Not Certified Yet Getting Warning Letter

[edmontonlights]

Good Morning Upsers,

Here is my issue. i took a position scanning and loading a tralier by myself in my hub. I was lied to and told the volume of packages was less than what it was. I was told the job was easy and it was a stepping stone towards moving forward in the company. I am the youngest and smallest employee in my hub. I want to move forward at Ups so i accepted. I was given a paper, scanner and told to jump right in. No test. 2 1/2 hours to scan and load 1,200 packages on average.
I took my time checking each package but then my supervisor began complaining about me getting backed up. I tried to do it faster and i've gotten misloads. I was given a warning letter last week. One more misload and im suspended, 2 more and im fired. Im at the university of miami, in 40,000 $ debt and i really need my job. I do not feel i should be punished because i do not know the codes and was never tested to see if i was capiable of doing the position. I signed the warning letter out of pressure from a guy who's position is so high, i had never seen him before.

Can i file a grievence on the bases of punishment without ever being certified? obviously, the shop stewards here are to close to managment to even care. Can i get out of the position?

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[brownrod]

Don't sign anything. Reduce your speed until you get zero missloads.

 

[edmontonlights]

Thank you. I will do.

 

[Cezanne]

Thank you. I will do.

Then they will fire you for stealing time. One thing you will find out if you continue on with us is there is always a "Catch-22".

 

[Champ_Here]

certified for what? working in the load takes time. You have to learn the load charts and where you're sending all your packages. It's pretty much normal for a lot of centers to send out a trailer with 1200 or more pieces (depending on average package size coming down the belt and how little or much the smalls sort contained) every night. However, if you did get a misload(s), they most definitely can give you a warning letter without retaliation (of a grievance). Did you have a shop steward present though when your received your warning letter? You CANNOT be formally disciplined without a shop steward present (it's in the contract). Talk to a shop steward (or business rep.) and get a copy of the contract and read it.

 

[User Name]

I've worked for ups for 10yrs and never seen anybody fired for "stealing time" in the load, unload, sort, small sort, Ect. Now maybe a driver but never a part-timer.

 

[Champ_Here]

However, if you did get a misload(s), they most definitely can give you a warning letter without retaliation (of a grievance). Did you have a shop steward present though when your received your warning letter? You CANNOT be formally disciplined without a shop steward present (it's in the contract). Talk to a shop steward (or business rep.) and get a copy of the contract and read it.

my bad... typically if it's not a regular occurrence with your misloads, then they won't give you a warning letter. if you're getting them every single night; then yes, they can and will give you one... keep in mind what a misload is: a customers package not getting to them on time (usually) so just slow down a bit you can't get in trouble for "stealing time" if you're doing your job.

 

[edmontonlights]

Thanks guys. Sorry if I came off as a little kid not getting his way. also sorry for the spelling mistakes. it was early and im stressed out because i feel like im in a position where i am going to fail. The guys doing my pick off /sorting took the test and they both failed it. Yesterday out of 843 packages i pulled out 34 misloads. I feel great that i caught that but extremely scared about the prospects of missing one. My supervisor told me if i didn't pick up the pace i'd be fired but fellow union members told me (from their experiences working that trailer) they never had a day where it was not backed up, Two of who are now supervisors. After the warning letter, I feel extremely scared of losing my job. I take pride in everything i do. Im trying my best and its a bit frustrating seeing kids walk in and do nothing. People who sort. pick off who don't know what they are doing, take the easy road and send it to my area, allowing me to take the blame. Anyways that is basically the situation. Im trying my best. Another thing was, my supervisor basically showed me how to cheat on the test (knowing he never showed me the entire load sheet) i should pass it but that doesn't mean i know it. It's just covering his own ass. to me, it seems a bit illegal. I am after all a young kid who hasn't experienced the "real" world yet.

 

[soberups]

Your supervisor justifies his own job by finding things to complain about with yours.

Just do the best you can, and take as much time as you need to in order to accurately scan every package and avoid missorts. You need to realize that, no matter how quicky you can do the work, it will never quite be fast enough for your management team. It is that way by design. If your trailer gets backed up, they can simply slow the belt down or get you some help as needed. Their impossible expectations do not have to be your problem.

 

[grgrcr88]

UPS is a marathon not a sprint, treat it as such. Nothing you do will ever be good enough, so find a pace that works for you, efficient yet accurate, and stick to it. I have never seen anyone fired for production, lots of people gone for inacuracy. Always cover your own ass because everyone else will hang you out to dry.

If you were given an actual warning letter with no hourly witness, (i.e. a shop steward) that is a violation of the contract.

Grieve every warning letter and every other form of discipline you ever receive.

If you don't want the position any longer, either make a request for another position, or don't pass the test.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

UPS is a marathon not a sprint, treat it as such. Nothing you do will ever be good enough, so find a pace that works for you, efficient yet accurate, and stick to it. I have never seen anyone fired for production, lots of people gone for inacuracy. Always cover your own ass because everyone else will hang you out to dry.

If you were given an actual warning letter with no hourly witness, (i.e. a shop steward) that is a violation of the contract.

Grieve every warning letter and every other form of discipline you ever receive.

If you don't want the position any longer, either make a request for another position, or don't pass the test.

I have never heard of or seen anyone fired for accuracy. Maybe for something else, but accuracy was an issue alongside...

 

[p228]

I have never heard of or seen anyone fired for accuracy. Maybe for something else, but accuracy was an issue alongside...

You can definitely get discharged for accuracy; multiple misloads and dropped bags. I've seen it happen many times. It is done through increasing discipline levels: talk with, warning letter, suspension, discharge.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

You can definitely get discharged for accuracy; multiple misloads and dropped bags. I've seen it happen many times. It is done through increasing discipline levels: talk with, warning letter, suspension, discharge.

Like said, I have never seen it happen. I understand the sups talk a good game and do understand it CAN happen, but still never seen it.

 

[User Name]

+1...... I have never seen anybody permanently terminated for misloads, but hey I have only worked for ups for 10 years......

 

[p228]

If your name keeps popping up in SEAS and it is hurting your manager's numbers they will take notice. If the manager still makes his numbers they may look the other way, especially if it is a hard working employee.

 

[OneRouteWonder]

If you were given an actual warning letter with no hourly witness, (i.e. a shop steward) that is a violation of the contract.

You will have to make the request for a Shop Steward during an interview you feel will lead to disciplinary action or termination.

Weingarten Rights - Request for a Shop Steward

If you are called into a meeting with a management representative and you have reason to believe that disciplinary action against you may result, you have the right to have a steward present during this meeting. Read the statement below to the management representative, and contact your steward immediately.

READ THIS STATEMENT TO MANAGEMENT:

“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I request that my union representative, officer, or steward be present at the meeting. Without representation, I choose not to answer any question."

“This is my right under a U.S. Supreme Court decision called Weingarten.”

This is a fairly basic right for any person that belongs to any union. As a teamster, this should be something that every single person on your shop floor should know and understand how to use.

 

[22.34life]

there is no cert. training for loading just takes time to learn the checks for the loads.your union reps must really suck if you already got a warning letter for misloads,slow down check each package ,you cant get in trouble for speed but you can for mistakes.

 

[KingofBrown]

UPS is a marathon not a sprint, treat it as such. Nothing you do will ever be good enough, so find a pace that works for you, efficient yet accurate, and stick to it. I have never seen anyone fired for production, lots of people gone for inacuracy. Always cover your own ass because everyone else will hang you out to dry.

If you were given an actual warning letter with no hourly witness, (i.e. a shop steward) that is a violation of the contract.

Grieve every warning letter and every other form of discipline you ever receive.

If you don't want the position any longer, either make a request for another position, or don't pass the test.

Great comment.
Dude, never sign a warning letter, instead griev it. First you have the Weingarten right, that is, management can't talk to you about discipline issues without a union steward of your choice. If the manager insists tell him/her that you wish to cooperate but that you insist to have a union steward present. And everytime he/she asks you the same, you just keep telling the same thing above until you get your representative. Also you have the right to have a file of your records, so you might want to ask for one. And never agree in nothing with management. File a grievance.