High Value Clerks & Customer Counter Clerks - Union or Not Union?

sparko

New Member
​Hello everyone.

I've been a UPS employee for 16 years. I've worked part-time on the Local Sort as a high value clerk. My job currently is not a union position, nor is it a management one. I have some benefits, but nothing compared to what a union or management person is offered. For this reason, I've been trying to get my job switched to a union position for some time. So far, I, and the union rep for our building, have had no luck.

I know that in some buildings in our state, they have a union person doing my job even though, technically, it is not a union position. I am trying to find out if this is a normal practice in other buildings as well. If it is, I would like to think the Teamsters would have a better case at changing the job to a union one so that everyone doing the job is offered the same benefits.

If there are any high value clerks or customer counter clerks out there that are union, please let me know of your situation and comment on this thread.

Thanks.
 

just chillin'

Rest in peace wooba
dont know what state your in but in my building (local 804 in long island NY) customer counter clerks are full time union. also preload clerks doing de-cap and center clerks doing add correction are all full time union positions. high value clerks are non union part time positions but a union preloader follows them around pushing a hand cart with the high value packages on them. non union personal are not allowed to "forward" packages. on a side note, i think our local is one of the only ones that does not have any part time union clerks at all.
 

ikoi62

Well-Known Member
dont know what state your in but in my building (local 804 in long island NY) customer counter clerks are full time union. also preload clerks doing de-cap and center clerks doing add correction are all full time union positions. high value clerks are non union part time positions but a union preloader follows them around pushing a hand cart with the high value packages on them. non union personal are not allowed to "forward" packages. on a side note, i think our local is one of the only ones that does not have any part time union clerks at all.

across the river in jersey all clerks are full time counter,decap,add corrects. high values are handled by nonunion people.
 
Our Twi. high value girl is a non UPS employee and some of our customer counter clerks are hired from a temp agency and must be changed out after a while.
 

Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
Our high value clerks do not have the option of joining the union -- and once they accept the job, they may not re-join the union (or work any other position) again. Since 2009, UPS has been aggressive in eliminating these positions throughout my district, having management (PT sup, office) perform the work instead. There's only one position remaining in my facility (down from eleven); we have 20-year employees laid off, unlikely to ever return.

And here Customer Counter pool from the drivers.
 

brown_trousers

Well-Known Member
In Mass. all jobs are union , it's a closed shop.

I dont think closed shop states prevent this. Washington is a closed shop state and we had non-union revenue recovety clerks for years before unionizing them. I think UPS gets away with it by categorizing them as contracted services.
 

HubBub

Well-Known Member
I dont think closed shop states prevent this. Washington is a closed shop state and we had non-union revenue recovety clerks for years before unionizing them. I think UPS gets away with it by categorizing them as contracted services.

I was going to ask if anyone knew the rationale behind these positions being non-union. They all advance packages, seems like a no-brainer.
 

IzzyTheNose

Well-Known Member
​Hello everyone.

I've been a UPS employee for 16 years. I've worked part-time on the Local Sort as a high value clerk. My job currently is not a union position, nor is it a management one. I have some benefits, but nothing compared to what a union or management person is offered. For this reason, I've been trying to get my job switched to a union position for some time. So far, I, and the union rep for our building, have had no luck.

I know that in some buildings in our state, they have a union person doing my job even though, technically, it is not a union position. I am trying to find out if this is a normal practice in other buildings as well. If it is, I would like to think the Teamsters would have a better case at changing the job to a union one so that everyone doing the job is offered the same benefits.

If there are any high value clerks or customer counter clerks out there that are union, please let me know of your situation and comment on this thread.

Thanks.

At my hub, all high value employees are non-Union. Our customer counter employees, however, are union. I'm almost certain that if the positions you currently work in, are designated for Union employees only at some point in the future, you would more than likely lose your job, as they would either go up for a combo bid, or simply be filled by senior employees who want the job.

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, isn't the Union trying to negotiate to have these "sub-contractor" positions turned into Union positions on the new contract?
 
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Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
At my hub, all high value employees are non-Union. Our customer counter employees, however, are union. I'm almost certain that if the positions you currently work in, are designated for Union employees only at some point in the future, you would more than likely lose your job, as they would either go up for a combo bid, or simply be filled by senior employees who want the job.

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, isn't the Union trying to negotiate to have these "sub-contractor" positions turned into Union positions on the new contract?

I don't believe so. UPS has long insisted that these cannot be union positions - I'm uncertain as to why. Union employees could apply for these positions; they came with a significant pay increase - but obviously did not receive contracted raises, have a minimum work guarantee & had to pay for their insurance. UPS has been eliminating these positions when possible, in favor of incumbent management (PT sups, office workers) performing the duties... a friend of mine - 20-year employee who had just accepted the position a few years ago - was a laid off and told she could transfer anywhere within the district, but something like 80-90% of the positions had been whacked and any available openings would've been out of state.
 

Drink Craft Beer

Well-Known Member
All clerks in my hub are union but not under the same Teamster contract as UPS drivers, pre-loaders etc...etc.. They're part of a different Union. At least that's what I've been told in the past.

That doesn't include a high value clerk because we don't have one who strictly does HV's. Not enough dailey HV's to have to have one.
 

InsideUPS

Well-Known Member
​Hello everyone.

I've been a UPS employee for 16 years. I've worked part-time on the Local Sort as a high value clerk. My job currently is not a union position, nor is it a management one. I have some benefits, but nothing compared to what a union or management person is offered. For this reason, I've been trying to get my job switched to a union position for some time. So far, I, and the union rep for our building, have had no luck.

I know that in some buildings in our state, they have a union person doing my job even though, technically, it is not a union position. I am trying to find out if this is a normal practice in other buildings as well. If it is, I would like to think the Teamsters would have a better case at changing the job to a union one so that everyone doing the job is offered the same benefits.

If there are any high value clerks or customer counter clerks out there that are union, please let me know of your situation and comment on this thread.

Thanks.


Sparko.....High Value Clerks and Customer Counter Clerks in the State of Ohio are Union....

Have your BA take a look at our current National Language as follows: (A good BA with the help of the NLRB may be able to change your situation)

ARTICLE 1. PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT
The Employer and the Union adopt this Article and enter into this Agreement with a mutual intent of preserving and protecting work and job opportunities for the employees covered by this Agreement. No bargaining unit work will be subcontracted, transferred, leased, assigned or conveyed except as provided in this Agreement.


Section 1. Operations Covered
The execution of this Agreement on the part of the Employer shall cover all employees of the Employer in the bargaining unit at any

ARTICLE 1

existing centers, new centers, new trailer repair shops, new air hubs and gateway operations, new buildings, and any other new opera- tions of the Employer within the jurisdiction of the Local Union sig- natory to this Agreement as determined or may be determined by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with regard to wages, hours and other conditions of employment.
Section 2. Employees Covered
Employees covered by this Agreement shall be construed to mean, where already recognized, feeder drivers, package drivers, sorters, loaders, unloaders, porters, office clerical, clerks, mechanics, main- tenance personnel (building maintenance), car washers, United Parcel Service employees in the Employer’s air operation, and to the extent allowed by law, employees in the export and import operations per- forming load and unload duties, and other employees of the Employer for whom a signatory Local Union is or may become the bargaining representative. Employees of CSI and UPS Latin America, Inc. are also covered by this Agreement as specified in the P&D Supplement and the Challenge Air Cargo Supplement, respectively.
In addition, effective August 1, 1987, the Employer recognized as bar- gaining unit members clerks who are assigned to package center oper- ations, hub center operations, and/or air hub operations whose assign- ment involves the handling and progressing of merchandise, after it has been tendered to United Parcel Service to effectuate delivery. These jobs cover: package return clerks, bad address clerks, post card room clerks, damage clerks, rewrap clerks, and hub and air hub return clerks.
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
In Philly Customer Counter employees are union; on the wage schedule in the contract they make maybe $1/hr less than package car and feeder drivers. The HVs are handled by the OMS'.
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
You know, maybe I am forgetting someone. In the past the HV clerk was a union member; a PT'mer who retired after 20 years. Now, by the time I get to the center the OMS' are already putting stickers on the DIADs of the drivers who have them. I rarely see the clerk bring the packages down (but I do remember her now). On the occasions I do the OMS' are stressed, since they have to process them all in a short period time.
 

Bella

New Member
Hello everyone.

I've been a UPS employee for 16 years. I've worked part-time on the Local Sort as a high value clerk. My job currently is not a union position, nor is it a management one. I have some benefits, but nothing compared to what a union or management person is offered. For this reason, I've been trying to get my job switched to a union position for some time. So far, I, and the union rep for our building, have had no luck.

I know that in some buildings in our state, they have a union person doing my job even though, technically, it is not a union position. I am trying to find out if this is a normal practice in other buildings as well. If it is, I would like to think the Teamsters would have a better case at changing the job to a union one so that everyone doing the job is offered the same benefits.

If there are any high value clerks or customer counter clerks out there that are union, please let me know of your situation and comment on this thread.

Thanks.
I am a high value clerk also at UPS. I've been with the company for 28 years. I have seen this also at my building. It is very much UNFAIR but they do it. They had a union person doing high values in the over night shift while I did high values at night as a non union clerk
 

ski or die

Ski or Die
I was a full time union clerk, also union steward. Back, I believe in early 90's, management and the BA came into our office and locked the door and had a meeting. They informed us that all our work which was claims and pkg tracing was being moved to a centralized location in Bristol Tenn. This was going to be done nationwide. Several friends of mine around the nation who were also stewards and I worked together to bury them in grievances. We were offered the opportunity to follow our work. They didn't think anyone would do that. Turned out several did. They were working from Mobile trailers in Bristol. We continued our fight without any help at least from my BA. I had a personal meeting with Ron Carey. He promised he would resolve the issue. It was decided that all work was to stay until each union employee had left the company thru either resignment or retired. These positions should not have ever been eliminated. Weakens the union with less union employees. As far as customer counters positions, the company is still trying eliminate them with outsourcing by opening UPS Stores in strip malls. Through my contacts, the claims and tracing finally ended up in either South Carolina or North Carolina, right to work states, paying minimum wages and was quite a disaster as these employees had no UPS background experience.
 
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