How Many Part-Time Supes Load?

writer

Preoad Supervisor
We seem to load every day here. Ther is one large truck on my belt that goes to the same place every day, having a varying piece count. Anywhere from 200 average up to 3-400 on heavy days. Some are very large and heavy. There is no loader designated for this truck and supes always load it, mostly me and another one.

We also seem to be loading other stuff stuff, always. Sometimes we will have a whole area on my belt with no one to load, so we do it!

Is this common everywhere?
 
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westsideworma

Guest
It used to be common at my building, we've been getting away from that it seems. I rarely load though today I was carrying 3 pickoffs on my line. It was much heavier than anticipated and no one was able to help. The guys were getting frustrated and wanted my help so I obliged.

We are told not to load, but at the same time the conditions where we do not have to load are rarely present. Someone is always late, someone is always ANC, people who shouldn't be shuffled around are, etc. etc. On my shift the focus is always on the primary unload (rightly so) so if they're missing people they take them from the outbounds. However once we're buried that help isn't always reciprocated and we end up with a big mess sometimes. That is how the bulk of our issues are created. PT Supes are often between a rock and a hard place. Some workers think we're lazy because we won't or can't help them (via contract) when the opposite is true. Others think we're only doing it to steal time from them (which is never a motivation for me). The only time I ever work is when A. I've been instructed to, B. I'm training someone or C. there is no one to help, we're beyond screwed and the morale is suffering. I'd love to be able to jump in and help my employees when they need it, but unless its dire circumstances I know we're really not supposed to so I don't. I try to find help but its not that often that I'm successful.
 

writer

Preoad Supervisor
It would be much easier to figure out how many DON'T load.



Seems so. In our operation sometimes the union guys will come in early to go around and watch the belts, looking for us loading. We are told via our radios about it so we don't load while being watched. So much for the integrity that is preached.
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
At our hub, there are more supervisors working than Teamsters. It's pretty funny, more union guys walking around counting their money and looking at their watches than collars or ties. :peaceful: I'm pretty sure its because theres only a couple stewards and they're all doing easy jobs so they don't get involved with enforcing the contract. Both sides apparently win!
 

drewed

Shankman
Itll happen on occasion when the natives get restless and think i cant do their job better than them but otherwise never
 
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hseofpayne

Guest
We seem to load every day here. Ther is one large truck on my belt that goes to the same place every day, having a varying piece count. Anywhere from 200 average up to 3-400 on heavy days. Some are very large and heavy. There is no loader designated for this truck and supes always load it, mostly me and another one.

We also seem to be loading other stuff stuff, always. Sometimes we will have a whole area on my belt with no one to load, so we do it!

Is this common everywhere?
 
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What'dyabringmetoday???

Well-Known Member
It is funny how UPS is always "short-handed", or experiencing "unforeseen volume", and so on and so on. Not saying we should have extra people just standing around as I want to see a profitable company just as much as the next guy. Supervisors quite simply try to get away with working as much as possible. And as the above poster stated, they will be directed to stop when being watched, but go right back at it when the coast is clear. This problem will never go away unless more hourly folks learn to protect their jobs.
 

drewed

Shankman
It is funny how UPS is always "short-handed", or experiencing "unforeseen volume", and so on and so on. Not saying we should have extra people just standing around as I want to see a profitable company just as much as the next guy. Supervisors quite simply try to get away with working as much as possible. And as the above poster stated, they will be directed to stop when being watched, but go right back at it when the coast is clear. This problem will never go away unless more hourly folks learn to protect their jobs.

Honeslty, I do as little physical work as possible, Its my ass if the numbers are off, salts are missed, misloads....So quite honestly the Union can sweat while I stand there with my hands in my pockets making sure everything goes ok.
 

What'dyabringmetoday???

Well-Known Member
Honestly, many supervisors claim that they do not want to work. They are often caught doing just that. They are taught to do this by their boss to "make the numbers" or however you may want to describe it. I am merely stating the obvious here, not trying to start a big disagreement.
 
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hseofpayne

Guest
We seem to load every day here. Ther is one large truck on my belt that goes to the same place every day, having a varying piece count. Anywhere from 200 average up to 3-400 on heavy days. Some are very large and heavy. There is no loader designated for this truck and supes always load it, mostly me and another one.

We also seem to be loading other stuff stuff, always. Sometimes we will have a whole area on my belt with no one to load, so we do it!

Is this common everywhere?
If you don't want to do hourly work, have one of your part-timers file a grievance for the work you do, he will get paid. I have filed before when sups made me clock out while he sorted air when it came in. I just watched, kept up with the time, and filed.
 

Forty6and2

I'm Broken
It is funny how UPS is always "short-handed", or experiencing "unforeseen volume", and so on and so on. Not saying we should have extra people just standing around as I want to see a profitable company just as much as the next guy. Supervisors quite simply try to get away with working as much as possible. And as the above poster stated, they will be directed to stop when being watched, but go right back at it when the coast is clear. This problem will never go away unless more hourly folks learn to protect their jobs.

The funny thing about "unforeseen volume" is- the company (ups) is "supposed to be experts in the shipping industry." How they can have any type of "unforeseen volume" on any given day of the week/month/year is just beyond me. if ups as a company is in fact the "shipping experts" they strive to be, they (management) sure do a poor job of showing it.
 
Well, heres my take.
I help load because I want to hit our numbers. I also help because I want to get my drivers out on time. Some of my preloaders just aren't good enough no matter what I/they do, or they just get hammered by volume. So, in order to keep them from shutting off the belt, I help keep them afloat. I use the time in the trucks to look for misloads as well. Kills two birds with one stone. I have had drivers talk to me before, and I tell them I will try to load less. And I really do. But for me, coming from a preload position myself, its hard not to load sometimes. And its hard to walk away from a preloader getting killed by volume.
Bottom line....yeah, I load so I dont get my ass chewed for not hitting PPH. Such is life....
 

What'dyabringmetoday???

Well-Known Member
Well, heres my take.
I help load because I want to hit our numbers. I also help because I want to get my drivers out on time. Some of my preloaders just aren't good enough no matter what I/they do, or they just get hammered by volume. So, in order to keep them from shutting off the belt, I help keep them afloat. I use the time in the trucks to look for misloads as well. Kills two birds with one stone. I have had drivers talk to me before, and I tell them I will try to load less. And I really do. But for me, coming from a preload position myself, its hard not to load sometimes. And its hard to walk away from a preloader getting killed by volume.
Bottom line....yeah, I load so I dont get my ass chewed for not hitting PPH. Such is life....
Point is, if you supervisors are loading, we must need more of us hourlies.
 

1989

Well-Known Member
Sure there are times when you maybe instructed to load. But when you do load you should be putting a timecard in for yourself. That way you have accurate numbers. Otherwise your integrity may come into question and if you are ever questioned about falsifying your numbers you have a record of it.
 

bellesotico

BOXstar
Point is, if you supervisors are loading, we must need more of us hourlies.

Or an earlier start time..

But as an hourly..that wouldn't be our problem. All things bad roll down hill and we happen to be sitting at the bottom. We may not have much, but we do have that pesky little contract that in a nutshell tells sups hands off.
It seems to me that the reasons sups give to do hourly work run the gamut..but the bottom line is this..its not our problem. You signed up for the job.

In our center there is zero tolerance for sups doing hourly work..to the point that some sups wont even check for misloads and will even ask if its ok to just move a pkg down the belt.
 

Storm723

Preload Supervisor
[evil]Lets see...[/evil]
I was a loader, I was an unloader. I enjoyed both.
I am a sup. now and it is very difficult for me not to work.
Not b/c I want to. Not b/c I am trying to make numbers...
or steal union time/ jobs..
I do it b/c the people on my belt, simply can not keep up, choose not to keep up, and I hate to see them buried in the incredibly large volume coming down the belt!
:smart:Here is an idea, I do it for morale! I do it to assist.. to train (over and over), I do it to help people catch up! So they do not feel overwelmed.
But I guess you will always have the shop stewart and the union rep who attempt to make problems out of everything.

Maybe I wouldn't have to work if the hourlies on my belt simply...
a) showed up on time
b) came to work
c) utilized the methods
d) actually tried to put the work away

Then again it is easier for one to run to the union...or tell the shop stewart the sup was working (even when they were actually assisting "you") than
to take [evil]responsibility and accountability [/evil]for your actions.
:whiteflag:
 
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IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
[evil]Lets see...[/evil]
I was a loader, I was an unloader. I enjoyed both.
I am a sup. now and it is very difficult for me not to work.
Not b/c I want to. Not b/c I am trying to make numbers...
or steal union time/ jobs..
I do it b/c the people on my belt, simply can not keep up, choose not to keep up, and I hate to see them buried in the incredibly large volume coming down the belt!
:smart:Here is an idea, I do it for morale! I do it to assist.. to train (over and over), I do it to help people catch up! So they do not feel overwelmed.
But I guess you will always have the shop stewart and the union rep who attempt to make problems out of everything.

Maybe I wouldn't have to work if the hourlies on my belt simply...
a) showed up on time
b) came to work
c) utilized the methods
d) actually tried to put the work away

Then again it is easier for one to run to the union...or tell the shop stewart the sup was working (even when they were actually assisting "you") than
to take [evil]responsibility and accountability [/evil]for your actions.
:whiteflag:

An incredibly awkward post, attempting it's anti-union scathing but in the end demonstrating there are idiots on both side of the fence!
 

IDoLessWorkThanMost

Well-Known Member
So let's first talk about the issue; either an employee simply can not sustain a steady work pace due to not working by choice or by brute, unsafe force by the primary or an unfair days work at a fair days pay - or what have you...

Both exist, and should be recognized as NO REASON FOR A SUPERVISOR TO BE WORKING.

Stomy723, you certainly showed being a management deny everything type on that one! :biting:
 
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