Southern Supplement Change-Will It Stop Drivers From Working Their Vacations? **ON TOPIC PLEASE**

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Current Language: Article 61(G)

"In lieu of time off, employees, at their discretion, may take the pay

for said weeks. However, the employee must notify the Employer

during September of each year of this request."


Proposed Language: Article 46, Section 6(A)

"Package car drivers who do not hold a bid route will have the opportunity to bid any route(s) that

will be vacant for the entire following week. The vacant routes will be posted on Tuesday and

completed by Thursday. If a bid driver returns to work mid-week, they will be placed on their

route at their next scheduled start time.


If a package car driver is pulled from their bid route to cover another route, a package car driver

would be entitled to a two (2) hour penalty payment at his/her straight time rate of pay."




Our local tends to ignore violations of Article 61 G (Top) by letting drivers work during their scheduled (not sold) vacation. Right now there is no strong penalty for this violation, but 'm hoping that new language (second from top) will prevent it. But the language is definitely open to interpretation. Specifically the last two sentences.

Under the current language (Top) we are supposed to select how we want to use our option days AND how many vacation weeks we want to sell. That process is supposed keep those that wish to work from selecting and potentially blocking out vacation weeks for people that actually want those weeks off. That language should be more than enough to stop the violations but without any real penalty it doesn't. The last two sentences are the problem. These loopholes and weak language are the main reasons I always vote no on both the National and Southern Supplement. But I'm still hoping the new language helps.

For example: A bid driver has selected Spring Break 2019 for a vacation week. His/her route will be put up for bid the week before and an unassigned driver will win the bid and essentially be the bid driver the following week. The normal driver decides to come in on Wednesday and work. Will they be sent home? If not could the driver that bid their route grieve it and cite the new language to get the two hour penalty payment and cite Article 61(G)? Thats how I interpret it.

Or does "...they will be placed on their route at their next scheduled start time" mean they can work but will not be on their route until the following Monday? If they are scheduled to be on vacation that week then logic says that they are not scheduled to work until the following Monday. But there's still that pesky Article 61(G). But it usually doesn't stop anyone anyway so....

Thoughts?
 

gman042

Been around the block a few times
When I have worked on my vacation week it’s has been because the center needed the help.
Never just because I decided to work.
And when I have worked it would be on my own bid route. Otherwise I would not have decided to work
 

DriveInDriveOut

Inordinately Right
"Package car drivers who do not hold a bid route will have the opportunity to bid any route(s) that will be vacant for the entire following week. The vacant routes will be posted on Tuesday and completed by Thursday.

Looks like they'll just have to let management know they want to work their vacation by Monday the week before.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
When I have worked on my vacation week it’s has been because the center needed the help.
Never just because I decided to work.
And when I have worked it would be on my own bid route. Otherwise I would not have decided to work
Permitting drivers to work because "they need the help" perpetuates the problem by giving center managers/on cars no incentive to plan better. Simply following the contract (including only scheduling the allotted amount of people off) ensures they will be fully staffed.

But will this new language help? That's the question. I know others already have something similar in place.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Feeling sorry for the company so you agree to work during your vacation? I just can comprehend this. The company never feels sorry for you.
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
If you close out a prime vacation week that someone under you wanted and then work that week anyway you're a straight up dirtbag. I'm glad we don't allow this nonsense where I'm at.
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
We have 4 or 5 drivers that always work their vacation week. 2 of them let the center manager pick the weeks so that they can block out certain times like the week after x mas.
 

Jackburton

Gone Fish'n
Depends on the center manager and the driver if they let guys do it here. If the driver is deemed a slow guy, they tell them tough luck and throw a runner gunner on it. If they like the driver he could work everyday of his 6 weeks.

This is also dependent on the center manager, which all but one didn’t care if they worked their vacation.
 

alwaysRTS

Shop Steward
I've filed grievances on that based on the driver working unscheduled days. Any work performed on unscheduled days are paid at the overtime rate. During the center level meetings the Labor manager and Division manager get a little pissed off at center manager for allowing the driver to work their scheduled vacation.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
I've filed grievances on that based on the driver working unscheduled days. Any work performed on unscheduled days are paid at the overtime rate. During the center level meetings the Labor manager and Division manager get a little :censored2: off at center manager for allowing the driver to work their scheduled vacation.

Does that work?

I've thought about asking (on the grievance) for the difference in pay for hours worked bwtween the guy that was supposed to be on vacation and the driver that would have been on that route. That's what we do for seniority violations. But it obviously does no good if the other guy clocks out first. Which is usually the case because the young runners tend to smoke the few routes they know. But the guys that work vacations tend to be the OT hogs so are a bit slower.
 

alwaysRTS

Shop Steward
Does that work?

I've thought about asking (on the grievance) for the difference in pay for hours worked bwtween the guy that was supposed to be on vacation and the driver that would have been on that route. That's what we do for seniority violations. But it obviously does no good if the other guy clocks out first. Which is usually the case because the young runners tend to smoke the few routes they know. But the guys that work vacations tend to be the OT hogs so are a bit slower.
It does work. The contract calls for overtime rate for work performed on scheduled days off. It doesn't sit well with the labor manager which is why they have a few words with the center manager who allows it to happen.
 

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
Why in the world would anyone work during their vacation? That’s ludicrous. Short of a family member having outrageous medical bills and you’re in dire need of money, I don’t get it. I won’t even work Black Friday or Saturday's during peak. Days off are priceless at this company. There’s no dollar figure that can get me to drag my arse to work on a day off.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
It does work. The contract calls for overtime rate for work performed on scheduled days off. It doesn't sit well with the labor manager which is why they have a few words with the center manager who allows it to happen.
Maybe your supplement is different. I'm pretty sure OT is only for anything over 8 hrs and 40 hrs or a sixth punch here. But I will try that next time it happens. I mean the driver has already been paid for that week so.......kinda is a sixth punch. Or in some cases up to twelve. Not all work every day.
 

brownelf

Well-Known Member
We had wording in our supplement years back regarding this issue for same reason. We fixed it by making anyone working on a vacation week last to be assigned a route for that day. No bumping onto his bid route, and everyone on seniority list had to be given the opportunity to work first. Once guys couldn't come in and do there own route most stayed on vacation.
 
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