supervisors loading trucks, no steward.

[JDAM00]

Our part time steward was in a bad accident, he's out of work indefinitely. Our full time steward quit. We don't have a steward. Every day, I see supervisors working. Loading trucks, and driving.

I have always had the motto of work steady, always on time, keep your head down mouth shut and wait patiently for your chance to drive.

They really need to bring another hourly employee into the preload, and to avoid it they are loading trucks with backed up newer employees who don't know how things work. A kid who needs money is sitting home waiting by the phone (at times probably literally) because I don't have the guts to speak up. That bothers me the most.

What's the best way to approach this?

 

[FOURX]

I do believe that anyone can and should be able to act as a shop steward, even when a shop steward isnt avaliable for what ever reason.
Although familiarity with the contract and its articles are a must know..... The fact alone that a management employee is performing union work should be enough to say: " Stop performing union work, and find some one to do it!, A grievance will be file for the hours Management personnel performs union work. simple as that.....
Its about standing up and enforcing your contract.... It all starts with you ...

 

[UPS Preloader]

Our part time steward was in a bad accident, he's out of work indefinitely. Our full time steward quit. We don't have a steward. Every day, I see supervisors working. Loading trucks, and driving.

I have always had the motto of work steady, always on time, keep your head down mouth shut and wait patiently for your chance to drive.

They really need to bring another hourly employee into the preload, and to avoid it they are loading trucks with backed up newer employees who don't know how things work. A kid who needs money is sitting home waiting by the phone (at times probably literally) because I don't have the guts to speak up. That bothers me the most.

What's the best way to approach this?

Until someone starts filing grievances on this it will continue to happen. Management will take advantage of us as long as we will let them. If you don't have a steward available, you can file a grievance with a steward from another shift and if there aren't any you can simply file it with your local business agent. If you don't have the "guts" to do it, you should at least be notifying the kid at home so that he or she can file on it.

In answer to your question: The best way to approach this is to grow a pair and confront management and file grievances as necessary. (JMO)

 

[PiedmontSteward]

Our part time steward was in a bad accident, he's out of work indefinitely. Our full time steward quit. We don't have a steward. Every day, I see supervisors working. Loading trucks, and driving.

I have always had the motto of work steady, always on time, keep your head down mouth shut and wait patiently for your chance to drive.

They really need to bring another hourly employee into the preload, and to avoid it they are loading trucks with backed up newer employees who don't know how things work. A kid who needs money is sitting home waiting by the phone (at times probably literally) because I don't have the guts to speak up. That bothers me the most.

What's the best way to approach this?

Call your union hall and ask to speak with your business agent. Explain the situation and the fact that there are guys laid off that need to work sitting at home because supervisors are working. Ask to be appointed as a shop steward so you can file and process your own grievances. Then start dropping the hammer on them.

It's one thing if sups are wrapping up an area and part-timers are fleeing like rats on a sinking ship -- I see this every night and it drives me nuts. But it's another if someone needs the hours and supervisors are stealing that time from them.

 

[JDAM00]

Thanks guys. The sups have been putting newer employees on heavy loads, and have been helping them because the new guys don't know any better. The former steward told me to talk to these new employees and when a sup starts to load their trucks, to immediately stop working, stand there and watch. According to the rules, a sup can load a truck when he is training someone. (Among other reasons, egress, or emergency situation like power was out for 2 hours earlier) Only one can be working at a time when training. If asked the newer employee is to give the sup this info, and If the sup tells the newer employee to keep working anyway, or to ignore it, he should listen to the sup, and the union will handle it from there.

I'm not sure how happy I am with that, having the new employee take that on, especially if they are not union and could just be let go, or never called in. I need to handle it.

Where is this "rule" found? Is it directly in the contract or is it mixed up somewhere in a policy and procedure book? When I inform management that he is not following procedure, I want to know exactly what it is, and l what to quote it.

Thanks