That article was put in to our Supplement when I was a young driver, so maybe a quarter of a century ago.
I remember in my first couple of years as a driver that if you needed to get out early for any reason you did all your paperwork (no diad) and COD turn in, etc out on route (you could guarantee the first ones back in would be going back out and end up being one of the last ones in ultimately) as management practiced extremely lazy dispatching, you parked in the back section literally coasting your package car into the building so to try to keep them from hearing you coming (we had a rear entrance and parking section that couldn't be seen from the supervision's offices) and do a forty yard sneak/dash to the safe, paper drop and time clock.
It was ridiculous and sophomoric, but hey, if you truly needed to get out you did what you had to do.
I remember being caught running up the stairs after successfully punching out on a Friday to attend a Rehearsal where I was the best man and the center manager yelling to come back down this minute and punch back in or I'd be fired!
I told him "fire me" as I blew by him on the way out and he said to come in an hour early Monday to do just that.
I came in an hour early and found out the manager was on vacation that week and never heard anything about it again.
That was the closest I ever came to actually being fired.
So this clause was one of the most significant improvements to the contract for a very long time in my opinion.
It actually forced management to plan efficient dispatch and you could partially control your destiny when you needed to without having to feel like a criminal.
No, there was never a local dispute regarding "full days work" here.
If you weren't told you were double tripping in the morning when you left you were safe.
Of course, there is leeway between official discipline and unofficial retribution from an unethical manager, but I am unaware of that actually occuring in my center, ever.
Unfortunately, On call air and the companies ability to directly contact the driver though the Diad has seriously erroded this "protection" over the recent years.
You see the section "go back out on the street" is pretty simple and clear as well.
They can increase your dispatch unlimited by bringing you work or instructing you to meet someone, etc.
When this article was drafted the only way they could contact you was pretty hit and miss by leaving a phone message at a pick up account if you had any or physically finding you out on the route.
