Sup Working

spmoto

Member
Last week a PT sup is loading a package car and it isn't my start time yet. He sticks his head out of the truck like a guilty child trying not to be caught. I go up to him and ask him if wants me to clock in and start loading the truck. He agrees and I see him talking with my full time sup. (I wasn't in his face, like "WHY ARE YOU WORKING", more like hey I want the $ let me work)

Long story short I go from working 4.5 - 5 hours / day to exactly 3.5 hours a day. I'm sure if they could have me start later they would. This entire week they have had someone double shift working time that I was (up until this week) working.

Sound like a coincidence? Should I raise the issue that the other guy is double shifting while I'm barely making my 3.5 hour / day?

Thoughts / Ideas appreciated

KS
 
Extra work goes by seniority. If you feel that they are discriminating against you for your union involvement you should contact your steward or business agent.
 

turdburglar

Well-Known Member
Last week a PT sup is loading a package car and it isn't my start time yet. He sticks his head out of the truck like a guilty child trying not to be caught. I go up to him and ask him if wants me to clock in and start loading the truck. He agrees and I see him talking with my full time sup. (I wasn't in his face, like "WHY ARE YOU WORKING", more like hey I want the $ let me work)

Long story short I go from working 4.5 - 5 hours / day to exactly 3.5 hours a day. I'm sure if they could have me start later they would. This entire week they have had someone double shift working time that I was (up until this week) working.

Sound like a coincidence? Should I raise the issue that the other guy is double shifting while I'm barely making my 3.5 hour / day?

Thoughts / Ideas appreciated

KS
This is not a coincidence. However, if you do not have more seniority than the guy that is double-shifting, there is nothing you can do about him. Although you did not file a supervisors working grievance (which, in hindsight, would have been a better idea, since you could then possibly prove retaliation), you are still being retaliated against for implying that the supervisor should not be working if you are not.

I do not know what you can do about the current situation of the other guy double-shifting during the time that you would be working, but I do know that you have incentive to file supervisors working grievances whenever you see it now, especially if they are letting you go at 3.5 hours and having supervisors work. However, coming from someone who files supervisors working grievances, you must know that if you start filing supervisors working grievances, you will have a target on your back. You have to be beyond reproach (at least, you will have to come in on-time everyday, and make sure you follow the methods to a "T"). They will more likely than not harass you for filing the grievances, move you to a worse load area, over-supervise you, etc., but just file retaliation and harassment grievances in return. Remember to not let them make you angry. They will want you to do something stupid so that they can terminate you. Just do your best, and smile at them when they are yelling at you.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
 

laffter

Well-Known Member
If there is anybody else in the building with lower seniority, still working, while they send this guy home, shouldn't they be sending the lower seniority guy home? I don't think it matters that it's this area, or this belt. If they want to send anybody home after 3.5, it should start with the very lowest seniority workers. So, unless you are indeed the newest person in your building... you have something to grieve. Correct if I'm wrong here.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
If there is anybody else in the building with lower seniority, still working, while they send this guy home, shouldn't they be sending the lower seniority guy home? I don't think it matters that it's this area, or this belt. If they want to send anybody home after 3.5, it should start with the very lowest seniority workers. So, unless you are indeed the newest person in your building... you have something to grieve. Correct if I'm wrong here.
You are not wrong. Many times they tried to kick me out because I was filing on sups working, so they wanted my eyes out of the building. Not so fast, sweetcheeks. I was #3 in seniority.
 

anonymous4

Well-Known Member
I always found it comical that the full time supervisors can convince part time supervisors that doing union work is the right thing. How often do you see a full timer moving packages? Never. Meanwhile you have supervisors busting their balls as a glorified union worker. Hey, wake up fools. It isn't for your own good in any form. Who is going to be on the chopping block when you have dozens of grievances in the pipeline and your center manager doesn't want to pay them out anymore? Your ass is grass.

You will get yelled at for not doing union work, then you will get yelled at by the same person for doing union work when the grievances pile up. Wake up and do your jobs - which DOES NOT involve touching packages. You encourage your workers to be more productive, safe employees. You make sure trucks are on door or off at the right time. You do paperwork and observe your workers and run a good area. You do NOT do union work because you are a weak minded fool who is trying to be a superstar. It won't work and it is a fools game you're being conned into.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
I always find it funny when the BA shows up, all of the sudden, clean hands. Not one sup working. I have had newbies get pissed because of it. I just shake my head and explain the facts of life to them. If it was ok for them to work, they wouldn't stop when the BA shows up. That's why they are called sups.

Another thing I notice is when the DM is coming, everyone is dressed in a suit and stays very clean. Gee, What's that tell ya.
 

laffter

Well-Known Member
I always found it comical that the full time supervisors can convince part time supervisors that doing union work is the right thing. How often do you see a full timer moving packages? Never.

While this may be true in most centers, it's not true here. In recent months, two of our full time sups loaded an area on more than one occasion. Not helped out in the area... but completely loaded it. The load quality sucked, and there were at least a couple of misloads. And, the two of them apparently were so busy that they couldn't be bothered to pull half of their irregs off the bottom belt, which end up coming to me at the very end of the belt. This is one of the lighter areas on the belt. Pretty sad.

This happened because there were staffing shortages. We didn't have a pick-off, and the person who normally loads that area knows how to pick-off on this belt. More people have been hired, and now there is always a person loading that area.

The only person bitching at sups about moving packages is the center manager. He doesn't want to see it happen. My sup was moving an RTS package to the clerk while I was on my way to clock out. He stopped around the corner and set it down, asked me to move it the rest of the way, because the center manager was around. So apparently it's a thing now. The center manager hounds them for working. Someone has been filing, I guess.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
While this may be true in most centers, it's not true here. In recent months, two of our full time sups loaded an area on more than one occasion. Not helped out in the area... but completely loaded it. The load quality sucked, and there were at least a couple of misloads. And, the two of them apparently were so busy that they couldn't be bothered to pull half of their irregs off the bottom belt, which end up coming to me at the very end of the belt. This is one of the lighter areas on the belt. Pretty sad.

This happened because there were staffing shortages. We didn't have a pick-off, and the person who normally loads that area knows how to pick-off on this belt. More people have been hired, and now there is always a person loading that area.

The only person bitching at sups not to move packages is the center manager. He doesn't want to see it happen. My sup was moving an RTS package to the clerk while I was on my way to clock out. He stopped around the corner and set it down, asked me to move it the rest of the way, because the center manager was around. So apparently it's a thing now. The center manager hounds them for working. Someone has been filing, I guess.
We've had two sups loading entire areas for years, on and off. Totally due to staffing shortages brought on my their own mismanagement. They can't get the newbies to stay. Why? They tell HR its because of the jerk dispatcher. They can't get the casuals to work preload because they all hate the dispatcher so much they want to inflict bodily harm, at times. I completely understand why. I have felt that urge myself with him. If they had people who were actual humans working here, they get more out of us.
You'd think they would do something about that. I was told that they went through 20 people in the last 2 months. Seriously.
 

laffter

Well-Known Member
I was told that they went through 20 people in the last 2 months. Seriously.

I believe every word of it. I see new faces almost every other week. Although, I know at this point they're already hiring for peak.

I mentioned this in another thread some time ago, but not too long ago we had a 5-year part timer basically say eff it and walk out in the middle of the shift. He has not been back since.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
I believe every word of it. I see new faces almost every other week. Although, I know at this point they're already hiring for peak.

I mentioned this in another thread some time ago, but not too long ago we had a 5-year part timer basically say eff it and walk out in the middle of the shift. He has not been back since.
They expect way too much out of these people. And, people wonder why I say managers are inhuman. A human would not treat people this way.
 

anonymous4

Well-Known Member
The only person bitching at sups about moving packages is the center manager. He doesn't want to see it happen. My sup was moving an RTS package to the clerk while I was on my way to clock out. He stopped around the corner and set it down, asked me to move it the rest of the way, because the center manager was around. So apparently it's a thing now. The center manager hounds them for working. Someone has been filing, I guess.

Okay, I believe this. My center manager "claims" to not want supervisors working either. Here is the problem. Not everyone is stupid. What is missing from that entire scenario? Does the center manager no longer run the building? So in pre-sort the manager tells his/her workers do not work under any circumstance, and the pt soups still work? Absolutely not. It is encouraged by the center manager no matter how much they claim to say otherwise. Give me a break. If I was the center manager and I told my supervisors you are not working period, I would imagine the majority would obey. Why wouldn't they? Once again this is a cop out to place blame on the back of the PT soup and they fall for it every time.
 

laffter

Well-Known Member
If I was the center manager and I told my supervisors you are not working period, I would imagine the majority would obey. Why wouldn't they?

At the same time the center manager is telling them not to work, their full time sups are harassing them about the production of their belt. The full time sups want the part time sups to harass their workers about production. Some of them do, I'm sure of it. Mine does not. He's pretty "chill" about these things. But you see what the dilemma is. If a belt is understaffed, what does a part time sup do? Does he become an a-hole and try to push everyone on the belt to overwork, or does he disobey the center manager and do some work himself?
 

RolloTony Brown Town

Well-Known Member
Ahhh the same old inside employee complaint as always. I was a loader for 2 years before i got promoted. I've been a pt sup for 4 years. I "work" all the time. "Hey (insert name), you want a breather?" "Need a demo?" "You look a little backed up, i'll clean you up. Have some water." I learned a long time ago that the goals were going to keep increasing and your staffing was always barely on the cusp. I don't want you working, but i want all of it done productively, safely, and no misloads, and your scanning frequency needs to be perfect. If you're an inside employee, do your honest best and know that your pt sup isn't any happier about it than you. If you're a pt sup, then remember that you are your own hardest worker. You know who wants the help and who wants the work so treat your employees with respect. Its all anyones asking for. We're all men. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. I went to bat for my guys day in day out. Thats why we had good days. Its not that hard dudes.
 
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