Part time 4 hour guarantee

[24601]

I know negotiations for the master contract are still years away, but I was wondering if I could get some other part timers input on bargaining the 3.5 hour guarantee to a four hour guarantee.

It seems the hours in my building have been cut disproportionally to the volume of boxes we are receiving. I started working in January 2007 and I was averaging 21-22.5 hours a week. In October we voted on a new contract and then after peak season no one has yet to see a paycheck with more than 20 hours on it. The average preloader is getting 18- 18.5 hours. I know volume has been down, but there are days we get just as many boxes coming through as we did in 2007, but we are doing it in 45-60 miniutes less in time.

Whats the point of waking up at 4am if your only going to work for 3.5 hours?

 

[westsideworma]

While I was a loader (2004-2007) I always wondered why full time was 8 and part time was 3.5, I figured it should be 4 also. When we take personal days we got 4 hrs (sick days too) paid time, so it really doesn't add up. However at that time I was getting 5 hrs or more most of the time. Granted I was doing 11/1200 (or more at times depending on how heavy my mall was haha) pieces just about every morning and those types of pick offs don't really exist currently due to volume drop off at our building. During the summer I was under 5 (unless it was really poor staffing) as they are typically cutback months but as soon as the fall hit it was business as usual (24-25+ hrs a week).

Now I notice some people leaving before they even hit 3 hrs (unless they're starting earlier than others). However if they agree to leave thats their business. They are only guaranteed 3.5 if they want it. Many newer employees seemingly don't know they are even entitled to 3.5 hrs at the bare minimum. If people don't stand up for the minimum now, I don't think a 4 hour minimum is going to matter much to them. I do know what you're saying though and I agree, I just don't see enough part timers caring about it at the moment to push change.

 

[Big Babooba]

Years ago part timers were guaranteed 4 hours. If they worked over 4 hours, they were guaranteed 8 hours.

 

[westsideworma]

Years ago part timers were guaranteed 4 hours. If they worked over 4 hours, they were guaranteed 8 hours.

wow I would have been full time part time for 3 years haha

 

[JonFrum]

Years ago part timers were guaranteed 4 hours. If they worked over 4 hours, they were guaranteed 8 hours.

Ah, the Good Old Days.

That's why in the New England Supplement at least, part-timers are, even now, guaranteed four hours pay on holidays, sick days, and personal days (aka optional holidays). Their vacation pay is pro rated based on 1/52 of last year's total pay, with a guaranteed 20 hour a week minimum.

For the years between the Good Old Days and the Bad Current Days, the guarantee was only three hours. But any unscheduled work over five hours was at time and one half. That was back when we actually stayed to finish the work, instead of being flushed by management at the five hour mark to avoid overtime.

 

[24601]

While I was a loader (2004-2007) I always wondered why full time was 8 and part time was 3.5, I figured it should be 4 also. When we take personal days we got 4 hrs (sick days too) paid time, so it really doesn't add up. However at that time I was getting 5 hrs or more most of the time. Granted I was doing 11/1200 (or more at times depending on how heavy my mall was haha) pieces just about every morning and those types of pick offs don't really exist currently due to volume drop off at our building.

I have a buddy on the belt next to mine who consistently gets 1100-1200 boxes a day and he is lucky if he gets get 3 hrs 45 minutes. I don't understand how people are expected to do this much work without turning bitter and disgruntled!

 

[westsideworma]

I have a buddy on the belt next to mine who consistently gets 1100-1200 boxes a day and he is lucky if he gets get 3 hrs 45 minutes. I don't understand how people are expected to do this much work without turning bitter and disgruntled!

yeah thats definitely not going to make a happy employee.

 

[writer]

I have a buddy on the belt next to mine who consistently gets 1100-1200 boxes a day and he is lucky if he gets get 3 hrs 45 minutes. I don't understand how people are expected to do this much work without turning bitter and disgruntled!

LOL, from what I have seen full time management doesn't care if the loaders get bitter as long as the numbers are met.

 

[brett636]

It sounds good in theory, but in my building very few part timers even ask for their 3.5 hr. guarantee. I'm all for helping the part-timers get a better deal in the contract, but would it matter when a lot of them aren't using the current contract to their advantage now?

 

[jennie]

I know negotiations for the master contract are still years away, but I was wondering if I could get some other part timers input on bargaining the 3.5 hour guarantee to a four hour guarantee.

It seems the hours in my building have been cut disproportionally to the volume of boxes we are receiving. I started working in January 2007 and I was averaging 21-22.5 hours a week. In October we voted on a new contract and then after peak season no one has yet to see a paycheck with more than 20 hours on it. The average preloader is getting 18- 18.5 hours. I know volume has been down, but there are days we get just as many boxes coming through as we did in 2007, but we are doing it in 45-60 miniutes less in time.

Whats the point of waking up at 4am if your only going to work for 3.5 hours?

When some people work they get in the zone, as if their playing a sport. Thats how I feel sometimes, you forget about the time and just WORK, and work as hard as you can. Then all of sudden your like HOLY CRAP I am working to fast haha.

You are guaranteed 3 1/2, but they do breath down my neck towards the end of preload, and I know its not 3 1/2 yet and I get pissed.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

It sounds good in theory, but in my building very few part timers even ask for their 3.5 hr. guarantee. I'm all for helping the part-timers get a better deal in the contract, but would it matter when a lot of them aren't using the current contract to their advantage now?

The problem is that most part-timers do not care. they are in it for the benfefits or just for a side job to get in and out of.

I always try to tell the part-timers that take off after 3 hours or even the start of the shift ("wanna go home, wanna go home" from sups), that if they do not make their hours the H/W will come out of their own pocket.

Sometimes that gets them to realize, especially if they are in it for the benes, that they should think long and hard about 3.5 daily.

 

[jennie]

The problem is that most part-timers do not care. they are in it for the benfefits or just for a side job to get in and out of.

I always try to tell the part-timers that take off after 3 hours or even the start of the shift ("wanna go home, wanna go home" from sups), that if they do not make their hours the H/W will come out of their own pocket.

Sometimes that gets them to realize, especially if they are in it for the benes, that they should think long and hard about 3.5 daily.

Its true that most part timers don't care, but some do. The insurance is good, but I see some pre load part timers leaving earlier before the loads are even close to being done, thats when I think they should do another shift. They come in for 4:45 and wanna leave after break??

 

[evilleace]

I would love to have a 4 hr guarantee instead of 3 1/2 I don't understand why the union screws pt employees like this. Also why does ft overtime start when their guarantee is up but pt overtime starts 1.5 hrs after our guarantee is up.

I also see people leaving early and people going home every day before the preload starts if you get up and drive in why would you turn around and go back home you just lost money paying for gas both ways.

Also not enough hrs. means no vaca pay, no pension contributions and no insurance also I come to work to make money I don't know about these other people.

The worst thing in my opinion is that when people leave early then the sups think they can overstaff get done early and the people will just leave and they do. Pisses me off.

 

[24601]

I would love to have a 4 hr guarantee instead of 3 1/2 I don't understand why the union screws pt employees like this. Also why does ft overtime start when their guarantee is up but pt overtime starts 1.5 hrs after our guarantee is up.

I also see people leaving early and people going home every day before the preload starts if you get up and drive in why would you turn around and go back home you just lost money paying for gas both ways.

Also not enough hrs. means no vaca pay, no pension contributions and no insurance also I come to work to make money I don't know about these other people.

The worst thing in my opinion is that when people leave early then the sups think they can overstaff get done early and the people will just leave and they do. Pisses me off.

I totally agree with you. Part timers are getting the shaft, especially in the new contract. New part timers get nothing. There pay is they get no health insurance for a year, their dependents don't get insurance for 18 months, and they don't get holiday pay. New part time labor is incredible cheap, so UPS is able to over staff the building with new people and cut our average hours by 20%, and they also get sent home a lot. It seems to me that 40 percent of the part timers, at least in my building lasts less than a year, so they are incredibly cheap to hire since many of them will never see benefits of any type.

The union is getting a good deal out of it as well. Im not sure if the dues vary from place to place, but in our building there is a $300 start up fee to be in the union, and then it is 2.5x your hourly wage a month. So the union is making approximately $615 in a year with a new employee, whereas they only make probably around $360 a year with a part timer who has two years put in. In fact, a part timer would have to be making 20 dollars an hour to equal the amount of money being paid for by new hires. That is not right. Minimum wage is creeping closer and closer to the starting wage, especially in some jurisdictions where it is higher than the federal or state minimum wage.


I am sure the turnover rate is even higher with the new contract, who wants to wait a year to get insurance? For the most part I am against right to work legislation, but new part timers are getting nothing from the union. I had a higher wage at seven eleven several years ago compared to what a part time unloader makes starting off, only I had no union dues to pay.

 

[jennie]

This is so true, I was at Football with my son this week and a guy asked me if I was still in the sort line, because he knew me when I first started. Yes start pay sucks for a part timer, geesh I would of never lasted like I said before it I had to wait a year for insurance, SCREW THAT!

 

[Ghost in the Darkness]

When I was a preloader I averaged around 27-28 hrs per week... (never less than 25) and that was just preload. After I went to school to be an air/cover driver I was getting around 50-55 hrs (a few times at 60) a week delivering air or taking out partial routes and delivering NDA on Saturday. Those were the days they didn't care at all when anyone worked a 15-16 hr day.
When I went full time as a driver they asked me to stay on Saturday air but I declined... they are hours someone else could use to make the whole "part-time" situation work.

 

[westsideworma]

The problem is that most part-timers do not care. they are in it for the benfefits or just for a side job to get in and out of.

I always try to tell the part-timers that take off after 3 hours or even the start of the shift ("wanna go home, wanna go home" from sups), that if they do not make their hours the H/W will come out of their own pocket.

Sometimes that gets them to realize, especially if they are in it for the benes, that they should think long and hard about 3.5 daily.

Funny thing is I've heard that the minimum guarantee isn't even enough to cover bennies anymore, you need to work 19.4 hrs a week now (in my area anyway) I believe the figure was. I'm pretty sure they were referring to PTimers

 

[1989]

Funny thing is I've heard that the minimum guarantee isn't even enough to cover bennies anymore, you need to work 19.4 hrs a week now (in my area anyway) I believe the figure was. I'm pretty sure they were referring to PTimers

Are you sure? I only need 40hrs a month for bennies as a full timer.

 

[westsideworma]

Are you sure? I only need 40hrs a month for bennies as a full timer.

that was the rumor going around as I guess a decent amount of people got letters (or more than usual) last summer, I haven't heard much this summer though.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Funny thing is I've heard that the minimum guarantee isn't even enough to cover bennies anymore, you need to work 19.4 hrs a week now (in my area anyway) I believe the figure was. I'm pretty sure they were referring to PTimers

I haven't heard that. Not denying or dismissing what you are saying. Infact it wouldn't surprise me at all, with this latest PTer sellout contract.