Reduced Union Dues for Part Time Employees

[The Jeep Driver]

First, greetings, I'm new to BrownCafe.

My question is, how can my Center get a reduction in our Union Dues for Part Timers? Part Time Employees are paying as much as the Full Time Employees are. Some of the PT have complained to the Local, but have not gotten anywhere. Any advice?

 

[Catatonic]

First, greetings, I'm new to BrownCafe.

My question is, how can my Center get a reduction in our Union Dues for Part Timers? Part Time Employees are paying as much as the Full Time Employees are. Some of the PT have complained to the Local, but have not gotten anywhere. Any advice?

Vote in 2018

 

[PT Car Washer]

Some PTers pay more than some FTers.

 

[Wally]

Come on, are you serious? You have to carry the weight for us full timers. We bother to vote,so get used to paying.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

First, greetings, I'm new to BrownCafe.

My question is, how can my Center get a reduction in our Union Dues for Part Timers? Part Time Employees are paying as much as the Full Time Employees are. Some of the PT have complained to the Local, but have not gotten anywhere. Any advice?

The local would need to petition the General Secretary Treasurer of the IBT for a dues waiver. This would have to be a local-wide initiative and not just for one center (assuming there are multiple UPS facilities in your local's jurisdiction.) Depending on how many UPS members your local has and how your local's finances look, this could have serious financial ramifications. Quite frankly, the only way to get it done if the principal officers aren't interested is to pack the union hall with angry part-timers and bring it up every meeting, but that's much easier said than done.

The IBT constitution sets dues at 2.5x the base hourly rate of pay for members, with the rate being 2x for members making less than $11/hr. Some locals charge as high as 3x the hourly rate. One thing my local does in the RTW south is waive the initiation fee for PT new hires, which can be as much as $180-$200 in the closed shop states. If your local charges initiation fees, I would suggest focusing on convincing the executive board to waive these instead.

Although I disagree with Zuckerman (president of Local 89) on many things, this is one of the good things he does -- getting reduced dues for his PT members who primarily work at the Louisville, KY UPS Worldport as they actually have a smaller guarantee than most PT'ers in the rest of the country.

See: http://www.teamsters89.com/hall/June 7, 2012 Request to hall.pdf

 

[upschuck]

Assuming that you are past initiation fees, call your local and ask them, I have seen where the local gets bad numbers from HR. The union, off the numbers HR gives them, tells UPS how much to take out of your check monthly. That is how it works with my local. Treasurer did an audit once and found that UPS had not told them about a bunch of folks working at UPS, so they weren't paying the dues. This was not in a RTW state.

As PiedmontSteward said, dues should only be 2.5x your hourly wage, so unless you are making more than the FT'ers in question than you should be paying less.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

Assuming that you are past initiation fees, call your local and ask them, I have seen where the local gets bad numbers from HR. The union, off the numbers HR gives them, tells UPS how much to take out of your check monthly. That is how it works with my local. Treasurer did an audit once and found that UPS had not told them about a bunch of folks working at UPS, so they weren't paying the dues. This was not in a RTW state.

As PiedmontSteward said, dues should only be 2.5x your hourly wage, so unless you are making more than the FT'ers in question than you should be paying less.

Actually, a lot of part-timers pay more as a percentage of their total pay check than full timers. FT are paying more in total dollars (top rate for drivers is $88/month at my local, whereas many PT'ers pay anywhere from $44-$22/month) but PT are paying more as a percentage.

 

[The Jeep Driver]

The local would need to petition the General Secretary Treasurer of the IBT for a dues waiver. This would have to be a local-wide initiative and not just for one center (assuming there are multiple UPS facilities in your local's jurisdiction.) Depending on how many UPS members your local has and how your local's finances look, this could have serious financial ramifications. Quite frankly, the only way to get it done if the principal officers aren't interested is to pack the union hall with angry part-timers and bring it up every meeting, but that's much easier said than done.

The IBT constitution sets dues at 2.5x the base hourly rate of pay for members, with the rate being 2x for members making less than $11/hr. Some locals charge as high as 3x the hourly rate. One thing my local does in the RTW south is waive the initiation fee for PT new hires, which can be as much as $180-$200 in the closed shop states. If your local charges initiation fees, I would suggest focusing on convincing the executive board to waive these instead.

Although I disagree with Fred Z (president of Local 89) on many things, this is one of the good things he does -- getting reduced dues for his PT members who primarily work at the Louisville, KY UPS Worldport as they actually have a smaller guarantee than most PT'ers in the rest of the country.

See: http://www.teamsters89.com/hall/June 7, 2012 Request to hall.pdf

Assuming that you are past initiation fees, call your local and ask them, I have seen where the local gets bad numbers from HR. The union, off the numbers HR gives them, tells UPS how much to take out of your check monthly. That is how it works with my local. Treasurer did an audit once and found that UPS had not told them about a bunch of folks working at UPS, so they weren't paying the dues. This was not in a RTW state.

As PiedmontSteward said, dues should only be 2.5x your hourly wage, so unless you are making more than the FT'ers in question than you should be paying less.

Thanks to you both for your replies. Yes, it is the percentage of total pay that ends up being significantly more. Part Time hours have been reduced, and this is really hurting. We were told it was a temporary reduction, but it's been most of the year now.

Our Local has been approached, although it's been awhile, both about the rate (2.5 x hourly wage + $3), and the initiation fee. There wasn't any interest in addressing the issue then, I spoken to my Business Manager about it yet. Ridiculous that some of the new hires don't make enough in a week to cover what's taken out.

I'll take what I learned here back to the Center and see what my co-workers have to say. Thanks again.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

Thanks to you both for your replies. Yes, it is the percentage of total pay that ends up being significantly more. Part Time hours have been reduced, and this is really hurting. We were told it was a temporary reduction, but it's been most of the year now.

Our Local has been approached, although it's been awhile, both about the rate (2.5 x hourly wage + $3), and the initiation fee. There wasn't any interest in addressing the issue then, I spoken to my Business Manager about it yet. Ridiculous that some of the new hires don't make enough in a week to cover what's taken out.

I'll take what I learned here back to the Center and see what my co-workers have to say. Thanks again.

If you need more details, feel free to inbox me. Good luck.

 

[brown_trousers]

Thanks to you both for your replies. Yes, it is the percentage of total pay that ends up being significantly more. Part Time hours have been reduced, and this is really hurting. We were told it was a temporary reduction, but it's been most of the year now.

Our Local has been approached, although it's been awhile, both about the rate (2.5 x hourly wage + $3), and the initiation fee. There wasn't any interest in addressing the issue then, I spoken to my Business Manager about it yet. Ridiculous that some of the new hires don't make enough in a week to cover what's taken out.

I'll take what I learned here back to the Center and see what my co-workers have to say. Thanks again.

Factor in health benefits, retirement, and tuition assistance.... then recalculate the percentage. Im thinking it will be a lower percentage than the FT percentage

 

[PT Car Washer]

Factor in health benefits, retirement, and tuition assistance.... then recalculate the percentage. Im thinking it will be a lower percentage than the FT percentage

Factor in PTers do not receive health care benefits for a year and 18 months for their family. Are not vested in retirement for 5 years. Not sure how many union PTers are eligible for tuition assistance.

 

[The Jeep Driver]

Factor in health benefits, retirement, and tuition assistance.... then recalculate the percentage. Im thinking it will be a lower percentage than the FT percentage

Unfortunately, you would be wrong. Not sure how you would even come to that conclusion when the FT employees receive a similar benefits package. And we do not receive tuition assistance.

 

[RealPerson]

Factor in health benefits, retirement, and tuition assistance.... then recalculate the percentage. Im thinking it will be a lower percentage than the FT percentage

Health one year Plus for Family.
Retirement - Most do not stay long enough to get vested
Tuition Assist - Not every place has this .. We Do not..

So, not every place can factor in these.

 

[3 done 3 to go]

Ours in upstate just went up 3 bucks. Still waiting for our raises. Maybe next yr

 

[Jackburton]

You guys outnumber FTers, get organized and make a petition for change. You can also get your guys together and hit the hall during your monthly meeting. If your current local believes you'll actually do something like vote in another slate that will run on reduced dues for PTers, they'll probably work very hard to change it. It's all about organizing and making a valid case with other PTers behind you.

 

[cynic]

Factor in PTers do not receive health care benefits for a year and 18 months for their family. Are not vested in retirement for 5 years. Not sure how many union PTers are eligible for tuition assistance.

I beileve that is dependent on working in an air hub?

 

[PiedmontSteward]

I beileve that is dependent on working in an air hub?

It's entirely up to the company, but I believe tuition assistance is primarily offered in college towns in order to lure students there. In my city, there are two major state colleges and two major community colleges nearby. However, in the package center ~40 miles away (which is in the same town as another large school) they don't offer tuition reimbursement.

Personally, I think the tuition assistance should be something contractual in the NMA. That money is (probably) tax deductible for UPS anyway.

 

[hondo]

It's entirely up to the company, but I believe tuition assistance is primarily offered in college towns in order to lure students there. In my city, there are two major state colleges and two major community colleges nearby. However, in the package center ~40 miles away (which is in the same town as another large school) they don't offer tuition reimbursement.

Personally, I think the tuition assistance should be something contractual in the NMA. That money is (probably) tax deductible for UPS anyway.

It can be negotiated in regional/local riders/addenda/etc.
I believe there once was, but no longer any tax advantage for the co.