dealing with center managers

coldworld · 08-17-2007, 09:55 PM

Anyone ever have a horrible center manger that really wants to fire everyone. If so, what were your experiences and how did you handle the situation. Finally, where is this person today?

705red · 08-17-2007, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldworld

Anyone ever have a horrible center manger that really wants to fire everyone. If so, what were your experiences and how did you handle the situation. Finally, where is this person today?

My cm got transferrd to california, real piece of work! Complaints to the 800 number had alot to do with it, but we all gave our names which validated the complaints! If someone gets fired for bs stand tall and dont buckle by excepting a suspension or time served, make sure you get every penny of missed time for that period you were fired. Once a couple of us made that stand the bs firings stopped because it added up to some nice back pay checks!

scratch · 08-17-2007, 10:11 PM

Most of my Center Managers have been all right. But I had one that everyone, including other management, hated with a passion. He was a okay when he was an OnCar Sup, but got worse and worse as he climbed the ladder. When he ran Preload, he fired 95% of them. He would give out Warning Letters for every minute reason. He is the only Center Manager I have filed a grievance on. Where is he now? Promoted, of course.

diesel96 · 08-17-2007, 10:59 PM

"Yes Boss" them to death and "I do my best"...they hate that,but it got them off my case. Best advise is don't start a riff and CYA.
I used to say sensible stuff like "bulk","traffic","heavy pick-ups","severe weather"...but they didn't want to hear it. So I stopped making excuses and told them what they want to hear.

BTW Scratch[quote=scratch]
He is the only Center Manager I have filed a grevience on. Where is he now? Promoted, of course.

This is so true through out the years in our center..few managers and sups with the most grievances are promoted and the ones with the least grievances are asked to resign.

Zeus70 · 08-17-2007, 11:44 PM

What would happen if you called OSHA on them for unsafe working conditions :confused1

paidslave · 08-18-2007, 12:50 AM

Call OSHA if you have too much work, 800 number works too! This is a real saftey hazard! Overwork is a Occupational Hazard!!!!!! They need to know.................

tieguy · 08-18-2007, 01:02 AM

[quote=705red;232506]My cm got transferrd to california, real piece of work! Complaints to the 800 number had alot to do with it, but we all gave our names which validated the complaints! If someone gets fired for bs stand tall and dont buckle by excepting a suspension or time served,

Red I didn't know you had that option. Doesn't the employee you represent ultimately make the decision as to whether he/she will take time served?

paidslave · 08-18-2007, 01:39 AM

I love your post Red!!!!!!!!

71chevy · 08-18-2007, 04:32 AM

Back in the 80's, we had a cm who loved to fire drivers. We called him the Terminator. He is currently still a cm, but is at a very remote center in texas.

dillweed · 08-18-2007, 04:58 AM

Years ago we had a real bully of a cm. He once chewed me out for turning the conveyor off to remove 120 pound roll of fabric. I filed grievance, the only one I've ever filed, and he was supposed to train me on how to remove such a load from a conveyor moving away from me.

He has now gone a step up the ladder and is our districe (?) manager. He still owes me that training.

Our current cm is a gentle, thoughtful man who probably has some pretty sharp teeth when necessary but I've never heard one word of compaint against him. whew! dw

over9five · 08-18-2007, 05:07 AM

"and how did you handle the situation."

You're Teamsters! Teach him a lesson after work sometime! Bats and clubs work good. Iron knuckles too.

(wear hoods....)

Fnix · 08-18-2007, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scratch

Most of my Center Managers have been all right. But I had one that everyone, including other management, hated with a passion. He was a okay when he was an OnCar Sup, but got worse and worse as he climbed the ladder. When he ran Preload, he fired 95% of them. He would give out Warning Letters for every minute reason. He is the only Center Manager I have filed a grievance on. Where is he now? Promoted, of course.

I thought you couldnt be truley fired unless you stole, fought, nc/ns.

westsideworma · 08-18-2007, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fnix

I thought you couldn't be truly fired unless you stole, fought, nc/ns.

they can, you just normally don't stay fired...you almost always get your job back and paid for all the days, if any, that you were "fired".

The most common problem here is attendance, and i is hard to fire people for. They try to get on people for calling in on mondays or fridays but in reality so long as they DO call in (and don't just not show up) its very hard to get fired for that. Especially when you're given sick days (well in the northeast anyway) in which you still get paid for such occurrences.

scratch · 08-18-2007, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fnix

I thought you couldnt be truley fired unless you stole, fought, nc/ns.

While that is true for the most part, You can be harassed into quitting. I have seen a few people leave because of that. After just so much BS, the job just isn't worth it at some point. The CM I was referring to had an OMS quit too, she got tired of putting up with him just for a few hours everyday. Too bad he didn't announce his transfer to anyone, we would have had the biggest party of all time. Its always been interesting to me that management changes at the Center level are kept secret from the hourlies until they happen.

Fnix · 08-18-2007, 07:01 AM

UPS cant afford to fire people

UPS Lifer · 08-18-2007, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 705red

My cm got transferrd to california, real piece of work! Complaints to the 800 number had alot to do with it, but we all gave our names which validated the complaints! If someone gets fired for bs stand tall and dont buckle by excepting a suspension or time served, make sure you get every penny of missed time for that period you were fired. Once a couple of us made that stand the bs firings stopped because it added up to some nice back pay checks!

Hey Red,
What part of California did the cm go to? We ended up with your district manager a couple of years ago. I don't recall any transfers from Chicago so I am curious.

705red · 08-18-2007, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UPS Lifer

Hey Red,
What part of California did the cm go to? We ended up with your district manager a couple of years ago. I don't recall any transfers from Chicago so I am curious.

I am referring to a real big black guy, that thinks hes gods gift to ups, but he isnt talented enough to run the drive thru at the local mcdonalds!!! I heard he went to san fran, we actually offered to pack his bags for him, but after 20plus of us called into corporate he really hated us, and it would eat him alive. Every morning i would just walk up to him and say morning (his name) with a real big smile on my face. He was the worst manager i have ever had at this company, now hes californias problem.

UPS Lifer · 08-18-2007, 08:00 AM

San Francisco and Oakland are extremely tough union climates....so I am sure he is feeling it. It would be interesting to hear how he is doing don't you think!!

I am also curious, what you think of your district mgr that left approx 2 years ago for one of the districts in Southern California. He is a very small man but unmistakeable. Do you know who I am talking about?

705red · 08-18-2007, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UPS Lifer

San Francisco and Oakland are extremely tough union climates....so I am sure he is feeling it. It would be interesting to hear how he is doing don't you think!!

I am also curious, what you think of your district mgr that left approx 2 years ago for one of the districts in Southern California. He is a very small man but unmistakeable. Do you know who I am talking about?

I will pm you!

Cezanne · 08-18-2007, 01:08 PM

I believe that there is a scripture in the new testament it reads something like "Our war is not against flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers in high places". It is not the Center Manager who has issues they are just "Following Orders". The faces may change but most of them are products of an abusive system, they manage like they were managed. Fear and intimidation is a common practice with any unsecure leadership, it is an easy fix and does not require any creative thought to accomplish a goal. Most of us who have been here for a while learn adaptive skills when confronted. It is a matter of if you want to play in the sickness or laugh at it. "Choose Wisely"

DS · 08-18-2007, 04:31 PM

We had one about 3 years ago that we refered to as Little Hitler.He made it a point to try to fire every driver that stood up to his intimidation.One time shortly after he arrived,I called for help and he answered the phone and asked why I needed help.I told him I was overdispatched and had every intention of taking my break nonetheless,
and that if I did not get help,I would have missed.He informed me that they were understaffed and that there was no help available.I was quick to suggest that he should brown up and come and get 20 stops off me.
At that point he laughed heartily and said he'd get back to me.I did get
my help but he managed to fire me 3 months later.
He got canned shortly after for falsifying time cards.
Now he's a manager for DHL in Calgary.Good riddance to him.
I've never hated anyone so much in my life.

LPGuy · 08-18-2007, 04:48 PM

Folks,

This is my first posting on this website. I am an LP person who has been in management at UPS since many of you were in grade school. Security gets a bad rap because, unfortunately, we are often in the position of dealing with problems that center management teams do not have the tools to address. I, too, have had a manager, similar to this one. He was fired several years ago. UPS