Management in Browns

Lobofan5

Well-Known Member
At a hub that isn't posting new bid jobs, air, or package car... I am seeing management wearing brown uniforms EVERY day...driving air or ROUTES in the morning after preload.

It is really starting to get on my nerves, this has been going on for MONTHS now and I'M sick of it. They are using management to fill in for what they are NOT bidding.

As I understand it, this is a violation of the contract...right? What can I do about it...go to the union?

I've never filed any complaints and I'm wondering the pro's and con's of doing so.

Thanks.
 

8up

Well-Known Member
look around in your ranks, how many of our co-workers are out on comp., disability and vacation waiting for the weather to cool down?
 

outamyway

Well-Known Member
Are you in Las Vegas? It's been going on here for some time. A lot of vacations and others calling in. I was talking to one of our union reps and he said this building is in the top 3 for filed grievances in the country.

Our center manager has been making our driver sups take routes and bulk stops out. We have 3 driver sups for our center and only one was there today. I saw him on the road shuttling ground. They're all burned out.

They have been giving some ground to senior air drivers also but it still isn't enough. I remember they hired about 30 cover drivers for the entire building just before summer, but I have seen very few new faces around lately.

The pros: You get paid for work you didn't do.
The cons: Unless your a brown noser, management will hate you for doing it.
 

RockyRogue

Agent of Change
Our center manager has been making our driver sups take routes and bulk stops out. We have 3 driver sups for our center and only one was there today. I saw him on the road shuttling ground. They're all burned out.

If volume is already this high, I wonder what Peak is going to be like. Inside management isn't burned out here--at least not yet--but it can't be far away. Twilight has been taking a beating. I shudder to think what our Night Sort has been taking.

I remember they hired about 30 cover drivers for the entire building just before summer, but I have seen very few new faces around lately.

The pros: You get paid for work you didn't do.
The cons: Unless your a brown noser, management will hate you for doing it.

A lot of these seasonals just don't last. Inside the building has seen turnover take-off. Twilight hired about 12 people two weeks ago and promptly lost about 15. We lost three or four Cornerstone training classes in a ROW on my sort :sad:.

I wouldn't file on these supes for working. They're servicing the customer when hourlies are hurt or on vacation. Now, if they were working when five drivers or whatever it is were laid off, I'd be hopping mad. I'd be right behind you in filing. Discretion is the best advice anyone here can give you. -Rocky
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
"I wouldn't file on these supes for working. They're servicing the customer..."

WHAT???!!!!!!!!! They are doing Teamster work! Where is your shop steward? You have to file on it. If the sups are doing our work, THEN THEY SHOULD HIRE MORE TEAMSTERS!

If the sups can do this work, THEN WE DON'T NEED THEM AS SUPS!
 
If volume is already this high, I wonder what Peak is going to be like. Inside management isn't burned out here--at least not yet--but it can't be far away. Twilight has been taking a beating. I shudder to think what our Night Sort has been taking.



A lot of these seasonals just don't last. Inside the building has seen turnover take-off. Twilight hired about 12 people two weeks ago and promptly lost about 15. We lost three or four Cornerstone training classes in a ROW on my sort :sad:.

I wouldn't file on these supes for working. They're servicing the customer when hourlies are hurt or on vacation. Now, if they were working when five drivers or whatever it is were laid off, I'd be hopping mad. I'd be right behind you in filing. Discretion is the best advice anyone here can give you. -Rocky

DON'T HIRE anyone supervisors servicing customers don't file on them are you kidding me?
 

RockyRogue

Agent of Change
WHAT???!!!!!!!!! They are doing Teamster work! Where is your shop steward? You have to file on it. If the sups are doing our work, THEN THEY SHOULD HIRE MORE TEAMSTERS!

If the sups can do this work, THEN WE DON'T NEED THEM AS SUPS!

MY shop steward is an abrasive pr*ck. I can't stand the guy. That's a different thread. Sure, its easy to say they should hire more Teamsters but its possible management can't for whatever reason--availability of supes to train new people, for one. If these guys are all out running routes because of vacations, etc do you really think they have the time to train???

I don't usually file supervisor working grievances unless they are working to p*ss me off. I've got enough problems without creating new ones. Over9, please keep in mind I'm an inside employee. Management likes to play 2 on 1--two unloaders and one sorter. I wave the grievance card and it usually stops. If its not for supervisor working (doubleshifters working), the words "STOP UNLOADING OR I TURN OFF THE ENTIRE AREA" does. They aren't happy about it but they stop. I won't step into most supervisor working grievances as a witness unless the supe was working to p*ss off an hourly. Then...all bets are off. In this case.....I'd probably grieve in frustration. I'm not grieve happy or entirely enthralled with the grievance process, by the way, which might explain my reticence to grieve. -Rocky
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
From Over9five:
"If the sups can do this work, THEN WE DON'T NEED THEM AS SUPS!"

This is a great point that I've never heard brought up before. This is a perfect area where UPS can cut costs. The PT sups only supervise 10% of the time. The othe 90%, they are doing teamster work. Lets get rid of them all together and boost our bottom line. Their job can be done by certain teamsters, just give them an extra buck an hour.
 

canoworms

Active Member
Listen folks. If supervisors want to move packages, then they should be teamsters. Since they are not teamsters they should not be handling packages. It is all of our responsibility to file grievances to end this practice. If we continue to allow this to happen there will be no reason to hire hourlies when the company can get part time and full time supes to do our work. Read and defend your contract.
 

Penguin

Well-Known Member
From Over9five:
"If the sups can do this work, THEN WE DON'T NEED THEM AS SUPS!"

This is a great point that I've never heard brought up before. This is a perfect area where UPS can cut costs. The PT sups only supervise 10% of the time. The othe 90%, they are doing teamster work. Lets get rid of them all together and boost our bottom line. Their job can be done by certain teamsters, just give them an extra buck an hour.

I've been advocating something along those lines for a while now. It could be kind of an NCO type deal sort of like the military. Teamsters trained to be supervisors. Wow, what a concept. :lol:
 

area43

Well-Known Member
UPSers, I hate to wear this term out. National Epidemic. That is what we have here. Just like the drivers working thru their lunch hour so be it with the sups doing hourly work. In my opinion I believe the top Brass is very well aware of it. A sups ignorance is no excuse. You choose to go into mgt. You know what is to be expected. The top brass is gambling that it will play the heart strings of the stewards and hourlies(were all stewarts in a sense) to over look this questionable practice. All it is, is a cost saving measure to keep from hiring new drivers. Remember that in my area - Virgin(I)a on top of what we(ft) make UPS has to pay an additional $273.60 a week for our pension and $222.10 a week for our health ins to the Teamsters. As you can see that is alot of money. Keep that in mind as I proceed.

What happens next is that the Top Brass tells the center manager he can only run a certian number of runs per day. At times the volume will go up. Like it is doing now. There becomes I believe a disconnect. Between upper and lower mgt. Brass is unsympathic to the CMs plea to hire or put more drivers on. Perphaps, poor planning. How long has UPS been in business? A 100 years. Vacations, Ph's, and sick have always been taken into account, but it seems there's been a more relaxed sense at the switch. In my 22 years at least at my center I have never seen such an abuse of sups working. So, back to the Brass being unsympathetic to the center manager plight. Packages wont get delivered when the number of runs can't be added to fully handle the volume, thus pkgs will get missed. Yes, you can justify the sups working as I have done before - Example Joe "poop bird", no call, no show, but I believe it has gone beyond that. Give them a inch and they take a mile.

The top Brass is unfortunately making the center manager and sups the sacraficial lamb. A gamble, so to speak. This is sad. They( upper mgt) will have you(center manager and sups) make a decision. Ethics. Will you go against what was agreed upon in the contract or will you do what upper mgt tells you to do. The pressure is on and they are very well aware of it. Don't do what they subliminally want you to do and you will be out the door. Do you see why many of us don't go into mgt. The top Brass puts you in a position where your in between a rock and a hard place. Again, this practice of sups working is being extremely abused. It has to stop. Will pkgs be missed? Possible. Stock Price? Is that what its all about? I predict record profits in the 4 quarter. Our center as of now is at Christmas volume for last year and its only september. Thats good news. So lets hire some drivers to get the Job done.

In closing, the center manager and sups will end up doing the hourly work when forced into that position. Grievances must be filed. Abused contract article. Questonable practices. Jobs are at stake. Nationally could be hundreds. Perphaps thousands. Depending how far back you go. I wonder if they kept hourly stats on sups doing hourly work what would the number be? It could be staggering. Do I have sympathy for the sups. Yes and no. Again, Ignorance is no excuse. They knew to a degree what they were getting into. Remember sups your a dime a dozen and UPS has 2 dollars change in their pocket. Why would anyone go into supervision with this type of hostile climate is beyond me. I believe our great founder Jim Casey would be taking some of the Royal heartless upper Br/ass to the Great porcelian wood shed. Folks take a good look at Jim's pic. The jaw on that guy. LOL I believe or I know he could kick some ass.
 
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Lobofan5

Well-Known Member
Thanks for everyones input..im still not really sure what to do.

My TOP complaint at the moment is for AM air driver jobs at my hub. They have not posted for them in a very, very long time..yet I see supervisors putting browns on EVERY DAY and driving air.

When they DO post an AM air bid.. usually someone who is in the hub for 5-6 years wins the bid...then promptly QUITS it because its a pay cut from their center rate..thus still leaving the opening..and no bids go up to replace them. (this has happened the last two times an AM bid job has gone up)

I am starting to think that I made a mistake when I made the management or not...choice. I don't know if I can wait out the "bid process". I only have about 2 1/2 years of senority..which in the current bid drought..means just about nothing.

However at my center, management just means I get to move packages in nicer clothes.
 

teamsterdan

Well-Known Member
just to add that it's getting as bad as I have seen it in my nearly 15 yrs. of service, as some know I have a 22.3 pre-load/feeder wash combo job,....friday as I was doing my yard check I watched as the on-cars took out actual routes, and the rest of the "suits" using their own cars...... and I see all the new p/t air drivers picking up hours after the pre-load running meets etc. all this goes on while "my buddy" is still waiting for the "investigation" regarding the USERRA law and weather or not he should have a friend/t job, after a 4y. stint in the marines and my steward???? he enjoys the OT which as a 22.3 employee is not allowed for anyone but him and other clerks....interesting...he refuses to try and create more 22.3 jobs by ignoring whats happening because "for him" and the other p/t steward, they were lulled into NOT filing grievances, by being pacified w/OT.....$$ talks......me???? I'm like the 3 monkey's hear, speak and see no evil....... 8-N-SKATE.........
 

area43

Well-Known Member
In 1997 strike/contract UPS wanted to use Temp drivers 12 months instead of the now 6 months. Thus eliminating or possiblility near elimination of full time driver positions. by doing this they(UPS) would avoid paying the $273.60 a week ft penesion benefit, plus the $222.10 health benefit. This is Virginia stats only. Contributions differ by fund. Image that the company would be literally be driven by temp drivers. Teamsters to their credit fought against it and won. As of now UPS can only use temp drivers from June 1 to Dec 31(6 months). Lay off back to part time would be in acted after Christmas.

This benefits UPS greatly. Even at 6 months UPSers don't take vacation basically intill June (kids our out of school) and with the volume up during the holidays this works out great. January to June is the lay off period. Usually volume is down and vacations are low. Remember, volume is low due to shoppers are recovering from the holidays. Business to Business might differ. It depends on what part of the country you are from. This is usually the case.
 

tieguy

Banned
Listen folks. If supervisors want to move packages, then they should be teamsters. Since they are not teamsters they should not be handling packages. It is all of our responsibility to file grievances to end this practice. If we continue to allow this to happen there will be no reason to hire hourlies when the company can get part time and full time supes to do our work. Read and defend your contract.

File a grievance on the guys not coming to work. Make them pay the grievance for the sup working.
 

RockyRogue

Agent of Change
You're like a broken record.

I disagree. He might have a good point. Why should UPS pay for our guys not coming to work? Keep in mind I don't have an attendance problem. Also, I'M the guy that management usually comes to for extra help when people don't show. I'm trying to get away from that but its going to be a looong road and a couple of arguments. -Rocky
 

govols019

You smell that?
The original poster nor the person he quoted mentioned anything about attendance issues being the reason for supervisors doing bargaining unit work.

Attendance issues are still no reason for supervisors to be consistently doing bargaining unit work.
 
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