Are you an air pickup driver?

[trapper]

I am an air pickup driver and have grounds everyday and my supers give me a hard time about getting ground pay. Do you pickup grounds? Do you get paid ground pay?

 

[C Man]

It's simple - either they pay you ground rate or you don't pick them up. Get a steward to back you up. I always get ground rate when I have to deliver or pickup ground packages.

They tried a little stunt for a while where they tried to pay ground rate only for the time that you actually handled the ground packagaes. So say you had one pickup that involved ground packages. They tried to pay ground rate for that pickup only and then the regular rate for the rest. That got shot down fast.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

The problem in many areas is the UPS Stores. They want to keep accepting ground packages after the regular drivers has already made their pickup and then expect the air driver to take them. So as the driver you are damned if you do...damned if you don't. I was taking them and coding "07" but eventually was told to stop picking up ground. Then the UPS Stores were mad because the packages weren't making service. I would tell them I'm just doing what I was told. They know air drivers aren't supposed to take ground but they ccept them after the regular driver has left anyway. The only packages air drivers can take are ARS packages.

 

[trapper]

I was getting ground rate for the air time until they moved my route to another super who doesn't want to pay the ground rate. I am having a problem with drop boxes. People leave ground packages next to the box, my super says that since they are at a drop box they don't count as grounds. He calls them "Tag-a-long". Has anyone had this problem?

 

[scratch]

I think that what you are dealing falls in a "gray area", meaning it isn't covered under the National Contract. As a UPS employee, we need to take care of the customer first, they don't care of the particulars of who does what, somebody is paying our salaries to move a package from one point to another. What I mean is, if you have an ARS in a letter box or somebody pulls up next to you and gives you a Ground, take it. If you are making a Late Pickup as an Air Only Driver, I think you should be paid the Full-Time Rate if you handle Ground. Of course I come from the perspective that if you are doing a Driving job, you should be paid at that rate. I have never been a fan of the "Cover Driver" job classification. If you are working 45 hours a week, YOU ARE FULL TIME. I don't know how you can divide up your time as an Air Driver or 22.3 position to decide at what point you are working at FT or PT Rates.

 

[trickpony1]

....and this is the company that so espouses honesty and integrity.

 

[trapper]

My business agent now says that I will only win the ground rate after I give UPS 2 chances to tell the customer to not use the drop box as a drop off for ground packages. So everytime I pick up a ground which can be 20 or more a night I am to write the customer's name and tracking # on a piece of paper and give to my super. Then if I get a 3rd ground package from a customer I will get ground rate for that night.
Any suggestions on how I can stop this absurdity!

 

[trickpony1]

.....where does it say that in the contract?

 

[dannyboy]

He calls them "Tag-a-long". Has anyone had this problem?

Now isn't that cute. Cant justify you picking up ground, so he coins a new level of service.

You know, UPS knew going in that the UPS stores would need a late pickup, in many places so late that regular drivers could not make them. But to get them to sign up with UPS, they made the promises. So its time to keep them.

They also made promises in the contract to pay air drivers ground wages if they took out, or picked up ground packages. So they need to keep those promises as well.

It is not up to the local sup to decline to pay the right wages and come up with dear little sweet terms to wiggle out of the proper pay scale.

That would be like taking cash on a COD, "Borrowing the money" for a day or so, then turning it in. Stealing is stealing. You dont pay the employee what is due them, you are stealing from that employee. Just like stealing time from the company.

But of course they never look at it that way now do they?

Trapper, that is an extra contractual agreement, and your BA is not allowed to make such on his own.

d

 

[over9five]

Not long ago, the air driver who picked up the UPS Store here demanded full rate because every night he would pick up ground there.

What do you think they did????






Gave him full rate, right?









Nope.








They gave his first three pickups to a full time driver, and started him 20 minutes later!

Hahahahahaha! He ended up losing an hour and 40 minutes a week instead of gaining anything.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

All this amazes me. I guess our sups here aren't that bad after all because at least they don't jerk us around like it sounds like they are at your centers. In our center whether or not you get paid for ground depends on the driver. Our pm route guy is to chicken to demand the ground pay even though half the packages he picks up are ground. When i run the route I code "07" as soon as I pick up a ground package. Of course the only exception is ARS packages. They tried cutting the route out completely years back but it was hell on the regular drivers so the job returned later. I will deliver ground anytime but I try and stay away from air driving. Working in the building pays more for me. I don't mind working Saturdays for extra money but air delivery/pickup during the week is a paycut for me.

 

[over9five]

Why are ARS the exception? Most are ground packages. Is this exception in the contract?

 

[trickpony1]

....what contract?

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Article 40. Air Operation
Section 1 (a), (7)

"Air drivers may continue to pick up Automatic Return Service packages but the features of this service will not be expanded."

Usually those are dropped in the drop boxes. Occasionally the UPS Store.

 

[over9five]

How about ground internet packages dropped at a letter box?

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

How about ground internet packages dropped at a letter box?

That isn't in the "language" so I guess that warrants an"07" code in the diad. The problem we have around here is people puting packages on top of and beside the drop box because they won't fit. Air and ground packages. My favorite is when they jam a package in there and it gets stuck. It usually takes 3 days to a week before it is fixed.

 

[trapper]

I understand the ARS packages. The ground internet packages are in or by my drop boxes daily. I went to the UPS site and it encourages customers to use the drop boxes as a drop off location for ground packages. And then they don't want to pay me for ground rate! Now my labor relations manager(who has only been at my center for 6 weeks and was the one who coined the "tag-a-long" term) has it out for me. My start time has already been backed up 45 minutes. She claims that UPS will not pay me for picking up grounds. I was on vacation for 2 weeks and when I came back she had come up with this new policy. Three years ago I went thru this same problem and won the grievance and was paid the ground rate until this new labor manager. Why don't past won grievances count when a new labor relations manager comes in and wants to make a name for herself? Is my BA just a wimp? Any suggestions on how to win once and for all and pay all air drivers who pick up grounds the ground rate.

Oh I have a bright idea how about a little help from the Teamsters union!

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

The contract says you can pick up ground packages as an "exception" basis. So what is the limit? It really is up to the Managers and BA at the local union. If you want to try and follow the contract to the letter than the best thing to do is go ahead and pick up one ground at air pay and then after the second code 07. When they bitch about it later say that you coded it after one because the contract says "exception" but doesn't explain whether it means one (1) package is the llimit or not. If they srew you on the pay then grieve it until it is fixed or until the steward and sups figure out what the limit is. Worse case scenario is you'll get screwed on the pay and find out out the limit or you'll get back pay eventually.

 

[dannyboy]

Usually those are dropped in the drop boxes. Occasionally the UPS Store

And that shows how diverse it is from middle to east Tennessee, where almost 100% of the ARS's are left at the UPS stores. In the last several years, I can count on one hand the ones left at drop boxes, and I used to pick up 4 each day.

Three years ago I went through this same problem and won the grievance and was paid the ground rate until this new labor manager. Why don't past won grievances count

It does count. Its called past practice. And if you won before, you will win again. And if the BA does not stand up for you on this, then IMHO you should have a financial recourse that the union should have to pay you for.

I went to the UPS site and it encourages customers to use the drop boxes as a drop off location for ground packages

and since the website says to drop them off there, that means that UPS is planning the drop off of ground packages there. That they are not just the "tag alongs" like they are dreaming about.

They owe you ground pay. Go and get it. If the business agent says no, and they are punishing you for standing up for your rights, then I would sue the teamsters. And I would let the BA know about it ahead of time. He is misrepresenting you in your case

d

 

[hoser]

what about an envelope in a drop box on ground service?

I agree fully with DS, just take the drop box without making a scene, but anything else, follow the contract. You waste your money on dues, you may as well use the contract that you waste your money on.