Part-Timers in My Building are Clueless

[Time for change]

The part timers are in the company plan.

Except in the West where they have people that actually look out for the members on pension and healthcare.

 

[Frankie's Friend]

Training? There's no training for preload. They at least gain by not paying health insurance.

They just walk into the building and start loading any truck. Wow.
That's great news. No safety training, no movie watching, and no 30 trial period because they are already proficient loaders and scanners. Why have the 30 day trial period if there's no proficiency level to attain?

 

[LagunaBrown]

The part timers are in the company plan.

What? That’s crazy! Not here.

 

[km3]

They just walk into the building and start loading any truck. Wow.
That's great news. No safety training, no movie watching, and no 30 trial period because they are already proficient loaders and scanners. Why have the 30 day trial period if there's no proficiency level to attain?

That's pretty much how it is here, as well. When I was hired just over 3 years ago, I spent a week in a classroom ("Cornerstone" training), then another week working one-on-one with a trainer on the floor.

New hires are definitely not coming out to the floor with the same knowledge I had when I was hired. They don't know about egress or how to secure a belt, and I don't think they even know the 5 keys for slips and falls or the 8 keys to lifting and lowering. They just start working, basically.

 

[Been In Brown Too Long]

When I started in '87 minimum wage was $3.35. I started part time pre-load UPS at $8.35/hr and was at $9.35/hr after 30 days. Almost 3 times minimum wage, with full health care after your thirty days probation for both you and your family. That's why we stayed! Add to that, that I thought my generation of part timer was getting screwed, we were working alongside part timers that remained from the late 70's and early 80's who were getting driver wages as part timers. Our 3x the minimum was a reduction from previous wages! There is little incentive to keep part timers now. Only the dangle of the RPCD carrot that seems to be getting farther and farther away too.

How far we have come, IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!

 

[Frankie's Friend]

That's pretty much how it is here, as well. When I was hired just over 3 years ago, I spent a week in a classroom ("Cornerstone" training), then another week working one-on-one with a trainer on the floor.

New hires are definitely not coming out to the floor with the same knowledge I had when I was hired. They don't know about egress or how to secure a belt, and I don't think they even know the 5 keys for slips and falls or the 8 keys to lifting and lowering. They just start working, basically.

They don't want them to know about egress or how to turn the belt off.

 

[Frankie's Friend]

Except in the West where they have people that actually look out for the members on pension and healthcare.

We full time (hourly) look out for them.
We are very involved in supporting every member in our building.

 

[Really?]

Educate them on the history of part time wages here! It’s been regression for decades. Check out what someone started at in 86 and what that would be in today’s dollars. Show them what that person that started in 86 makes now. Show them what the difference is compared to a driver and what the difference is going to be when they have 32 years in. We have gone backwards. We can’t even get a dollar or two catchup raise unless we are coming right off the street. Any part timer I talk to is automatic no vote when they realize a 3 year person will make the same as a new hire. Most can understand how absurd that is. Most can understand how absurd it is to call everyone skilled but some get the dollar and some don’t, FOREVER! And it angers many and it’s why we will hit the 50% threshold and vote this travesty of a contract down.

 

[Really?]

Actually in 86 our compensation was less than today. $8 hr/.60 pension/ .10 pacific Coast benefits = 8.70 hr. 8.70 in 1986 =
$19.62 in 2018 dollars.

Part timers today earn $13 hr, $9 in pension and .85 in pacific coast benefit. Which = $22.85.

So part timers make more today then we did. They just make it in pension instead of their check. But they still are compensated more.

 

[Time for change]

Actually in 86 our compensation was less than today. $8 hr/.60 pension/ .10 pacific Coast benefits = 8.70 hr. 8.70 in 1986 =
$19.62 in 2018 dollars.

Part timers today earn $13 hr, $9 in pension and .85 in pacific coast benefit. Which = $22.85.

So part timers make more today then we did. They just make it in pension instead of their check. But they still are compensated more.

You have to adjust for inflation and I know part timers from 86 that are getting a pension....

 

[km3]

Actually in 86 our compensation was less than today. $8 hr/.60 pension/ .10 pacific Coast benefits = 8.70 hr. 8.70 in 1986 =
$19.62 in 2018 dollars.

Part timers today earn $13 hr, $9 in pension and .85 in pacific coast benefit. Which = $22.85.

So part timers make more today then we did. They just make it in pension instead of their check. But they still are compensated more.

I'd rather have those contributions added to my wages instead.

 

[Really?]

At retirement they will be happy that they got the money in pension contributions.

 

[km3]

At retirement they will be happy that they got the money in pension contributions.

Who retires from a part time job? It's nothing more than a stepping stone. Put the money into wages instead.

 

[Time for change]

People that started in 86 get a pension and got paid way way more adjusted for inflation and in real terms compared to drivers. Stop the myth they don’t get a pension.

 

[PT Car Washer]

At retirement they will be happy that they got the money in pension contributions.

Tell a 20 year old that he will be glad he worked a minimum wage job because when he is 65 he will receive a pension for all his hard work.

 

[rod]

@Tony Q gave me a 1000 bucks to vote yes

Which ends up to be about $665 after taxes. Not enough to be selling out

 

[zubenelgenubi]

At retirement they will be happy that they got the money in pension contributions.

Unless the pension goes bust, and all that money they worked for and earned evaporates.

 

[Db2400]

It's often been said around here that part-timers get left with the scraps when it comes to contract negotiations. It's easy to see why based on the questions and comments I receive from coworkers on the night sort.

Most of the people I've spoken with are completely ignorant of the process of negotiation and even voting. In fact, it seems the only reason they want to discuss the contract at all is to find out when they should be expecting their back pay check that so-and-so told them about.

Don't get me wrong, I fully support higher wages for part-time employees. We are well overdue for a raise. But it's frustrating to see so much apathy from my coworkers on an issue that will directly affect their lives.

Who is at fault? How can we/the union get part-timers involved and invested in the process?

Unions fault. These B.A's don't do anything. Equivalent of managment. Sit back and collect their check off our hard work

 

[DELACROIX]

Actually in 86 our compensation was less than today. $8 hr/.60 pension/ .10 pacific Coast benefits = 8.70 hr. 8.70 in 1986 =
$19.62 in 2018 dollars.

Part timers today earn $13 hr, $9 in pension and .85 in pacific coast benefit. Which = $22.85.

So part timers make more today then we did. They just make it in pension instead of their check. But they still are compensated more.

I would help for everybody to go back in history and study the ancient contracts. The old adage about if you do not study the mistakes from history you tend to make the same ones as before.

In the l987 contract the starting part time rate was at 8 dollars an hour/9 if you were considered skilled. In 31 years of contract negotiations the starting wage only went up currently 2.35 cents, do the math. I was part time back in "86" and supported myself comfortably by paying rent, buying food, entertainment, owning and insuring a vehicle on my paycheck. Rent back then for a good apartment was about 300 dollars in my area, gas was about 1.50 a gallon, everything was cheaper. As a part timer I usually worked 25 hours a week no overtime, I got married in "86" and instantly had to support a wife and two children on my part time hours a did it for almost a year before I had to get a supplemental part time job elsewhere.

The Western Conference does have a far better pension accountability than the Central and Southern (IBT/UPS) and the (UPS Pension Plan) for part timers that is in total control by the company. I have serious doubts that in the Central and Southern that those promised hourly Pension increases of .70 for the part timers are not going into their individual pension plans (study how a defined benefit plan is funded). The IBT/UPS and the UPS Pension Plan for part timers only pay enough at the end of the year to account for their negotiated benefits. The Company made over 14.5 percent off interest along in their controlled Pension Trusts last year and contributed 5,000,000,000 recently, over and above what they had to to maintain a 100 percent vest ratio. With the stock markets currently going ape that means that they do not have to put the profits into those plans to maintain the promised coverages, each year will get better with the projections.

It is true that our .70 GWI raise is a result of the Pension and H/W hourly increases, which equals out to 20 dollars a week per full time in both. The total package with the GWI, Pension and H/W comes up to 1.70 increase per full time union employee in the first year. I am in a Pension Plan that has not negotiated any increases since the 2002 contract, for those who are not getting any answers to why those retiring in the Western is getting twice as much as the Central and Southern keep asking WHY?

 

[badpal]

That's what I'm saying... The company doesn't want people to last a year, but they sure as heck don't want them quitting after a week either. 6-9 months is the sweet spot I think, long enough for a person to become decent at their job, without having to pay benefits.



To the company and the union: I'll vote yes for a $10,000 bonus. Think about it. Thanks.

50 gets my vote, but the 1000 signing bonus was nice , sad the union got away from negotoating those.