RPCD qualified for feeder work trying to get into feeder department full time

[whatsintheboxidk]

I am a full-time package driver that qualified for feeders in July 2022. I am out of DENCO/local 455. I, along with 7 others, are listed as cover/back-up drivers qualified for feeder work and go back and forth between packages and feeders. I have been trying tirelessly to get into the department permanently by winning a bid but it seems impossible. Currently there are about 350-400 feeders drivers in the center. I'd estimate that the bottom 100 in seniority are off the street with less than 3 years of company seniority. I have a few questions and hope you can help. I've been reading the contract but can't find all of the information I need. What applies to me contractually are the master contract ( https://teamster.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ups18nationalmaster.pdf ) and the Central Region of Teamsters Supplement Agreement ( https://teamster.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ups18centralregionsupp.pdf ). I've talked to some union stewards and I don't trust them, I feel like they don't like to stand up to management even when they know it's something they can win but if I can get something definitive then there's no reason to not fight it. Please if you have a definite answer to the questions please provide the source, like article and section.

1. How are back-up drivers like myself supposed to be listed in terms of seniority? For the central region agreement I can't find anything that talks about this but in the Join Council 3 Rider ( https://teamster.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ups18jc3suppsortrider.pdf ) it says that back-up feeder drivers are supposed to be listed in order they qualified for feeder work not company seniority. Out of the 8 qualified back up drivers I qualified 3rd but in terms of company seniority I'm 8th. They say company seniority doesn't kick in until you win a bid in the department so wouldn't it make sense to have us listed in the order we qualified? Let's say that they are indeed listing us in the incorrect order do you think the union would be able to fight to get me in the department on this technicality?
2. From what I've been hearing, the best way to win a bid in feeders is to win a sleeper bid. I found someone that is willing to partner up for a sleeper run. He's in the feeder department full time and he's #209 so he would be the "A" driver. I keep getting told that if another team signs the bid and both the "A" and "B" driver are in the department they would win the bid even if they have less seniority than my "A" driver. Does a team whose members are both in feeders FT get the bid even if they have less seniority than another A driver? I've looked at the contract and Article 43 Section 2 (1)(a) essentially states that only the seniority of the "A" driver will be considered and the "A" driver chooses the "B" driver regardless of seniority.
3. I'm also being told that when a sleeper bid gets posted, a driver that is already in the sleeper department gets priority over drivers doing local jobs. The guy I've decided to partner with has a local bid and has more seniority than any other "A" driver listed, but there are other teams whose "A" driver currently has a sleeper bid. Do drivers with sleeper bids get priority over drivers with local bids?

Thank you in advance. I am tired of the non-stop harassment and micro managing in packages and need to get out ASAP

 

[BigUnionGuy]

I am a full-time package driver that qualified for feeders in July 2022. I am out of DENCO/local 455. I, along with 7 others, are listed as cover/back-up drivers qualified for feeder work and go back and forth between packages and feeders. I have been trying tirelessly to get into the department permanently by winning a bid but it seems impossible. Currently there are about 350-400 feeders drivers in the center. I'd estimate that the bottom 100 in seniority are off the street with less than 3 years of company seniority. I have a few questions and hope you can help. I've been reading the contract but can't find all of the information I need. What applies to me contractually are the master contract ( https://teamster.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ups18nationalmaster.pdf ) and the Central Region of Teamsters Supplement Agreement ( https://teamster.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ups18centralregionsupp.pdf ). I've talked to some union stewards and I don't trust them, I feel like they don't like to stand up to management even when they know it's something they can win but if I can get something definitive then there's no reason to not fight it. Please if you have a definite answer to the questions please provide the source, like article and section.

1. How are back-up drivers like myself supposed to be listed in terms of seniority? For the central region agreement I can't find anything that talks about this but in the Join Council 3 Rider ( https://teamster.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ups18jc3suppsortrider.pdf ) it says that back-up feeder drivers are supposed to be listed in order they qualified for feeder work not company seniority. Out of the 8 qualified back up drivers I qualified 3rd but in terms of company seniority I'm 8th. They say company seniority doesn't kick in until you win a bid in the department so wouldn't it make sense to have us listed in the order we qualified? Let's say that they are indeed listing us in the incorrect order do you think the union would be able to fight to get me in the department on this technicality?
2. From what I've been hearing, the best way to win a bid in feeders is to win a sleeper bid. I found someone that is willing to partner up for a sleeper run. He's in the feeder department full time and he's #209 so he would be the "A" driver. I keep getting told that if another team signs the bid and both the "A" and "B" driver are in the department they would win the bid even if they have less seniority than my "A" driver. Does a team whose members are both in feeders FT get the bid even if they have less seniority than another A driver? I've looked at the contract and Article 43 Section 2 (1)(a) essentially states that only the seniority of the "A" driver will be considered and the "A" driver chooses the "B" driver regardless of seniority.
3. I'm also being told that when a sleeper bid gets posted, a driver that is already in the sleeper department gets priority over drivers doing local jobs. The guy I've decided to partner with has a local bid and has more seniority than any other "A" driver listed, but there are other teams whose "A" driver currently has a sleeper bid. Do drivers with sleeper bids get priority over drivers with local bids?

Thank you in advance. I am tired of the non-stop harassment and micro managing in packages and need to get out ASAP

Wow.... nice post.

It's good to read some well thought out questions, and you've read and quoted the contract language.


Obviously, the Joint Council language doesn't apply to your situation.

If you look at the Master and Central language, a BA out of your Local was on both of those committees.

He's been around a long time.... and would be the best source of information for your local situation.


Good luck.

 

[Thebrownblob]

Wow.... nice post.

It's good to read some well thought out questions, and you've read and quoted the contract language.


Obviously, the Joint Council language doesn't apply to your situation.

If you look at the Master and Central language, a BA out of your Local was on both of those committees.

He's been around a long time.... and would be the best source of information for your local situation.


Good luck.

Wow.... nice post.

It's good to read some well thought out questions, and you've read and quoted the contract language.


Obviously, the Joint Council language doesn't apply to your situation.

If you look at the Master and Central language, a BA out of your Local was on both of those committees.

He's been around a long time.... and would be the best source of information for your local situation.


Good luck.

Yep, he’s a good man. He will definitely answer those questions correctly.

 

[542thruNthru]

Yep, he’s a good man. He will definitely answer those questions correctly.

 

[trickpony1]

The OP should visit the feeder dispatch (like every day) to see if any new bids are posted.
OP should sign every bid posted.

Many years ago, after I qualified, I signed a bid that no one else wanted.
It offered a consistent schedule even though I didn't necessarily like the run.

It also put me on the seniority list ahead of the guy I trained with.
Good luck.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

The OP should visit the feeder dispatch (like every day) to see if any new bids are posted.
OP should sign every bid posted.

Many years ago, after I qualified, I signed a bid that no one else wanted.
It offered a consistent schedule even though I didn't necessarily like the run.

It also put me on the seniority list ahead of the guy I trained with.
Good luck.

Yep.

And there are written Local Seniority practices.... that aren't available online.

 

[whatsintheboxidk]

Yep.

And there are written Local Seniority practices.... that aren't available online.

Where would I be able to find them?

 

[whatsintheboxidk]

Yep, he’s a good man. He will definitely answer those questions correctly.

 

[whatsintheboxidk]

Wow.... nice post.

It's good to read some well thought out questions, and you've read and quoted the contract language.


Obviously, the Joint Council language doesn't apply to your situation.

If you look at the Master and Central language, a BA out of your Local was on both of those committees.

He's been around a long time.... and would be the best source of information for your local situation.


Good luck.

I believe the person you are talking about has retired.

 

[Thebrownblob]

I believe the person you are talking about has retired.

AF is still there

 

[eats packages]

Where would I be able to find them?

Literally the new ups teamsters app. Choose local, downloads searchable PDF.

Search words like "posted" or "selection" and "seniority"

 

[finaddict]

I'm on the east coast but some is this is probably the same. You are qualified to do feeder work, that's it. A junior driver with bid rights will work his run or be on a Super-Q list if he/she lost their run from being cut before a qualified driver regardless of seniority. When jobs are bid (every six months here) all drivers with bid rights pick a run in seniority order and if there's more runs that drivers with bid rights, jobs go to the qualified list for bid in seniority order. There is no difference between sleeper runs and any other feeder work where I'm at. It's all feeder work. "A" driver picks "B" driver regardless of B's seniority. This I'm not positive on but At end of bid "B" goes back to qualified list if he doesn't stay on run as "B" driver. Hope that helps more than creates confusion, talk to a feeder driver where you're at, sometimes there's no contract language for "Past Practices"

 

[Cowboy Mac]

I'm on the east coast but some is this is probably the same. You are qualified to do feeder work, that's it. A junior driver with bid rights will work his run or be on a Super-Q list if he/she lost their run from being cut before a qualified driver regardless of seniority. When jobs are bid (every six months here) all drivers with bid rights pick a run in seniority order and if there's more runs that drivers with bid rights, jobs go to the qualified list for bid in seniority order. There is no difference between sleeper runs and any other feeder work where I'm at. It's all feeder work. "A" driver picks "B" driver regardless of B's seniority. This I'm not positive on but At end of bid "B" goes back to qualified list if he doesn't stay on run as "B" driver. Hope that helps more than creates confusion, talk to a feeder driver where you're at, sometimes there's no contract language for "Past Practices"

I agree you really have to talk to local stewards/ BA to get an accurate answer. I’m in Texas and our feeder department is set up the same except that:
1. Our runs are bid once a year
2. It used to be that when the A driver picked a Q list driver to be his B driver, that driver would make seniority, jumping ahead of everyone else on the Q list.

Now, as a result of a grievance decision, the A driver is not allowed to pick a B driver from the Q list anymore. Q list can only cover for vacations by seniority.

It’s one of many things not in the contract, that you won’t know unless you talk to senior drivers/stewards/BA.

 

[qdg2]

I agree you really have to talk to local stewards/ BA to get an accurate answer. I’m in Texas and our feeder department is set up the same except that:
1. Our runs are bid once a year
2. It used to be that when the A driver picked a Q list driver to be his B driver, that driver would make seniority, jumping ahead of everyone else on the Q list.

Now, as a result of a grievance decision, the A driver is not allowed to pick a B driver from the Q list anymore. Q list can only cover for vacations by seniority.

It’s one of many things not in the contract, that you won’t know unless you talk to senior drivers/stewards/BA.

As you watch off the street hires making seniority in front of Q list drivers.

 

[moldsporh]

I have been trying tirelessly to get into the department permanently by winning a bid but it seems impossible

Something to ponder, only for a dose of reality, not assuming you aren't already aware, just a disclaimer.

How many delivery drivers in your building that have more seniority than you...who also think like this?

High probability many want to sign the list every time a slot opens up to get out of delivery.

You could be chasing a bid run or even gaining feeder seniority for another 10 years or more.

Hopefully you can get your foot in the door, I wish you luck.

I almost went a few times but wanted my 3 day weekends a few times a month. Not having the option to RO in feeders kinda sucks, especially when you have seniority to get RO quite often.