How to bump lower seniority drivers.

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
Last winter I got a warning letter for late air on my first day covering a heavy industrial run. Warned them in person with witnesses and via a message before leaving that I was in danger of having late air. Supe told me to run straight air Goes out in a bulk van, 200 piece RDL ground stop buried all the air (in RDC) as soon as I took my first turn. Hadn't scanned a piece of ground and followed the air trace. Got my scan off at the last stop at 1031 (16 pieces air ... had ~20 late in total since I abandoned finding several in a bid to get to my last air stop).

After winning a bid, my supe asked me to give up my route to cover this industrial run a few times. :lol: "Can you do me a big favor and cover ...?" "Am I hearing you correctly? You want to give up my route to cover B-----'s, the same route you guys wrote me up for late air the first time I covered it? And you thought there was a snowball's chance in hell I'd agree?" He hasn't asked since last summer.
We had the same problem a few years ago. Kiss arse scaredy cats were coming off their bid routes in the summertime, to cover routes management needed covered. Took about a week and the hall put a stop to it. You cannot come off your bid route, to cover another route. If your route is in, that’s what you do. No exceptions. They’ll try to get away with anything they can. It works on a person to person basis.

Someone earlier in this thread said nothing they can do but get mad when you want to bump a lower driver. That’s exactly right but you have to fight their aggression, with aggression of your own. Obviously don’t cross the line, but the line needs to be straddled. You have to speak their language. All they know is aggression, and harassment. If you don’t fight back with aggression, they’ll walk all over you, your entire career.
 

BigUnionGuy

Got the T-Shirt
@BigUnionGuy
What’s the deal with different centers handling cover drivers so differently?

Local Union autonomy, past practice, Local Rider.... etc.

What’s the deal with different centers handling cover drivers so differently? You would think that there’s a universal UPS standard.

It would be easier.

But, some Locals are better negotiators.


What gives? Is that a center manager decision?

Ha !

Center managers are nobody's now....
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
Damn.

A driver from California.... can figure it out.

:biggrin:


The Central Region boys, better get with it.
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Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
The way it’s SUPPOSED to work in the southern is bid sheets for routes that will be open the following week are to be posted on Tuesday and taken down Thursday. But the centers with weak representation, or drivers and reps that don’t respect the contract, are still picking routes daily. Starting with the most senior unassigned driver and then working down the list. Management occasionally protects certain drivers but for the most part seniority is honored.
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
Both times I was there, were for Teamster/Ups functions.

Everyone was told....

"Don't leave the hotel, and cross the border into Tijuana."

You might not come back.
Last time I was down that way we skipped TJ and went to Rosarito Beach, had a great time, I remember stopping at a little road side taco stand at 2AM on the way back and thinking "Damn these are the best tacos I've ever had in my life". Things are a little rougher south of the border these days though, I'd probably stay up north and find something to do local.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Last time I was down that way we skipped TJ and went to Rosarito Beach, had a great time, I remember stopping at a little road side taco stand at 2AM on the way back and thinking "Damn these are the best tacos I've ever had in my life". Things are a little rougher south of the border these days though, I'd probably stay up north and find something to do local.
The rough areas are typically in parts of the cities/towns where Americans/tourists don’t go. Several members of my family (including myself) have spent anywhere from one week to two months in Juarez without any incidents whatsoever. As well as other areas of Mexico.
 

SorryLazyPOS

Big Kahuna Burger
I see in various different areas of the country that higher seniority drivers bump lower seniority drivers, meaning they can say I’m running this route today. I hear, and see this, but is there anywhere in the contract that states you’re able to do this daily to a driver with less seniority? I’m in the Central. We have 85 RPCD drivers in our center and about 50-60 have their own routes. The rest are junk routes. I’m in the mid range seniority wise. The drivers with two years or less know like two routes and 22.4’s are running full routes I’d rather do myself. Can I bump anyone/everyone beneath me, if so can you provide something in the contract to back it up. Sick of running the * routes while new drivers and 22.4’s get easy routes.
How many routes do you know?
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
The rough areas are typically in parts of the cities/towns where Americans/tourists don’t go. Several members of my family (including myself) have spent anywhere from one week to two months in Juarez without any incidents whatsoever. As well as other areas of Mexico.
I would generally agree with that, crime always makes the news.
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
Biggest issue is the cops when you go through TJ. They love to pull you over for any little issue and have you "pay the fine" right there. That's why you never keep your cash on you except for a $20.

Other than that I've never had any issues.
 

BrownStains

Well-Known Member
Where in the contract does it say that cover drivers can bump lower cover drivers ? That part in the contract referring to bumping was in reference to a driver whose bid area has changed.
 

charm299

Well-Known Member
Where in the contract does it say that cover drivers can bump lower cover drivers ? That part in the contract referring to bumping was in reference to a driver whose bid area has changed.
In my local, it don’t say bumping but it does say that seniority will be considered when making work assignments for drivers not holding a bid route. It also has wording that says if past practices were established.
 

Fuzzy Brown

Well-Known Member
Several years back we had a guy who relished bumping less senior cover drivers, he would come in and look at the load and decide which route he wanted to run sometimes guys would find out at the PCM they had been bumped.
Until I found this little gem.
Article 48 Sect. 6

464449CE-5D10-4DFC-B735-7499647DF6FE.jpeg
 

BrownStains

Well-Known Member
I asked our business agent this morning. He said no, only if you have a route that is cut for the day. But ,cover drivers can’t bump lower cover drivers.
 
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