Am I going to get fired?

bemyers

Member
About nine months ago a video was posted of me sorting packages on YouTube. Yesterday I got called into the office, with a manager, my full time supervisor, and a shop steward. They mentioned that I got identified in a video on YouTube. They said that was a violation of company policy, and a violation of the privacy of the people in the background of the video. They asked who filmed the video, I said the photographer no longer worked for UPS. They said that as long as I removed the video when I got home from work I'd be fine, but that I'd have to sign a statement acknowledging the event. I went back to work.

Maybe 20 minutes later the manager comes to me with the statement. It read as an exact transcript of the meeting I had just been in. It also said that I understood that if I failed to have the video removed, or had another video posted, I would face disciplinary action, and possibly termination. I asked the manager if I would get fired if I signed it. She said, I'd only face disciplinary action if the video wasn't removed by tomorrow, or if I ever did it again. She said other than that they'd never mention it again. I signed the statement.

I asked the guys I worked with if they thought I would get fired, but they didn't think it was a big deal, and they said that they thought the manager had at some integrity so if she said I wouldn't get fired, I wouldn't.

I had the video removed last night.

I've heard of guys being told they wouldn't get fired if they signed a statement, but then they get fired anyway, so I'm wondering if I'm going to have a job when I go in today?
 
Seems pretty cut and dry to me. I'd put it to rest and not post that video anywhere online. Your manager seemed pretty cool about the whole thing and the form you signed was just that, a formality.
 

U(s)PS Guy

Well-Known Member
unless they d/l'ed the video before your deletion, they no longer have any evidence of you doing this. sounds like if they try to fire you for it, all they have is paperwork alleging a video that doesn't exist.
 

Fredless

APWA Hater
1)By signing that statement,You just admitted guilt. You're screwed. I would NEVER ever sign anything that isn't safety related because if you do, the company takes the position that you admit/agree to what they said. I've had them say "If you write a statement for us, we might take mercy." Bull. They never do, it just gives them a nail to put in your coffin.
2)In the southern region (and I'd imagine elsewhere) videos are NOT permissable in a panel hearing. Hence the statement for admission of guilt.
3)Where the HELL was your shop steward?

They, in reality, didn't have crap on you - however, you admitted it. Who was "they" who filmed you etc?

You better be an A+ employee for the next 9 months brother.
 

bemyers

Member
1)By signing that statement,You just admitted guilt. You're screwed. I would NEVER ever sign anything that isn't safety related because if you do, the company takes the position that you admit/agree to what they said. I've had them say "If you write a statement for us, we might take mercy." Bull. They never do, it just gives them a nail to put in your coffin.
2)In the southern region (and I'd imagine elsewhere) videos are NOT permissable in a panel hearing. Hence the statement for admission of guilt.
3)Where the HELL was your shop steward?

They, in reality, didn't have crap on you - however, you admitted it. Who was "they" who filmed you etc?

That's what I was afraid of. The shop steward was in the room with us, but the union is pretty weak where I work. Most of the employees don't pay union dues. We have 5 employees on our sort, none of them pay dues. The shop steward was a driver, and he was filling in for the regular shop steward who has been out sick. The shop steward that was there signed the statement too.

I had a feeling I shouldn't have signed anything, but when I asked the other employees about it they didn't think it was a big deal.

Nowhere in the statement did I admit that I knew what I was doing was against company policy. I guess I'll see what happens when I go in today.
 

bemyers

Member
When they asked who filmed it, their main concern seemed to be that the guy filming wasn't working, and not that he had violated company policy by making the film.

I should also mention that I no longer work at the Hub where the video was made. I transfered to a center, so the management I talked to didn't work where the video was filmed, but it is in the same district.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
This is another reason you don't take pictures inside a UPS facility. Not smart at all, you are on company property and probably on the time clock. So somebody else filmed this and you posted it on YouTube? You were smart to remove it if you wanted to keep your job.
 

Fredless

APWA Hater
The union is weak? Then YOU are weak.

No one is to blame for a weak union in a particular workplace than the employees themselves. I can't believe even the alternate steward was that IGNORANT to not even pull you outside of the office if he didn't have the gnads to tell them to eat crap in the meeting.

Your best chance now is to just be a "model" employee, keep your mouth shut and stay off the radar for 9 months from the date of you signing that statement. Best of luck to you.
 

tieguy

Banned
The union is weak? Then YOU are weak.

No one is to blame for a weak union in a particular workplace than the employees themselves. I can't believe even the alternate steward was that IGNORANT to not even pull you outside of the office if he didn't have the gnads to tell them to eat crap in the meeting.

Your best chance now is to just be a "model" employee, keep your mouth shut and stay off the radar for 9 months from the date of you signing that statement. Best of luck to you.

I hope you're not always such a drama queen. The guy posted video. they asked him to remove it. He removed it. Its actually a good example of many events where management and employee work things out. A shop steward telling management to eat crap in that meeting could have gotten him fired.
 

MonavieLeaker

Bringin Teh_Lulz
I hope you're not always such a drama queen. The guy posted video. they asked him to remove it. He removed it. Its actually a good example of many events where management and employee work things out. A shop steward telling management to eat crap in that meeting could have gotten him fired.

What Tieguy said
 

bemyers

Member
So I went in to work today, and my full time supervisor just gave me the usual "What's up". The center manager wasn't there. Everything was fine, just work as usual. So I guess I'll see what happens in the coming months.
 

upsdude

Well-Known Member
Here’s what bothers me about the situation. You remove the video, no problem. Someone else may have downloaded the video and re-posts it. Do you think management will believe you are innocent?

I agree with scratch, let the picture taking and video work stay in the hands of management. Yes, I have a cell phone camera, and yes I have used it at work. If I snap a picture while on the clock you can bet my sup will be looking at the shot. The shot will also be in some way a benefit to UPS. You don’t (I hope) walk into a neighbor’s house and start taking pictures without permission, why do it at work?
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
Bemyers,

By signing the statement you acknowledged what was discussed in the meeting by all who attended. If no disciplinary action was noted or stated in the meeting, you have nothing to worry about.

I'm guessing Corporate Legal had some involvement in the conversations that took place regarding the video. All video taping done at UPS is done with professional communications companies and confidentiality agreements are signed. Along with releases of employees in the video. You know lawsuits are so prevelant nowadays, UPS just wants to make sure the videos are representative of the company and its employees.

Just out of curiosity, how many hits did your video receive?
 

Big Babooba

Well-Known Member
When the video was removed it had somewhere around 16,000 hits, but realize that I didn't say I posted it, I acknowledged that I was in it.
I'm not too familiar with the procedures for posting on YouTube. But if you didn't post the video, how can you remove it? Isn't the poster the only person who could remove it?
 
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