"Skilled Jobs"

[Overpaid Union Thug]

On our shift the sups, who are still pretty new, are kicking people, I being one of them, off the sorting jobs. One of the newbie sups said it was for performance but none of us have been disciplined for missloads or anything else. Not even verbally. So we have been kicked off for no reason and newer guys with less seniority are making more money. The newer people have been getting missloads but haven't been moved yet so what gives? Can those of us that have been moved, and have more seniority, make of case of it? We don't have "bid jobs" but I think it's wrong that we are being forced out out of jobs for no reason and making less money. Can anything be done about this or is this yet another issue that falls into the cracks of the contract?

 

[wakyzachy]

On our shift the sups, who are still pretty new, are kicking people, I being one of them, off the sorting jobs. One of the newbie sups said it was for performance but none of us have been disciplined for missloads or anything else. Not even verbally. So we have been kicked off for no reason and newer guys with less seniority are making more money. The newer people have been getting missloads but haven't been moved yet so what gives? Can those of us that have been moved, and have more seniority, make of case of it? We don't have "bid jobs" but I think it's wrong that we are being forced out out of jobs for no reason and making less money. Can anything be done about this or is this yet another issue that falls into the cracks of the contract?

Well this happened in my center. They "let go" or "made people move to a harder job, knowing they will quit" and so they did. Then they did the same thing to the guys who have been working here say for 20 years. Then guess what they did........They hired back the first group of people that the "Let go" LOL. They are so smart. Dont think this will happen to you, but this shows you they can do anything. Your just a number. I always say "Im just here every day, but I realy dont work here". LOL.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Well this happened in my center. They "let go" or "made people move to a harder job, knowing they will quit" and so they did. Then they did the same thing to the guys who have been working here say for 20 years. Then guess what they did........They hired back the first group of people that the "Let go" LOL. They are so smart. Dont think this will happen to you, but this shows you they can do anything. Your just a number. I always say "Im just here every day, but I realy dont work here". LOL.

No one has quit. I'm not quiting. I've been here too long to quit. Especially on the count of some little part-time supervisors who have never even done the jobs they are supervising. I just hate making $1.00/hr less for no reason and especially while some newbie that can't do a better job gets it. It also sucks that I'm back in the trailer slaving while some kid that hasn't even worked here a year yet is over there with a better job and making more money. They didn't even do this crap at RPS when I worked there. They would try and let the senior people have the better jobs as long as they did the jobs correctly. Only after screwing up did we get replaced by junior employees. That's not the case here. We haven't been informed that our performance isn't up to par.

 

[MacLeod82]

Have you filed a grievance yet? You have the seniority right to bid on jobs, such as Load/Unload, Preload, and Sorter. They can pick your work area, such as smalls, this belt that belt, or this trailer, but within your own job - it can't affect your pay. I don't know how good your local is, but I smell backpay.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Have you filed a grievance yet? You have the seniority right to bid on jobs, such as Load/Unload, Preload, and Sorter. They can pick your work area, such as smalls, this belt that belt, or this trailer, but within your own job - it can't affect your pay. I don't know how good your local is, but I smell backpay.

We don't have bid jobs. On my shift we have one smalls job, one belt sorting job, one unloading job, and two loading jobs. It is a small building with a preload and reload. Even though we don't have bid jobs on our shift they still put up bid sheets for all those different classifications. They only pay us the extra $1.00/hr for smalls or the belt sorter. So, if we don't have bid jobs and if they can put us where ever they want then there is nothing we can do but they surely they can't play favorites, which seems to be the case here because those of us that were bumped off the sorting jobs were never disciplined for performance, when it comes to who get's the skill pay jobs.

 

[vin]

You should not have been kicked out of your skilled job. Management can remove you for "performance" reasons (missorts, misloads, or whatever) but they should be able to back it up with documentation like write ups, warnings, etc. which you said has not happened.

In my building, you are "qualified" for a skilled position (sorter, pick-off) by taking and passing a test. I have NEVER heard of anyone losing the extra $1 for any reason. We have had people pass the test, decide they didn't like the skilled job and go back to what they were doing before. A few others were qualified on one shift, transfer to another shift, and not requalify for any position on the new shift. They all kept the extra $1 for sorters.

They HAVE made us retake the test periodically, but only to stay in the preferred job, not to keep. the $1. I also have heard they can take away the $1 if you are no longer qualified for a skilled position (transfer to a different shift) but have never heard of it actually happening. Your area may be different, but as I said there needs to be documentation.

If there are too many qualified people for the number of skilled positions available, the person with the most seniority get it. If you get moved to an unskilled position for this reason, you should still keep the $1 extra an hour because you are still qualified for the position even if you are not actually working there.

If talking with management (including your sup's supervisor) has gotten you nowhere, file a grievance. You should get your skilled/preferred job back along with back pay for any time you lost the $1/hour.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

You should not have been kicked out of your skilled job. Management can remove you for "performance" reasons (missorts, misloads, or whatever) but they should be able to back it up with documentation like write ups, warnings, etc. which you said has not happened.

In my building, you are "qualified" for a skilled position (sorter, pick-off) by taking and passing a test. I have NEVER heard of anyone losing the extra $1 for any reason. We have had people pass the test, decide they didn't like the skilled job and go back to what they were doing before. A few others were qualified on one shift, transfer to another shift, and not requalify for any position on the new shift. They all kept the extra $1 for sorters.

They HAVE made us retake the test periodically, but only to stay in the preferred job, not to keep. the $1. I also have heard they can take away the $1 if you are no longer qualified for a skilled position (transfer to a different shift) but have never heard of it actually happening. Your area may be different, but as I said there needs to be documentation.

If there are too many qualified people for the number of skilled positions available, the person with the most seniority get it. If you get moved to an unskilled position for this reason, you should still keep the $1 extra an hour because you are still qualified for the position even if you are not actually working there.

If talking with management (including your sup's supervisor) has gotten you nowhere, file a grievance. You should get your skilled/preferred job back along with back pay for any time you lost the $1/hour.

We don't take sort tests here. Never have. When I worked in another building before we had to. It was the same as you said. We would always make the dollar even when we didn't sort. I was thinking they needed proof, such as write ups, missload reports, etc. to justify moving us but I wasn't sure if it applied to us since our sorting jobs aren't bid jobs. That is their answer everytime we have seniority issues. They say they can put anyone anywhere. I don't see how they can have sorting jobs but not have bid jobs. Is that an example of wanting to have a cake and eat it too?

 

[vin]

Basically they can't take you off a skilled/preferred job without cause, whether you had to take a test or not. Since you said they gave you no warnings or any reason other than "performance" they had no cause to move you. Seniority rules- you have more seniority and are qualified for the position. Grieve it.

 

[cino321]

That is absolutley grievance worthy. You have time you have the right to get paid more.

 

[8up]

if i'm not mistaken, in the national contract it doesn't say "skilled". in article 22 section 5. wages; states: Preloader/Sorter at a dollar/hour more vs. All Others. every position has it's own set of "skills" but the sorter and preloaders were paid a higher rate because of sort knowledge. in good ole American fashion you could earn more for what you know and not have to work as hard as if you were in the unload or loading a trailer. i always thought it was a better deal to learn the sort and be out in front of that fan rather than stuck down in that hot trailer. we had to pass the test, never had to retake it as long as were in the sort aisle doing the job.
y'all have a good day. gotta git

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

if i'm not mistaken, in the national contract it doesn't say "skilled". in article 22 section 5. wages; states: Preloader/Sorter at a dollar/hour more vs. All Others. every position has it's own set of "skills" but the sorter and preloaders were paid a higher rate because of sort knowledge. in good ole American fashion you could earn more for what you know and not have to work as hard as if you were in the unload or loading a trailer. i always thought it was a better deal to learn the sort and be out in front of that fan rather than stuck down in that hot trailer. we had to pass the test, never had to retake it as long as were in the sort aisle doing the job.
y'all have a good day. gotta git

No sort test here. Never in my time here anyway. We had a one time sort test when I was in another building. Since there is no clear cut language in the contract concerning skilled pay and seniority in smaller buildings that don't have bid jobs our sups feel inclined to do what they please. They can move people off sorting jobs at will and get away with it unless we come up with something concrete to thwart it.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Only after disaster can we be resurrected.

 

[LKLND3380]

Well this happened in my center. They "let go" or "made people move to a harder job, knowing they will quit" and so they did. Then they did the same thing to the guys who have been working here say for 20 years. Then guess what they did........They hired back the first group of people that the "Let go" LOL. They are so smart. Dont think this will happen to you, but this shows you they can do anything. Your just a number. I always say "Im just here every day, but I realy dont work here". LOL.

Sounds like the people they let go filed a grievence and won...

 

[LKLND3380]

No one has quit. I'm not quiting. I've been here too long to quit. Especially on the count of some little part-time supervisors who have never even done the jobs they are supervising. I just hate making $1.00/hr less for no reason and especially while some newbie that can't do a better job gets it. It also sucks that I'm back in the trailer slaving while some kid that hasn't even worked here a year yet is over there with a better job and making more money. They didn't even do this crap at RPS when I worked there. They would try and let the senior people have the better jobs as long as they did the jobs correctly. Only after screwing up did we get replaced by junior employees. That's not the case here. We haven't been informed that our performance isn't up to par.

Have you talked to you shop steward

 

[LKLND3380]

Have you filed a grievance yet? You have the seniority right to bid on jobs, such as Load/Unload, Preload, and Sorter. They can pick your work area, such as smalls, this belt that belt, or this trailer, but within your own job - it can't affect your pay. I don't know how good your local is, but I smell backpay.

I agree... File a grievence for each one of those newbies and COLLECT the money that EACH of them worked... You should have a nice pay check...

 

[LKLND3380]

We don't have bid jobs. On my shift we have one smalls job, one belt sorting job, one unloading job, and two loading jobs. It is a small building with a preload and reload. Even though we don't have bid jobs on our shift they still put up bid sheets for all those different classifications. They only pay us the extra $1.00/hr for smalls or the belt sorter. So, if we don't have bid jobs and if they can put us where ever they want then there is nothing we can do but they surely they can't play favorites, which seems to be the case here because those of us that were bumped off the sorting jobs were never disciplined for performance, when it comes to who get's the skill pay jobs.

Question 1: Are you in the union?
Question 2: Did you contact the union?

It does not matter how small your building is, you are protected under the same contract as the others in your area...

Volume and size means NOTHING...

It sounds like you would accept them telling you it is a small building so we are only paying you minimum wage. Contact your Union...

 

[HazMatMan]

Ah yes the sort test, I remember it well. My manager once tried to give me a sort test, so he calls me over to the desk and gives me the test paper, I tell him that i'll be right back, so I go back to the sort aisle grab a sort chart and come back to him and the test paper, He asks me what am I doing, I told him I was taking the sort test with the sort chart in front of me because when I am sorting and I don't know something I look at the sort chart, so here we are with the sort test and the sort chart for the answers. He told me to go back to work and never gave me the sort test, lol..

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Thanks for all the responses but I still don't have the "ammo" that I think I need for this. If I go in there and claim that it's a seniority issue then they'll just remind me that we don't have bid jobs and that they can put anyone they want on those skilled jobs. What article states that seniority must be considered when assigning skilled jobs in a building with no bid jobs? I've looked in the contract but I haven't been able to find it. The contract also doesn't say that one must be disciplined before they can be bumped off a skilled job. These must be all the "holes in the contract" that I've heard of over the years. I feel like a Lawyer going into a case without a good defense.

 

[wilberforce15]

What article states that seniority must be considered when assigning skilled jobs in a building with no bid jobs? I've looked in the contract but I haven't been able to find it.

Stop looking, it's not in there. Management is right. They may be acting like *****, but they're still right.

In my building, even bid jobs are only bid to that shift - like a combo guy getting guaranteed work on the Midnight and Preload shift...but within those, he works wherever he's instructed. If management doesn't like him, and doesn't think he's doing well enough at a 'preferred' job, they'll throw him in the back of a trailer unloading. And it's their right to do so.

Same thing works for any other job, unless your bid specifically said the work area/job you are supposed to do. And most bids are not like that.

However, you should still be getting skill pay, and in my building you always do. The rationale is: You are skilled and can perform the job if they have call-ins, etc. Even if you are not doing that job currently, your ability to do it is an asset to the company and you deserve compensation for it. Management here does give skill pay to all who have passed the sort test, even if they get sent somewhere 'un-skilled.' But that is not contractually obligated.

 

[govols019]

Have you talked with your Steward or BA? They have the answers you seek.