sneaky!

[stevetheupsguy]

Originally Posted by chocolate thunder

come on stevie i see you running up nw federal highway with that bulkhead door wide open,what happened with not locking that tp60 and everything getting stolen when you came back to pick it up at the mall

Considering the fact that I don't deliver to the mall, I think you need to think before you post. And the last time I left my bulkhead door open en route to my route was a long time ago. As I said in my post, "I do the job and I may not go absolutely by "the methods". Did you read that part or forget your glasses. I never said I was perfect, just that I don't fear being followed. Get it straight next time before making a fool of yourself.

[dilligaf]

Under and Upstate..........on occasion (albeit very rare), our sup will say he is going out doing observations. I think he is just in a really good mood when he says this.

Now to the next point. You all have stewards that have time to go out with a sup for observations!?!?!? My steward has a rte that takes 9/10 hrs every day, and that is if they take work off the rte.

[soberups]

Management has every right to conduct on area observations. There is no expectation of privacy in a public place, and an employee who is on the clock should work as instructed and assume he is being watched.

Any union employee who would assist management in conducting such observations should be brought up on charges in front of his local unions Executive Board. He should also get his ass kicked.

[BigBrownSanta]

Many businesses check up on their employees. Ever hear of mystery shoppers? They get paid to come in and evaluate a businesses operation while posing as a customer.

I read this thread earlier to day, and while at the UPS store for pickup, I mentioned it to the owner. He said that UPS also does "observations" on the UPS stores 4 times a year. He was laughing because he can always tell who the "observer" is when they come in.

[dilligaf]

Waste Mgt routinely does observations on their drivers. I know, been there done that. I LMAO when I am out on rte and spot the WM sup following a driver (they are easy to spot, all of their vehicles have an assigned truck number even the sup's pickup trucks). I just shake my head and wonder. LOL

[cachsux]

UTR and Sober get the point. It`s not that they are following a driver,which is common,it`s that they are using a fellow hourly and especially a steward to witness for them. They tried this at the Cach several years ago and the steward told them to pound sand.

[Bad Gas!]

Originally Posted by under the radar

UPS has a perfect right to monitor my work. As much as a forman in a factory has a right to look on to see if work is being performed properly. I don't have a problem with that as long as they keep paying me.

The thing that sticks in my craw is having the head of the safety committee riding along with the business manager as he did in our center. He is not in a management position and therefore has no right in my mind to monitor my work. Who is monitoring HIS work? There is some sort of conflict there in my mind.

The other thing that bugs me is that we were not informed in advance. They should have explained what they were doing and why. I get to the stop sign at the end of the road from our center and there are the business manager and the safety committee guy sitting in a car a few hundred yards off, apparently watching to see if we come to a complete top and look left right left. If the boss wants to watch me without telling me in advance and he is by himself or with other management that's fine! It doesn't seem right for him to do so with one of my peers in the car with him. It just doesn't pass the smell test.

I concur.The safty people don't need to cross the line with actions that may cause discipline.If they want a tie, put the letter in..Safty committee should give non-disciplned advice only...after that pursue reward basis for good safty behavior..

[UPS Lifer]

Originally Posted by Bad Gas!

I concur.The safty people don't need to cross the line with actions that may cause discipline.If they want a tie, put the letter in..Safty committee should give non-disciplned advice only...after that pursue reward basis for good safty behavior..

This is the way it should be done. Safety Reps are there to be educated and to help with tasks and to help communicate the right message. They are also their to represent the interests of the employees.

Management who push a line of discipline (safety enforcement) for safety reps are abusing their authority.

[under the radar]

[quote=UpstateNYUPSer;404321]Just curious, and not looking to start a war, but what difference would that have made?

I just think that if the boss was to explain what they were doing and why it wouldn't appear to be so underhanded.

Would you have been doing anything differently knowing that you may/may not be observed?

Actually (and I'm not perfect) I try to do my job as though I was being observed.

[UpstateNYUPSer]

None of us are perfect, myself more so than most. I will say that I feel that I do a good job and would have no problem with either an on-car observation or one which is done without my knowledge. I am not 100% on the methods and may take a shortcut here and there but I try to maintain 15-18 SPORH while ensuring that I keep customer service foremost in my mind. I like your philosophy of doing the job as though you are being observed.

[705red]

Originally Posted by stevetheupsguy

Considering the fact that I don't deliver to the mall, I think you need to think before you post. And the last time I left my bulkhead door open en route to my route was a long time ago. As I said in my post, "I do the job and I may not go absolutely by "the methods". Did you read that part or forget your glasses. I never said I was perfect, just that I don't fear being followed. Get it straight next time before making a fool of yourself.

Sounds like someone is a real butt hole here steve. Dont you just love these guys that are keyboard cowboys but would never say this to our face!

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Originally Posted by chocolate thunder

come on stevie i see you running up nw federal highway with that bulkhead door wide open,what happened with not locking that tp60 and everything getting stolen when you came back to pick it up at the mall

Takes a real man to post that here. Just curious, have you ever said this to his face?

[BrownSuit]

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

Takes a real man to post that here. Just curious, have you ever said this to his face?

Can we give the poster the benefit of the doubt?

I read through it real fast and just took it as a joke, somebody was saying something tongue in cheek.

Let's assume until otherwise that they just forgot the smiley.

On another note, I'd have to say, I see more FDX drivers with their bulkhead doors open and without seatbelts on than I do our own Brown. There is a difference, we are professionals, as such we are measured to a different standard. Even in how we interact with customers.

The system is by no means perfect and I don't pretend to understand all the nuances that vary from center to center.

What I can say though is that if somebody wants to work for a company that doesn't seem to care, you can start at FedEx and likely be driving before you know it. You won't have the Union behind you and will probably only be making 2/3rd what you're making for Uncle Brown, but the door is there and the option is open at any time.

Again the system ain't perfect, nobody is, but let's work within the system that we have to change it. If every time somebody checks on you, you have your seat belt on, doors closed and latched when appropriate, and are following the methods, guess what? They will move on to somebody else.

[stevetheupsguy]

Again the system ain't perfect, nobody is, but let's work within the system that we have to change it. If every time somebody checks on you, you have your seat belt on, doors closed and latched when appropriate, and are following the methods, guess what? They will move on to somebody else.[/quote]

Very true! Chocolate Thunder works in my building. I guess he thought he was being funny by trying to slam me with the bulkhead door and trailer being robbed stuff. I already explained the bulkhead door. Here's the scoop on the trailer. The mall guy and I are on sister routes, I'm 4A he's 4B. We use the same lock core for our trailer, since we tend to get each others misloads. For some reason, someone removed the lock core from his trailer. Now we have a trailer with no lock core parked in the loading/unloading area at the mall. Why UPS would let him go out with a trailer that could not be locked is unusual. Apparently they gave this driver a pad lock which he used on and off but not always. Someone found out and took several pkgs from the trailer one day. This was even reported in the local news, the article of which for some reason I can not find online. Anyways, this is what Chocolate Thunder was referring to, when he tried to make a name for himself. The sad part of this story isn't that CT thinks it was my trailer. The sad part is that UPS is making the mall guy pay for the lost pkgs.

BTW guys, I confronted CT with the facts the next morning, to which he had no reply. Hope he doesn't call the 800#, LOL!

[705red]

Is he a "little" white guy by chance?

[stevetheupsguy]

Originally Posted by 705red

Is he a "little" white guy by chance?

Ha Ha Ha, guess you've been to my center before.

[UPS Lifer]

Originally Posted by cachsux

UTR and Sober get the point. It`s not that they are following a driver,which is common,it`s that they are using a fellow hourly and especially a steward to witness for them. They tried this at the Cach several years ago and the steward told them to pound sand.

This may be a catch 22. If the steward agrees to go out and observe other employees, they are now placed in a position to witness any behavior out on the route. They may not actually discipline the driver but they are there as a witness. A precarious position to be in.... wouldn't you agree?

However, from a union standpoint, they actually witness what happened and can better defend the employee if the employee is disciplined and this goes to a panel hearing.

Tell me what the difference is between the manager, steward and employee meeting in the office for discipline or meeting out on area? Either way, the steward is there to make sure the contract is not violated.

If the steward is misled from the manager about the purpose of the ride-along then I would have a real problem with that. This is a practice that is in nobody's interest.

I think you always have to remember that supervisors and managers are going to go out and observe employees. This will not change. If you do something wrong that warrants discipline you better be prepared to suffer the consequence for your actions. No matter what side of the ball you are on.

I think any union steward would offer this same type of advice to any employee who knowingly breaks the contract or acts in an unsafe manner especially if those actions could cause harm or injury to others.

[stevetheupsguy]

Here's a good one. I was the subject of an OAO On Area (Observation) today. Here I am zipping along US1, headed north to my first resi stop. I was looking at my diad while driving with the bulkhead door opened. Failed to signal twice. Parked on the wrong side of the street. Got out of the driver side door with the pkg. Cut across the grass. Back to pkg car the same way, did I mention I left the keys in the ignition, no hazard lights on and the bulkhead door was still opened? When I got back to the car the District safety guy was there and pointed out all my failures. He asked me my name, which I gave him, and said he'd report it to my supes. Turns out he reported it this all the way up to my District Manager. When I returned to building, my on road supe told me what had happened and showed me a picture of my car on the wrong side of the street. Said I'd probably get a warning letter for this. Goes to show, we're not all perfect, eh? Here's the actual picture the Safety Supe took.

Forgot to mention the $10 tip I got today, WooHoo!!!

[brownmonster]

Looks like the back door is slightly open and where's your trailer hitch?