thoughts on potential seniority issue

Our center has a full time driver who starts around 7AM to deliver EAM's and a bulk stop for a customer who requires an early delivery. All other EAM drivers (about 5) deliver only EAM's, are full time and the extra work was acquired by seniority. All of these drivers work about 55 hours each week. Lots of overtime, adds up to more than 20 grand extra annually.

This bulk stop driver doesn't have the seniority outright if it was EAM's alone, the bulk stop at one time used to be part of his route, so that's how an attachment was formed. The driver also delivers the residual pieces with his regular package car that come in to the building after leaving with the early car.

Well, routes change and over time this bulk stop location is no longer on his route, all other addresses in that area are serviced by another driver, except for that one stop. And the other driver wants that work.

The other driver has more seniority and it is his delivery area.

How do you think this will play out?
 

Re-Raise

Well-Known Member
We call them service stops at our center and management pretty much puts them on whatever route they want.

Sometimes these stops are placed on a route to deliver on their way out of town because the other truck that normally gets that area doesn't have room for the bulk.

Other times customers will request an earlier delivery like in this case. We have never been able to pick and choose which stops we want because of seniority.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Stops no, route yes.

We have had people bid routes, then have the route change. As long as it keeps 50-60% of the bid route, he can not bid off of it. But if it changes more than that, he can follow the work. At least, that is what it said in our supplement.

d
 
Stops no, route yes.

We have had people bid routes, then have the route change. As long as it keeps 50-60% of the bid route, he can not bid off of it. But if it changes more than that, he can follow the work. At least, that is what it said in our supplement.

d

100% of his route is 1/2 mile away. Only this stop, nestled in a business park where the other driver services all the other addresses, is delivered by him.

I have read this passage in the contract, it seems like he followed his route, leaving behind this orphan stop.

Danny, I have read many of your cogent posts and value your input. Seems like he could be bumped, based on that contractual article. Maybe my interpretation is incorrect.

All parties gather Monday morning to maintain or change the status quo.
However, the result will likely be elevated to the next level.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
You are too kind.

THE actual language states "When a package drivers bid area is geographically permanently (30 calendar days) changed by 50% or more, the driver will have the option to choose which portion of the delivery area he will keep, excluding November or December."

So under our supplement, it is 50%.

That applies to the driver senior enough to bid that route. If they only take a few stops off his route and give them to someone else, he does not have that route. Now, that language does not specifically refer to stops or packages, it just says geographically changed. So that would lean toward actual stops over that geographical area.

Hope that helps.

d
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
There is one other only wild card that you glossed over
bulk stop driver doesn't have the seniority outright if it was EAM's alone, the bulk stop at one time used to be part of his route, so that's how an attachment was formed

So while he trumps the other drivers in seniority for delivering ground, he does not when it comes to just being an air driver. So, you have 5 air drivers that only can deliver air, but this driver delivers both because he used to be a regular driver?

Depending on how your supplement reads, he has the seniority to do his bid job, and the others do not. Therefore, they can not bid his route, even though they have greater over all seniority.

Then there is the question of pay. If he is regularly delivering ground along with the air, he should be getting paid regular driver’s wages, not air drivers. But it sounds like he used to be a regular driver to begin with, so he should be paid that rate, unless he has accepted the air driver’s rate of pay. So while that other driver wants that work, his pay grade will not allow for it to happen, as long as the other driver is being paid regular drivers wages while making that delivery.

So some detailed background on the players, as well as the game is helpful.

Hope that helps. But your contract should be cut and dry on this subject. Doubtful if it gets elevated to the next step past local hearing.

d
 
All the other EAM drivers are mega seniority full time pkg car drivers making top scale with stand alone routes that they do after returning from doing the EAM's. 11 to 12 hours daily. This bulk driver has a decade less seniority and frankly there are other drivers who would love this work too. It's the bulk stop that mucks it up.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Then by the contract, they should be able to bid the route when it is bid. The bulk stop would not be an issue, as they are getting the proper pay for the work performed. But they would have to take the whole route, not just that one stop, or even several stops. As is in the contract, you can follow your route if it changes, or you can bid on a route yearly (under our contract), but you can not file for one stop being moved.

That is assuming that the bulk stop is delivered out of a vehicle that the other drivers are qualified to drive?

So there is either some other piece of the puzzle that you have not posted, because this seems pretty cut and dried.

d
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Then he can want all he wishes, but has no right to that work. All he has the right to do is bid on that route as it becomes open for bid. You can not follow just one stop or file to get it back.

d
 

Johney

Well-Known Member
You say this driver is delivering EAM's and a bulk stop starting at 7 a.m. Why doesn't someone that want's the work with more seniority file on his start time?
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Johney

The drivers are air/full time drivers. The routes are bid. This is his bid route. Only when routes come up for bid can someone bid the route, as nothing has changed over 50% of the route. So who ever wants it, will have to wait til bid time.

d
 

Johney

Well-Known Member
Ok that makes sense. We do not have that type of driver around here. We have EAM drivers who will also deliver NDA if regular drivers are over dispatched with NDA. They can also deliver Savers but can not deliver ground at all.
 
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