Can Management Dictate Volume-Flow/PPH?

BigBrownTown

Active Member
Have had several PT Sups. tell me they have the right to tell us to stack boxes on the belt 2-4 at a time and work faster each time they come in a truck in the Unload. I work PT Unload. Some say they can't because it is employee harrassment. In the contract it states that Managment may only direct employees, but not critique performance.

Question being: Can managment really dictate how many boxes are coming out of our trucks and how fast?
 

BigBrownTown

Active Member
Also noted: Employees that refuse to work at an unsafe pace typically end up in trucks with heavier boxes or a lot of irregs. any way to note a pattern of harrassment here?
 

MC4YOU2

Wherever I see Trump, it smells like he's Putin.
Lots of variables. Stack 2/4 boxes how big? How heavy? Is it safe or unsafe? We were trained to not lift or load anything over 40 lbs over head. Then we'd get a whole crap load of 50 lb pkgs and that rule went out the window.
PT sups don't dictate anything, they just repeat what is dictated to them to tell you. They are given a certain ridiculously high pph to attain, and then they try to make it happen safely or no.
They also used to say "no stacking" because the next guy just has to unstack it to scan it. Then the flow would tank, and then they'd want to stack.
It's really going to depend on the situation you have. You learn to read people like the Drama Queen sup that always wants more speed. Hell I'd try to stack them 9 high if I could just to get them to say "DON'T STACK THEM!"
More than one way to skin a cat.
 

BigBrownTown

Active Member
We have automated scanners in my hub so they have us stack them as high as we can and then lateral off the excess to another belt. Sometimes its safe and sometimes not. Sometimes im unloading 40+ lb packages that have a width larger than my chest and I have an area manager shouting at me to stack 3 at a time...like.."Yeah man, let me get right on that.."
 

3 done 3 to go

In control of own destiny
Just do the best you can do. Otherwise file harrassment. Ask him to demonstrate how he wants it done. He won't. He is paid based on your production. Give him more. You will be pressed for more. That is up to you. 1 pace only - YOURS
 

BigUnionGuy

Got the T-Shirt
In the contract it states that Managment may only direct employees, but not critique performance.

Nice summation.

I'm glad you are reading the contract.

Just do the best you can do.

"I am doing the best I can.... in the safest manner possible."

Ask him to demonstrate how he wants it done.

And not for a few minutes.

Give him more. You will be pressed for more.


"The more you do.... the more, they will give you to do."


Understanding that UPS mantra, will help you understand them. ;)



-Bug-
 

bfeather

Member
My center is a belt-to-truck style. If scanning and the packages are stacked, I stop the belt to get organized. "Stop the belt, you stop the world!!!"

Very relaxed work environment where I'm at.
 

Shonuff

Active Member
Have had several PT Sups. tell me they have the right to tell us to stack boxes on the belt 2-4 at a time and work faster each time they come in a truck in the Unload. I work PT Unload. Some say they can't because it is employee harrassment. In the contract it states that Managment may only direct employees, but not critique performance.

Question being: Can managment really dictate how many boxes are coming out of our trucks and how fast?

Work as directed unless you feel like it compromises the safety of yourself and the employees around you.

Never, Ever, Ever trust management. In my experience you will get 1 out of every 10 that have a bit of integrity left. The rest are just out for themselves, looking to make their numbers, thus they only see you as a number.

There is NO SUCH THING AS PPH....if...and ONLY IF....you have attained SENOIRITY. If you are in this classification, and some smart mouth supe tells you to do something that is clearly unsafe and against the methods taught to you, you have every right to tell him to get the shop steward and a member of the safety committee while you continue to work in an efficient manner...following the methods. I'm sure you will not hear a word from him after that.

Remember, they just want to make their numbers, so they will constantly push you to see what they can get away with, and if you get hurt, they will quickly turn it around on you to see if you followed the methods. Do what is right EVERY SINGLE TIME and you will be untouchable.

Now, if you are new and you are still in the process of making seniority, then you have to play the game. You don't want to talk back and you want to prove you are a hard worker. During this qualification period only, the Supervisors have actual power over you because they can let you go anytime before the probation period ends if they are not satisfied with the way you work, so you must tread carefully. Work as instructed, but try to make friends with the shop steward and safety committee people. Maybe you might casually mention the situation during break and maybe someone might be there for a surprise visit the next day and maybe that supe gets his ass chewed out.

It amazes me how every single peak, these guys think that they can just throw packages on the belt with reckless abandon when all that happens every peak is jam after freaking jam on every corner of every belt or slide. And of course every peak some poor seasonal is yelled at to go break a jam every 5 minutes because the college educated supe with no logic is yelling at the unload to go faster.

Boxes on belts is like traffic in New York City. Traffic moves better if people just made space in between cars. If we just took a bit of time to do it right and make a little space in between boxes then the people loading them on the other end would be able to load them more efficiently. In addition, egress would be clean and less boxes would ship out damaged. Just my 2 cents...
 

olroadbeech

Happy Verified UPSer
Nice summation.

I'm glad you are reading the contract.



"I am doing the best I can.... in the safest manner possible."



And not for a few minutes.




"The more you do.... the more, they will give you to do."


Understanding that UPS mantra, will help you understand them. ;)



-Bug-
thanks. this should be required reading for all new hires.
 

olroadbeech

Happy Verified UPSer
Work as directed unless you feel like it compromises the safety of yourself and the employees around you.

Never, Ever, Ever trust management. In my experience you will get 1 out of every 10 that have a bit of integrity left. The rest are just out for themselves, looking to make their numbers, thus they only see you as a number.

There is NO SUCH THING AS PPH....if...and ONLY IF....you have attained SENOIRITY. If you are in this classification, and some smart mouth supe tells you to do something that is clearly unsafe and against the methods taught to you, you have every right to tell him to get the shop steward and a member of the safety committee while you continue to work in an efficient manner...following the methods. I'm sure you will not hear a word from him after that.

Remember, they just want to make their numbers, so they will constantly push you to see what they can get away with, and if you get hurt, they will quickly turn it around on you to see if you followed the methods. Do what is right EVERY SINGLE TIME and you will be untouchable.

Now, if you are new and you are still in the process of making seniority, then you have to play the game. You don't want to talk back and you want to prove you are a hard worker. During this qualification period only, the Supervisors have actual power over you because they can let you go anytime before the probation period ends if they are not satisfied with the way you work, so you must tread carefully. Work as instructed, but try to make friends with the shop steward and safety committee people. Maybe you might casually mention the situation during break and maybe someone might be there for a surprise visit the next day and maybe that supe gets his ass chewed out.

It amazes me how every single peak, these guys think that they can just throw packages on the belt with reckless abandon when all that happens every peak is jam after freaking jam on every corner of every belt or slide. And of course every peak some poor seasonal is yelled at to go break a jam every 5 minutes because the college educated supe with no logic is yelling at the unload to go faster.

Boxes on belts is like traffic in New York City. Traffic moves better if people just made space in between cars. If we just took a bit of time to do it right and make a little space in between boxes then the people loading them on the other end would be able to load them more efficiently. In addition, egress would be clean and less boxes would ship out damaged. Just my 2 cents...
i out of ten have a bit of integrity left???????? that high???

one of the management BCers here used to be good but he is turning out to be typical management. all it takes is time before they turn bad.

sorry to change the subject but your 1 out of 10 line made me laugh. however great post. every new hire should read this.
 

Shonuff

Active Member
i out of ten have a bit of integrity left???????? that high???

one of the management BCers here used to be good but he is turning out to be typical management. all it takes is time before they turn bad.

sorry to change the subject but your 1 out of 10 line made me laugh. however great post. every new hire should read this.

I know, its like spotting a unicorn, but I was very fortunate to meet at least two supes who I can honestly say that their words actually carried weight. The rest, and there are a lot of them, fall to the dark side of the force.

tumblr_mydd1dDWLa1ratk55o1_500.gif
 

Mst3k

Well-Known Member
Management has the right to tell you to go faster and you have the right to say that you will try your best and then proceed to ignore them.
 

browntroll

Well-Known Member
we had management tell us for years were supposed to be able to unload 1200 pph, this year its 1500pph i have no idea
what idiot came up with these numbers or why. we work safely and couldnt care less for managements idea of ideal numbers.
its always been safety first and always should be that way, if management wants something done a certain way they should
train us for that not throw us into the water hoping we can swim or throw us under the bus when they look bad in front of higher
management.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
we had management tell us for years were supposed to be able to unload 1200 pph, this year its 1500pph i have no idea
what idiot came up with these numbers or why. we work safely and couldnt care less for managements idea of ideal numbers.
its always been safety first and always should be that way, if management wants something done a certain way they should
train us for that not throw us into the water hoping we can swim or throw us under the bus when they look bad in front of higher
management.
IE standards are around 1000 pph without small bags coming into consideration.
That is with standard size packages of around 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 foot.
 

BigBrownTown

Active Member
That pattern is one of a smart management person.

You would think so. But its the reason I spent my entire second year with UPS trying to establish a case of harrassment, among other things, against the second PT. I ever had with the company. Between, myself, a steward, and three others in my area we had an entire binder of documents that we noted. We documented everything by the date and time all the way down to who was sent to what type of truck nightly(what the truck contained mostly: smalls, regular parcels, or irregs...etc.) always made sure we had witnesses and signatures. At the point that he cornered me in a truck alone and started cursing and throwing packages we took what we had to management. They opted to move him to another area and I was just fine with that as long as he wasn't my problem anymore.
 
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