Part-Time HAZMAT .... for Life?

[hubsnake6]

Here is my situation. I started in January of this year, and in May I was asked by my full time sup if I wanted to move from midnight unload to work 12-5 midnight HAZMAT designated responder. The position is NOT a combo job; all I do is work straight HAZMAT. There was no bid for the position, I was asked and accepted the position.
Almost immediately after I started in HAZMAT I have found that I have the opportunity to work almost unlimited hours. At times I have been asked by the twilight sup to start as early as 7PM, and I have worked as late as 11:00AM the next day working on damages and picking up leakers around the building. Being able to work 60+ hour weeks far outside of peak in one department surprised me.
I was originally planning to go for a 22.3 job, or drive if I ever learn how to work a stick shift well, or maybe even go back to school and then work in Plant Engineering. But now I am reconsidering that, and I think I may make a career out of HAZMAT only. Yesterday I was talking to a person in our building that helps out in HAZMAT and is the Top Dog on part-time seniority (over 35 years part time as a sorter). He told me that HAZMAT is busy from May till the end of peak consistently. And with UPS suddenly becoming "eco-friendly" this year, the shear amount of material that needs to be processed instead of being thrown away will just increase the amount of help needed in our building's HAZMAT cage.
Since starting, I have seen and dealt with almost every friend*ed up leaker situation possible. From seeing the primary sort isle stopped for a package with a tiny, dry oil spot on it, to cleaning up 5 gallons of spilled, fuming, caustic, nasty as sulfuric acid. Still in reading this forum and talking to drivers in my building I think the position is less stressful than driving, and less physically damaging than handling packages constantly.
What I want to know is everyone’s opinion on this, and on HAZMAT in general. Can I plan on retiring well working a part-time job with full-time hours? Have you just worked in HAZMAT part-time for a long time and have an opinion? Is your building’s HAZMAT cage being overwhelmed since the changes in the non-regulated materials book have come out? Let’s talk about HAZMAT in this thread.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

The company is taking advantage of you, similar to how the 97' strike came about.

You're making **** pay and working FT+ hours.

You can retire well if your pension consists of hourly contribution. If you work so-and-so hours a year, you attain full-time pension hours and a larger stipend.

Conversely, if you were a 22.3, you'd be making roughly 23/hr Aug 1st and 35/hr/ OT and also contributing to your pension.

*edit* nevermind you want to talk about hazmat.

The 22.3 responders at our hub get as many hours as they want. That's about all I can add.

 

[MonavieLeaker]

Here is my situation. I started in January of this year, and in May I was asked by my full time sup if I wanted to move from midnight unload to work 12-5 midnight HAZMAT designated responder. The position is NOT a combo job; all I do is work straight HAZMAT. There was no bid for the position, I was asked and accepted the position.
Almost immediately after I started in HAZMAT I have found that I have the opportunity to work almost unlimited hours. At times I have been asked by the twilight sup to start as early as 7PM, and I have worked as late as 11:00AM the next day working on damages and picking up leakers around the building. Being able to work 60+ hour weeks far outside of peak in one department surprised me.
I was originally planning to go for a 22.3 job, or drive if I ever learn how to work a stick shift well, or maybe even go back to school and then work in Plant Engineering. But now I am reconsidering that, and I think I may make a career out of HAZMAT only. Yesterday I was talking to a person in our building that helps out in HAZMAT and is the Top Dog on part-time seniority (over 35 years part time as a sorter). He told me that HAZMAT is busy from May till the end of peak consistently. And with UPS suddenly becoming "eco-friendly" this year, the shear amount of material that needs to be processed instead of being thrown away will just increase the amount of help needed in our building's HAZMAT cage.
Since starting, I have seen and dealt with almost every friend*ed up leaker situation possible. From seeing the primary sort isle stopped for a package with a tiny, dry oil spot on it, to cleaning up 5 gallons of spilled, fuming, caustic, nasty as sulfuric acid. Still in reading this forum and talking to drivers in my building I think the position is less stressful than driving, and less physically damaging than handling packages constantly.
What I want to know is everyone’s opinion on this, and on HAZMAT in general. Can I plan on retiring well working a part-time job with full-time hours? Have you just worked in HAZMAT part-time for a long time and have an opinion? Is your building’s HAZMAT cage being overwhelmed since the changes in the non-regulated materials book have come out? Let’s talk about HAZMAT in this thread.

Talk to your steward about that I dont think its right you work that much for so little

 

[drewed]

No NO NO you wont be able to continue what youre doing and you shouldnt allow it to be done......
ummm who told you the regs changed?, i dont believe a whole lot has changed in the regs

 

[Mike Hawk]

Milk it while you can, but I wouldn't plan your life around it. UPS will eventually realize it is cheaper to have 2 do it so there is less OT, and as others have said you will work many hours for crappy PT pay.

 

[JonFrum]

Sooner or later someone will file a grievance to make your job a regular full-time job to be bid upon by full-timers. Any job in existance over 30 days is grievable.

In the Good Old Days (before Hoffa) part-timers could work long hours and make a career of it. But the Teamsters gave that away. Now, in my building, we have part-timers with 20 and 25 years seniority that only get three-and-a-half hours a night. And never over five hours, unless visitors are coming the next day.

The one exception is Hazmat, because it's a nasty job, and because it requires so much training, certification, and is so regulated by the government.

[ Have you considered the possibility that a lifetime of dealing with hazardous chemicals may lead to your offspring being born with extra fingers and toes? ]

 

[helenofcalifornia]

I used to work a job such as yours in a hub. I liked it too. And very true, there is always a ton of hazmat work. But...the consequences of working hazmat for many years, even though you wear the right gear, etc. is a risk that I wouldn't want to hazard.

Go driving.

 

[over9five]

I agree with Mike. If you like it, milk it for as long as you can.

Also agree with Jon.... someone will eventually grieve it.

 

[chopstic]

UPS is notorious for trying to replace or displace full-time work with part time labor. This is the reason why it takes so much seniority to bid into a full-time slot, because there aren't as many as there should be when part-time workers are working the full-time jobs

 

[ORLY!?!]

I dont get it really, he/she is making 11.50$ an hour. If it is true, working 60 hours a week, this person is making 690$ a week.

I've been working since April, with about 21 hours per week. After my next raise, I will be making about the same amount my girl friend makes on 40 hours per week. All that and benefits to boot.

Hey buddy, HAZMAT crews all around in most nights will have hardly to do. Our HAZMAT guy spends most of the night standing in one spot waiting for a call to clean a cage. To be honest, you will be spending most of your time away from all the chaos and waiting. Enjoy it, and learn about it.

One request please, dont think of your job as a career. Think of it as a service you present to them; a body of mind and soul. A hard working sob, and that is all.

 

[over9five]

If it were me, I would make myself very valuable to the position by learning all I could about hazmat!

 

[ORLY!?!]

If it were me, I would make myself very valuable to the position by learning all I could about hazmat!

AMEN!

The military is the same way, and so is UPS.

Become something they didnt expect, amen.

 

[Floridacargocat]

The deeper you go into US and international HazMat regulations, the more you will see; the more you will realize that proper, good training as well as keeping up-to-date with regs and interpretations is definitely required. Knowledge on 49 CFR is just the beginning of a voyage to make a safety contribution to customers, employees and the company. If you are really interested, pm me and I can give you a few hints on what to look for.

 

[drewed]

The deeper you go into US and international HazMat regulations, the more you will see; the more you will realize that proper, good training as well as keeping up-to-date with regs and interpretations is definitely required. Knowledge on 49 CFR is just the beginning of a voyage to make a safety contribution to customers, employees and the company. If you are really interested, pm me and I can give you a few hints on what to look for.

The IATA regs would be more important to learn than 49 CFR, a lot more things are going to be goverened by IATA than 49 CFR soon, plus its an easier read