Heads up letter from the Union about possible strike

[mrbrownstone]

If you make it about pay you've already lost. You make it about home life. You put a picture of a sad kid on a sign that says "I never get to see daddy because he's always working" and you gain sympathy. Or something along those lines.

You're right, nobody is going to feel bad about the wage. But people will eat up the overworked idea.

Amen to this. I don't care if you pay me $200 dollars an hour in overtime. I want to see my family and kids. No amount of money will every buy that time back.

 

[G.V. Rush]

You have no idea what's going on across the country, and nor do I. But I do know that you work in a small building near/on a broken island, that services, well, not that many customers. Even if you are "correct", it's probably for the wrong reasons and it's a shot in the dark. My guess is that (and this is coming from management), your center(s) are an aberration, if your average driver is paid around 46-47 hours a week. The corporate line will almost always be to do more with less, cut cut cut, until there is a major jam-up.

I work in the building that Jimmy Lam did. You know, the guy who killed 3 other drivers and himself. The guy who filed multiple grievances on forced excessive overtime.

Nothing has changed here. If something like that happened doesn't get them to bend on overworking and crazy overtime. Nothing will. More for less. Corporations aren't in business to do the right thing. Negotiations will go on to the last minute

 

[1989]

Don't that screw up your retirement? As far as I know here you have to have all your years in the same local.

No, all in western conference.

 

[542thruNthru]

I don't mean local strikes. Management/IE obviously sucks in some areas. That's what has to be dealt with at the local level. Meaning that it's not the CEO ordering that most drivers get around 55 hours a week. When you strike, it's against those at the top. Since about 2/3rds of the country gets a reasonable 45-47 hours a week average, then it's not corporate policy to put out excessive hours, it's local management. Maybe nothing can be done locally, but all I'm saying is that is where the problem is.



You have it backwards. If you're crying over my opinions, you're the whiney little snow flake.



I'm not saying it's perfect here and "I'm fine and that's all that matters". Never said that. If the workers decide to strike, I'll stand with everyone.
I'm just saying that more of the country is on the reasonable side of hours. Excessive overtime is not corporate policy. I like 47 hours a week, perhaps some guys are looking for a 40 hour job. I signed up 10 years ago knowing the job is what it is.

Sorry man if 2/3 of the country got a reasonable 45-47 hour work week. 9.5 wouldn't be a national issue, it would be a local one.

 

[The Driver]

Talked to a new driver last said. His wife is pregnant at home and she asked him if she'll ever see him again.

I said I don't even have time to start a family at this rate.

 

[Future]

Talked to a new driver last said. His wife is pregnant at home and she asked him if she'll ever see him again.

I said I don't even have time to start a family at this rate.

@Future can help your wife with this program

 

[JL 0513]

Sorry man if 2/3 of the country got a reasonable 45-47 hour work week. 9.5 wouldn't be a national issue, it would be a local one.

I remember getting literature from the union last year stating the national average as 47 hours a week.

My local pays time bonus for over 10's. 20 minutes at OT over 10. So they try their best to dispatch under 9.5. Lots of areas don't pay this bonus which may help explain the problem.

 

[CoryAndTrevor]

I remember getting literature from the union last year stating the national average as 47 hours a week.

My local pays time bonus for over 10's. 20 minutes at OT over 10. So they try their best to dispatch under 9.5. Lots of areas don't pay this bonus which may help explain the problem.

You're still talking about pay for overtime. There is a certain amount of work that any amount of money won't compensate for.

And how do you know that literature wasn't lying? If the real average was way higher, they wouldn't tell anyone, because it would mean they weren't worth the dues you pay them. If Hoffa is as much of a bastard as everyone here seems to think, that tactic would make sense for him. Just a thought.

 

[BSWALKS]

I remember getting literature from the union last year stating the national average as 47 hours a week.

My local pays time bonus for over 10's. 20 minutes at OT over 10. So they try their best to dispatch under 9.5. Lots of areas don't pay this bonus which may help explain the problem.

Which is why I try to work a 10 hour, 1 minute day.

 

[JL 0513]

You're still talking about pay for overtime. There is a certain amount of work that any amount of money won't compensate for.

Not sure you even read my post. I gave a reason why some locals may have more of an OT problem than others. Some locals pay a time bonus, others do not. Could this be a contributing factor of why some centers get excessive OT and others average under 9.5? If you have a center where 50 drivers get a time bonus 5 days a week, that's $2,650+ the center has to pay out for one week for non-working time. That's real money.

I'm not even talking about whether drivers find it worth it to work the OT. I'm venturing a guess that as a whole, locals that don't pay this "free" money get more hours than those that do pay the bonus. Just saying this is ONE factor.

We've had periods where we were instructed to contact the center if we are going to be over 10 so that they could divert help to that driver.

 

[burco8080]

No

 

[Two Tokes]

I think the Who said it best. "Meet the new contract, same as the old contract".

Lots of huffing and puffing by both sides, but we end up with 99% the same.

Totally agree.Both sides talk a bunch of crap and everyone gets their panties in a bunch ,but at the end of the day both sides need on another. All the talk is just that Talk.

 

[35years]

I remember getting literature from the union last year stating the national average as 47 hours a week.

My local pays time bonus for over 10's. 20 minutes at OT over 10. So they try their best to dispatch under 9.5. Lots of areas don't pay this bonus which may help explain the problem.

47 hrs a week average...
Including guys who take a day off.
Including cover drivers who work a half day.
Excluding peak hours.
Including personal holidays and vacation days paid at 8 hours.

It is time for national language actually controlling overtime.

Something along the lines of...
-Drivers can bring back stops as missed, without penalty, after 9.5 hours of work.
- You would have to opt out if you want more OT.
-No driver required to work over 12 hrs in a day (including peak), bring back if
necessary
-No driver required to work over 60 hrs in a week, including peak.
-No driver required to work a 6th shift, including peak.
-No drivers required to work holidays.
-You would have to inform management at the beginning of the day you will have to bring back stops, and once again by 3 PM, and just before bringing them in. It works in the Central region for 8 hour requests, so why not for under 9.5 hours?

These are all reasonable restrains on excessive overtime. If UPS sees these as unreasonable then the culture at UPS is to blame. 9.5 hours is not a short day.

 

[twoweeled]

Walking into the building today and was greeted by my BA and a couple stewards with a paper handout. In short it basically says for full timers to start saving 5 dollars a day effective immediately so we will have that money in case of a strike.

I appreciate the advice and it's definitely a smart move, but it's starting to feel all to real and scares the out of me. I went full time a month after last contract. Is this standard before every negotiation?

Hopefully, we don't need a flyer to tell us we should be saving for troubled waters. Having said that - I'd give it about 7% chance we strike. I'll also give it about 90% this contract is going to be crap! Then after the contract passes and we find out what it really contains? About 100% it's crap!

 

[twoweeled]

47 hrs a week average...
Including guys who take a day off.
Including cover drivers who work a half day.
Excluding peak hours.
Including personal holidays and vacation days paid at 8 hours.

It is time for national language actually controlling overtime.

Something along the lines of...
-Drivers can bring back stops as missed, without penalty, after 9.5 hours of work.
- You would have to opt out if you want more OT.
-No driver required to work over 12 hrs in a day (including peak), bring back if
necessary
-No driver required to work over 60 hrs in a week, including peak.
-No driver required to work a 6th shift, including peak.
-No drivers required to work holidays.
-You would have to inform management at the beginning of the day you will have to bring back stops, and once again by 3 PM, and just before bringing them in. It works in the Central region for 8 hour requests, so why not for under 9.5 hours?

These are all reasonable restrains on excessive overtime. If UPS sees these as unreasonable then the culture at UPS is to blame. 9.5 hours is not a short day.

UPS has absolutely no interest in "reasonable". NONE! zero! nada!