Pushing 30 year old rule!

[Dracula]

Yet this is your avatar and signature???:

View attachment 160112
Dracula
Package Car is cake compared to this...

You should make this your new avatar:

Dracula
Talking out of both sides of my mouth...

Well, to be clear, I was referring to me, personally. I don't hold anything against anyone who wants to stay in PC. But for me, and the vast majority of feeder drivers I work with, the idea of leaving PC is the best decision we've ever made at this company. I did almost 22 years in PC, and that was about 10 years too much. Maybe my aches and pains come naturally, but more likely they came from the beating I got in PC.

And despite the avatar, feeders is way, way easier than PC. Yes, it's a big learning curve, and definitely intimidating at first, but you have a lot more control of your surroundings than in PC. Driving in snow isn't that big of a deal. It's just adjusting to the conditions. And if it's ice, you just park it; simple as that. No supervisor is going to tell me to drive if I feel the conditions are unsafe, no matter if the load misses the sort or not.

The avatar picture is a case in point. That was the return trip in the morning after my first night driving in the snow. Yes, is was nerve-racking, to be sure, because it was the first time I drove in those conditions. But I ended up driving about 25MPH for over three hours on the interstate. And that was after sitting on the highway for another three hours because of an accident ahead of me.

A normal, four-hour drive time took almost 8 hours. Management had to fill a van with replacement drivers for a bunch of us, because we all ran out of hours. I ended up being on the clock for 18 hours. One other guy was on for 22 hours.

But I've got nothing against PC drivers staying where they're at, especially if they have more seniority than me. Then, I encourage them to stay. But man, walking by those package cars in the morning, packed front to back, top to bottom, makes me sick to my stomach. That stress is gone now.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

But I've got nothing against PC drivers staying where they're at, especially if they have more seniority than me. Then, I encourage them to stay.

Q: Wanna know how to piss off a feeder driver ?

A: When your over-all seniority surpasses theirs.... for a job.


Each job has it's benefits and detractors.


One, is not necessarily better than the other.

It depends on the individual needs, wants, and capabilities.



-Bug-

 

[Dracula]

Q: Wanna know how to piss off a feeder driver ?

A: When your over-all seniority surpasses theirs.... for a job.


Each job has it's benefits and detractors.


One, is not necessarily better than the other.

It depends on the individual needs, wants, and capabilities.



-Bug-

No disagreement. It's a personal choice. But in general, package car is a young man's job. I never had any serious problem with my knees, but the years of hopping in and out of those steps, hundreds of times a day, I feel, makes walking up and down my stairs in the morning tougher than it should be. My other issue is carpal tunnel. I thought it might be arthritis, but my doc said arthritis makes your joints swell noticeably. I don't have that, just soreness and numbness in my hands on occasion. Probably, I should get surgery on it, but as of yet, it's not debilitating, just irritating at times.

As for seniority, I'll never get pissed about that. Seniority is earned, one day at a time, and if you're mad about someone with more seniority, you're mad at the wrong thing. Where I'm at, you carry your package car seniority with you when you go to feeders. It drives some of the guys towards the bottom of the list crazy, because of the package car drivers who come back with more time than them, but those are the rules. I'm high enough on the list where not too many drivers who come back anymore are above me, but that hasn't always been the case, obviously. But I've never understood why I should be mad because I get bumped down a few slots by someone who has put in more time than me.

I understand most feeder divisions have to reset their time when they get to feeders, but that's not here. And to me, our way is the best way to do it, because it respects full-time seniority.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

No disagreement. It's a personal choice. But in general, package car is a young man's job. I never had any serious problem with my knees, but the years of hopping in and out of those steps, hundreds of times a day, I feel, makes walking up and down my stairs in the morning tougher than it should be. My other issue is carpal tunnel. I thought it might be arthritis, but my doc said arthritis makes your joints swell noticeably. I don't have that, just soreness and numbness in my hands on occasion. Probably, I should get surgery on it, but as of yet, it's not debilitating, just irritating at times.

As for seniority, I'll never get about that. Seniority is earned, one day at a time, and if you're mad about someone with more seniority, you're mad at the wrong thing. Where I'm at, you carry your package car seniority with you when you go to feeders. It drives some of the guys towards the bottom of the list crazy, because of the package car drivers who come back with more time than them, but those are the rules. I'm high enough on the list where not too many drivers who come back anymore are above me, but that hasn't always been the case, obviously. But I've never understood why I should be mad because I get bumped down a few slots by someone who has put in more time than me.

I understand most feeder divisions have to reset their time when they get to feeders, but that's not here. And to me, our way is the best way to do it, because it respects full-time seniority.

I appreciate this post, and your respect for the seniority application in

your Local. It's the same in mine. (and the way it should be)


My Local, has feeder drivers that interact with Locals that don't enjoy that.

It creates a lot of animosity. Just the same, as in the Unionized freight division.


How many drivers;

Know the difference between a "hog board" and a "wheel board" ?





-Bug-

 

[Dracula]

I appreciate this post, and your respect for the seniority application in

your Local. It's the same in mine. (and the way it should be)


My Local, has feeder drivers that interact with Locals that don't enjoy that.

It creates a lot of animosity. Just the same, as in the Unionized freight division.


How many drivers;

Know the difference between a "hog board" and a "wheel board" ?





-Bug-

I've never heard those terms, but it sounds like you're referring to the separate seniority lists.

 

[Johney]

The last 20 feeder drivers we have full-time have never stepped foot in a package car

So they get the boot also?

 

[Johney]

Q: Wanna know how to piss off a feeder driver ?

A: When your over-all seniority surpasses theirs.... for a job.


Each job has it's benefits and detractors.


One, is not necessarily better than the other.

It depends on the individual needs, wants, and capabilities.



-Bug-

You come into feeders here and you're at the bottom. I have 4 guys below me in feeders who have 5+ years of time on me in package.They passed on a few bids before taking it. You snooze you lose.

 

[Dracula]

You come into feeders here and you're at the bottom. I have 4 guys below me in feeders who have 5+ years of time on me in package.They passed on a few bids before taking it. You snooze you lose.

Man, I'm glad we don't have that system. Seniority rules all here.

 

[Bubblehead]

Man, I'm glad we don't have that system. Seniority rules all here.

It's a ludricris notion any other way....

You snooze you lose.

I mean, really?

With seniority comes opportunity and privileges, in its purest sense.

 

[Johney]

Man, I'm glad we don't have that system. Seniority rules all here.

It's a ludricris notion any other way....

I mean, really?

With seniority comes opportunity and privileges, in its purest sense.

Seniority gets you the bid. You just go to the bottom of the list. Bubble, disagree all you want I don't make the rules. I assume we can thank our Local for that.

 

[Bubblehead]

Seniority gets you the bid. You just go to the bottom of the list. Bubble, disagree all you want I don't make the rules. I assume we can thank our Local for that.

I wasn't disagreeing that's how it is there, rather the notion that is how it should be and the "snooze you lose" mentality.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

You come into feeders here and you're at the bottom. I have 4 guys below me in feeders who have 5+ years of time on me in package.They passed on a few bids before taking it. You snooze you lose.

Why I dislike that Local practice, is some people aren't in the position to bid

earlier because of choice.... regarding their personal life. I feel it unfairly

punishes them because of that.

Seniority gets you the bid. You just go to the bottom of the list. Bubble, disagree all you want I don't make the rules. I assume we can thank our Local for that.

I think we can all agree, it's better to maintain Local Union autonomy

rather than disparage another Local's practice. There are strong feelings

on both side of the argument. Although.... I think mine's right.



-Bug-

 

[Dracula]

I've told a lot of the guys who complained about the way we do it here, that if your seniority reset when you get to feeders, most of the guys who waited to go would have gone much earlier, making it much harder for those guys complaining, to go at all. As it is, you can choose when the time is right for you, or not go at all. The choice is made easier, knowing you'll take your full-time seniority with you. There is no rush.

 

[Johney]

Why I dislike that Local practice, is some people aren't in the position to bid

earlier because of choice.... regarding their personal life. I feel it unfairly

punishes them because of that.




I think we can all agree, it's better to maintain Local Union autonomy

rather than disparage another Local's practice. There are strong feelings

on both side of the argument. Although.... I think mine's right.



-Bug-

The way I feel is it works fine. You have a chance at a certain time to come in and you pass, so then it's ok to come and bump me from my run I've been on for a few years and then want to ask for help on where to go and what to do? LOL!

 

[Johney]

The way I feel is it works fine. You have a chance at a certain time to come in and you pass, so then it's ok to come and bump me from my run I've been on for a few years and then want to ask for help on where to go and what to do? LOL!

Or even worse, come in after a few years and bump me back to package? How fair would that be?

 

[BigUnionGuy]

The way I feel is it works fine.

Because.... it benefits you.

so then it's ok to come and bump me from my run I've been on for a few years

Or even worse, come in after a few years and bump me back to package? How fair would that be?

A true Trade Unionist.... respects seniority.



-Bug-

 

[Dracula]

A true Trade Unionist.... respects seniority.
-Bug-

It's everything a union is based upon.

 

[Johney]

Because.... it benefits you.








A true Trade Unionist.... respects seniority.




-Bug-

True.
I do. I bid in before them so I have seniority.

 

[ManInBrown]

Well, to be clear, I was referring to me, personally. I don't hold anything against anyone who wants to stay in PC. But for me, and the vast majority of feeder drivers I work with, the idea of leaving PC is the best decision we've ever made at this company. I did almost 22 years in PC, and that was about 10 years too much. Maybe my aches and pains come naturally, but more likely they came from the beating I got in PC.

And despite the avatar, feeders is way, way easier than PC. Yes, it's a big learning curve, and definitely intimidating at first, but you have a lot more control of your surroundings than in PC. Driving in snow isn't that big of a deal. It's just adjusting to the conditions. And if it's ice, you just park it; simple as that. No supervisor is going to tell me to drive if I feel the conditions are unsafe, no matter if the load misses the sort or not.

The avatar picture is a case in point. That was the return trip in the morning after my first night driving in the snow. Yes, is was nerve-racking, to be sure, because it was the first time I drove in those conditions. But I ended up driving about 25MPH for over three hours on the interstate. And that was after sitting on the highway for another three hours because of an accident ahead of me.

A normal, four-hour drive time took almost 8 hours. Management had to fill a van with replacement drivers for a bunch of us, because we all ran out of hours. I ended up being on the clock for 18 hours. One other guy was on for 22 hours.

But I've got nothing against PC drivers staying where they're at, especially if they have more seniority than me. Then, I encourage them to stay. But man, walking by those package cars in the morning, packed front to back, top to bottom, makes me sick to my stomach. That stress is gone now.

Can't wait. I'm all qualified and my number will be up soon. Can't wait to leave the hellhole that is package

 

[BigUnionGuy]

I bid in before them so I have seniority.

According to your Local seniority practice.

Do you really feel the need to "spike the ball" ??


You skipped over more senior Union members. Are you laughing about it ?



-Bug-