PKG Car to Feeder bid ?????'s

reydluap

Well-Known Member
I've got an interesting problem that is brewing in my center and I would like to have my fellow Teamsters give me some ideas on how to deal with the situation. We have a feeder driver in our center that is going to bid back into PKG CAR on the next inside bid posting. So this will leave his feeder job "open" for bid. We have a washer/porter/evening local sort/ Feeder qualified (fills in for the feeder driver vacations/his vacations picked to coinside with the feeder drivers so he can't be on vacation when a feeder driver is gone) employee that has maybe a year or so of seniority.

I have close to 29 years of service and have asked the center mgr dozens of times to be feeder qualified (which he declines my request - because it cost too much to train). I have my DOT doubles endorsed drivers license and have went to semi driving school.

Here is the problem. My center mgr tells me that this vacation fill in with less seniority will "win" the bid over me because he "has been to feeder school and has experience".

TELL ME THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT! Were would you go to start to get information/FACTS on this? What would you do??

(Thanks for the help)
 

govols019

You smell that?
Since when can a Feeder driver bid back into package? Even if he could why would he? He would go to the bottom of the seniority list. Ouch.

Second, you're center manager is full of it. Your seniority wins.
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
Your center manager is right. This other fellow is the current 'back up' feeder driver. Back up feeder drivers bump up to full feeder driver when you lose a feeder driver. The best you can do is become the next back up feeder driver. All of our bids are for 'back up feeder' because current back up feeders get new full time feeder openings. Basically a back up feeder driver IS a feeder driver. read the contract it's in there.

Ater a feeder driver has 3 years of feeder in they can bid back to pkg or other full time. In the contract it says once you feeder qualify it's a 3 yearr commitment before you can change position.

It's possible it's different under your regional supplements. However, that's how it works in my neck of the woods.
 
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govols019

You smell that?
Oh, the way I first read that I thought he meant the other guy was a part-time employee. How did a employee with only a year of seniority go to feeder school before you?

Where in the contact does it say that about the 3 year thing?
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
In my contract it's in the Rider section 6 (backup feeder drivers) part D

"Employees bidding the backup position or new employees hired for the position will be obligated to maintain the position for a minimum of three (3) yeas from the date the position was awarded"

And on all our bids it says "3 year commitment." We've had backup feeder drivers go back to pkg after their 3 years because they can't handle working nights (or their wives can't handle it).

Then later in part G it says

"any vacant feeder run will be assigned to the number one backup feeder driver"


So check your contract to see if it's the same as mine. If it is you are SOL and the best you can do is bid into backup feeder and wait your turn for your own feeder run.
 

govols019

You smell that?
Mines different than yours. All our Feeder drivers have said that once you have a permanent bid run that you can't go back to package. As far as our cover feeders go they can opt out anytime they want if they don't like it. We've had a couple back out the last few years. They act like working nights came as a shock to them.

We have a 25 year employee that is now a junior employee in feeders to two people with only 10 or so years with the company. I've always felt the classification seniority was crap. Everything should be based on company seniority.
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
Mines different than yours. All our Feeder drivers have said that once you have a permanent bid run that you can't go back to package. As far as our cover feeders go they can opt out anytime they want if they don't like it. We've had a couple back out the last few years. They act like working nights came as a shock to them.

We have a 25 year employee that is now a junior employee in feeders to two people with only 10 or so years with the company. I've always felt the classification seniority was crap. Everything should be based on company seniority.

I actually like how it works around here. I think someone who's been backup feeder for 5 years should get first crack at a new feeder run. But if you mean go by feeder seniority for picking vacations versus company seniority then yeah I could agree with you on that. If the new backup feeder driver has 30 years and the next guy above him is a newby with say 10 yeas in our center the 10 year guy picks vacations first! Oh well there could be worse things? right? They're going to start working on new supplements soon right??? Well, nows the time to bring these issues up to your local and see if they can change things.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
I actually like how it works around here. I think someone who's been backup feeder for 5 years should get first crack at a new feeder run. But if you mean go by feeder seniority for picking vacations versus company seniority then yeah I could agree with you on that. If the new backup feeder driver has 30 years and the next guy above him is a newby with say 10 yeas in our center the 10 year guy picks vacations first! Oh well there could be worse things? right? They're going to start working on new supplements soon right??? Well, nows the time to bring these issues up to your local and see if they can change things.
Thats like a super seniority clause, and its full of s^&t. At no time should a senior employee ever lose a bid to a lower senior employee. The contract article 44 states that seniority prevails in all instances not the equipment. I would file a grievance to get feeder trained, it only takes 1 week to get trained so the cost to ups is only 1 training sup for 4o hours, thats it. If the union disagrees read the seniority article to them! GO feeder if you can, i hear that the way to retiree.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Here an open feeder job is filled based on full-time seniority from the package drivers. Not who is already feeder qualified. We have had a driver that has never sat foot inside a feeder tractor win a feeder bid over a driver that had been a backup feeder driver for years.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
"I have my DOT doubles endorsed drivers license and have went to semi driving school.

You do not have to go to feeder school or be feeder trained. You already are. You do have to be feeder qualified, which, as 705red says, is 40 hours riding with a sup.

Here, thank goodness, it is company seniority. Feeder drivers can, and do, bid back into package if they want. I believe they have to give some sort of notice to the feeder dept.
However, package drivers bidding to feeders have to have their CDL already.

You can see it's different everywhere. You really need to talk to your BA.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
"I have my DOT doubles endorsed drivers license and have went to semi driving school.

You do not have to go to feeder school or be feeder trained. You already are. You do have to be feeder qualified, which, as 705red says, is 40 hours riding with a sup.

Here, thank goodness, it is company seniority. Feeder drivers can, and do, bid back into package if they want. I believe they have to give some sort of notice to the feeder dept.
However, package drivers bidding to feeders have to have their CDL already.

You can see it's different everywhere. You really need to talk to your BA.
Over are you sure? Here we must acquire our cdl permit but ups will cdl trsin us road test, pre trip etc.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
Here they will only train you when they are running a school, not for a bid. I took the last school, about a year ago, and I had to have my permit for that. I don't think there will be another school for a few years because there are several of us in package with CDLs who owe them 2 years in Feeders whenever they call us up (Agreement that goes with the school).

When they post an open feeder job they write right on the posting that you must have CDL with endorsements, AND no accidents for past one year.
I've always wondered if that 1 year accident free part was grievable.

Amazing how different it can be for every location!
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Over....I tried to read your post, but the swinging balls are way too distracting (funny though). You gotta go back to the eye. I already voted. With the eye, I felt like it was a teacher/nun watching and I'd better read every word of the post or else.:crying:
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
When they post an open feeder job they write right on the posting that you must have CDL with endorsements, AND no accidents for past one year.
I've always wondered if that 1 year accident free part was grievable.
!

Here you need to get your CDL permit with double endorsement. They will feeder train whenever the need arises. It's a two week deal here. first week in class like the new package driver training. Then week two you ride with a sup. Then you take the CDL test if you have not already.
 

rushfan

Well-Known Member
Here, package drivers with at least one year of safe driving can sign up to be a backup feeder driver. Only those from package can bid-no one from the hub or preload. Must have package experience. Once a backup, if a run becomes open you can bid on it. Talk to the feeder dept manager. center manager's hate to loose drivers. Isn't that right, BSUUPS.
 

reydluap

Well-Known Member
I spoke with my BA today. Rushfan, you hit the nail on the head. We are 2 PKG Car drivers short right now and our Ctr Mgr don't want to loose another Pkg Car driver to Feeders. BA tells me he'll check into things for me. But seniority SHOULD prevail because I've went to Semi driving school and I already have my CDL double license. We'll see......

Our center has hired a couple of Pkg Car drivers for summer hire and they quit after a few days. Too hard of work. We can't keep drivers so CTR Mgr don't want to lose one to feeders.
 

woodenfoot

Active Member
i see you are from iowa if you are part of local 710 check in with pat flynn at office in chicago if you are part of cent states you are going to take it in the but hole
 

diesel96

Well-Known Member
...For Feeder school training,all you need is to take the written permit test from the DMV(dbls triples endorse,air brakes).
In the order one has been trained and qualified to be an" extra cover driver",shall be the order one choose's a permanent senority bid run no matter what friend/t senority originated from pkg cars.

Also you do not lose your pkg route until you aquire a permanent senority feeder run.Once you aquire a full time feeder run, your pkg route goes up for bid and there's no going back to pkgs.
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
How about you whip out your trusty contract and in the rider under the section feeder driver tell us what it says. It's funny how many people go bitchen up a storm to the union without even looking at the contract first. READ YOUR CONTRACT.
 
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