Vacation ? - Brown Cafe

sillyputty · 07-30-2008, 09:17 AM

Hi all... I'm wondering under what (if any) circumstances scheduled vacation weeks can be changed? I know it's not supposed to ever happen, but I also still think it's absolutely ridiculous that they want you to have your whole year planned in November of the previous year. What if something comes up? Should my whole family plan their lives, weddings, etc around the weeks I pick in November or March?

My FT sup said he would be fine changing it- would actually prefer it because there are less people on vacation during the week I want/need. It's the union blocking it (and I think that has a lot to do with the steward's own personal issues). In years past I have had other FT sups allow me to switch with enough notice.

The line I got was that I could be screwing someone with less seniority who may have wanted the week I originally had and didn't get it because I had it. I get that. Really, I do. HOWEVER- in this case that argument just doesn't fly because the week I have is not full.

I was told that next year we will have to pick ALL of our weeks in November- no longer the Jan-March then the rest of the year. He told me everywhere in the country does it the same way. Is that true? I know in some places people get sick days they can use. We get an option week that is essentially 5 sick days but they have to be taken as a full week so it's actually just another week of vacation. Difference being that you can choose to work your option week....however your FIRST week for the year has to be your option week.

Anyway- how does it work everywhere else? The same? Similar?Totally different? Are there ways to get around the vacation switching rule? He told me I could ask for the week off without pay but still have to take my vacation off. Maybe he can afford a week unpaid but I most certainly cannot.

scratch · 07-30-2008, 09:25 AM

The Supervisor that does payroll can change the weeks. The Shop Steward has no say in this. Providing that the schedule can be worked out where there is enough coverage, then there should be no problem changing weeks. We sometimes have drivers switch weeks with other drivers if something important comes up. We have three ways to take Option Days. We can sell them back and take the cash, break them up and take the days off separately, or combine them into another week off and have a couple of days left over.

sillyputty · 07-30-2008, 09:29 AM

And does that apply to part time too? Our FT sup is newer, young, and extremely stressed out from the pressure. I think he's terrified to get in trouble and he said that since he's had the job, the only thing he's been given a hard time about from the union is switching vacations. The steward said it's been a rule as long as he's been there (36 yrs) and he will grieve any vacation switching. If I actually CAN switch, how can I convince the FT sup that he won't get in trouble for it? LOL

sillyputty · 07-30-2008, 09:30 AM

As for option weeks, yeah, we have to have the full week- they won't allow it to be broken up because they're afraid people will only take Fridays and they'll always be short. like they aren't anyway. We even had a mechanic unloading last night....(but that's a whole other story).

scratch · 07-30-2008, 09:34 AM

I have never heard of a Shop Steward having authority over the vacation schedule, it is none of his business. You may want to ask the Manager to have the FT Sup change it. As long as they have enough bodies show up for the shift, it shouldn't make any difference.

LuvWV · 07-30-2008, 11:57 AM

As long as the week isn't taken by another part timer, changing the vacation shouldn't be a problem. They may not be able to move the pay check. Meaning you may not get paid till your scheduled week.

helenofcalifornia · 07-30-2008, 02:41 PM

I agree with Scratch. I have never heard of a shop steward having any say about vacations. I guess in some buildings, the Teamsters are no where to be seen, and other places the Teamsters are rigid with no room for movement.

I am curious. When you asked for the switch or change, how was the shop steward notified about this?

And as to picking your vacations in November? Another new detail I have never heard of. We always pick in March. Isn't that in the contract? How do they get away with November? Your building sounds like a nightmare. What area of the country are you in? I wonder if this is the future of vacation picks at UPS.

scratch · 07-30-2008, 02:48 PM

We have been doing vacation picks during Peak Season the last few years. This has got to be the very worst time to do that.The last thing on anybodys mind at that time is the next Summer.

ikoi62 · 07-30-2008, 03:00 PM

In NJ we have always had to have our vacation picks done by no later than the 1st week of December,it sucks, but i never make plans for vacation till January anyhow. been that way the 23 years i have been there.

drewed · 07-30-2008, 05:10 PM

Tell the steward to piss off, its none of his business when you take vacation, I can see if you were going to bump someone off vacation, then it could be a morality issue but even then its not his issue unless the other union worker throws a fit

upslady20 · 07-30-2008, 05:21 PM

In our building all vacations are posted in November, first you do the vacations then after every one does that they start back at the top with the option week for those actually taking the week off.. Most take them as individual days.
If we have a problem with our vacation dates as long as we can get someone to switch with us or there is an opening they allow us to move. The paycheck is usually messed up but that is not a real problem for most of our drivers.
I hate posting so far in advance.. We usually do family vacations with my siblings and they hate it when I start asking in the winter for when do they want to go in the summer.. oh well Good luck getting it changed.. call HR also they might be able to help you out.

Cementups · 07-30-2008, 07:31 PM

I had to have a week changed once. the only problem i ran into was that I planned it out with one CM and by the time it came around we had a new CM. I had to run the scenario with him then to make sure it was cool. It was for my honeymoon. My wife changed the wedding day a week after I picked vacations. luckily I got married in September and they knew we would be able to cover the week since there was less people off anyway. the only thing screwy ended up being the pay for those weeks.

bottom line is that is if you are on good terms with your management team they then they will work with you and your needs.

sillyputty · 07-31-2008, 05:57 AM

Hi again. So, the way all of this started was I asked the FT sup about switching, he said it would be absolutely fine with him but that the steward would throw a fit, so I went to talk to the steward about it and he got all huffy and said that when people switch it affects other people (those who would be covering my job- this argument doesn't work because the same guy would cover for me whether I was off one week or the other- as well as those who may have wanted that week off but didn't get it because I had it - this one doesn't work because neither week is maxed out). He then went on to complain to me about someone who had worked his vacation and how he was grieving it because he wanted the extra work it would have given him). So he just flat out said no I can't.

Last night I went in and my FT guy came up to me and said he tried to talk to the steward again about it and that he would give me the week off without pay if I really need it, but he can't switch them. He also told me that the steward had printed it off and highlighted where in the contract it says vacations can't be switched. He's big on highlighting stuff and having it ready.

I never got a chance to ask to see it myself because by the time we got done last night I just wanted to go home and not deal with arguing with this guy again. I'm asking tonight though because I searched and searched and cannot find it. I checked the National Master Agreement, I checked the Central Region Supplement, and I checked the Local 344 Rider for Wisconsin (didn't even mention vacations) and I just couldn't find anything anywhere. I did find in the Central one where they changed to picking all vacations starting Nov. 15 and eliminating the March picks. Why they do that is just beyond me. If anything they should be breaking it into 3 or 4 picking times.

I guess I just need to see where he had this on paper and read it myself. Beyond that, I don't know what to do. The FT sup does want to let me switch (it will benefit him since only 2 people are off the week I want and 6 or 7 are off the week I have) but if he has this rule and it's on paper somewhere and he's bound and determined to enforce it, I guess there's nothing I can do. I'm going to ask to see it tonight.

sillyputty · 07-31-2008, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helenofcalifornia

I guess in some buildings, the Teamsters are no where to be seen, and other places the Teamsters are rigid with no room for movement.

It's on and off- I'm actually pretty happy there in general as long as I don't have to deal with the steward. I do my job well and I get along with everyone so I really have no problems. No one really likes this guy, but no one dislikes him enough to get him out of the position either. I imagine because most the people working in the building are 18-22 yrs old and don't plan on being there more than a few years and don't care anyway.

The steward carries his highlighted and bookmarked contract around with him, it's well worn but it seems he just uses it to file grievances for himself and when anyone does have a problem, he uses it to show them why they're out of luck. A number of people I've talked to just call the business rep and ask him to help out because this guy just doesn't want to do the work for us.

iowa boy · 07-31-2008, 01:43 PM

silly,

why not just ask him why he is being such a hard ***** about this? You do have a right to know as he should be explaining to you where this is in the contract so you can read it for yourself.

sillyputty · 07-31-2008, 01:51 PM

I'm going to tonight- I start in an hour, plan on getting there a little early. I also want to see it in writing and the wording and all that. We'll see. Update to follow...

bad company · 07-31-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cementups

bottom line is that is if you are on good terms with your management team they then they will work with you and your needs.

Bingo

I am near the very bottom of the full-time driver seniority list, and really only cared about getting one particular week off. Of course, it was already taken, and I was told that I was out of luck.

So I found out what drivers had that week, talked to a few of them, and was able to switch weeks with one of them and it all worked out fine. Management was very helpful and did not give me any grief. Took all of 5 minutes to change in the computer.

sillyputty · 08-01-2008, 05:37 AM

Well, my relationship with management is fine. The center manager argued with the steward for me. This guy just has a thing about vacations and the CM believes it's because the steward has it out for this one guy who worked his optional week without declaring he would from the beginning and that somehow affected the steward getting overtime that he wanted. And other things like that which have happened. He's just got a thing about vacations. I got the sheet- it's a Local thing but it's not a part of the contract that I can tell- it's just a rules list so I don't know how set in stone it has to be. Anyway, I got it- my scanner doesn't work so I took a picture. So it looks liek it's just not going to happen no matter what I want and no matter what my CM does or says. Unless I want to call the union and try through them and I''m not sure I want to go that far over something that's not overly important (except in principle because what if it was for an important reason??)