Assigned Work???

[bakagigee]

So, I'm a morning pre-loader, and I also deliver Saturday air and other air packages during the week when the regular drivers can't make the commit times.

For the longest time they used to only send one full time driver to the airport in the morning (M-friend) to get the air packages and bring them back to the building. He is not an air driver. But just recently, the pilots stopped helping unload the plane and now UPS has to send two people to the airport every time and there has been a big to-do over who gets to go.

First they thought the position would go to the most senior full time driver that wanted it.

Then they said that it was for air drivers like me and that we could take the position (going with the full time driver) based on seniority and that we would get paid air rate during that time.

I have been doing it for a couple weeks now and I will work the preload for about an hour, then leave to go to the airport, and then come back and finish my preload shift. And while I am gone at the airport I get my air rate, which is almost double my normal pay.

However, just today they came in and told us that it's going to be an "Assigned Position" which means that they can tell any preloader they want that they have to go to the airport with the full time driver and, it does not go by seniority and they will not receive air wages but just our normal preload wages.

When this person goes to the airport, they technically do not drive the truck. We just ride shotgun and help unload and load the packages.

Is this right, or are they trying to pull a fast one on us?

 

[over9five]

Grieve it and find out.
Seriously!

 

[Mugarolla]

When this person goes to the airport, they technically do not drive the truck. We just ride shotgun and help unload and load the packages.

There is no "technically" about this. You do not drive the truck.

Is this right, or are they trying to pull a fast one on us?

They are right.

They just need a grunt to go along and help unload the plane. They can use a preloader and pay him preload pay. They do not have to use an air driver since he is not delivering air, picking up air or shuttling air. The FT package driver is shuttling air. The PTer is unloading the plane.

Now, if the preloader doing this is getting more time than higher seniority preloaders, it may be a grievable issue and should go to the highest senior PTer that wants to do it.

Do what @over9five says, grieve it and find out, or at least talk to your Steward about it.

Let me guess, you don't know what a Steward is?

 

[BrownMonk]

First, If you are doing multiple jobs within a shift, you should be paid the higher rate for the whole shift.
Second, unless your supplement allows, there can not be helpers used except in the months of November and December. Going with a driver would constitute a helper.
Third, they can either bid it as extra work for package drivers in the morning or make it an air shuttle position(even though they say future air shuttle positions should be friend/T) which doesn't include preload or assign it to a feeder run or combo it with something else for a 22.2 /22.3 job. They could continue it as exception work so long as it is not regular.

 

[TearsInRain]

thats pretty clever i can't wait to run that by ops next time

 

[Bubblehead]

There is no "technically" about this. You do not drive the truck.



They are right.

They just need a grunt to go along and help unload the plane. They can use a preloader and pay him preload pay. They do not have to use an air driver since he is not delivering air, picking up air or shuttling air. The FT package driver is shuttling air. The PTer is unloading the plane.

Now, if the preloader doing this is getting more time than higher seniority preloaders, it may be a grievable issue and should go to the highest senior PTer that wants to do it.

Do what @over9five says, grieve it and find out, or at least talk to your Steward about it.

Let me guess, you don't know what a Steward is?

Sounds to me this part timer who rides along and works alongside the full-time driver, is actually a "driver's helper" and would need to be approved by the Local in my area outside the Peak Season.

A "grunt" off the property would be termed a remote employee and would not be entitled to ride along with the driver.

I would for sure grieve it, if you're in the Central Region, on several levels.

This all may however be superceded by local shuttle agreements.

 

[Mugarolla]

Sounds to me this part timer who rides along and works alongside the full-time driver, is actually a "driver's helper"

Does the contract only specify package driver helpers, or helpers in general?

This would be an air shuttle driver helper, not a package driver helper, covered under Article 40 of the NMUPSA.

and would need to be approved by the Local in my area outside the Peak Season.

And I know plenty of areas that have this approval.

A "grunt" off the property would be termed a remote employee

Not necessarily. Depends on the local agreement.

and would not be entitled to ride along with the driver.

Incorrect. This depends on local agreements.

I would for sure grieve it

As I suggested he does.

if you're in the Central Region, on several levels.

Like you always say to Bug, care to expand on this. What levels?

This all may however be superceded by local shuttle agreements.

And in many places it is.

We all know your BA and local never backs your opinion, but most locals are not that way.

 

[FrigidFTSup]

Went through a similar circumstance in my previous center.

Pilot wouldn't unload the plane anymore, we would send 3 air drivers out everyday to unload. One would run the handful of EAMs we would see, other would shuttle air back to the building, and 9 times out of 10 the other air driver would just come back to the building as well. Higher ups caught wind of it and demanded we send a preloader with the shuttle driver. Air driver 3 grieved it and lost. You're not driving, you don't get air rate for riding shotgun.

 

[Mugarolla]

Higher ups caught wind of it and demanded we send a preloader with the shuttle driver

They can do this. They do not have to send an air driver, at air driver pay, to unload a plane.

Air driver 3 grieved it and lost. You're not driving, you don't get air rate for riding shotgun

This is correct.

And contrary to what @Bubblehead says, they can use this third guy to ride along and help unload the plane.

The OP is welcome to grieve it, as I suggested, but he will lose it. But it does not hurt to try, and you never know what local agreement the two parties may reach.

 

[542thruNthru]

Must be a small plane. We have a different company load and unload our planes. I would definitely run it by your BA and see what he thinks. It sounds like it would be a preferred job by unloaded. Especially if it's a good drive to the plane.

 

[FrigidFTSup]

Must be a small plane. We have a different company load and unload our planes. I would definitely run it by your BA and see what he thinks. It sounds like it would be a preferred job by unloaded. Especially if it's a good drive to the plane.

Most extended centers that get these planes don't see more than 400-500 pieces of air a day.

 

[Mugarolla]

Must be a small plane. We have a different company load and unload our planes. I would definitely run it by your BA and see what he thinks. It sounds like it would be a preferred job by unloaded. Especially if it's a good drive to the plane.

Sounds like a small airport and a puddle jumper.

I am guessing it takes less than half an hour to unload the plane.

 

[542thruNthru]

Most extended centers that get these planes don't see more than 400-500 pieces of air a day.

When you say air is that only NDA? Just curious. Still sounds like a great job for a preloader.

 

[FrigidFTSup]

When you say air is that only NDA? Just curious. Still sounds like a great job for a preloader.

Majority of it is NDA/Savers. There is a limited amount of 2DA and 3DA mixed in there. We used to get one of these everyday. About 20 mins to unload a 100% plane. Would also get another plane, but it was dedicated to a single customer.

 

[Bubblehead]

They can do this. They do not have to send an air driver, at air driver pay, to unload a plane.



This is correct.

And contrary to what @Bubblehead says, they can use this third guy to ride along and help unload the plane.

The OP is welcome to grieve it, as I suggested, but he will lose it. But it does not hurt to try, and you never know what local agreement the two parties may reach.

You have no idea if this correct, nor do I.
I was playing along on this premise.
This is the oldest trick on BC.

You don't know where he's from, what supplements or local shuttle agreements apply, etc.
What I find suspicious is that they use a full time driver, not an driver to make the run, suggesting that there is no shuttle agreement in place.

But at the end of the day, this is just another employee shopping for the answer they want to hear and you fell for it.

Why is it you get so aggressive when challenged?

 

[Mugarolla]

You don't know where he's from, what supplements or local shuttle agreements apply, etc.

What I find suspicious is that they use a full time driver, not an driver to make the run, suggesting that there is no shuttle agreement in place.

You just answered your first point, the one I quoted above.

Sounds to me like they are following Article 40 of the NMUPSA.

But at the end of the day, this is just another employee shopping for the answer they want to hear and you fell for it.

I did not give him the answer he wanted to hear. The answer I gave him is not the answer he wants to hear.

I fell for nothing, except to answer a question.

Why is it you get so aggressive when challenged?

Aggressive?

Nothing aggressive about my responses. If you took it that way, it is because you took it that way, not the way I meant it.

 

[Mugarolla]

@jbg77, Can you explain how my response was a derail?

I thought I specifically answered the OP's question.

Maybe I'm missing something. Hell, @Bubblehead thinks I'm aggressive.

Can't win 'em all, I guess.

 

[Bubblehead]

You just answered your first point, the one I quoted above.

Sounds to me like they are following Article 40 of the NMUPSA.



I did not give him the answer he wanted to hear. The answer I gave him is not the answer he wants to hear.

I fell for nothing, except to answer a question.



Aggressive?

Nothing aggressive about my responses. If you took it that way, it is because you took it that way, not the way I meant it.

Where is this provided for in Art 40?
Normally you post the quoted language.
I didn't see it?

Sorry if I was too sensitive.

 

[Mugarolla]

You don't know where he's from, what supplements or local shuttle agreements apply, etc.

I thought about this a little more Bubble. Do you honestly believe that UPS would agree to pay air driver rate to unload a plane?

I want some of what you're smoking. I am 99% sure that there is no local agreement for UPS to pay air driver rate to unload a plane. You may ask why I am not 100% sure?

We all know there is that one exception to the rule. So is this that exception? If it was, UPS would be violating their local agreement because the OP said they are sending out a preloader.

Does UPS violate agreements? Yes....but if they are violating this one, why not violate the other one?

Why are they sending a $36/hr package driver to shuttle the air? Why not violate the agreement and get it done at half price with an air driver?

Probably because the simplest answer is usually the correct one. There is no agreement to pay air driver rate to unload this plane.

Just like where Frigid was, UPS just realized that they did not have to pay air driver rate to unload a plane. They can send out a preloader.

And just in case I am wrong and this is still that one exception to the rule, do you remember what I told the OP? If not, I'll help you out.

Do what @over9five says, grieve it and find out, or at least talk to your Steward about it.

Am I being aggressive now. Naaaa....but I am always up for a spirited debate. And this is what this is.

Your turn.....go

 

[Mugarolla]

Where is this provided for in Art 40?
Normally you post the quoted language.
I didn't see it?

Sorry if I was too sensitive.

Are we good or what. We are responding to each other at the same time.

It is not in the language that they cannot use a preloader.

You know the old saying....no contractual violation.

Your turn.......go