Not getting trained...

New Englander

Well-Known Member
This is ironic in that the baseline route, at least in my center, is bid as the training route, so new drivers basically get thrown right in to the fire as they get trained on one of the tougher routes in the bldg. The driver that bids this route as his own has to either cover other areas (vacations, days off, extra areas) or may be allowed to work in the hub to get his hours or stays home if there is no work during the 30 days that the new driver is on his route. That rarely happens as there is always more than enough work available.

Nope it's not ironic, it's done that way for several reasons.

The baseline is the closest route the center out of what ever loop it is part of. For that reason it is usually the training route. If a driver gets into trouble almost every other route needs to pass through this area in the AM and PM if it's the true center baseline. It's also the easiest for management to keep it's eyes on for a training driver.

Now if one is a /training route on your bid sheet. That only involves union drivers. They can't put a seasonal on it and bump the bid driver. A training route is only designated that for a driver in his 30 days to be on the same route for 30 days as is realistically required.

If those guys are being bumped around for any other reason and do not want to be. I'd have your BA call the center and then file if that doesn't fix it.
 

New Englander

Well-Known Member
I hit my 2 year mark as a full time driver today... in my center we have 18 to 20 routes depending on volume that gets ran daily... Problem is I only know 3 of them, and they are all base line routes.

The dispatch tomorrow has me running the same old base route I run pretty much every day, the full time driver under me us running an extended route. A utility driver who is 3 spots under me is also running an extended route which he got 4 days of full training on WITH the driver that bid the route...

But the kicker is the very bottom utility driver who is 5 spots down from me who they use maybe twice a month if that... he's being trained tomorrow on a extended route. Obviously they are'nt gonna really train him, it's just gonna be him running the packages and the on road driving.

So what... if anything can I do? I'm told according to the contract there is nothing that I can use with the seniority case, and management can train whoever/how they want.

Any suggesions?

Some said their centers allow cover drivers to use their seniority to pick their routes.

Thats not how it is in the contract, we are to work as directed. If your route has only say a 6hr dispatch you can bump someone under you who may have a 9hr but not vice versa.

Again....as you may not like baseline you are essentially one your own bid route with not real seniority. It's better then covering 5 routes in 5 days.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
New Englander, do yourself a favor--read the entire post before you reply. I stated in my post that the training route is bid with the stipulation that the bid driver has to go off this route for the 30 days that they are training a driver. During that 30 day period the bid driver has the option of either covering vacations, running an extra, bumping the lowest seniority driver, working on the inside (if volume dictates), or taking a day(s) off. I don't know where you got seasonal driver out of anything that I had posted but, had I posted that then, yes, you are right, seasonal drivers cannot bump the bid driver off of the training route. The driver who has the current bid on the training route has been covering vacations as our center is currently training my former preloader, who is actually doing quite well and should have no problem qualifying. Unfortunately, his replacement should be working at McDonald's rather than UPS for all the motivation he has.
 

New Englander

Well-Known Member
New Englander, do yourself a favor--read the entire post before you reply. I stated in my post that the training route is bid with the stipulation that the bid driver has to go off this route for the 30 days that they are training a driver. During that 30 day period the bid driver has the option of either covering vacations, running an extra, bumping the lowest seniority driver, working on the inside (if volume dictates), or taking a day(s) off. I don't know where you got seasonal driver out of anything that I had posted but, had I posted that then, yes, you are right, seasonal drivers cannot bump the bid driver off of the training route. The driver who has the current bid on the training route has been covering vacations as our center is currently training my former preloader, who is actually doing quite well and should have no problem qualifying. Unfortunately, his replacement should be working at McDonald's rather than UPS for all the motivation he has.

We just don't have heavy driver turn over here. So it's not really a problem. Though one peak they tried pulling the training crap with a seasonal over the bid driver on the training route.

Didn't work for them.
 
H

hseofpayne

Guest
New Englander, do yourself a favor--read the entire post before you reply. I stated in my post that the training route is bid with the stipulation that the bid driver has to go off this route for the 30 days that they are training a driver. During that 30 day period the bid driver has the option of either covering vacations, running an extra, bumping the lowest seniority driver, working on the inside (if volume dictates), or taking a day(s) off. I don't know where you got seasonal driver out of anything that I had posted but, had I posted that then, yes, you are right, seasonal drivers cannot bump the bid driver off of the training route. The driver who has the current bid on the training route has been covering vacations as our center is currently training my former preloader, who is actually doing quite well and should have no problem qualifying. Unfortunately, his replacement should be working at McDonald's rather than UPS for all the motivation he has.
Isn't it brutal losing a preloader, especially a good one. I used to cuss my preloader up and down when he first started, but in no time he became the best loader I ever had. I was happy for him when he got promoted, but upset I had to train another loader. I got hurt right after he started driving, so my old loader has been running my rte for the past 2 years, and he had to train the new loader. He called me all the time telling me how bad his loader sucked and I just laughed and laughed! oh, and as far as cover drivers go, thats just UPSs' way of screwing a guy out of a full time job! It's what used to be a swing driver, minus the wage progression!
 
It really sucks when a person who just likes to do a good job, and usually tries to put 110% into their job, has to start caring less, and only giving 100% at the most, all because they get taken advantage of. Even being in management, I have experienced this.
 

New Englander

Well-Known Member
It really sucks when a person who just likes to do a good job, and usually tries to put 110% into their job, has to start caring less, and only giving 100% at the most, all because they get taken advantage of. Even being in management, I have experienced this.

In all honesty all anyone can ever give is 100%.
 

BCFan

Well-Known Member
This time of year our center posts the vacations for the following week and cover drivers can bid on running them according to seniority. If you bid on something you don't know though, they won't train you and you'll have to go out in the blind.
This is part our contract, just not sure if it's the local or master. Ask your shop steward about it, or if you don't have one call the local and ask to speak to the business agent.
A person has the right based on senoruty to run a certain route as a daily need requires....screw those "bid" list that is the beauty of being a swing driver ...if Joe Blow is running a cake route and calls in on friday a swing driver with senority should be able to take that route for that day!!!!! DON'T LOCK YOURSELF INTO A BS ROUTE FOR A WEEK!!!! BC
 

scoobypanda

Well-Known Member
Pick a route that someone with less time is doing. If management uses area knowledge to keep you off the route, that's fine because they can only claim needs of the company for one day. the next day they have to train you on new route or let you go out blind. These days they hate to send anyone out blind because it kills their numbers so they will most likely give you 1/2 day of training and leave you at lunch.
 

What'dyabringmetoday???

Well-Known Member
Could someone please post the article in the contract that states that a driver can bid a training route and then be bumped off from said route. Not saying it is not in there, but I think the company has sold a bill of goods to drivers who believe whatever they are told.
 

scoobypanda

Well-Known Member
Could someone please post the article in the contract that states that a driver can bid a training route and then be bumped off from said route. Not saying it is not in there, but I think the company has sold a bill of goods to drivers who believe whatever they are told.
It is not in nat'l master agreement, but it is in our local supplement.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I have not personally seen it in our supplement but this route has been bid as our training route since I have been here (1989) and everyone who has bid it understands that he/she will be bumped off the route when a new driver is being trained.
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
I bid a route that disappears during the summer. Its 90% residential. They have to call me and ASK if they need me to cover another route because I own a bid route. Then I get to choose which one I want to do. When I was a cover (swing) driver, the higest seniority drivers get to choose what vacations to cover. Mind you, not everyone chooses, maybe just 2-3 tops. It was just a courtesy to us because of our seniority and because we helped them by staying cover.
 

1989

Well-Known Member
Could someone please post the article in the contract that states that a driver can bid a training route and then be bumped off from said route. Not saying it is not in there, but I think the company has sold a bill of goods to drivers who believe whatever they are told.


This is what it says in the Western Supplement:


ARTICLE 8 - TRAINING AREAS​
In order to provide for more favorable training for new employees, the Company shall designate
certain areas in each center to be used as training areas. Once designated, these areas shall not be
changed until discussed with the Local involved. These areas shall be subject to the job bidding
procedure. Employees who presently hold bid areas will not have their bid changed as a result of
this provision. (This provision shall not be applicable to Local 396).
Employees who bid training areas will be removed from those areas when it becomes necessary
to train on those areas.
1-15 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 1 TRAINING AREA
16-30 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 2 TRAINING AREAS
31-45 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 3 TRAINING AREAS
46-60 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 4 TRAINING AREAS
It is the intention of the parties that part-time employees who accept full-time package car
positions will remain on a given training route for the duration of the training period.​
 

What'dyabringmetoday???

Well-Known Member
This is what it says in the Western Supplement:


ARTICLE 8 - TRAINING AREAS
In order to provide for more favorable training for new employees, the Company shall designate
certain areas in each center to be used as training areas. Once designated, these areas shall not be
changed until discussed with the Local involved. These areas shall be subject to the job bidding
procedure. Employees who presently hold bid areas will not have their bid changed as a result of
this provision. (This provision shall not be applicable to Local 396).
Employees who bid training areas will be removed from those areas when it becomes necessary
to train on those areas.
1-15 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 1 TRAINING AREA
16-30 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 2 TRAINING AREAS
31-45 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 3 TRAINING AREAS
46-60 PACKAGE CAR DRIVERS - 4 TRAINING AREAS
It is the intention of the parties that part-time employees who accept full-time package car
positions will remain on a given training route for the duration of the training period.
The supplement where I am does not spell it out that clearly. It does say they can have a training area, but it does not say that it will be a bid job and that the driver will be bumped off at their discretion.
 
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