How do you force UPS to pay double overtime for over 9 1/2?

[wornoutupser]

I have been through the greivance process for over 9 1/2 and the company refuses to back off on my dispatch.
The steward and I have a signed letter in the office that I am not allowed to work over 9 1/2 without the permission of the center manager.
I had 8 1/2 hours overtime in the first 3 days of the week alone and now my center manager says that he will not pay me my double overtime due as a penalty.
How do you force this payment? All help appreciated!

 

[upsdude]

"I had 8 1/2 hours overtime in the first 3 days of the week"

That's crazy, now I know where your log-in name came from. LOL

It was nuts in our building this week as well. 3/4 of the center was over 950 every day, yet they sent 3-4 folks home daily. You know, we were "lite". We were so lite we missed 50-100 pieces a day. Not to mention late air.

 

[Slothrop]

I have been through the greivance process for over 9 1/2 and the company refuses to back off on my dispatch.
The steward and I have a signed letter in the office that I am not allowed to work over 9 1/2 without the permission of the center manager.
I had 8 1/2 hours overtime in the first 3 days of the week alone and now my center manager says that he will not pay me my double overtime due as a penalty.
How do you force this payment? All help appreciated!

Sounds to me like your center manager has given you permission to work over 9.5. If your local won't help, hire a lawyer.

 

[toonertoo]

You got me, anyone who ever files one here, drops it when they promise to back off. In our center the union doesnt like to enforce it, because we all run an hour late, since the 5.8 seconds per pkg thing which gave all of us 30 more stops. So the standard answer is "we only gave you 8.5 work, it just took you too long to do it" , hence we would lose the grievances I guess?

 

[Jones]

So the standard answer is "we only gave you 8.5 work, it just took you too long to do it" , hence we would lose the grievances I guess?

Hmm, there's a little more to it than that, Tooner. The Union doesn't recognize the time standards, though you are right about that being the company's initial response. If you push the issue you should eventually get a ride along after which you can agree to a standard based on your demonstrated performance. That's assuming you have a reasonable management team that recognizes that the time studies are imperfect and is willing to work wth you on it.

 

[over9five]

"How do you force this payment?"

You file a greivance every week that you work over 9.5 three days or more. Under "Settlement Desired", you put double time wages for all hours over 9.5 that week.

It does not matter if you're paid over, or your SPOHR was too low. (Be prepared for some rides, tho).

You will get the money. It doesn't matter if the center manager wants you to get it or not. We have several drivers here that have.

 

[tieguy]

yep I would think the grievance process would eventually earn you the money though I imagine you would prefer not working the 9.5.

 

[sendagain]

If I was a manager, I'd cut your hours down to 8 a day, that way there would never be a chance of you working that long. We are trying to survive working against competitors that don't even pay for overtime. I couldn't count the many days I worked over 9.5, but I never would have held a knive to my bosses throat asking for double time, when the guys next to me were getting time and a half.

 

[scratch]

We have a driver in my building who made over $100,000 last year by filing grievances on everything he sees. This includes going over 9.5, people working off the clock, and supervisors doing hourly work. I only heard about this last week and was amazed.

 

[Hangingon]

Sendagain, the problem, with the way the numbers are on some of these routes now, is dispatch sends you out with 9 hours on paper, it takes you 11 to do it, so you don't finish until 9 pm every day. I don't mind a few long days, but when it's every day, and the ride alongs document that 2 hours over is reasonable, you get to the point you have to try something to be able to get home, occasionally, while your kids are still awake. I didn't get paid on my last batch since I agreed to drop them if they lowered my maximum. Well they did, for 2 weeks, now it's over 220 again, so I guess time to file and not back down this time.

 

[over9five]

"If I was a manager, I'd cut your hours down to 8 a day..."

I nominate Sendagain to be my manager.

 

[sendagain]

I suppose the problem exists because someone thought this new system was going to be a kind of miracle fix that would boost production by 30 minutes a day. The packages still must be looked at, organized and delivered. The new PAS system actually is another thing for you to look at, which works great on residential deliveries but poorly in commercial districts.

Our drivers have much better pay packages than FedEx, our hourly pay and benefits are a lot better than theirs, but if we hire people to cut the hours down, we won't stay competitive. All these guys who go to work for Fred for a lot less money, are going to make our union jobs much harder to maintain. The same thing is happening in industries that have had an influx of immigrant labor willing to work for a lot less money. How do you maintain your pay package when your competitors are cutting theirs? The next thing to go are going to be the pensions, so you better earn one fast.

 

[Coldworld]

dont go there send again, your opinion is only part right. You know what, ups has the kind of people who want to grow the company, these people are not found at the post office, dhl, or fedex....PERIOD!If ups mgt were smart they would cut the hours of all who want it. Then give drivers the personal time they need with customers concerns, questions, etc. Sales leads would be pushed, and mgt team give drivers the time they need to get leads. IF DRIVERS KNOW THAT THEY WOULD GET HELP WITH ADDITIONAL DEL OR PICKUPS COMMING FROM NEW VOLUME THEN THEY WOULD BE MORE WILLING TO GET VOLUME. You can say that were payed the best, maybe so we have a much higher production rate also. Ups has always done more with less, where have you been?Also, maybe mgt should get drivers opinion on routes, edd, etc, etc. Drivers dont want to be out all night so asking their opinion before they screw someones route up, move businesses from a 945 delivery time to 100(which piss off customers and makes us loose customers....RIGHT). There is more to this than meets the eye.

 

[surviv'n_it]

LOL, yeah, I like that term "lite". We are told every day that volume is down, the company is losing volume. However, I am going out with more than ever, (and its not splits from other routes) and my metro is as heavy as its ever been. I think I will start turning in sales leads to Fed Ex!!! (ok, that was a joke, so keep the guns in the holster.)

 

[sendagain]

coldworld

Some of these Fedex ground guys are working pretty hard, and if they don't, they go under. I spent over 25 years in a package car, and when our incentive pay gradually disappeared, so did the inspiration of a lot of drivers. Thinking we are invincible was easy to believe back in the seventies, but we have real competition now. I can remember when the Fedex air drivers were only making $1.00 an hour less than us. Several years back we were $3.00 an hour ahead of them, and way ahead of Fedex ground: not to mention their ground drivers get no overtime pay. If fred ever gets his debts in line with ours, mere mathematics would give him the edge; he'll take our money like a Vegas casino. Our only hope is to hire quality people that take care of their customers.

 

[over9five]

"Our only hope is to hire quality people that take care of their customers."

OR.... we can start taking care of the people we have, so in turn they will take care of the business.

 

[over9five]

C'mon, Sendagain, all the guy is asking is to go home to his family after nine and a half hours of work... And only 3 times a week!

He shouldn't have to grieve it. His management team should be able to arrange that without making a federal case out of it.

 

[aspenleaf]

Is it common for drivers to be over 9.5? Some of mine have complained about the same issue. The trucks I load are jammed on a daily basis and I don't see how any of them could ever run under.

 

[Coldworld]

Im not saying that fedex doesnt have an advantage. Im saying that volume is up, ups is making more than EVER. Express fedex make a good wage, flight benifits, good healthcare, PENSION. The ground guys are suing fedex...who knows whats going to happen but they know that their getting the shaft...how long is it going to take for the rest of them to get fed up. Ups has been saying that they are going out of business....for how long. Dude, the volume is going through the roof, in my bldg and in most in the country. Havent you geen that we are taking more volume off trains and putting it on the road. Im not sure why management continues to tell us that we are one day away from going bankrupt. And its even worst when drivers etc believe it. Im not saying that theres no competition, I know it is and comming on strong but you need to get things in perspective. We deliver more than fedex and dhl combined. There are really only 4 companies competing in small package delivery. And now we are getting into heavy freight, air and pallet, supply chain, ups capital, etc, etc. I think ups wants to rule with a fear tactic. They need to start being proactive and working with ALL employees and everything will work out. I always wonder if ups and its employees could work as a single unit, the competition wouldnt stand a chance. If you still work for ups you, and everyone else needs to realize that the days of 14 hours of work are OVER. Last point...this company can be productive, and make lots of money with working drivers under 10 hours...its true sendagain, youve just been brainwashed by mgt for too long. If you want the hours, great, if not you shouldnt have to work them. Hey on a side note, in this district they have been cutting peoples hours, especially ones making 90, 100k a year...so what does that tell you.And yes my district is hiring drivers to cover the excess.

 

[Coldworld]

right 9.5. Most jobs in this country are 8.5 hours....period. How many of us have had customers ask why the hell were out at 730 delivering packages. Personally its rude and unprofessional to be knocking on someones door at 745 wanting a signature for wine. But management doesnt care, they arent the ones out there. Everybody knows that ups pays well, but they beat you down in production. Everybody knows not to hold up the ups driver because they might throw a tissy fit if they have to wait an extra second for the customer. Thanks ups...these are things that customers notice about us that have been set in place by bull**** managentnt that need to get the "big picture".