Have you attempted to follow the grievance procedure before badmouthing the Union. It really drives me up the DAMN wall when you people come on bitching about how the Union didn't do anything and you never even filed a grievance. If you want to come on here and air some feelings about how you hate your local Union then have a good reason for it. Right now you haven't even given them the oppertunity to resolve the problem before you complain how they did nothing. Follow the procedure spelled out for you in your contract, then if you get no results you might have a reason to bitch. Although I seriously doubt it, mosy of you just complain because of pure ignorance. Are you actively involved with your local Union? Do you attend meetings regularly or ever? Have you taken the time to READ YOUR CONTRACT? For god sake get some facts and knowledge!!!
That's the long and short of it.
Grieve it or live with it.
Contractually you have a good grievance if you weren't the one who put in the code 5 in your DIAD and they can can tell who did.
I'll add this though, the same issue arose in our building two Christmas Eves ago.
Management in haste, with good intentions, instructed at the PCM for all drivers to put code 5 in their DIAD's as the day was hours only.
As luck would have it the BA was in the building to hear the PCM and took um bridge to these instructions.
He proceeded to tell and encourage anybody who would listen to file a grievance for any hours short of their 8 hour guarantee.
There were about 20 drivers who did just that.
The steward, who shall be nameless, took it upon himself to talk each and every one of grievants into withdrawing their grievance.
I,... I mean he, explained to them that each and every Christmas Eve from then on would take on a whole new flavor if they went through with it and that in the end it would be a hollow victory.
Pretty smart fella that steward.
Every year since, management puts it out to anybody who wants their 8 hrs to contact their management team and their guarantee will be honored .
I warn the OP to be careful what he does here and to consider the needs of his co-workers, the vast majority who don't share his circumstances and very much want off early on Christmas Eve.
Intentions need to be evaluated when deciding whether to engage the company in matters of contract.
Was management being cheap as the OP suggests or were they considering the needs of the employees and their families?
I think the latter.
The union mentality should steer us towards the thought that the need of the majority outweigh the need of the few.
My advice OP, is to make your case to management, too and including filing a grievance if they aren't taking you seriously, then backing off and withdrawing it before the local level hearing.
Next year I bet they do it right.