarify it for me? At any rate, all I know is that I am working in the best interests of UPS by making sure I do not misload.


it's vague for a reason. It's to protect you from a specific "standard". Work at your best and they pay you your negotiated wage. If it does not say,"you need to load 4 packages a minute", then it is not your concern.
 

PiedmontSteward

RTW-4-Less
Hello everyone. So, if you have read my previous thread on supervisors working grievances, then you will know who I am. Basically, ever since I started filing supervisors working grievances, I have been moved to a heavier load area with a supervisor that has been explicitly instructed not to touch packages. Just today, I was given a "talk with" for not working as directed (I have been following the methods to a "T", but the part that they say I am not meeting is loading 4 packages a minute). They seem to be implying that 4 packages a minute is a method, even though it is clearly a production standard. I am being very careful to follow the methods and ensure that I get no misloads, since I know that I have a target on my back.

The silly part is that my supervisors seem to be implying that I am not working hard enough. I have repeatedly told them to simply come watch me load, and that if they watched the speed that I load at, then there would be something wrong with them if they could fire me for not "working as directed" in good conscience. My part-time supervisor also told me to watch my back, as a lot of higher-ups are watching me and that "UPS will always win in the end" (whatever that means). I have talked to my steward about this, and he was present at the "talk with", and he said to just keep doing what I am doing, and that they could not fire me over production as long as I follow the methods. I intend to keep doing as I have been doing, and to file grievances, but what advice can people who have been harassed give me? Can they take this beyond a "talk with" and begin to discipline me? Thank You.

This is the part where they check to see if your balls have dropped yet or you're just being uppity. Just keep doing what you're doing, follow the methods, and show up to work on time and they can't touch you. Let them know you'll file labor charges if they keep threatening you. Eventually, they'll leave you the hell alone once they see you won't back down. Also, those guys that got intimidated are watching you, despite what you think.
 

Johney

Well-Known Member
4 packages a minute? I haven't loaded in a long time, but that doesn't seem to hard unless it's all heavy stuff. 1 package every 15 seconds in 4 cars? I am by no means saying you need to work harder because they say so, but am I missing something?
 

undies

Well-Known Member
Just do your best and work by the methods. They can bitch and moan all they want, but in the end, you're right. I have the same issue as a driver, be careful though, any mistake you make will be a big deal. Before when I was "busting my ass", if I made a mistake they would just talk with me, now it's a write up and meeting with my center manager. Just waiting for them to get tired and move on to someone else lol
 
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