Filing a grievance for being pulled off a weekly bid route

I’m a RPCD in the southern region. I’m a coverage driver, so I bid on the weekly bid routes for drivers who are on vacation or in feeders. Lately our center has been moving drivers on weekly bid routes off against our will.

Now, it was my understanding that when they do this, you could file a grievance and receive 2 hours of penalty pay, but my local union agent said that’s not the case. He said there’s a “loophole” in the contract where they can move weekly bid route drivers whenever they need to and we cannot receive the 2 hours of penalty pay.

Here’s the language in our contract. Is he correct, or is my local union agent just weak? It seems to imply weekly bid drives can get the penalty pay if moved off
 

Attachments

  • 5ABA5C28-4DF9-4113-BC3B-04FA325A4CE6.jpeg
    5ABA5C28-4DF9-4113-BC3B-04FA325A4CE6.jpeg
    291.1 KB · Views: 175

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
Sticky situation. When you request to cover a route as a cover driver, they make every attempt to accommodate your request, but there is no guarantee you will cover the route all 5 days. They can pull the operational needs to have you cover another route. Very hard grievance to win IMO. If you were top cover driver in your center maybe you would have a better case. When I was in package they used to do it all the time to cover drivers one or two days per week so they couldn’t opt onto the 9.5 while covering a bid route M-friend. When you’re a cover driver, if you want to opt onto the 9.5 you have to cover the same route for the entire week. At least that’s how it was when I was in package.

Also why do you keep calling yourself a bid driver? You’re a cover driver, that’s covering a bid route. Correct? If it was your route, no you cannot be moved to another route.
 

Whither

Scofflaw
When I was in package they used to do it all the time to cover drivers one or two days per week so they couldn’t opt onto the 9.5 while covering a bid route M-friend. When you’re a cover driver, if you want to opt onto the 9.5 you have to cover the same route for the entire week. At least that’s how it was when I was in package.

If the OP's building has 22.4s the 'operational needs' loophole is closed by Article 22.4 paragraph 12 which grants all RPCDs 9.5 protection regardless of seniority or assignment.
I’m a RPCD in the southern region. I’m a coverage driver, so I bid on the weekly bid routes for drivers who are on vacation or in feeders. Lately our center has been moving drivers on weekly bid routes off against our will.

Now, it was my understanding that when they do this, you could file a grievance and receive 2 hours of penalty pay, but my local union agent said that’s not the case. He said there’s a “loophole” in the contract where they can move weekly bid route drivers whenever they need to and we cannot receive the 2 hours of penalty pay.

Here’s the language in our contract. Is he correct, or is my local union agent just weak? It seems to imply weekly bid drives can get the penalty pay if moved off

Based on the language you posted it reads as though mgmt at least owes you a meeting with a stew present to explain how 'all reasonable efforts have been exhausted to have the open vacancy covered'. I would bring this up to the BA and inquire further re: the 'loophole'. The paragraph addressing penalty pay may be the issue: 'pulled from their bid route to cover another route'. If that's interpreted narrowly, then -- it sucks -- but it wouldn't include coverage bids.
 

govols019

You smell that?
I’m a RPCD in the southern region. I’m a coverage driver, so I bid on the weekly bid routes for drivers who are on vacation or in feeders. Lately our center has been moving drivers on weekly bid routes off against our will.

Now, it was my understanding that when they do this, you could file a grievance and receive 2 hours of penalty pay, but my local union agent said that’s not the case. He said there’s a “loophole” in the contract where they can move weekly bid route drivers whenever they need to and we cannot receive the 2 hours of penalty pay.

Here’s the language in our contract. Is he correct, or is my local union agent just weak? It seems to imply weekly bid drives can get the penalty pay if moved off

Where is this "loophole" he talks about?

They pay our cover drivers the penalty pay in my center.
 
This was my thought also. If there is a loophole then point it out to me.
The paragraph after the part where it talks about penalty pay. The “drivers not holding a bid route will be sit down with management and a union steward”. He said all they have to do is sit you down with a steward and tell you you have to run another route. I told him they don’t ever sit us down with a steward anyways, and all he said was “oh, well we’ll make sure they do that next time when we hear the grievance, you still won’t get penalty pay”.
 
Where is this "loophole" he talks about?

They pay our cover drivers the penalty pay in my center.
The paragraph after the part where it talks about penalty pay. The “drivers not holding a bid route will be sit down with management and a union steward”. He said all they have to do is sit you down with a steward and tell you you have to run another route. I told him they don’t ever sit us down with a steward anyways, and all he said was “oh, well we’ll make sure they do that next time when we hear the grievance, you still won’t get penalty pay”.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
I’m a RPCD in the southern region. I’m a coverage driver, so I bid on the weekly bid routes for drivers who are on vacation or in feeders. Lately our center has been moving drivers on weekly bid routes off against our will.

Now, it was my understanding that when they do this, you could file a grievance and receive 2 hours of penalty pay, but my local union agent said that’s not the case. He said there’s a “loophole” in the contract where they can move weekly bid route drivers whenever they need to and we cannot receive the 2 hours of penalty pay.

Here’s the language in our contract. Is he correct, or is my local union agent just weak? It seems to imply weekly bid drives can get the penalty pay if moved off
At least your center actually bids weekly like the contract says. There are more than a few centers in my local that don’t because the BA won’t process grievances on that violation. But that two hour penalty absolutely should apply.
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
At least your center actually bids weekly like the contract says. There are more than a few centers in my local that don’t because the BA won’t process grievances on that violation. But that two hour penalty absolutely should apply.
Wow really. They tried to not do the weekly bid here during 2020 and we were all over it!
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Wow really. They tried to not do the weekly bid here during 2020 and we were all over it!

In my center the steward, center manager, and BA were the obstacles. Because certain drivers didn’t want to make tough decisions. Like whether or not to bid a route for a whole week and miss out on running their favorite routes when those various bid drivers call in throughout the week. And because certain drivers don’t want management knowing what route they’ll be on because they’ll be over dispatched. LMFAO!
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
In my center the steward, center manager, and BA were the obstacles. Because certain drivers didn’t want to make tough decisions. Like whether or not to bid a route for a whole week and miss out on running their favorite routes when those various bid drivers call in throughout the week. And because certain drivers don’t want management knowing what route they’ll be on because they’ll be over dispatched. LMFAO!
Yep. I remember talking about this when you first got the language. Here maybe 4 or 5 driver's bid a week. The rest play games and whine when they don't get a good route.
 
At least your center actually bids weekly like the contract says. There are more than a few centers in my local that don’t because the BA won’t process grievances on that violation. But that two hour penalty absolutely should apply.
I agree, looking at that language it should apply. If my union agent loses the grievance and doesn’t get the penalty pay, what course of action do I have?
 
Nowhere in that language does it say you forfeit the penalty pay for being forced off the route you bid.
I agree. But our union agent is saying we’re technically not “bid drivers” and is quoting the paragraph directly under the “2 hours penalty pay” paragraph for why we’re not getting the pay.
 
Top