That sucks for your friend. I wish there were an option in the system to take cases like that into account. But there is not. The system is based on who turns in the lead first. That is the way it works, and we have to deal with it, your friend is off base thinking about filing a grievance. (not sure what he would file under, what sales lead language is in the contract?)
There is language in the contract covering volume develpoment under article 55 sect 9. Im hoping we dont have to go that route and im talking with management now to resolve it.
Let me give you an analogy. Lets say I had two preloaders, both wanting to go driving. One of them is just a superstar, always on time and ready to go, always works safe and fast, totally organized and remembers addresses, has perfect spacial awareness. I know this guy would be just a fantastic driver. The other guy is just OK, but has 6 months more seniority. So, I go to you as the steward and say, "listen, my superstar here has really busted his but and shown he is deserving, so I am going to give him the shot at driving over the less motivated guy with more seniority, so don't start any grievance stuff". You and I both know you would tell me I was way off base, the rules don't work that way and I need to live with it. And you would be right.
Just because someone is a superstar loader does not mean he would be a better driver, those that run and hustle are usually the first to burn out, while the guy that works at a nice pace doesnt. The contract that we work under spells out seniority and at ups all you have is seniority.
Your friend should be proud of the win he helped bring about and satisfied in the knowledge it will help protect the jobs of himself and his brothers and sisters. He was however no more "burned" by the sales lead program than the superstar preloader in my example was burned by the contract in not getting a shot at driving.
This is exactly how ups turns good drivers into great union drivers. Comparing employee seniority to a driver dedicating himself to bend over backwards to gain business that someone else 2,000 miles away submitted when they do not deal with this customer. Sounds a little fishy seeing i am not allowed to have the name of the employee to find out how they discovered this company so far away.
In times of a tough economy, unfortunately, you give work to the people who have been there for whom you actually HAVE work that can on some level generate or support the generation of revenue. If you abandon that principle because it hurts to see people struggling under lay offs, you risk the survival of the company and every one's jobs.
I am left to wonder if you are not making a mountain of a mole hill on the DHL sales guys thing. I have not heard of any being hired in my district, do you have any solid numbers on how many have been hired in Illinois?