Sweet!!! I wanna be a shifter for $4 less an hr

outamyway

Well-Known Member
A buddy of mine was offered a shifter position and he is already topped out as an air driver( $20.61/hr). He was told he would have to drop down to $16/hr and it would be 2 years before he would make the top rate at the shifter postion at $27/hr.

I know this is not a rare occurance but he is barely making it now even at his current rate. He just want's something more stable than air driving. Almost all of the air drivers here have had part time jobs to try to make ends meet but as soon as something comes up and we have to leave early, the supervisor make a big issue about it.

Does this company really have an issue with the little guys in UPS (part timers)? I know the friend/T drivers make the company but with out the rest us they wouldn't have a job to do. It just doesn't seem right to have worked for 2 years to earn a topped out progression raise and then lose it for a new position and have to start all over again.

I won't even try and explain all the other crap that's been going on in our center. But I've gone out of my way, but I may be on my way out.

Thanks for reading
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
A buddy of mine was offered a shifter position and he is already topped out as an air driver( $20.61/hr). He was told he would have to drop down to $16/hr and it would be 2 years before he would make the top rate at the shifter postion at $27/hr.

I know this is not a rare occurance but he is barely making it now even at his current rate. He just want's something more stable than air driving. Almost all of the air drivers here have had part time jobs to try to make ends meet but as soon as something comes up and we have to leave early, the supervisor make a big issue about it.

Does this company really have an issue with the little guys in UPS (part timers)? I know the friend/T drivers make the company but with out the rest us they wouldn't have a job to do. It just doesn't seem right to have worked for 2 years to earn a topped out progression raise and then lose it for a new position and have to start all over again.

All of our air guys do their air then some inside stuff and usually get 30-40 hours. They do quite fine for part time.

I won't even try and explain the crap that's been going on in our center. But I've gone out of my way, but I may be on my way out.

Thanks for reading


Can't he do both? Is he doing saturday air? early am air? Afternoon shuttle air?

In our hub the air guy could do both jobs no problem. Get paid his air wage for the air job then for the rest of the shift make shifter wage.

So where I work an air guy might work 2-6 pm as air shuttle then 6-10 as shifter. That sounds like an awesome gig. How's your center set up?
 

outamyway

Well-Known Member
The shifter shift starts just before preload, and ends around noon. He is an EAM drive and has 1030 air route which could actually be considered extra work. I'm sure he could work saturdays, but most of us are already tired of working six days a week.

The air shuttle drivers here are 22.3.

Two people, that I know of, have turned this down because of the drop in pay. Including him.
 

VTBrown

Well-Known Member
So...I fail to see what the problem is here?

He's making over $20hr with benefits for part time work. Wanted something a bit more stable and was offered a position that in the end would pay him $7hr more.

No one told him he HAS to take the position. Heck if you guys feel your in such a bad situation, leave UPS.

Go find a part time job elsewhere for the same benefits and pay. Then come back here and tell us all how much greener the grass is on the other side.

For everyone of you complainers out there making great wages. There is someone working in a factory dreaming of the wages and benefits you have. Probably making $10hr fulltime.
 

outamyway

Well-Known Member
The point is ,why does someone working for the company for 5 years have to take a cut in pay to get a raise. If that makes sense.

And another 2 years before he gets it.
 

VTBrown

Well-Known Member
The point is....he doesn't. It's his choice. If the reward at the end isn't worth it to him he doesn't have to.
He can stay in his already VERY WELL paying part time job.

I was under the impression that once you were out of progression and top rate you were red circled at your current wage until the progression caught up to you for the higher paying position. In regards to switching jobs.

All in all he could go to Local Sort or PreLoad as well if Air Driving for $20+hr is not agreeable with him.
 

hondo

promoted to mediocrity
I'm confused. It appears he's a part-time air driver @ $20.61/hr. Say he gets 5 hours a day (only guaranteed 3)=$82.44/day. The shifter position appears to be full-time (this is what I really need clarified) 8 hoursx$16/hr.=$128/day initially; 8x27=$216 after 2 years. Wait, it looks like you edited your initial post. The quote in #2 says y'all are working 30-40 hr weeks when combined with inside work, which means you're definitely not full-time. So if you're getting 6 hrs/day, all at $20.61/hr(which I don't think you'd get for part-time inside work unless you've got like 10-12 yrs seniority) you're still at $123.66/day. Initial break even point: $128/$20.61per hr=*6.21 hours* per day (no guarantee).
Am I thinking straight here? If so, is there any way to send a virtual dope-slap to your buddy?
 

Harry Manback

Robot Extraordinaire
So...I fail to see what the problem is here?

He's making over $20hr with benefits for part time work. Wanted something a bit more stable and was offered a position that in the end would pay him $7hr more.

No one told him he HAS to take the position. Heck if you guys feel your in such a bad situation, leave UPS.

Go find a part time job elsewhere for the same benefits and pay. Then come back here and tell us all how much greener the grass is on the other side.

For everyone of you complainers out there making great wages. There is someone working in a factory dreaming of the wages and benefits you have. Probably making $10hr fulltime.


So...let's see if I can help you see clearly. First, we'll start by reading a post from start to finish. Upon completion, we will try and digest that which we have just read. After full analysis, we will try and come up with a positive response.

In this case we have, Joe Schmoe. Joe has just completed a two year wage progression process which has landed him at top pay for his job. Congratulations Joe! The only drawback is this, he simply does not get enough hours to make all of his financial ends meet. :sad: It's tough for Joe to keep a separate part time job from UPS because his supervisor is a turd.

One day, a bid sheet is posted for a new job! The top pay level for this particular job is more than his current one! Joe thinks to himself, gee maybe I won't have to work a second job anymore...:punk: But, bad news is on the horizon, for Joe is unaware that if he bids said new job, he will have to start the wage progression all over again. :crying: Joe, is bummed, for two years (30 months where I'm at) is an awful long time to wait, especially since Joe just managed to top out at his current position.

Now, Joe is in quite a dilemma and he has turned to our friend Outamyway for advice. Outamyway in turn came here, looking for the same. I'm fairly certain I read no whining about how bad it to work for the big bad wolf (UPS) anywhere in his post. So maybe you could take it down a notch new guy, cuz the only bitching I read in this thread was yours.
 

VTBrown

Well-Known Member
If the shifter position is Full Time, I'm pretty sure he would stay circled at his Air Driving rate until The Shifter rate caught up and passed his current rate.

I'm guessing the shifting is part time and thus I'm not well versed on the part time contract language. I'm not going down stairs to get my book and I couldn't find the online version of the contract on the Teamster site.

Either way....if your not happy. Leave....don't let the door hit you on the way out.

There are more people then you could even understand that would love to switch jobs with you!
 

hondo

promoted to mediocrity
Hah! there are some much quicker and smarter posters than I on here.

What is the progression table for the shifter job? Sure you'd start at$16, but what is it after seniority (90 days?) in the classification? 12 months? 18 months? If the progression follows how I think it does, at 18 mos. he should be at or above the part-time air top rate. Then a big jump to $27 at 24 months. That and he'd now be in a full-timer's pension. I would hope he's already getting vision, dental, and dependent coverage but I don't know your regional supplement.

Curses! Again quicker posters have brought up more points while dumb ol' hondo searches for answers.

VTBrown, that $27 looks like a full time top rate, and I don't think he would be circled at pt air rate when moving to ft.

Harry, he's already working 6-8 hours/day at a part-time job, why not take the 8 hour full time one? Unless he's worried that the full time shifter is like PC or feeder and actually 10-12 hours/day. Still, he might want to consider a full time job someday, unless he can swing it like that 12 year preloader in FL.
 

outamyway

Well-Known Member
I am venting but the the story is true. I have my own issues at my center and knowing I could end up in this kind of situation really bugs me.

The other guy that did not take the shifter job is coming back to EAMs and air. He's do to take over MY EAM route because he has the seniority to do what he wants. All though He's was fired over 7 months ago and just came back. That's another story.

The only reason I wrote this post here is cause I hear the same crap at my center day in and day out. If every center is run like the one I work at. Then we're all in the wrong place.
 

VTBrown

Well-Known Member
Hondo....the Master Contract states if your part time wage is higher then the starting full time. Your red circled at your current higher part time rate till the full time position passes you. Then you follow the full time progression, whats left of it.

I've seen that happen several times recently in our small center.

Outamyway.....I get the feeling you don't really understand the situation.
 

outamyway

Well-Known Member
Hondo....the Master Contract states if your part time wage is higher then the starting full time. Your red circled at your current higher part time rate till the full time position passes you. Then you follow the full time progression, whats left of it.

I've seen that happen several times recently in our small center.

Outamyway.....I get the feeling you don't really understand the situation.

Come work at my center and I'll show you the situation. Mean while don't ever tell me what I do or don't understand.
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
What I don't understand is if he can do both? EAM and shifter? Or is it one or the other?

Does he keep his EAM route and take additional hours as shifter at lower rate? Or does he reclassify and he's only a shifter for lower pay without the EAM route? Is this shifter position full time?


If he loses his EAM route when he takes the shifter position then I understand the turmoil.

In my area PT shifters make ~18.00$ with no progression. Just a 2 day training class and you're a shifter.
 

outamyway

Well-Known Member
What I don't understand is if he can do both? EAM and shifter? Or is it one or the other?

Does he keep his EAM route and take additional hours as shifter at lower rate? Or does he reclassify and he's only a shifter for lower pay without the EAM route?

He can't do both because he would start just before preload and end sometime after. The EAM shift starts at 6:30, right in the middle of preload.

It's for part time shifter, I could have been more specific but I honestly didn't think there was a full time shifter position. Looks like most jobs at UPS are part time.
 
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