Air Pay Question

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
I drive Saturday Air if I haven't driven ground much during the week. I already recieved the raise from $13.50/hr to $19.50/hr (it's actually a little bit more because of COLA) for Saturdays but will that apply to Air Exception work done during the week? For example: Occasionally I will deliver EAMs/NDAs in the morning or make letter box pickups at night. Will I receive the same hourly rate as I do on Saturdays?
 

Cole

Well-Known Member
I don't have my contract book with me, but I don't think it applies to exception work. There's alot of different classifications under Article 40, and I am a bit rusty an the air language. I was reading it the other day for a question someone had at work, and it seems I read there was a difference in the exception pay.

That's been an on going problem with the air operation language. When it started the union pretty much let the company write it, because it was unknown, and it still is confusing to me. I'll look it up when I get my book and try to find what you're looking for.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
I don't have my contract book with me, but I don't think it applies to exception work. There's alot of different classifications under Article 40, and I am a bit rusty an the air language. I was reading it the other day for a question someone had at work, and it seems I read there was a difference in the exception pay.

That's been an on going problem with the air operation language. When it started the union pretty much let the company write it, because it was unknown, and it still is confusing to me. I'll look it up when I get my book and try to find what you're looking for.

I am looking at the book now. Above the list of raises it says

"(a.) Part-time air drivers including exception air drivers will be paid as follows:"

I looked at my pay stub on UPSers.com after the first post and sure enough it has me at two different pay rates. I was paid 13.50 for exception work and 19.62 for Saturday work. I don't get it. I get a raise for Saturday work but not any other air driving? Sounds sillly to me. This is yet another example of how there were so many holes left in the contract when it was negotiated. It should say "See Supervisor" instead of showing the raises. LOL
 

Backlasher

Stronger, Faster, Browner
I've been a bid air driver for 8 months now and am at the $12.50 pay rate still. Sometimes I get to run saturday air but Ive never gotten a $19.62 pay rate.

Could you explain how you get a $19.62 pay rate for SAturday?

I never heard anything about Saturday air being at a higher rate but if it is I want what's due!!!

I can see management not let me know of a higher pay rate.
The 1st couple of months as an air driver they would have me take 20-30 stops off a ground and not pay me ground rate. When I found out and mentioned it they stoped sending me back out helping deliver ground, LoL.

They seem 2 have that if he don't now it's good for us kinda policy.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
It amazes me that a company that profits over $1 billion per year has language in their contact so ambigious as there is arbitration cases over wages amounting to 1 or 2 bucks per hour.

Instead of looking outside the company as to why we are losing volume, I think we need to look within.:sad:
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
I've been a bid air driver for 8 months now and am at the $12.50 pay rate still. Sometimes I get to run saturday air but Ive never gotten a $19.62 pay rate.

Could you explain how you get a $19.62 pay rate for SAturday?

I never heard anything about Saturday air being at a higher rate but if it is I want what's due!!!

I can see management not let me know of a higher pay rate.
The 1st couple of months as an air driver they would have me take 20-30 stops off a ground and not pay me ground rate. When I found out and mentioned it they stoped sending me back out helping deliver ground, LoL.

They seem 2 have that if he don't now it's good for us kinda policy.


I've been working Saturdays off and on for over two years now. The raises have come on time but for some reason any air work I do during the week appears to be frozen at the last pay rate I recieved before the $19.62 rate which was $13.50. I know of several air drivers that do expection work only on the P.M. side and they were told that they were "topped out" at $12.50 because they were hired at UPS after August 1, 2002. The contract isn't clear on any of this. That's why in my last post I said the contract should have "See Supervisor" written next to some of the articles. Another thing I don't understand is why one raise has the COLA increase and the other doesn't. Example: I make $13.50/hr for one, which is the original amount set forth by the contract, and $19.62/hr for the other, which is $0.12 more an hour than what was set forth in the contract. My hub pay is slightly higher due to COLA and so is my Cover Driver pay. It's that one Air pay rate that seems to be screwed up.
 

Cole

Well-Known Member
The multi payscales really have brought alot of things down. We all know the air operation is where the big bucks are yet they pay you guys the least in the driving category. Granted it's not as tough as a regular run.

I really think the company wants it as confusing as possible, because when they short you out of hours or pay you for the lowest category they can they can point to the confusion of all the different pay scales. As I said they pretty well wrote the language for the air operation, and it hasn't changed much.

I had to battle this issue about 15 yrs ago, and it was even more confusing then. I filed because we never got raises back then. talk to your business agent and hopefully he's knowledgable about the language and pay scales. Also all you guys always write your hours down, especially if you work more than a shift etc....
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
The multi payscales really have brought alot of things down. We all know the air operation is where the big bucks are yet they pay you guys the least in the driving category. Granted it's not as tough as a regular run.

I really think the company wants it as confusing as possible, because when they short you out of hours or pay you for the lowest category they can they can point to the confusion of all the different pay scales. As I said they pretty well wrote the language for the air operation, and it hasn't changed much.

I had to battle this issue about 15 yrs ago, and it was even more confusing then. I filed because we never got raises back then. talk to your business agent and hopefully he's knowledgable about the language and pay scales. Also all you guys always write your hours down, especially if you work more than a shift etc....

Thanks for your response. It's a little frustrating. My wife and friends get a kick out of all the different pay rates I'll have on my check each week.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Are you sure there not paying you at an overtime rate for saturday, i know theres no overtime for air drivers on sat. unless your over 40 for the week already.

It wasn't OT because I worked around 30 hours total for the week and only worked about 3.5 hours that Saturday. I was paid correctly for the Saturday work but for one day of Air PUs during the week I was still paid the pre-raise rate of $13.50/hr.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
It wasn't OT because I worked around 30 hours total for the week and only worked about 3.5 hours that Saturday. I was paid correctly for the Saturday work but for one day of Air PUs during the week I was still paid the pre-raise rate of $13.50/hr.
I know your contract is different than mine, so get with your steward and see what it should be 1st before going to the sups and ask him.
 

dillweed

Well-Known Member
The only complaints I've heard about air pay is how the company simply fails to pay for some hours.

Seniority is more of a pain in the butt for us. Building seniority rules on Saturday. Air driving seniority rules during the week but..... Who has the right to run all those $$$ ground misloads?

We have part time bid air drivers bringing home (!) $800 or more per week from doing air plus all the ground misloads. We also have regular drivers who are getting days off due to lack of work for them. What the heck? dw
 
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