Major clerk layoffs in local 804

[just chillin']

hey guys, this is my first post. i have 22 full time years, no part time. i bid on a twi shift clerk job 2 yrs ago coming from the preload in the melville long island building. i was told today i have to report to the island city building at night next week for full time work. they told the clerk under me in seniority the same thing last week and next week he gets bumped to part time. hes got 21 years. i was also told that i would be informed on a weekly basis what building to report to (ANYWHERE IN THE LOCAL) and what shift and whether it would be part time or full time depending on vacations. and folks, there not done. they said maybe in two weeks they can give a number of jobs eliminated. this is only going to get uglier and real fast. houses will be lost and famillies ruined. my wife hasn't stopped crying since i told her. living on eastern long island, theres a possibility at times i may have to drive well over 100 miles round trip in the middle of the night for part time work. it looks like were talking maybe 40 to 50 guys i estimate. i got a look at the local 804 clerk seniority list last year when there was rumors of 90 clerk layoffs and i was 30 or so from the bottom. UPS created these jobs 2 yrs ago and now there eliminating the same jobs, yet us poor bastards who bid on those jobs are getting royally screwed. this is not right no matter how the contract is worded. UPS could easily absorb us all back to our full time positions if they chose too. were not talking thousands or even hundreds of jobs. you would think our union leaders would put up some kinda stink. in my building there are NEW HIRES working that have not made book yet but a 20+ year veteran fulltimer is offered half his pay? WHAT????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

id like to thank anyone who takes the time to read this

 

[Brown287]

Sorry for what might be, but the clerks in my area have really been turned upside down as well in the last couple of years. Since the implementation of PASS the need for clerks have been greatly reduced. The amount of clerk packages in our trucks at the end of the day have been greatly reduced. The ones that we do have, when we come in at night our clerk already has the correct information at the ready.

So sorry but unfortunately this looks like the new trend. Is there any option of jumping to a different position? I am a driver so I'm not aware of what union covers what.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

And you can't bump a driver? Surely with your Building seniority you have enough years that you can bump a driver.

 

[User Name]

didn't think that you could just bump a driver when you wanted. has the op been qualified as a driver?

 

[S_nner]

That makes me worry about transferring to a new hub and being low man on the totem pole god forbid i go and it slows down....

 

[robot]

The 804 sounds like a fun place to work...

 

[local804]

And you can't bump a driver? Surely with your Building seniority you have enough years that you can bump a driver.

Wish that was the case for these guys but the old language in the contract is HORRIBLE

Article 13, Section 9- Reduction of Staff- Full-Time Seniority Employees
1. Package Centers- Outside
(1) Within each center drivers will be laid off on the basis of Company seniority.
(2) A laid-off driver will be offered work in another center within their building where the least senior driver is working without the loss of a day's pay.
(3) Where a driver is working less than the basic workweek, and where there is no work available within the building pursuant to above, the driver may request a transfer to another center in the driver's area where the driver with the least Company seniority is working.
If there is no work available in the driver's area, the driver may request a transfer to another center where the driver with the least Compant seniority in their district is working. If there is no work available in the driver's district, the driver may request a transfer to another center where the driver with the least Company seniority in the Union's jurisdiction is working.

3. Package Center Clericals
(1) Employees will be laid off on the basis of Company seniority within the employee's area. If there is no work available in the employee's area, the employee may request a transfer to another center where the package center clerical employee with the least Company seniority in the Union's jurisdiction is working.
(2) Employees in the General Operation Clerk and Customer Counter Clerk Classifications will be laid off on the basis of Company seniority within the employee's area. If there is no work available in the employee's area, the employee may request a transfer to another center where the clerical employee in the same classification, with the least Company seniority, in the Union's jurisdiction, is working.

9. Requests for transfers from centers to areas will be affected no sooner than 36 hours after the request. Requests for transfers from the areas to Union jurisdiction will be affected no sooner than 5 working days after the request. The Company agrees to waive the foregoing notices and to process requests sooner than 36 hours or 5 working days respectively where possible. In those cases the Union agrees to waive all claims which might result from such transfers.

11. In the event an employee elects not to accept or request a transfer, the employee may nonetheless elect to take the layoff ( in which event the employee shall be considered a laid-off employee for lack of work for the purpose of unemployment compensation) or to take the work of a part-time employee, if any, for the duration of the lay-off. Such right may be exercised with respect to those part-time jobs which have the greatest number of scheduled hours in the employee's center. Any employee who selects a permament job performed by a part-time employee shall be paid at his/her regular rate in addition to all fringe benefits, rather than at the part-time rate, with a minimum guarantee of 4 1/2 hours. In the event the employee works more than 5 hours in any shift, the employee shall be guaranteed 8 hours work or pay at such regular rate.

 

[local804]

you would think our union leaders would put up some kinda stink.

id like to thank anyone who takes the time to read this

Do you really think they are not? This is the language in the contract, what would you do? Who do you really blame? It is a horrible thing to do to someone.

 

[tarbar66]

I feel sorry for you guys, good luck in keeping your nice inside job.

How many of the clerks could be a driver to keep their full time jobs? Meet DOT requirements, etc..

 

[just chillin']

my nice inside job huh. please dude, this is a HORRIBLE thing happening to decent hardworking fulltime veterans. i was a fulltime preloader, midnight to nine in the morning for 20 years. i paid my dues with a 5 or 6 car assignment on a boxline and my herniated discs . with the 1500 or so packages i loaded every night plus the 2 hours on the slide sorting, i figure i humped more weight in my career than any driver out there. and NONE of us clerks as far as i know where ever drivers. in my area drivers can't and as far as I know never could bid on clerk jobs. only jobs drivers bid on are customer counter clerks, porters and carwashers. address correction clerk jobs where only open for bid to FULLTIME preloaders. for fulltime work and to stay in my same building, i am willing to do whatever job is offered to me. problem is, unless there's clerk work for us to do on a fulltime basis somewhere in the whole local, UPS is not offering ANY fulltime work to us. not preload, not driving, not anything. 4 1/2 hours of middle of the night preload work is all our contract says they have to give us.

oh and to answer the question of who i blame? well i blame myself for not memorizing each and every word of the contract before i bid on a job.

 

[tieguy]

paul thanks for sharing your isses within the might 804 jurisdiction. for some reason we dont hear much from your local here.

 

[tarbar66]

my nice inside job huh. please dude, this is a HORRIBLE thing happening to decent hardworking fulltime veterans.

oh and to answer the question of who i blame? well i blame myself for not memorizing each and every word of the contract before i bid on a job.

I made seniority as a full time hub employee back in 1974. I called it a nice job because back then it was. We had a great start time, our hours were 11:00 to 20:00. The trailers and building were hot in the summer and cold in the winter for the unloaders, loaders, small sort, rewrap and irreg people. If you had a pick off or sort postion there were considered the best jobs. There was only 1 clerk postion per shift and it was non union because they did payroll and reports that management didnt want to do.

The full time day hub was eliminated when New Stanton opened. Your choice was to follow the work 100 miles away in hub-package or feeders, stay in town to work midnight and preload if you had enough seniority. UPS was a kinder, gentler place back then. Needless to say I did not move but filled in on feeder vacations or the extra board in the local until there was a full time opening in package. That took over 2 years.

I hope you guys reach some kind of agreement to keep your hourly wage and benefits like we were able to.

 

[just chillin']

I made seniority as a full time hub employee back in 1974. I called it a nice job because back then it was.

my bad. i took your comment the wrong way and i apologize. no disrespect intended.

I hope you guys reach some kind of agreement to keep your hourly wage and benefits like we were able to.

that is the only positive (if you can call it one) in this. if you are displaced to part time preload, you do keep your current pay rate and as the contract is written "all fringe benefits". so we keep our same medical and most importantly, we still receive full time pension credit. i dont know how it works in other locals but here you can get out and start collecting $3100 for 25 yrs of fulltime service regardless of age. $3600 for 30 yrs or 25yrs and 55 age. if you have part time years you collect a separate pension for those. important factor is that you need 20 yrs fulltime to be offered retiree medical. im safe there, and if i do go part time in the next couple of weeks of layoffs I'll struggle for the next three years with having to get another jog to make up the $500 a week im losing until the day i can bail out. there's other guys in worse situations than mine too.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Don't be surprised if you see some major changes to your pension plans in the next few years, specifically the 25 and out.

 

[just chillin']

oh i believe it. im hoping the 25 and out lasts one more contract. our current one ends in 2013 and i will only have 24 yrs in.

 

[siredline09]

Yea, local 804 SUCKSSSSSSSSSSS, I got laid off as an air driver along with 50 other air drivers in Dec 24, 2010, and was forced to work Saturdays Only. If not i would loose Unemployment Benefits. So I decided to go back to school, while being on unemployment. All the union sometimes is good for is sucking your hard earned money and BS. Paul The Clerk here are some links if you have not already seen, and good luck and keep your chin up. Also be strong and keep the faith. Show the wife your Strong side, and everything will fall on its path. http://teamsterslocal804.org/story/rat-attack-maspeth-building http://teamsterslocal804.org/story/teamster-action-delivers-results-mt-vernon

 

[Returntosender]

Yea, local 804 SUCKSSSSSSSSSSS, I got laid off as an air driver along with 50 other air drivers in Dec 24, 2010, and was forced to work Saturdays Only. If not i would loose Unemployment Benefits. So I decided to go back to school, while being on unemployment all union is good for is sucking your hard earned money and BS. Paul The Clerk here are some links if you have not already seen, and good luck and keep your head up. http://teamsterslocal804.org/story/rat-attack-maspeth-building http://teamsterslocal804.org/story/teamster-action-delivers-results-mt-vernon

You work one day and collect unemployment benefits. You did the right move going back to school while collecting unemmployment benefits. Because those unemployments benefits will end at one point. If you get your degree before the benefits end. You'll be in a better position to find another job.

 

[siredline09]

yes, eventually, God willing thats how it will all pan out for me. UPS just was not the right Career move for me. I have seen UPS's true colors and they were not good at all. I was always shaved hours, not only done to me but to my fellow coworkers that are now laid off as well.

 

[Ibt804Hammer]

Yea, local 804 SUCKSSSSSSSSSSS, I got laid off as an air driver along with 50 other air drivers in Dec 24, 2010, and was forced to work Saturdays Only. If not i would loose Unemployment Benefits. So I decided to go back to school, while being on unemployment. All the union sometimes is good for is sucking your hard earned money and BS. Paul The Clerk here are some links if you have not already seen, and good luck and keep your chin up. Also be strong and keep the faith. Show the wife your Strong side, and everything will fall on its path. http://teamsterslocal804.org/story/rat-attack-maspeth-building http://teamsterslocal804.org/story/teamster-action-delivers-results-mt-vernon

WOW, you would think 804 made the business decision to lay you off. It is a contract put in place by ups and the Howie board a few years back. Place the blame where the blame belongs...

 

[siredline09]

WOW, you would think 804 made the business decision to lay you off. It is a contract put in place by ups and the Howie board a few years back. Place the blame where the blame belongs...

Hammer, according to my Shop Stewart, Tim Sly Could had marched down to Corporate in Atlanta, and told them, "Our Union is going to form a strike", thats all Tim had to do. Nothing big, Right? NADA so far.