Safety Committee Elections

[MC4YOU2]

We used to have these elections annually, but for some reason have stopped entirely. The driver they have doing the safety stuff has been in that spot for 3 or 4 years! This happening other places too? Most folks don't really care because they themselves are uninterested in being a safety member, but it seems as if this current guy is just going to ride this gravy train all the way in. Meanwhile more junior drivers aren't being asked to participate, so of course they won't. Years go by and nothing new is implemented and the old guy just gets more jaded and almost acts like management in browns. On the one hand, I understand the reluctance of rookies to step up, but new blood is needed to keep people engaged. Any thoughts?

 

[browntroll]

i dont know how it is with drivers but with pters the safety guys are picked by management or they volunteer.
samething happens though they start acting like pt sups when u dont follow safety protocol and call full time sup or
manager when you question them or refuse to follow what they tell you to do.

 

[Jackburton]

As someone said in another thread, safety commitee is like a student government, no real power and everyone on it is teachers pet.

 

[oldngray]

Management always picked our safety committee from the pool of brown nosers.

 

[kingOFchester]

If your local is strong, and members follow the book, safety members are to be voted.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

New language in the contract states that the local has the right to approve/add the bargaining unit members on the safety committees.

If you get a stooge that's doing management's dirty work for them, then get the other drivers together and get a petition going demanding the local remove him and put his sorry ass back on route 5 days a week. Your BA has the right to simply remove the rat, add new members, and then have the new committee vote on a union co-chair.

Management has absolutely no right to dictate who does and does not sit on the safety committees. While the committees are generally toothless on their own, they give the union another avenue to document problems when OSHA shows up. That being said, having a dirtbag rat bastard sit as a co-chair is one of the worst things that can happen and it should be addressed.

 

[MC4YOU2]

If your local is strong, and members follow the book, safety members are to be voted.

Yes, agreed. The current person in that spot was voted in. I just feel it's time for a change. I'm wondering if this is happening elsewhere. The elections are seriously just a formality, as most drivers don't want the stain on them from being management's tool.

 

[MC4YOU2]

New language in the contract states that the local has the right to approve/add the bargaining unit members on the safety committees.


If you get a stooge that's doing management's dirty work for them, then get the other drivers together and get a petition going demanding the local remove him and put his sorry ass back on route 5 days a week. Your BA has the right to simply remove the rat, add new members, and then have the new committee vote on a union co-chair.

Management has absolutely no right to dictate who does and does not sit on the safety committees. While the committees are generally toothless on their own, they give the union another avenue to document problems when OSHA shows up. That being said, having a dirtbag rat bastard sit as a co-chair is one of the worst things that can happen and it should be addressed.

So can the BA remove the member just as a matter of purging old blood and bringing in new? I mean without specific "cause"? At best we would just get a new junior driver, as the older ones already shun participation. That's fine by me though, I think it's a good spot for the newbies to try on and see what management is up to. I was on one myself, like 20 years ago. But I made too many suggestions. So they held an election, and changed.
The new language is definitely more powerful, I do wish though there was a time limit for the elected spots though. Just makes sense.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

So can the BA remove the member just as a matter of purging old blood and bringing in new? I mean without specific "cause"? At best we would just get a new junior driver, as the older ones already shun participation. That's fine by me though, I think it's a good spot for the newbies to try on and see what management is up to. I was on one myself, like 20 years ago. But I made too many suggestions. So they held an election, and changed.
The new language is definitely more powerful, I do wish though there was a time limit for the elected spots though. Just makes sense.

It would be up to your BA's discretion. If someone is a "good union member" and sitting as the union's co-chair, there's no reason to take the heat for removing them. On the other hand, if the guy is a rat bastard and tattling on drivers while doing observations (and bringing down discipline on them, as well) then he needs to go.

We have had a few less-than-desirables weasel their way into the co-chair job in the hub over the years and had them removed. That entire clique has since scabbed (RTW state) and won't even speak to union reps any more.

 

[cachsux]

They hold elections for safety committee members here..........voted on by existing safety committee members.

 

[10 point]

You can have two full time co-chairs. Steward and Alt. Steward comes to mind.

And screw the on road observations.
Either empty it out if it's rotten and start over or just empty it out period if you can't get things changed.
That's how our driver group feels because the safety program is designed to keep us safe...not to appease some deal made by a company to cover their backside for past omissions.
Put stewards on it to give it teeth. Then, we'll see how serious the company is about safety.IMO

 

[Jackburton]

I would also like to add for those in right to work states that any safety committee member has to be in good standing (dues paying) to be on the committee. Local 728 enforces this and gave them the option to join or be removed, they chose removal.

 

[wilberforce15]

Source, Jackburton? I've never heard or seen that. But I'd love to put it into practice.

 

[Big Bad Wolf]

You can have two full time co-chairs. Steward and Alt. Steward comes to mind.

And screw the on road observations.
Either empty it out if it's rotten and start over or just empty it out period if you can't get things changed.
That's how our driver group feels because the safety program is designed to keep us safe...not to appease some deal made by a company to cover their backside for past omissions.
Put stewards on it to give it teeth. Then, we'll see how serious the company is about safety.IMO

Your safety committee should never be doing ORO's. Safety committee members should just be trainers in safety protocol and OSHA standards. No more, no less. Any hint of assignment that can be construed as disciplinary should be thwarted by the committee, stewards and local.


Where are you pigs now?

 

[PiedmontSteward]

Your safety committee should never be doing ORO's. Safety committee members should just be trainers in safety protocol and OSHA standards. No more, no less. Any hint of assignment that can be construed as disciplinary should be thwarted by the committee, stewards and local.


Where are you pigs now?

The new contract contains language insisting on the importance of bargaining unit members performing safety observations on other bargaining unit members. When I do safety observations, I never put down the worker's name or even my name so the company can't try to pull up a bad safety observations on someone in a workman's comp case or for discipline. It's probably a little bit different in package, but the same idea applies.

 

[Big Bad Wolf]

The new contract contains language insisting on the importance of bargaining unit members performing safety observations on other bargaining unit members. When I do safety observations, I never put down the worker's name or even my name so the company can't try to pull up a bad safety observations on someone in a workman's comp case or for discipline. It's probably a little bit different in package, but the same idea applies.

Can you provide the language or article where it insists safety observation?


Where are you pigs now?

 

[PiedmontSteward]

Can you provide the language or article where it insists safety observation?


Where are you pigs now?

Article 18, Sec. 20.4

Recognizing the importance of the role of the Safety and Health Committees in resolving the issues of safety, the Employer and the Union reaffirm their commitment to the active involvement of the Committees in such processed, in accordance with the terms in this article.

Bargaining unit members may not perform Safety Committee observations of fellow bargaining unit members that can be interpreted as being a management role. Safety Committee observations shall only be performed to further the purposes of that Committee as defined in this section and to promote a safer work environment. Activities will be reviewed with the Local Union. Under no circumstances can the results of a Safety Committee observation be used in any level of discipline, nor reference any individual bargaining unit member.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I recently resigned from the Safety Committee. We had discussed ORO's. Two of the drivers didn't feel it was right for hourlies to observe other hourlies while the other two, myself included, had no problem with them.

I resigned in response to the excessive dispatches of late.


Resident know-it-all.

 

[Big Bad Wolf]

The first line says it all to me. "may not perform"


Where are you pigs now?

 

[Big Bad Wolf]

In our building, the committee will not do a single observation. Management will, we only collect the data to plan where the most help is needed.


Where are you pigs now?