Can they really fire you over this?

[jumpman23]

It's a term of employment. Good luck

Actually its not

 

[jumpman23]

Nothing in the contract states that you have to know it.

 

[soberups]

It's a term of employment. Good luck

For management perhaps, but not for hourly bargaining unit employees.

 

[Morsi]

It's a term of employment. They can fire him because he agreed to it when he was hired.

That's a great point, however now the question is did he really only work for only 23 days? Sometimes management doesn't count the training weeks as time served.

Therefore my suggestion is that he he take his check stubs or whatever paperwork he has and find out exactly what day he started training, if it adds up to be equal or greater than 30 days then the union will represent him.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

You can't even be disciplined at all for it!!!!! This has been to panel. It's a lie.

It may be a lie but if they fire just one employee and this person is out of work for an extended period of time it would send a message to the others that they are serious about this stuff.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

It's a term of employment. Good luck

The DOK material is NOT a term of employment for current seniority employees. The company could make it a term of employment for future hires if they also agreed to provide paid time for learning/memorizing the material.

The DOK material is really not that hard to learn. We are tested once a month and it takes me about a half hour or so the day before to refresh my memory. Every once in a while our center manager will give us a "pop quiz" when we get off road----the results are usually less than satisfactory.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

I've told this story before.
We had a female employee who hurt her back. UPS thought she did not make seniority. She went to doctor and company doctor. UPS "let her go" because she was injured, but did not realize (or possibly willfully ignored, maybe hoping she'd quit) she had completed 30 days including her training days.
The union and attorney got her job back, medical treatment and also back-pay for the time she sat out.

I would DEFINITELY see how many true working days there were, before givng up, and go from there.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

It's a term of employment. Good luck

Not many people can recite DOK, inside or driver, in my 14 years experience. I am talking 100%. Sure, most can get through 90% of it.

UPS would end up canning 40% of the workforce in my estimation. Sad but true. I think you are a reasonably smart person and do not actually believe it is a CONTRACTUAL term of employment. Maybe in UPS fantasy world, but not in the real working world.

 

[greengrenades]

I don't even know what a DOK is lol. They hand me a piece of paper every now and then and tell me to sign it, and it's all already done for me. If I wanted to take a test I would have went to college.

 

[Falcon7]

That's a great point, however now the question is did he really only work for only 23 days? Sometimes management doesn't count the training weeks as time served.

Therefore my suggestion is that he he take his check stubs or whatever paperwork he has and find out exactly what day he started training, if it adds up to be equal or greater than 30 days then the union will represent him.

I started my training April 26th and I got let go on Wednesday, so it's 23 days including those training days. So they got me just a little over a week left till I would have gained seniority after spending a lot of that time killing myself to perform well, what a cruel world...

 

[Morsi]

I started my training April 26th and I got let go on Wednesday, so it's 23 days including those training days. So they got me just a little over a week left till I would have gained seniority after spending a lot of that time killing myself to perform well, what a cruel world...

In that case your last option is to talk to the NLRB. If you can prove you were discriminated against in any way then you might have a case, this may be unlikely but it doesnt hurt to ask em.

Otherwise, UPS is a cruel company, the world is a big place. I'm sure you'll find something better.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

In that case your last option is to talk to the NLRB. If you can prove you were discriminated against in any way then you might have a case, this may be unlikely but it doesnt hurt to ask em.

Otherwise, UPS is a cruel company, the world is a big place. I'm sure you'll find something better.

The OP has little to no recourse if he/she was not retained after their 30 days.

 

[Lead Belly]

So today I came into work as I usually do, I clocked in and started getting my belt ready when the boss or supervisor or whatever the heck he was. I had already noticed something was different just by the fact that the supervisor who gives me a warm greeting every day avoided eye contact with me as did the other four eyed trainer who looks like a bootleg Rick Moranis did. Hell even the guy who fired me couldn't even look at me, he had to actually work up the nerve to talk to me... I swear all the guys there are a bunch of scared guys.

So anyway, as I was getting my belt the main boss came to me and pulled me to the side and informed me and I quote "Eagleking, you don't meet the safety requirements for seniority and I'm going to have to let you go." Then I had to give him my work I.D on the spot and he tells me good luck and that he is sorry. I was just so shocked and embarrassed I didn't really ask any questions and just gave him my I.D and left quickly. I still don't really understand what I did wrong or if I even did anything wrong. My thing is, how is that possible that I don't meet the supposed "safety requirements"when just last week a supervisor told me I was doing a good job following them after observing me alone? It all just seems weird as hell to me.

I wonder if it had anything to do with yesterday though when the bootleg Rick Moranis quizzed me on the steps on stopping the conveyor belts. I got most of them right but I missed like two of them. He is very strict and by the book when it comes to the rules so I'm wondering if he caused this with his sneaky self. I noticed whenever I had him watching over me things went wrong. This guy stopped me over any little thing and then when we got stuffed with boxes he starts yapping at me to speed up. When I think about it I really start to get pretty angry now because nobody even really follows the rules to the T. Seriously every veteran they put me in with were not following the safety guidelines. They tell me all the time to treat the boxes gently so I did and to move fast which I also did, I did the best I could and worked my butt off. All the bosses said I did a good job so I don't understand the issue. I pretty much followed every safety rule, so as long as I show it I should be good. The supervisor who observed me said I did a good job and that I just need to bend more often and I promised him I would.

Anyways, I saw veteran guys throwing boxes and bags on the top when they are suppose to be using the steps, also not bending at the knees. Even SUPERVISORS who were training me weren't utilizing the safety steps through and through, of course they spent a lot of time telling me how to be safe when I was the most safe worker there. A lot of those workers who have been there for years need a review session or something. Practice what you preach honestly! Another thing, the guy who looks over the trailers talked to me after work earlier last week and tells me I haven't been properly trained. I just feel it's nonsense as many times I was sent home because trainers weren't showing up when they were suppose to. And the trainer that actually did show up didn't even train me correctly. At any rate, I'm just so angry and disappointed cause I was supposed to be on my 23rd day today and I was close to seniority and I just get let go just like that. I only ever got to work on my own once or twice, and I never even got to work the full part time hours. In fact I never worked a full week because they kept cutting me, I only dealt with it because they told me I wouldn't have to once I reach seniority. I feel like I was used and thrown away like trash, all that time working my butt off doing the best I can and this crap happens. And to think I was so enthusiastic on my first job, what a disaster...

I know you are angry and I'm truly sorry but look at it like this. They didn't fire you. They set you free.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

It's a term of employment.

It's not a condition of "continued employment".

Actually its not

Nothing in the contract states that you have to know it.

Yep.

For management perhaps, but not for hourly bargaining unit employees.

Exactly.

I have posted this, numerous times before.


This issue was decided at the National Level.... back in 2007.... with the company agreeing

it's not a conditional term, subject to discipline for inability to regurgitate it. End of story.


Lead Belly's Local....even has a grievance that was signed off on, from a Local hearing.

The stewards in my Local carry a picture of it on their phones. It's old news.


The problem for the OP is;

During your qualification period, the company can disqualify you for anything.

And contractually, you have no recourse. Legal or otherwise.



-Bug-

 

[Lead Belly]

Dave you are a very angry human being.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Dave you are a very angry human being.

Perhaps but I don't have multiple personality disorder.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

Dave you are a very angry human being.

Perhaps but I don't have multiple personality disorder.

Lighten up.


1 divorce, is testing the waters.

2 or 3.... graduates you to, normal status.

 

[Lead Belly]

Perhaps but I don't have multiple personality disorder.

I don't have multiple personalities. I lost my privileges. The other name change was to commemorate a sort of new beginning that I have decided on. See you can learn new things to better yourself all through life. I am a work in progress. I have a heart and I always want to better myself as a man. 40 years old isn't to old to change your views in life. I'm sorry for how I treated you in the past but you at n very going to get it. You ar not a nice person and you will probably never be. God bless your soul brother.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

I don't have multiple personalities. I lost my privileges. The other name change was to commemorate a sort of new beginning that I have decided on. See you can learn new things to better yourself all through life. I am a work in progress. I have a heart and I always want to better myself as a man. 40 years old isn't to old to change your views in life. I'm sorry for how I treated you in the past but you at n very going to get it. You ar not a nice person and you will probably never be. God bless your soul brother.

Heartfelt explanation.... from a standup, hardcore, Union guy.

It wasn't even necessary.


Some members, wish.... they could do as well.



-Bug-

 

[Falcon7]

It's not a condition of "continued employment".

The problem for the OP is;

During your qualification period, the company can disqualify you for anything.

And contractually, you have no recourse. Legal or otherwise.

-Bug-

I wonder if that's a special tactic of the company. Lure the naive optimistic fools like me who have little to no work experience with promises of sweet benefits that will last a lifetime. Once you get lured in, they act all nice and friendly with you telling you you are doing a great job after work knowing it will encourage you to do very well. But in truth they only keep you for a short time period because before seniority you get payed the very minimal on their list and then once you get close to seniority you get booted so they don't have to pay more. I never was able to work a full week my entire time with UPS because they constantly had "low volume" and I constantly saw new people being toured throughout the facility. Two weeks ago I saw a previous employee come back for a paycheck. I don't understand, why hire all these new employees knowing that there isn't much volume for them to get a chance to really become seasoned workers? I know I don't have a lot of experience, but it just seems shady to me.