Driver progression in the new contract

[baklava]

(I swear I tried searching the forums for an answer before writing this but I couldn't find what I was looking for.)

I'm a FT driver in my first year of progression ($17.25/hr) and my seniority date is May 2013. I know that I'll still be in the 3 year progression (made seniority before August), but do I also get the new first-year progression wage of $18.75 (and the subsequent 12 month/$19.50, 24 month/$21)? So I'd get the best of both worlds? And if my wage has gone up to $18.75 I should expect a retro check for the difference ($1.50/hr) dating back to Aug 1st, right? This may to a dumb question to some of you but I'm a new Teamster and this is my first new contract, I'm not sure how this works. Considering I've nearly maxed out my hours every week since making seniority it would be a nice, fat check.

 

[iowa boy]

You will stay in your 3 year progression and the current payrates for that.

 

[Anonymous 10]

You will have a retro check twice as nice as the rest of us. Congratulations on making full time and remember to work safe 100% of the time and not fall into the ups bonus trap.

 

[baklava]

You will have a retro check twice as nice as the rest of us. Congratulations on making full time and remember to work safe 100% of the time and not fall into the ups bonus trap.

Thanks! I was a PT sup for a decade and it feels great to have finally escaped.

I'm a little confused though because I have two conflicting answers here...iowa boy is saying that my progression rates will remain the same as the 2008 contract but your reply implies that I should be paid the 2013 rate. Which is correct? Thanks again for replying, any info helps

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Thanks! I was a PT sup for a decade and it feels great to have finally escaped.

I'm a little confused though because I have two conflicting answers here...iowa boy is saying that my progression rates will remain the same as the 2008 contract but your reply implies that I should be paid the 2013 rate. Which is correct? Thanks again for replying, any info helps

It is both----you are governed by the 2008 contract but will be eligible for the wage increases in the 2013 contract.

 

[saintrick]

You will keep the progression rates from the prior contract.

You will not get the rates from new contract.

"Article 41 Section 2(c) of the prior Agreement shall remain in effect for all employees in that progression as of the date of the ratification"

 

[baklava]

Ha, still more conflicting answers, although I do appreciate you guys taking the time to reply. I suppose the tricky part is finding somebody whose progression spanned two contracts so they can tell me what their experience was.

 

[baklava]

It is both----you are governed by the 2008 contract but will be eligible for the wage increases in the 2013 contract.

Meaning I get higher progression wages of the new contract but still only have to wait 36 months to hit top scale? (which is obviously best-case scenario for me)

 

[baklava]

Ok, I think I have it:

All full-time employees who have attained seniority as of August 1, 2008 2013 will receive the following general wage increases for each contract year...The total wage increase for the year will be as follows:

1. 2013 seventy cents
2. 2014 seventy cents
3. 2015 seventy cents
4. 2016 eighty cents
5. 2017 one dollar

Full-time employees still in progression on the effective date of this Master Agreement shall receive the above contractual increases. They will be paid no less than what they are entitled to in accordance with Article 41, Section 2 below.

Article 41 Section 2(c) of the prior Agreement shall remain in effect for all employees in that progression as of the date of the ratification.

So, I retain the 2008 progression wages but receive the 2013 wage increases, meaning I should expect a $0.70/hr retro check like everyone else. Also, a driver hired after August 1st 2013 will initially be making more than me (the tradeoff being that I reach top scale a year sooner).

Anybody want to confirm whether I'm correct?

Also, this invites another question: Does each new stage of my progression override my previous raise, or do I keep it and stack it on top of my new progression wage? Example:

I was hired March 2013.

My current wage - $17.25 + the assumed $.70 bump = $17.95
12 month bump in March 2014 = $18.45

Do I retain the $.70 increase making my March 2014 wage $19.15?
Do all wage increases accumulate during the life of my progression, making my
24 month wage $22.85?

I'm sorry for such a long-winded question but the payroll department in my building/center is totally incompetent and I fully expect them to friend#ck this up. I would also like to be able to help out my fellow drivers that got hired and made seniority last summer when they encounter errors with their paychecks after this contract is finalized.

 

[Anonymous 10]

Thanks! I was a PT sup for a decade and it feels great to have finally escaped.

I'm a little confused though because I have two conflicting answers here...iowa boy is saying that my progression rates will remain the same as the 2008 contract but your reply implies that I should be paid the 2013 rate. Which is correct? Thanks again for replying, any info helps

You get the best of both contracts.

Ps as far as my boys go in My local and I've got a lot. Three were part time sups. I find a lot of info from them and one is the slowest driver I've seen and a while. Oh yea another one of my guys is a fourty year teamster who was a part time sup in the seventies.

 

[baklava]

You get the best of both contracts.

 

[Socrates]

From page 36 of the tentative agreement:

Full-time employees still in progression on the effective date of this Master Agreement shall receive the above contractual increases. They will be paid no less than what they are entitled to in accordance with Article 41, Section 2 below.

The second part is the key part: because 17.25 + .70 is less than the 18.75, you will receive the higher of the two. Once you're making 18.75, adding another .70 is less than 19.50--so you'll get 19.50. Then, of course, .70 is less than 1.50, so you'll get $21/hour after 2 years.

You will get the following wages:

Whenever contract is ratified: 18.75
March 2014: 19.50
March 2015: 21.00
March 2016: Top Rate

Now, if you were hired in 2010 and were already making 20.75 in July 2013 (we'll say your Seniority date was Oct 2010) - then once Aug 1 rolled around, you'd get a bump up to 21.45 - because 20.75 + .70 is higher than the "new" 2 year wage of $21.

Also worth noting: there is no such thing as a "12 month bump" once you roll over contracts, as those are intra-contract raises.

Article 41 Section 2(c) of the prior Agreement shall remain in effect for all employees in that progression as of the date of the ratification

This part refers to the 3-year progression, rather than being forced into a 4-year because you didn't reach Top Rate before the old contract expired. You will get the higher rate of hourly pay.

 

[baklava]

Whenever contract is ratified: 18.75
March 2014: 19.50
March 2015: 21.00
March 2016: Top Rate

Perfect, thanks a bunch for the thorough reply, this is what I was looking for…that $1.50/hr retro check will be pretty sweet

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Perfect, thanks a bunch for the thorough reply, this is what I was looking for…that $1.50/hr retro check will be pretty sweet

The $30/$45/hr retro check will be even sweeter. : )

 

[saintrick]

Perfect, thanks a bunch for the thorough reply, this is what I was looking for…that $1.50/hr retro check will be pretty sweet

Do not spend that money yet.

You will keep the 3 year progression and rates that go with that from the prior contract.

 

[baklava]

Do not spend that money yet.

You will keep the 3 year progression and rates that go with that from the prior contract.

Do you have any personal experience to base this on or is that your own interpretation of the contract language?

 

[iowa boy]

You will stay in your 3 year progression and the current payrates for that.

My comment was based upon what I was told by our BA at our contract meeting update.

 

[baklava]

My comment was based upon what I was told by our BA at our contract meeting update.

I hope your BA is wrong.

 

[Kicked Your Dog]

You need to take all this advice with a grain of salt. What you need to do, if you have any sense, is talk to your HR rep and your BA. All other advice is speculative.

In my experience, whatever contract you started with, those are the terms of your progression length and raise schedule. IT IS NOT IN UPS' INTEREST TO GIVE YOU THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, so don't count your money before it's on your check.

 

[kingOFchester]

To add more confusion:

1st, I experienced something like this when I was waiting on Healthcare to kick in. I was several months away from getting HC. The new contract at the time extended the time to get HC. However, instead of having to wait even longer or even the 2 months I had under the old contract, I got HC earlier.

2nd. Raises for drivers are not given to people in progression. Progression rates are spelled out. So do not worry about raises others get. Now the question is do you move up to the new progression rates or stay under the old progression rates.