Sober,
I think you know I have respect for you and a lot of the knowledge you share on BC. I don't always agree with you, but do respect you.
I can only respond by what I see in our building. What I say is the truth for my Center. I can tell you that a higher percentage of our drivers are in their trucks sorting, loading and picking off missloads at least 30 minutes prior to start time. I know for a fact that over 10% of the drivers are in their trucks 1hour before start time. I can name 2 drivers that are in their trucks 2 hours ahead of start. One who prerecords his entire truck. Every part time sup loads trucks every single day. They do sorting. They do pick off. The better part of their day is spent doing union work. Just recently, thanks to a fellow driver in my center and a poster here on BC, have I stopped going in my truck before the start time other then to put my lunch bag in the truck. I would guess that a big percentage of the drivers skip their entire lunch. Most skip at least part of their lunch. Supervisors shuttling work is the norm. I could go on and on. Our building truly is a free for all and pretty much everyone is their for themselves. This is not what the union was suppose to be about, but yet it is what it is. I am a member of the safety committee. There are several reasons why I am on the committee. 1) I get paid for my time. It helps me pay my bills. It helps to fill in the gap when I quit my full time job to go driving and in progression. I was making more part time and working full time another job when I started at UPS driving. If, our center looked out for one another and followed the contract, then I would of a much harder time being on the committee. I have been told before that I should make a stance. That sounds all well and good, but not so much in reality. Before I went driving, their was a driver that followed the contract to the T. He became a Steward and pushed to get poeple out of their trucks in the AM. He pushed to get the drivers to follow the contract. He lasted a very short time as the drivers didn't want a part of what he was trying to do.
So, as wrong as it may be, as self centered it is, as hypocrtical it may be......I am at UPS to make money for me. I now follow the contract. I don't finger friend' my truck. I am taking my lunch, but if UPS wants to pay me extra to hand out papers in the AM, so be it. In my center it is pretty much every man for them self. People do not want to help out fellow drivers. They don't want to follow the contract unless it benefits them. So I will continue to extract as much money as I am able to.
Oh 2nd reason I do safety, I like to help the new drivers. A lot of who I worked part time with.