my problem is simple. im under 4 years seniority. i cover, and i rarely cover a route for an entire week. and there are rarely bid routes for me to cover the entire week. as such, im just screwed every day of the week. ive recently read on here that february is a light month. its been one of the worst months for my center for quite some time. its kind of like peak right now. every day managment says we are short drivers for routes, yet they never hire more drivers.
9.5 protections apply to cover drivers as well. You have to file to get the protections. See your steward.
February is light for packages, but some in mgmt. will tell lower seniority part timers to "go back in building" and not show up in brows, thus creating a false shortage of drivers. Remember, they're concerned with SPORH (as it pertains to the whole center), and not your fair day of work. Ejamukate yourself as to your rights.
If your 9.5 rights aren't being respected, the other option is to quit complaining for a while, but keep filing. Then, when they load your route up especially bad, stay out for 13.8 hours and bring back a few stops as "missed" due to hitting DOT hours limit. This will, of course, bring their wrath, but will also be a line in the sand.
I simply had to suggest this might happen for my 190 stops twice a week to drop to 160 twice a week & 150 the rest of the week...