Harassment: UPS just doesn’t get it WORMA

[The Chosen One]

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Harassment: UPS just doesn’t get it

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By Dianne Williamson

The managers of UPS in Shrewsbury are lucky guys.

In any other workplace, they’d be fired for costing their company $50,000 in damages and forcing it to provide widespread harassment training. Had a state agency decried any other workplace as “pervasively hostile” and a hotbed of sexual harassment, those responsible would be shown the door.

Not, apparently, at UPS. Not only was the management found culpable of ignoring a long pattern of sexual harassment by one of its supervisors, but the company is resisting an order that it provide training to prevent it from happening again.

“They just don’t get it,” said Tom Sobocinski of Oxford, a handler at the Shrewsbury warehouse. “The truth came out, and even now they’re fighting it.”

Mr. Sobocinski knows a bit about fighting. A 23-year employee, he filed a complaint in 2004 with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination that accused a supervisor of sexual harassment and his managers of ignoring his complaints.

 

[The Chosen One]

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SOME USER REPLIES
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As a 10 year UPS supervisor in the Shrewsbury Hub I can tell you MY OPINION. Not only is harassment allowed, but it is encouraged as a method to get production, attendance and quality results. If an employee is a 'problem' employee they 'have a target on their back.' Management covers each other's back and keeps secrets well. Sobo is for sure a pain in the butt, and can make a supervisor's day difficult, but that does not mean he has to be subjected to what went on. The old rule is true, for every Sobo that tells his story there are 10 that have been through the same thing, and choose not to speak up, for fear of retaliation, or because they were gotten rid of before they became too much of a headache. I can tell you that I have been a part of harassing employees. It was encouraged by my coordinator and my sort manager. And it was rewarded. UPS has a strange way of hanging its own out to dry when push comes to shove, so Mr. Ford must have some pretty good dirt to still be around, be it mistress information, book cooking, production inflation, or any other of the manipulations afoot. In that building there is a skeleton in every closet, and there are closets a plenty.


Posted by The Chosen One |

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IF YOU DO THE CRIME YOU SHOULD DO THE TIME.IT'S ONLY COMMON SENCE THAT IF YOU DONT TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM KNOW,EVENTUALLY SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE SOME PORE GUY IS GOING TO LOOSE IT AND IT'S GOING TO BE TOO LATE!!STOP THIS KNOW BEFORE IT IS,WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER? I THINK NOT.

...

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Nothing will change out there. Worked with smoe of them, and seen it all firsthand.

 

[dannyboy]

what is very interesting is if the roles were reversed, the hourly person would be gone within a few minutes of the offending actions. and the union would be very limited in getting the guys job back, if they could even do it at all.

but because it is one of the good ole boys, and of course, we all do it (statements made by the immediate sups) every day, we are exempt from adhering to the rules.

come on integrity, there are so many serious issues you could actually make a difference at ups with, but you intend to focus on temp issues instead? but then again, lack of integrity?...........

d

 

[whiskey]

A little to much information. And a debate probably not suited for BC.

 

[The Chosen One]

A little to much information. And a debate probably not suited for BC.

hide the truth, and keep it quiet. The UPS way.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

A little to much information. And a debate probably not suited for BC.

hide the truth, and keep it quiet. The UPS way.

Whiskey has a point. Discussion of this issue here on BC would serve little purpose other than to deepen the divide between hourly and mgt. This has nothing to do with hiding the truth to keep it quiet. Time and place. Time and place.

 

[705red]

Whiskey has a point. Discussion of this issue here on BC would serve little purpose other than to deepen the divide between hourly and mgt. This has nothing to do with hiding the truth to keep it quiet. Time and place. Time and place.

I diasgree, I think that this should be discussed for many reasons but the main one being in case someone else is going through this and waiting on management to correct it.

At least by discussing this we are aware that management can and sometimes play by different rules. If we are or know someone that is going through this we can tell them to read this or maybe have them go higher with their complaint, even out of UPS. Instead of waiting forever for nothing at all to happen.

NO ONE should have to go through working like this. No one should fear coming to work because they will be touched or harassed in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable. And if this adds friction to the hourly management relationship than really who is to blame?

The complaint was made and nothing has been done about it. I have gone through a similair situuation where I felt threatened and was shoved at work and nothing has come out of that. The employees need to know that these problems will be addressed in a timely manner and when they are not, serious issues could arise.

An employee that feels threatned and is aware that UPS will not resolve it could possibly be forced in to a postion to defend themselves, because of management not correcting these problems.

Now if UPS corrected these issues we would not be atlking about them, again whos fault is that?

 

[The Chosen One]

Agree 705!

More information is always better. This goes on all over, some people may think they are the only ones....

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Red, you make some excellent points for which I have no argument. Dave.

 

[softshoe]

This is another classic example of inept UPS management.

 

[705red]

People lets keep in mind that we have bad management, and good management that would not allow this to happen. And to combine all management in to this category is not right. Its apparent that this should be applied to upper management, all the way up to CEO! For this sup not to be removed from service for his actions is a crime in itself. I only pray that the next person he harasses cleans his clock real good, while I do not condone violence in the workplace, I also dont condone Sexual harassment either.

I would be willing to bring that case in front of an arbitrator, especially with the court ruling against UPS and the media coverage of this. Bring down some of the witnesses that were harassed, I feel an arbitrator could really find a reason to put this guy back to work.

 

[Dragon]

Red - you make some excellent points for which I have no argument. I echo this statement.

 

[dannyboy]

all except for the clock cleaning. there are other ways to rid yourself of people like this.

my issue is not so much as the creep is still there, as it is that the upper management that dealt with this issue never did anything about it, not even to see to it that it would not happen again.

unfortunately, there are those on both sides that have no business working at ups, both hourly and management.

d

 

[hellfire]

im not buying any of this.....get off your soapbox ,,if you want money go earn it

 

[local804]

open your eyes

 

[tieguy]

what is very interesting is if the roles were reversed, the hourly person would be gone within a few minutes of the offending actions. and the union would be very limited in getting the guys job back, if they could even do it at all.

but because it is one of the good ole boys, and of course, we all do it (statements made by the immediate sups) every day, we are exempt from adhering to the rules.

come on integrity, there are so many serious issues you could actually make a difference at ups with, but you intend to focus on temp issues instead? but then again, lack of integrity?...........

d

see below

 

[tieguy]

Sexual harrassment could probably be charged out of 95 percent of any males conversation. And I know that will sound like I'm being insensitive but I could think of about 50,000 (if the brain still worked right) conservations I've heard of the years that could be deemed sexual harrassment. If I was properly motivated I could have twisted or portrayed many a fine upser as a sexual harrasser because of vulger things they said. Interesting case. I wonder what motivated it. Personal grudge against the sup, retaliation against the sup or a lust for free corporate money.

 

[Cezanne]

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Should of done this personality conflict like the "old school teamster" way and met Mr. Ford out in the parking lot and need I say more...

 

[tieguy]

Should of done this personality conflict like the "old school teamster" way and met Mr. Ford out in the parking lot and need I say more...

I agree. And don't get me wrong the management person sounds like a pig who probably should have gotten canned. Every managment person I've seen who continously acts this way eventually gets theirselves fired.

With that said its very unusal for someone to pursue a sexual harrassment case for vulger joking around of this type. The comments made sound ugly in print but are actually good examples of good natured joking around that I have often heard in operations. Especially inside operations.
there is a good chance the grievant has heard this type of joking before from co-workers, friends and family and decided to not be offended.This guy decided to pursue his sexual harrassment case for some other reason then sensistivity towards language. Its an example of what I've told my sups over the years. Accountability is a two way street. You will hold your team accountable for the job they do and they will hold you accountable for your fairness and professionalism.