FT Package Car driving bid

[UPSthru&thru]

I signed up for a FT package car driver position in early January 2009. I am a PT building worker, and was told that I got the bid based on my seniority. However, they have not provided me with a start date and state the ecomony is a factor.

I have a few questions about this:

1) How long is the bid sheet good for? Meaning, if they need a driver one year from now do they have to honor my bid sheet?

2) Is there a certain time frame that they are supposed to fill this job by?

3) Shouldn't they not have posted a bid sheet for an open position?

I have contacted my Union Rep but he wasn't sure. He was going to ask around and get back to me.

Thanks for any insight you might have......

 

[wrecker]

Was it a 6 for 1 list you signed? HR maintains a list of interested part time employees who desire to go full time. They work off the list when driving jobs become available, on (here at least) a 6 part timers for every off the street hire.

I always assumed it was the same everywhere.

Did the bid sheet have an actual route? (Main st, Mayberry?) and a start time?

 

[UPSthru&thru]

This was for an inside hire. Several positions have been vacated by retirees and people who have quit.

They just recently filled the one outside and also an internal transfer prior to peak.

It was not for an actual route. We have rotating training routes. This was for one of those. I would be placed on an actual route after my 30 days.

HR clearly knows I have been interested since I have been on every bid sheet posting since I started.

Under the Central Region of Teamsters Supplemental Agreement, Article 3-Section 8 (from what I can understand), it states that "All job bids shall be filled within (10) working days after the completion of the bidding process, unless otherwise mutually agreed in conjunction with the efficient operation of the Employer's business."

Here are my additional questions:

1) Who are the parties that need to mutually agree to any exceptions? I have not agreed to anything.

2) Who should I talk to about this? It seems as though I am not getting a lot of assistance from local channels. I am trying to be patient but it's been several months and I feel like I am being blown off.

Thanks for any help....I seem to need it.....

 

[UnconTROLLed]

As far as I am concerned, there is absolutely no use in training routes if they are cutting drivers and routes in your center.

The mutual agreement I'm sure is between the union and UPS, and if there is no need for a brand new driver, the training route is dissolved as seniority drivers are already picking up the splits from the training route.

Also, if the volume IS there, there are repercussions to adding new drivers. Although I'm not too familiar with the whole deal, if you add any new employee to an area, others must be moved around too (or the work must be). If your move is going to adversely affect the operation, that language there with "mutual agreement in conjunction with the efficient operation of business" plays a role. There is similar language up this way in New england regarding our biannual bid procedure and moves being expedited "as to not disrupt operations"

 

[UPSthru&thru]

I understand your point. I really appreciate your input. The union book is nice but there are some gray areas that can be hard to interpret.

These "training routes" are large enough that they could not really be absorbed unless there was significant disruption to the other drivers. Generally, if you are a newbie, that is your route until another one becomes open to bid for to move on. That is when they post a new opening.

I just had my hopes up thinking that after this many years it was finally going to happen for me. I still don't understand why the center manager would seek approval for a position from HR and post a bid for it if they didn't have any intention of filling it?!?

Such is life......

 

[UnconTROLLed]

I understand your point. I really appreciate your input. The union book is nice but there are some gray areas that can be hard to interpret.

These "training routes" are large enough that they could not really be absorbed unless there was significant disruption to the other drivers. Generally, if you are a newbie, that is your route until another one becomes open to bid for to move on. That is when they post a new opening.

I just had my hopes up thinking that after this many years it was finally going to happen for me. I still don't understand why the center manager would seek approval for a position from HR and post a bid for it if they didn't have any intention of filling it?!?

Such is life......

Here's a Q:

Does the CS have annual bids? Bi-annual? Just curious, because the language you mentioned says "all job bids must be completed within 10 working days of the completion of the bidding process"

The bid process only involves employees that are currently friend/T. The training route you mentioned was probably vacated by whoever bid it and wouldn't seem to apply to the contract language you mentioned.

It seems like what happened here is - guys retire and the jobs trickle down (as you probably know). Your areas friend/T bids went up and are now completed. Then a few weeks later, you see the postings on the union board for "new" jobs. These jobs SOMETIMES are actually "newly created" training routes, and P/T employees can bid on them. Unfortunately, since they are not actually the friend/T bid process and they are after the fact, there likely is no deadline for filling them.

I don't have much knowledge of the CS so i'm probably not helping much and more or less rambling my thoughts. I do hope you get your foot in the door though!