TERMINATED: Walking across a stopped belt!!

smallsorter

New Member
I was TERMINATED last night (Tue) for walking across a stopped belt after the shift was over (the HUB mgr. said "How do you know it was secured?") to wash my hands! (they always told us to never walk on a moving belt, and I NEVER have). The union is fighting hard for me, but a safety violation like that unknown to me is known as a "CARDINAL SIN", like dishonesty, etc. If they deadlock at my termination hearing, I will meet with the State Panel for arbitration on 6/23/09. If I don't get my GREAT job back, I'm almost certain that I can get about $550 per month in my pension after 11 & 1/2 years of service, since it is vested. I'm also going to try to file for unemployment...

BTW: I have a GREAT attendance record, as I have never been a no call/no show, and have only called in twice about 10 years ago when my car wouldn't start. I just been late a few times from heavy rain when the traffic on my 27 mile drive on I-75 slows down to a crawl...

I am so upset, ashamed, and embarrassed... Please pray for me.

Please Advise!!!

Small Sorter (Primary
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
If I had to guess you will probably get your job back, the termination will be reduced to a suspension, you will not get back pay and it will be an expensive lesson learned on your part. Good luck to you.
 

bigblu 2 you

Well-Known Member
i dont see this as cardinal,have you been talked to or written up on this in the past? if not you should be back,hopefully you and b.a/rep can resolve this at local level to avoid loss of pay till 6-23.but dont take safety issues for granted. good luck and stay positive.
 

MonavieLeaker

Bringin Teh_Lulz
I was TERMINATED last night (Tue) for walking across a stopped belt after the shift was over (the HUB mgr. said "How do you know it was secured?") to wash my hands! (they always told us to never walk on a moving belt, and I NEVER have). The union is fighting hard for me, but a safety violation like that unknown to me is known as a "CARDINAL SIN", like dishonesty, etc. If they deadlock at my termination hearing, I will meet with the State Panel for arbitration on 6/23/09. If I don't get my GREAT job back, I'm almost certain that I can get about $550 per month in my pension after 11 & 1/2 years of service, since it is vested. I'm also going to try to file for unemployment...

BTW: I have a GREAT attendance record, as I have never been a no call/no show, and have only called in twice about 10 years ago when my car wouldn't start. I just been late a few times from heavy rain when the traffic on my 27 mile drive on I-75 slows down to a crawl...

I am so upset, ashamed, and embarrassed... Please pray for me.

Please Advise!!!

Small Sorter (Primary

Walking over a stopped belt to wash your hands?:dissapointed:
 

chopstic

Well-Known Member
Hmmmm.... I pretty much have the safety quizzes memorized by now and I can't recall any statements about walking across a stopped belt. Let's see here... There is training on the steps to stop and secure a belt, but that doesn't at all address your issue. There is the question on who can unsecure a belt after it has been secured, but that also doesn't apply to this situation. What training have we received to inform us to not walk across a stopped belt?
 

GUTHREE

Mrs. Smooth
About 18 years ago, I can remember hearing a hellacious scream early in the morning during the preload hours. It was a scream that left you will chill bumps up and down your neck. Apparently a pre-loader had jumped up on the belt to break a jam and someone turned the belt back on. She got her leg caught in some metal diverter thingy, and ended up having to be careflighted out of the building. I'll never forget hearing that scream that made you almost buckle to your knees. I can understand UPS being a stickler for safety, for something like this would only take one time.

Sorry to hear about that dude, you will probably get your job back. Sounds like a suspension coming, maybe, and i bet you'll never get back on that belt again. Keep your head up, unless they can prove that you're a total careless and at risk behavior employee,(lol) you'll be fine. I'm sure they would wanna take the "safety methods" route. We just had a supervisor over here give a driver a WARNING LETTER for not "lifting with his legs", while being observed on area. ***. Has it all come down to this????
 

1989

Well-Known Member
Hmmmm.... I pretty much have the safety quizzes memorized by now and I can't recall any statements about walking across a stopped belt. Let's see here... There is training on the steps to stop and secure a belt, but that doesn't at all address your issue. There is the question on who can unsecure a belt after it has been secured, but that also doesn't apply to this situation. What training have we received to inform us to not walk across a stopped belt?


You answered your own question...The training is walking on an unsecured belt. You can walk on it as long as the belt is secured weather it is moving or not.:funny:
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
You answered your own question...The training is walking on an unsecured belt. You can walk on it as long as the belt is secured weather it is moving or not.:funny:
Yes and our training also requires us to close our bulk head door, but how many drivers do you know that have ever been fired for not closing it?
 

User Name

Only 230 Today?? lol
I was TERMINATED last night (Tue) for walking across a stopped belt after the shift was over (the HUB mgr. said "How do you know it was secured?") to wash my hands! (they always told us to never walk on a moving belt, and I NEVER have). The union is fighting hard for me, but a safety violation like that unknown to me is known as a "CARDINAL SIN", like dishonesty, etc. If they deadlock at my termination hearing, I will meet with the State Panel for arbitration on 6/23/09. If I don't get my GREAT job back, I'm almost certain that I can get about $550 per month in my pension after 11 & 1/2 years of service, since it is vested. I'm also going to try to file for unemployment...

BTW: I have a GREAT attendance record, as I have never been a no call/no show, and have only called in twice about 10 years ago when my car wouldn't start. I just been late a few times from heavy rain when the traffic on my 27 mile drive on I-75 slows down to a crawl...

I am so upset, ashamed, and embarrassed... Please pray for me.

Please Advise!!!

Small Sorter (Primary


Funny thing sometimes, is even though you are a good employee and have never been late or missed work, or don't missort, or make mistakes, or any of the bad things, when they want to they can make an example of ya. Good luck and hang in, everything will turn out okay.....
 

stevetheupsguy

sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
People walk over the belt constantly without it being secured, in our building. MGMT and Hourlies equally. Sounds like another flava of the month to me, better yet, wrong place wrong time. I have never heard of a bulkhead firing or even a warning letter for that matter.
 

helenofcalifornia

Well-Known Member
It sounds like you are being made an example for others. I would ask how many other UPSers have been fired for this violation. You never were told about this before? Where are all the "cardinal sins" written down? Can you see them? Shouldn't they be publicized so everyone knows them? If it is a "cardinal sin" every UPSer in the nation should know about this. Sounds just like Steve said, "flavor of the month."
 

bubsdad

"Hang in there!"
This is another example of "Do as I say not as I do". We have supes jumping across running belts, running up belts to get leakers,etc. Safety is only a concern when it is convenient and timely. I pray you get your job back. Just remember that if you do, don't give them any reason to say you are not following proper methods because apparently someone has it out for you.
 

bigbrownhen

Well-Known Member
Several people cross stopped belts here as well, never been a problem. I hate that you are in such a mess. It is extreme if you ask me to be terminated on your first offense, if it is such.
Perhaps there was a recent incident somewhere to bring attention to it. I can see where it could be a saftey issue. I imagine we will all have a PCM on this eventually. I hope you don't get a suspension, lost wages and all. Best of luck to you, hopefully common sense will prevail over an over zealous manager.
 

redshift1

Well-Known Member
I was TERMINATED last night (Tue) for walking across a stopped belt after the shift was over (the HUB mgr. said "How do you know it was secured?") to wash my hands! (they always told us to never walk on a moving belt, and I NEVER have). The union is fighting hard for me, but a safety violation like that unknown to me is known as a "CARDINAL SIN", like dishonesty, etc. If they deadlock at my termination hearing, I will meet with the State Panel for arbitration on 6/23/09. If I don't get my GREAT job back, I'm almost certain that I can get about $550 per month in my pension after 11 & 1/2 years of service, since it is vested. I'm also going to try to file for unemployment...

BTW: I have a GREAT attendance record, as I have never been a no call/no show, and have only called in twice about 10 years ago when my car wouldn't start. I just been late a few times from heavy rain when the traffic on my 27 mile drive on I-75 slows down to a crawl...

I am so upset, ashamed, and embarrassed... Please pray for me.

Please Advise!!!

Small Sorter (Primary

This seems harsh even for UPS. Have you had previous issues with Management regarding safety?. If everything is as you have stated and no other issues exist then you will get your Job back. This is not a Cardinal Sin.
 

DS

Fenderbender
UPS works in weird ways.I have been a ft driver 19 yrs and never until last week did I ever hear about walking on moving belts.They gave us a letter to sign that stated if we ever walked on a moving belt we could face termination.I rts it but I think some overzealous(as usual) wanna be sup has taken this beyond what it needed to be.You will be fine.
Maybe someone died and its a court order to stop the carnage.shhh..
I jumped under the boxline and found the wreaking corpses of 2 preloaders,one pt sup and a lot of empty cell phone packages.
I said nothing.CYA.
 

smallsorter

New Member
This seems harsh even for UPS. Have you had previous issues with Management regarding safety?. If everything is as you have stated and no other issues exist then you will get your Job back. This is not a Cardinal Sin.

No I've never had previous issues with Management regarding safety. In fact, the HUB manager was standing about 12 feet away facing me when I walked across the stopped belt and back across it after washing sticky off of my hands. If it was so wrong, he should have said something to me before I even initially raised up my leg to go across the belt. He didn't say a word until after I went back across the belt!

I looked at Article 17 in the Central States contract supplement, and only things like dishonesty, a roll away, an accident resulting in death, etc., etc. were "Cardinal Sins"

Thanks for all of the words of encouragement and advice thus far!
 
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