Mr. Misload

[HoochieKoo]

I'm a semi new loader who was hired early in September and I have yet to reach my seniority date, but it seems like every other time I load cars I get a misload or two. It's because I'm so worried about shelf placement and what's going down the belt that I sometimes get ahead of myself. The long and short of it is that my preload manager over the hub has sent me home 3 times now. After showing up to work and about 10 min into the day he pulls me aside to talk about them saying that I need to work on it, then sends me away. Today was the 3rd time and he said if I'm not clean after this I'm gone. I'm wondering 2 things... first off I don't think that he is technically allowed to skip the letters and other formalities of discipline before sending me home, is that right? I think it's just a scare tactic but I'm pretty sure if I get another one I'm gone. Which brings me to question 2. I've been a member of the Union for almost 2 months since I got signed pretty soon after I was hired, so does that mean that if I get another midload and get fired that I am backed by the union(even though I haven't gotten past my probationary 70 days) and can possibly get my job back? Thank you all for your help I appreciate your advice, I'm just not sure how things are supposed to work.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

I'm confused....if you have not made book (which makes sense since you were hired end of sept and free period starts Oct 15th).....how are you a union member? For the sake of argument, let's say you're not. They can send you home whenever they want. Yes, they can fire you for misloads....or basically any reason under the sun. I have seen non seasonal PTers who are in their first 30 days fired for misloads.

 

[HoochieKoo]

I'm confused....if you have not made book (which makes sense since you were hired end of sept and free period starts Oct 15th).....how are you a union member? For the sake of argument, let's say you're not. They can send you home whenever they want. Yes, they can fire you for misloads....or basically any reason under the sun. I have seen non seasonal PTers who are in their first 30 days fired for misloads.

Our union president was actually the one who helped me sign everything and he told me that I was in the Union after that when I talked to him. I'm not sure how that works in conjunction with my seniority date... but I was hired on sept 3 actually, not at the end of sept. I received a member identification card (initiated on 10/13) and everything in the mail along with my supplemental agreement and the local laws handbook for my union... does that mean I've made book? Sorry for my lack of understanding in this.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

I would assume so, yes.

 

[cosmo1]

I would assume so, yes.

If he worked every day between 9/3 and 10/13, he would have just squeaked in.

Now, he has to grow a set.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

Our union president was actually the one who helped me sign everything and he told me that I was in the Union after that when I talked to him. I'm not sure how that works in conjunction with my seniority date... but I was hired on sept 3 actually, not at the end of sept. I received a member identification card (initiated on 10/13) and everything in the mail along with my supplemental agreement and the local laws handbook for my union... does that mean I've made book? Sorry for my lack of understanding in this.

If you have a card, then you should be a union member and have attained seniority. Did you pay your initiation fee and are dues being taken out of your pay check? Typically, the initiation fee (varies by local) is taken out in installments and union dues are taken out weekly. You should call your union hall and find out if you're a member in good standing.

If you're a member with seniority, then your preload manager absolutely cannot send you home as a form of discipline. I don't give a if you have 50 missorts a day and the package car driver you load for spends four hours a day shuttling packages to other routes, the company has to follow progressive discipline for a non-cardinal sin (ie. stealing, drinking during your shift)/non-just cause (ie. taking a on your manager's desk, punching out your supervisor) which for methods (misloads) means: "training" with or without a "training write-up", a formal disciplinary write-up, a warning letter, and then a warning letter with a suspension.

This exact process varies by center and infraction, but you get the idea. You need to be calling the union hall and getting in touch with a shop steward so you can demand your daily 3.5 hour guarantee. If all of this has happened within a week (5 working days) you should be filing a grievance for all days "sent home" multiplied by your 3.5 hour guarantee minus actual time worked. They'll get the message.

 

[HoochieKoo]

I talked to our union business agent and he said that even though I'm a paying member of the union he can't necessarily fight for me to keep my job as I can still be fired for whatever reason my managers deem is me "not working out" because I'm still in my probationary period of needing to achieve 70 working days. I have 46 or so right now. So I'll need like a week after peak is over to reach it which is good cause we're hurting for loaders, but I wonder if our preload manager will just use me until he doesn't need me for peak and boot me right before I reach book. He seems pretty dang serious about it. But in my mind, if there are loaders 8 years my senior getting misloads, then why is he on me for them and seemingly holding me to a higher standard? Just doesn't make sense and is causing me a lot of stress. I need the benefits very badly, my wife has a lot of health problems and might have a degenerative disease so the thought of getting fired for misloads is frustrating. I'm a great worker and show up on time and am reliable so why don't they see THAT, lol.

 

[jibbs]

...You know, I might misunderstand this whole process here, but I thought making book happened at the end of a new hire's probationary period. As such, during the probationary period the employee can be fired for nearly any reason at all, but once you make book you achieve seniority and, if mandatory in your center/hub or you're willing, join the union. Either way, you have union protection from a shop steward and it's much more difficult to lose your job after you reach that point.

But I honestly just kind of droned on throughout that point of my employment. As it happened I noticed and was happy, but I wasn't exactly keeping track of the process. I was too busy trying to keep from getting bitched out every morning about misloads, lol.