Can I grievance having to work in departments I was not hired for?

Furen

Well-Known Member
(sorry going to rant) Okay I was hired as an unloader early this year, but in that time I've been made to sort mail, load trucks. load trailers, play clerk, break jams, ect near everyday I've been working there. And I'm sick of it. I applied for and was hired to unload trailers. Thats all I was hired to do, thats all I enjoy to do, thats all I want to do. Yet, my supe keeps seeing fit to send me to these other departments or their supes see fit to grab me whenever they need an extra body because they A- Fired their own personnel and won't hire new ones, B- Cut them early, C- Let 92% of the workers take Saturday as well as monday off and D- Had workers straight up quit and won't hire new ones. So they run our facility on a semi skeleton crew and I have to do near everyone else position.

And yeah, I could see if I was a bad unloader why I would be moved around so much, but I'm a pretty fast unloader getting consistent praise from my supe for beating out most of my peers in packages per hour at 1,200 to 1,300 while they're middling in the 900 to 600 range. Yet even so my supe sends me to the other departments when they need a body first over the new hires and slow females in our department who take an hour to clear shorties. My supe says its because I'm a good worker and can follow directions well compared to my peers.

Thats nice, but when we have new hires in our department I think they should send the new meat over me like they did when I was new and on probation. I was sent to the other areas because the other guys had seniority over me so I was kicked around like a can from place to place doing whatever they wanted so I didn't get terminated. But you see, I passed my probation, got in the union and got a little seniority under my belt compared to the new hires. So it should be them first down the river on the sacrificial list, Yet they still see fit to move me around like I was prized chess piece. When I bring this up to my supe, she gets angry and hollers at me about not being grateful & happy about having more hours. I never asked for more hours tho. I mean I'm thankful she is looking our me, but why am I getting chewed out for not being happy with favors I never requested? I just don't understand.

Every Saturday, without fail, I am called away from unload to work loading up the bleeping trailers. I HATE loading up those freaking trailers. I hate it so much, I build a wall of china and just throw everything in a rage behind the wall. Supes complained to me at first about not stacking properly & safely and throwing the boxes (never a write up), yet I still keep throwing and they still keep making me their first round draft pick knowing I'm going to toss those packages in there like footballs with wild abandon. Its come to the point now where they don't even mention it anymore, they just come get me, put me in the trailer, let me throw the packages in there and tell me to have a great weekend once I'm through with my work. Personally, if I had a worker that bad, I wouldn't call them back but I'm starting to think that they don't really care about the packages and just need tho trailer quotas filled. Stack properly or throw them in, I still get dragged into that loading hell the next week while the new guys & seniority continue to work in unload and go home before me.

Just today, I had finished unloading my trailers, pulling out my irregs and I was sent to load up the trucks because they need an extra body and "No one comes in on monday". So I get over there and this little short female supe says "These 5 trucks are yours" while the few regulars there only have one and two trucks. At this point I'm boiling with rage. Why do I, who doesn't even work in this department, have to cover 5 trucks while your actual subordinates get lighter work!? And if thats not bad enough, while I'm loading she keeps nitpicking at me about stupid things like making a mistake and having 4001,4003 and 4002 lined up instead of the actual numerical order. Or I placed some big boxes (very light like fluff) on the top 1000 shelf where they belong but she personally likes the big boxes at the bottom. or whining at me about stacking boxes in the truck to keep red lights from going off on a severely clogged up chute that can't hold anymore boxes, but wanting me to break the red lights as well. or whining about how the driver likes this mail here and this irreg here or they get mad (like I give AF). Absurdly petty BS to pull me aside for when I'm dealing with 5 trucks. This ain't the drivers first rodeo and he knows not everything will be pristine in the truck and some things hes going to have to correct or sort himself. I'm there to cover for 5 people after doing my own strenuous work, not cater to the feelings of some anal Prima donna who is thrown all out of whack if he/she sees 1,3,2 instead 1,2,3. Me and the drivers? Both union/ non fire at will. If the driver doesn't like how I don't load his truck to his preference, the worst thats going to happen is we're going to get into it and he is going to request I don't load his truck, which is great by me because I don't want to be there anyway. She on the other hand, a supe, is fire at will so she has to kowtow to their whims because their complaints are acid to her where they fly off me like water. Eventually I just start giving her hostile looks because shes annoying and she limits her interaction or apologizes every time she disturbs me from then on.

When the driver shows up and looks around the truck, I look down in his eyes and he doesn't say a word, just starts helping me load up the truck. So we got the trucks done, but I never want to go through that again. I'm tired of having to do my job and everyone else. So I want to know if I can file a grievance on being forced to do jobs in departments I wasn't hired for nor volunteered for.
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
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(sorry going to rant) Okay I was hired as an unloader early this year, but in that time I've been made to sort mail, load trucks. load trailers, play clerk, break jams, ect near everyday I've been working there. And I'm sick of it. I applied for and was hired to unload trailers. Thats all I was hired to do, thats all I enjoy to do, thats all I want to do. Yet, my supe keeps seeing fit to send me to these other departments or their supes see fit to grab me whenever they need an extra body because they A- Fired their own personnel and won't hire new ones, B- Cut them early, C- Let 92% of the workers take Saturday as well as monday off and D- Had workers straight up quit and won't hire new ones. So they run our facility on a semi skeleton crew and I have to do near everyone else position.

And yeah, I could see if I was a bad unloader why I would be moved around so much, but I'm a pretty fast unloader getting consistent praise from my supe for beating out most of my peers in packages per hour at 1,200 to 1,300 while they're middling in the 900 to 600 range. Yet even so my supe sends me to the other departments when they need a body first over the new hires and slow females in our department who take an hour to clear shorties. My supe says its because I'm a good worker and can follow directions well compared to my peers.

Thats nice, but when we have new hires in our department I think they should send the new meat over me like they did when I was new and on probation. I was sent to the other areas because the other guys had seniority over me so I was kicked around like a can from place to place doing whatever they wanted so I didn't get terminated. But you see, I passed my probation, got in the union and got a little seniority under my belt compared to the new hires. So it should be them first down the river on the sacrificial list, Yet they still see fit to move me around like I was prized chess piece. When I bring this up to my supe, she gets angry and hollers at me about not being grateful & happy about having more hours. I never asked for more hours tho. I mean I'm thankful she is looking our me, but why am I getting chewed out for not being happy with favors I never requested? I just don't understand.

Every Saturday, without fail, I am called away from unload to work loading up the bleeping trailers. I HATE loading up those freaking trailers. I hate it so much, I build a wall of china and just throw everything in a rage behind the wall. Supes complained to me at first about not stacking properly & safely and throwing the boxes (never a write up), yet I still keep throwing and they still keep making me their first round draft pick knowing I'm going to toss those packages in there like footballs with wild abandon. Its come to the point now where they don't even mention it anymore, they just come get me, put me in the trailer, let me throw the packages in there and tell me to have a great weekend once I'm through with my work. Personally, if I had a worker that bad, I wouldn't call them back but I'm starting to think that they don't really care about the packages and just need tho trailer quotas filled. Stack properly or throw them in, I still get dragged into that loading hell the next week while the new guys & seniority continue to work in unload and go home before me.

Just today, I had finished unloading my trailers, pulling out my irregs and I was sent to load up the trucks because they need an extra body and "No one comes in on monday". So I get over there and this little short female supe says "These 5 trucks are yours" while the few regulars there only have one and two trucks. At this point I'm boiling with rage. Why do I, who doesn't even work in this department, have to cover 5 trucks while your actual subordinates get lighter work!? And if thats not bad enough, while I'm loading she keeps nitpicking at me about stupid things like making a mistake and having 4001,4003 and 4002 lined up instead of the actual numerical order. Or I placed some big boxes (very light like fluff) on the top 1000 shelf where they belong but she personally likes the big boxes at the bottom. or whining at me about stacking boxes in the truck to keep red lights from going off on a severely clogged up chute that can't hold anymore boxes, but wanting me to break the red lights as well. or whining about how the driver likes this mail here and this irreg here or they get mad (like I give AF). Absurdly petty BS to pull me aside for when I'm dealing with 5 trucks. This ain't the drivers first rodeo and he knows not everything will be pristine in the truck and some things hes going to have to correct or sort himself. I'm there to cover for 5 people after doing my own strenuous work, not cater to the feelings of some anal Prima donna who is thrown all out of whack if he/she sees 1,3,2 instead 1,2,3. Me and the drivers? Both union/ non fire at will. If the driver doesn't like how I don't load his truck to his preference, the worst thats going to happen is we're going to get into it and he is going to request I don't load his truck, which is great by me because I don't want to be there anyway. She on the other hand, a supe, is fire at will so she has to kowtow to their whims because their complaints are acid to her where they fly off me like water. Eventually I just start giving her hostile looks because shes annoying and she limits her interaction or apologizes every time she disturbs me from then on.

When the driver shows up and looks around the truck, I look down in his eyes and he doesn't say a word, just starts helping me load up the truck. So we got the trucks done, but I never want to go through that again. I'm tired of having to do my job and everyone else. So I want to know if I can file a grievance on being forced to do jobs in departments I wasn't hired for nor volunteered for.
 

scooby0048

This page left intentionally blank
I applied for and was hired to unload trailers. Thats all I was hired to do, thats all I enjoy to do, thats all I want to do.

That is such a ball-busting, back breaking job...the worst at UPS. I'd be happy to move from it if I was on it but hey, whatever floats your boat! Work as directed is the motto here so good luck. Being a trailer goon might just be the perfect spot for you, if you make sure you don't do the other jobs so well they might not put you back in them.
 

Furen

Well-Known Member
That is such a ball-busting, back breaking job...the worst at UPS. I'd be happy to move from it if I was on it but hey, whatever floats your boat! Work as directed is the motto here so good luck. Being a trailer goon might just be the perfect spot for you, if you make sure you don't do the other jobs so well they might not put you back in them.

At first it was hell, but as my body got used to it and became stronger, I grew to love it and look forward to it. I do 2/3 trailers tops, get a pat on the back and go home before the sun rises when I'm not being pulled elsewhere. Easiest job in the house imo. As for doing other jobs horribly and hoping they don't call back-- Yeah, been there, done that. Doesn't work :sad-little:
 

AwashBwashCwash

Well-Known Member
(sorry going to rant) Okay I was hired as an unloader early this year, but in that time I've been made to sort mail, load trucks. load trailers, play clerk, break jams, ect near everyday I've been working there. And I'm sick of it. I applied for and was hired to unload trailers. Thats all I was hired to do, thats all I enjoy to do, thats all I want to do.
As far as I know UPS doesn't hire "trailer unloaders" they hire "package handlers."
Have you ever had a job before? You do what they need you to do.
I know this place is unionized but Christ dude it's still a company that needs to get a job done. Imagine if everyone only did the exact minuscule task that they want to do.

At my facility there's a female clerk who has been working in this same building for over 30 years, has seniority over everyone, and even she will jump in and start unloading cars when we need her to. Maybe you should focus more on being a team player than hiding in your trailer cave like a box goblin.
 
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Furen

Well-Known Member
As far as I know UPS doesn't hire "trailer unloaders" they hire "package handlers."
Have you ever had a job before? You do what they need you to do.
I know this place is unionized but Christ dude it's still a company that needs to get a job done. Imagine if everyone only did the exact minuscule task that they want to do.

At my facility there's a female clerk who has been working in this same building for over 30 years, has seniority over everyone, and even she will jump in and start unloading cars when we need her to. Maybe you should focus more on being a team player than hiding in your trailer cave like a box goblin.

Naw, we got unloaders, loaders and sorters. I was hired to be an unloader during preload. You actually have to get a transfer to 'officially' work in those departments. I know because I've seen a few guys in my department do it. Meaning you report there in the mornings, have an assigned work schedule within those departments and partake in their pcms. Them sending me to do irregular jobs is just convenient easy labor. Also I know not everyone has to 'pitch in' per say. The loaders and sorters never have to help unload or with each others task, but we have to help them. And even within the unload, there are those with seniority who are never asked to do anything other than that.

All this team player nonsense is just lazy ups penny pinching by keeping their staff numbers low so they can make more and pay less. Cheaper to tack on an extra 2 dollars to my pay rate for skilled work than pay 325 extra dollars for 5 new hires.

Edit: whoops meant to quote you too brown
 

PT Car Washer

Well-Known Member
Naw, we got unloaders, loaders and sorters. I was hired to be an unloader during preload. You actually have to get a transfer to 'officially' work in those departments. I know because I've seen a few guys in my department do it. Meaning you report there in the mornings, have an assigned work schedule within those departments and partake in their pcms. Them sending me to do irregular jobs is just convenient easy labor. Also I know not everyone has to 'pitch in' per say. The loaders and sorters never have to help unload or with each others task, but we have to help them. And even within the unload, there are those with seniority who are never asked to do anything other than that.

All this team player nonsense is just lazy ups penny pinching by keeping their staff numbers low so they can make more and pay less. Cheaper to tack on an extra 2 dollars to my pay rate for skilled work than pay 325 extra dollars for 5 new hires.

Edit: whoops meant to quote you too brown
Naw, we got unloaders, loaders and sorters. I was hired to be an unloader during preload. You actually have to get a transfer to 'officially' work in those departments. I know because I've seen a few guys in my department do it. Meaning you report there in the mornings, have an assigned work schedule within those departments and partake in their pcms. Them sending me to do irregular jobs is just convenient easy labor. Also I know not everyone has to 'pitch in' per say. The loaders and sorters never have to help unload or with each others task, but we have to help them. And even within the unload, there are those with seniority who are never asked to do anything other than that.

All this team player nonsense is just lazy ups penny pinching by keeping their staff numbers low so they can make more and pay less. Cheaper to tack on an extra 2 dollars to my pay rate for skilled work than pay 325 extra dollars for 5 new hires.

Edit: whoops meant to quote you too brown
Have you tried grieving this injustice?
 

retiredTxfeeder

cap'n crunch
When I started in 1976, I was hired as an unloader in a sort and load facility. That is an operation where the drivers stand behind their respective PC's along a double set of rollers, not conveyor belts. Preload didn't exist here at that time. The drivers pick the packages that belong to them and load it into their own PC. The trailer is backed up to the building and I pushed the packages out of the trailer. The first 2 drivers were the "splitters" They knew all the zip codes and pushed packages to one side or the other. The drivers took turns in the trailer helping me unload. They were all hired as PC drivers. Did they want to climb in the back of a trailer in the Texas heat with me and get soaking wet before their shift? Of course not. But they did what had to be done. Without whining about it.
 

PeakMode

Arrive Peak Leave
Positive you were hired as a PT Package Handler. If you read the description that encompasses everything in building. Preload operations always run bare bones until peak so nothing you can do but start being terrible at everything so they will stop leaning on you so much.
 
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