Disqualified from Feeders First Time, was Given 3 Year Probation (On Topic)

Ya Dad

Gimme me more characters so that I finish this se
(Skip to the bottom for the quick summary, sectioned off below the ----TL;DR-----
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I was a bid Air Driver part-time for about 5 years. One of the best jobs I've ever had. Evening pickups which were the same every day, no mental stress, virtually same variables every day, and I only worked about 20-23 hours per week so I could still actually have a life. It was great...until I was replaced with a combo and sent back inside to do part-time center work for my inside rate, which was roughly half my Air Driver rate. They couldn't take my classification away so I kept my current pay rate and job title, but since I was doing inside work, I was getting my inside pay. Because there was nothing the union could/wanted to do about this, I decided to go Feeders and was red-circled my top Air Rate.

Feeders was very close to Air Driving in terms of mental stress and low difficulty of the job (once I got the hang of it). I got to drive big rigs, visit different states and see different hubs, and the work pace was great. I loved it...until I was DQ'd on day 28 and sent back to centers, where they didn't return me to my Air Driver classification. I talked to the center manager and he fixed my classification and current pay rate, although I still made my inside rate for doing inside work. I couldn't keep affording to pay bills with my checks being cut in half every week. Out of shear luck, there were many Twilight/Midnight combo jobs that became available around this time, so I bid on all of them and ended up winning a combo position. Again, I was red-circled my top Air Rate.

Combo Inside/Inside was one of the worst jobs I've ever had, because I was Unload/Unload. I didn't think it would be that bad. I mean, it's just unload. I've done it before as a shot to the Unload before I went into air driving. It's just putting boxes on a moving belt. Not that hard, and not as physically demanding as actually loading trailers instead of unloading them. Well, doing that part-time versus doing it for 8.5-9 hours per week is a much bigger difference than I thought. Anyway, did Combo for about 10 months and saw bids for the new Tuesday-Saturday FT Package Car positions. I was not at all interested in trying this job because I still wanted to go back to Feeders after a year and I didn't want my possible DQ from Package Car to interfere with that. I bid on it just to see what would happen, and to my surprise they ended up letting me do Package Car, even though it had been less than a year from my disqualification date. The only reason I decided to go in was because since it was less than a year from my Feeder DQ, they wouldn't be able to deny my entry back into Feeders if I DQ'd from Package Car as long as it was over a year from my Feeder DQ. My Feeder DQ did not interfere with my entry to Package Car, therefore if I were to DQ from Package Car, likewise it can not interfere with my entry to Feeders. So, with nothing to lose, I gave it a shot.

Full-time Package Car was something I'd always avoided, but I gave it a shot anyway just to see it from a first person perspective. It was as expected; variables that were out of my control, doing a job that was not enjoyable, where everything that went wrong was always somehow my fault. On top of this, I was not red-circled this time but instead brought in at the starting FT Package Car rate of $18.75. Brought this to my FT Sup's attention who, after a fun bout with Labor, corrected my rate of pay. I ended up running bonus, but the next day I had a new pre-loader that had misplaced so many packages that I had ran +2 hours over. That ended up being her last day working at UPS. The next day, I had what the preload PT Sup described as a "messed up chart" and everything was an absolute mess. I had one of the longest package cars you could drive, and it was stacked from floor to ceiling, front to back. I brought this to my FT Sup's attention, and when we walked back to see my package car, he starts raising his voice to the PT Sup and starts demanding that all packages that are not not business, throw them out. This was also a +2 hour day. Following day, I was DQ'd and sent back to Combo Inside/Inside.

Now it has been over a year since my Feeder disqualification. I still have my Class A CDL, 1 year of safe driving, and am DOT certified. I am ready to try again. I signed the list, but today was informed by an e-mail from Labor read to me from the Feeder DM that since I was disqualified twice, that I now have to wait THREE YEARS before I can try Feeders again. I brought up they are two separate classifications, and I was allowed to do Package Car less than a year from my Feeder DQ, so I was confused. He kept reading, and the email said that the only reason I was allowed into Package Car was because of a "special agreement" between I and them. I told the Feeder DM I was unaware of such an agreement.

----------------------------------------------TL;DR--------------------------------------------


SO! After being DQ'd from Feeders, going into Package Car in under a year of that DQ, then getting DQ'd from Package Car and trying again for Feeders after my 1 year Feeder DQ and being denied entry for 3 years from my Package Car DQ date, my question is:

Does my circumstance allow me to file a grievance with the argument of Independent Past Practice? I've talked to a few stewards about this and they all agree that I should file with this approach, but I would also like to hear some more opinions about this.

Sorry for the novel, and thanks in advance.

EDIT: If you have nothing helpful to say, do not post. I've had to contact a moderator to take down the previous version of this thread because trolls just swarmed all over it. Yes I was disqualified from Package Car and Feeders. Package Car is not my cup of tea and the mistake in Feeders is easily fixed. I've spent most of my UPS Career in browns and I am not giving up. If you're looking for a thread to boost your post count and create worthless replies, this one isn't it.
 
Last edited:

BigUnionGuy

Got the T-Shirt
(Skip to the bottom for the quick summary, sectioned off below the ----TL;DR-----
mark)

I was a bid Air Driver part-time for about 5 years. One of the best jobs I've ever had. Evening pickups which were the same every day, no mental stress, virtually same variables every day, and I only worked about 20-23 hours per week so I could still actually have a life. It was great...until I was replaced with a combo and sent back inside to do part-time center work for my inside rate, which was roughly half my Air Driver rate. They couldn't take my classification away so I kept my current pay rate and job title, but since I was doing inside work, I was getting my inside pay. Because there was nothing the union could/wanted to do about this, I decided to go Feeders and was red-circled my top Air Rate.

Feeders was very close to Air Driving in terms of mental stress and low difficulty of the job (once I got the hang of it). I got to drive big rigs, visit different states and see different hubs, and the work pace was great. I loved it...until I was DQ'd on day 28 and sent back to centers, where they didn't return me to my Air Driver classification. I talked to the center manager and he fixed my classification and current pay rate, although I still made my inside rate for doing inside work. I couldn't keep affording to pay bills with my checks being cut in half every week. Out of shear luck, there were many Twilight/Midnight combo jobs that became available around this time, so I bid on all of them and ended up winning a combo position. Again, I was red-circled my top Air Rate.

Combo Inside/Inside was one of the worst jobs I've ever had, because I was Unload/Unload. I didn't think it would be that bad. I mean, it's just unload. I've done it before as a shot to the Unload before I went into air driving. It's just putting boxes on a moving belt. Not that hard, and not as physically demanding as actually loading trailers instead of unloading them. Well, doing that part-time versus doing it for 8.5-9 hours per week is a much bigger difference than I thought. Anyway, did Combo for about 10 months and saw bids for the new Tuesday-Saturday FT Package Car positions. I was not at all interested in trying this job because I still wanted to go back to Feeders after a year and I didn't want my possible DQ from Package Car to interfere with that. I bid on it just to see what would happen, and to my surprise they ended up letting me do Package Car, even though it had been less than a year from my disqualification date. The only reason I decided to go in was because since it was less than a year from my Feeder DQ, they wouldn't be able to deny my entry back into Feeders if I DQ'd from Package Car as long as it was over a year from my Feeder DQ. My Feeder DQ did not interfere with my entry to Package Car, therefore if I were to DQ from Package Car, likewise it can not interfere with my entry to Feeders. So, with nothing to lose, I gave it a shot.

Full-time Package Car was something I'd always avoided, but I gave it a shot anyway just to see it from a first person perspective. It was as expected; variables that were out of my control, doing a job that was not enjoyable, where everything that went wrong was always somehow my fault. On top of this, I was not red-circled this time but instead brought in at the starting FT Package Car rate of $18.75. Brought this to my FT Sup's attention who, after a fun bout with Labor, corrected my rate of pay. I ended up running bonus, but the next day I had a new pre-loader that had misplaced so many packages that I had ran +2 hours over. That ended up being her last day working at UPS. The next day, I had what the preload PT Sup described as a "messed up chart" and everything was an absolute mess. I had one of the longest package cars you could drive, and it was stacked from floor to ceiling, front to back. I brought this to my FT Sup's attention, and when we walked back to see my package car, he starts raising his voice to the PT Sup and starts demanding that all packages that are not not business, throw them out. This was also a +2 hour day. Following day, I was DQ'd and sent back to Combo Inside/Inside.

Now it has been over a year since my Feeder disqualification. I still have my Class A CDL, 1 year of safe driving, and am DOT certified. I am ready to try again. I signed the list, but today was informed by an e-mail from Labor read to me from the Feeder DM that since I was disqualified twice, that I now have to wait THREE YEARS before I can try Feeders again. I brought up they are two separate classifications, and I was allowed to do Package Car less than a year from my Feeder DQ, so I was confused. He kept reading, and the email said that the only reason I was allowed into Package Car was because of a "special agreement" between I and them. I told the Feeder DM I was unaware of such an agreement.

----------------------------------------------TL;DR--------------------------------------------


SO! After being DQ'd from Feeders, going into Package Car in under a year of that DQ, then getting DQ'd from Package Car and trying again for Feeders after my 1 year Feeder DQ and being denied entry for 3 years from my Package Car DQ date, my question is:

Does my circumstance allow me to file a grievance with the argument of Independent Past Practice? I've talked to a few stewards about this and they all agree that I should file with this approach, but I would also like to hear some more opinions about this.

Sorry for the novel, and thanks in advance.

EDIT: If you have nothing helpful to say, do not post. I've had to contact a moderator to take down the previous version of this thread because trolls just swarmed all over it. Yes I was disqualified from Package Car and Feeders. Package Car is not my cup of tea and the mistake in Feeders is easily fixed. I've spent most of my UPS Career in browns and I am not giving up. If you're looking for a thread to boost your post count and create worthless replies, this one isn't it.


There's nothing to lose by filing a grievance.


You didn't state what supplement you are covered by, so the only frame of

reference I have is the Central Region language. It states that if you

self-disqualify on your first attempt, you wait 1 year. If you fail to qualify

or self-disqualify on your second attempt.... you must wait 3 years.


I'm guessing that's why you didn't have to wait 1 year the first time.


Does my circumstance allow me to file a grievance with the argument of Independent Past Practice?


I don't see how that would apply in this situation.


"Independent past practice
, not addressed by any contract language. Most often these are “benefits” that workers take for granted and so were not included in the contract.

Example: There have always been vending machines in the cafeteria and free parking in the company lot. Management cannot just do away with these benefits.

Management can terminate independent past practices under three conditions:

It can prove the original conditions that started the practice have changed significantly.

It can prove significant ongoing employee abuse of the practice.

It notifies the union during contract negotiations that it will end the practice during the next contract.

Even in the first two situations, the employer must bargain with the union before ending the practice.

Most arbitrators will not extend these past practice rights to work methods.

An example: Management wants workers to run three machines instead of two, claiming new technology makes them easier to run. The union probably cannot claim it is a past practice that workers run only two machines. However, the union can demand that management bargain over a change in working conditions."


I think your best bet would to be file a grievance (and include all arguments)

with the basis of it being, they are 2 different job classifications.


They are both driving jobs.... but, require 2 different skill set's.

It's unfair to compare the two (in this context) as far as disqualification purposes.

That's the route I would take. You're in a tough spot.

Good luck.



-Bug-
 

Mugarolla

Light 'em up!
until I was DQ'd on day 28 and sent back to centers

Why were you DQ'd from feeders?

I think your best bet would to be file a grievance (and include all arguments)

with the basis of it being, they are 2 different job classifications.


They are both driving jobs.... but, require 2 different skill set's.

It's unfair to compare the two (in this context) as far as disqualification purposes.

Good argument with a very slim to none chance of winning, but is probably the only argument to try.

You're in a tough spot.

Agreed.
 

Rick Ross

I'm into distribution!!
Why were you DQ'd from feeders?

Isn't this the guy who left the building with his loaded trailer door open? I think we were pretty hard on him because of how many trained steps he would have needed to skip for this to even be possible (failure to pretrip properly, no seal verification, etc.).

I would like to say I sympathize with him but mostly feel he's fortunate to even be in package. Feeders is too dangerous for someone to be cutting corners like this.

I have no doubt you will never do anything like that again but guess if the issue is pursued, feeders will make it tough on you to qualify. My advice would be suck it up for rest of the 3 years so you don't enter feeders with a Target on your back.

Good luck!
 

Ya Dad

Gimme me more characters so that I finish this se
Yep, I'm the same guy. It was a dumb move, I owned up to it and paid the price for it. All I'm looking for is another chance to prove myself. I talked to the Feeder DM and explained what had happened last year, and he seemed sympathetic (a rare trait in UPS management from my experience). There was a different DM last time I tried out for Feeders. He said he would be glad to have me if he could, but Labor is saying that I can't go in because I was DQ'd from driving twice. I also think my best bet is to pursue the argument that Package Car and Feeders are two different classifications that require different skillsets. My disqualification from one is not an indicator of performance in a completely different classification. I was a PM Air Driver Monday-Friday for 5 years. It wasn't until I tried Feeders the first time that I was ever disqualified from something.
 

Ya Dad

Gimme me more characters so that I finish this se
As far as there being a target, I am aware that I may be under a microscope. I am also aware that Feeder drivers are in high demand in my center. I hope that by continuing to follow safe work methods as I have done in my 5 years of driving and learning from my previous mistake in Feeders that I will be allowed to prove myself as a valuable employee. This probation has been a humbling experience. Unloading for 2 shifts every night is not fun, and I will be grateful if allowed a chance back in.
 

Rick Ross

I'm into distribution!!
How far into package before the DQ? If you were only two hours over after already running scratch, an instant DQ seems a little extreme. We're there any other issues in package? You could try and greive that DQ and then bid out of package ASAP.

We've also had RTD drivers come directly to feeders and rumor was they didn't need to requalify since they had already qualified once for a driving position. We never got clarification on that but one of those guys had a small accident on property and kept his feeder job.

If your building is like mine they bid combo jobs once a year. Maybe you can get a better job with the next bid. The combo guys we have shift have it pretty good and make $$ during peak since they don't follow DOT rules for hours worked.
 
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