Contract Clarification On Senior Employees Bumping Junior Employees

box-man

Active Member
Have something maybe someone could help me out with. I am a part timer who has gone to another area at the end of the sort to get the "hot" bags that must go on the truck. I have been doing this for over a year now with no issue and it gets me a lot of extra overtime hours I wouldn't get normally. I recently got a new full time supervisor who is trying to cut hours and is telling me I can no longer do this. I have seniority on one guy who stays but am being told I can't bump him because he works that area and I do not. Is this what it says in the contract? Could someone list the article if so because I can't seem to find it. Anything I can do or am I :censored2: out of luck?

Thanks for any help.
 

box-man

Active Member
Seniority rules. If you don't know how to do the work, they don't have to train you. But if it's unskilled, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to bump.
This is definitely unskilled work but I keep hearing different things.
 

Box Ox

Well-Known Member
You cannot displace a junior employee from their assigned area.

You might be right. Think it might be pretty disruptive if, for example, a loader has just wrapped up their route set for the day and then demands to take over the duties of the clerk, or the folks loading Surepost bags onto the PO trucks. Or if you’re in unload, to take over from a lower seniority loader when unload goes down, etc.

I think seniority gives you the right to be present and working the sort. But not necessarily the right to be working the sort for a longer period of time.
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
It might help to know what supplemental/rider you are working under. Some specifically state all decisions relating to work are based on seniority rules. In the western supplemental it's in article 4 section 3. I don't see specific seniority language in the master except in article 39 for trailer repair shops. The fact that the master refers to seniority a number of times ought be taken as a recognition of seniority rules, otherwise what's the point of seniority?
 

box-man

Active Member
It might help to know what supplemental/rider you are working under. Some specifically state all decisions relating to work are based on seniority rules. In the western supplemental it's in article 4 section 3. I don't see specific seniority language in the master except in article 39 for trailer repair shops. The fact that the master refers to seniority a number of times ought be taken as a recognition of seniority rules, otherwise what's the point of seniority?
I'm in the southern.
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
I'm in the southern.

I don't have access to/can't find the fully updated southern supplement. Any idea what joint council or local you are in? Do you have a copy of the contract? If so, flip to the back and check out the supplements and riders. Seniority is generally adressed up front.
 

box-man

Active Member

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
Article 48, seniority shall prevail based on classification. Someone on unload with more seniority can't bump a clerk, for example. But you should be able to bump someone in a different work area under the same classification. If you are at OT hours, and someone with less seniority isn't, they can send you home and keep working the less senior employee. But, if that employee ends up working more hours than you did that day you can grieve the extra time.
 

eats packages

Deranged lunatic
In the western:
top down can displace bottom up in most cases where work can be seperated except skilled preload, sorting, clerking, etc.
One common example is unload going down
and employees with seniority bumping very recent hires to handle irreg carts.
I have no clue about your region but I would be grieving for the extra work here.
 

box-man

Active Member
Article 48, seniority shall prevail based on classification. Someone on unload with more seniority can't bump a clerk, for example. But you should be able to bump someone in a different work area under the same classification. If you are at OT hours, and someone with less seniority isn't, they can send you home and keep working the less senior employee. But, if that employee ends up working more hours than you did that day you can grieve the extra time.
What section is this?
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
What section is this?
It's not a direct quote. It's a paraphrase followed by an explanation. Go to Article 48 and read it. You can follow up with your steward or BA for clarification. Often times there will be some slight differences in how local union leadership along with management put these things into practice based on prior grievances.
 
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