UPS PE Management are now denying safety items.

tieguy

Banned
Unless UPS is in the habit of supplying things that are not essential for years. OH that's right this is UPS and we all know the qualilty of management that is roaming the halls of the mighty UPS.

To answer your question yes they are essential safety supplies to have on hand just like dust masks, eye goggles, safety glasses, chemical gloves, welding respirators, welding masks, ear plugs, and so on and so on. They are essential and they are invaluable.

You union brothers you think this may be small but don't be so quick to judge. When corrupt, dishonest people starts setting these kind of trends the rank and file should unite and nip it in the bud.

dude puff puff pass.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
OK, PE Pro. You've vented on the internet, so what do you do next? Do you bring it to the attention of someone higher up the food chain, or do you buy your own gloves and sleeves?
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
OK, PE Pro. You've vented on the internet, so what do you do next? Do you bring it to the attention of someone higher up the food chain, or do you buy your own gloves and sleeves?

He could ask his greedy, corrupt and dishonest boss for some more. Some people create their own hostile work environment.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Things such as gloves and sleeves are HARDLY anything to get THIS worked up over. Please re-evaluate your life.

As a shop steward, I recently sat in on a disciplinary hearing where a driver was being issued a warning letter because of a 180 second discrepancy between his reported break/meal time and what showed on Telematics. We spent a total of 45 minutes of paid driver time discussing this "issue".

UPS wrote the book on splitting hairs, it doesnt have the right to complain when its employees start reading from it themselves.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
I'm just sick of people crying "safety" to get their way. There is inherent risk with everything.

I will remember to say that the next time I get hauled in to the office and instructed to regurgitate the 10 pt commentary or the 5 seeing habits so that the center can get a passing grade on some audit.

I have a feeling they wont agree with me.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
You know, on the surface I can see why a $.28 pair of gloves might not seem like a big deal....but it is in fact part of a larger trend.

Cheap uniforms. Refusing to fill uniform orders due to "budget cuts". Constant shortages of needed items like decent handtrucks, tape guns, pens, delivery notes. Good luck trying to find a squeegee and a bottle of Windex to clean off your filthy mirrors--we are UPS and we cant afford such luxuries.

Due to overcrowding, I have to park outside and in the winter my winshield is often frozen over. I will spend 15 minutes on the clock idling and defrosting because the company is too cheap to buy a $2 ice scraper taped to a broom handle.

The OP makes a valid point that the items described are part of his job function and that the company will no longer provide them as it has done in the past. Left unchecked, this trend will only get worse...like a small crack in a dam.

As a driver, how would you feel if you came to work one day and all the pens and delivery notes were in a vending machine and you had to start paying $.28 apiece for them?

I could care less about food or safe driving awards or other discretionary items....but if it is a needed part of the daily job function then the company should provide it.
 

RoyalFlush

One of Them
You know, on the surface I can see why a $.28 pair of gloves might not seem like a big deal....but it is in fact part of a larger trend.

Cheap uniforms. Refusing to fill uniform orders due to "budget cuts". Constant shortages of needed items like decent hand trucks, tape guns, pens, delivery notes. Good luck trying to find a squeegee and a bottle of Windex to clean off your filthy mirrors--we are UPS and we cant afford such luxuries.

Due to overcrowding, I have to park outside and in the winter my winshield is often frozen over. I will spend 15 minutes on the clock idling and defrosting because the company is too cheap to buy a $2 ice scraper taped to a broom handle.

The OP makes a valid point that the items described are part of his job function and that the company will no longer provide them as it has done in the past. Left unchecked, this trend will only get worse...like a small crack in a dam.

As a driver, how would you feel if you came to work one day and all the pens and delivery notes were in a vending machine and you had to start paying $.28 apiece for them?

I could care less about food or safe driving awards or other discretionary items....but if it is a needed part of the daily job function then the company should provide it.

Based upon my experience there is a reason for everything. UPS tracks everything. I doubt anyone is concerned about a pair of 28 cent gloves. It is the abuse or excess that shows up on the radar screen. UPS knows paper, pens, uniforms, and even gloves may be needed. They just don't want people wasting resources. Rather than make it seem that UPS is creating a safety hazard by not spending 28 cents we should get to the real issue.
How many gloves are absolutely necessary? How many have been ordered/used in the last year? My guess is that the number ordered/used is far in excess of what is reasonable. The same scenario applies to uniforms, hand trucks, pens, paper, printer ink. There are legitimate needs, but there is also a lot of waste.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
How many gloves are absolutely necessary? How many have been ordered/used in the last year? My guess is that the number ordered/used is far in excess of what is reasonable. The same scenario applies to uniforms, hand trucks, pens, paper, printer ink. There are legitimate needs, but there is also a lot of waste.

The individual who is responsible for making these determinations is, in most cases, completely removed from the operation in question and has no real concept of the impact his decision will make upon those of us in the real world who are actually doing the work. He is simply a bean counter behind a desk someplace who is looking to "cut costs". He has no problem spending $10 to save a dime as long as the dime shows up on his report and the $10 shows up on someone elses.
 

PE Pro

Well-Known Member
You know, on the surface I can see why a $.28 pair of gloves might not seem like a big deal....but it is in fact part of a larger trend.

Cheap uniforms. Refusing to fill uniform orders due to "budget cuts". Constant shortages of needed items like decent handtrucks, tape guns, pens, delivery notes. Good luck trying to find a squeegee and a bottle of Windex to clean off your filthy mirrors--we are UPS and we cant afford such luxuries.

Due to overcrowding, I have to park outside and in the winter my winshield is often frozen over. I will spend 15 minutes on the clock idling and defrosting because the company is too cheap to buy a $2 ice scraper taped to a broom handle.

The OP makes a valid point that the items described are part of his job function and that the company will no longer provide them as it has done in the past. Left unchecked, this trend will only get worse...like a small crack in a dam.

As a driver, how would you feel if you came to work one day and all the pens and delivery notes were in a vending machine and you had to start paying $.28 apiece for them?

I could care less about food or safe driving awards or other discretionary items....but if it is a needed part of the daily job function then the company should provide it.

You seem to be one of the few on this site that is not a smart aleck, a know it all or deep in Brown Denial. You have clearly read the point of the post, as my first sentence stated the point wasn't about the gloves or the sleeves, the point was about the dangerous trend. I do use the sleeves but I don't even use the gloves but I know a lot of Porters and mechanics do. They first denied the gloves and then a few weeks later they denied the sleeves. What will be next is the question?
 

local804

Well-Known Member
You seem to be one of the few on this site that is not a smart aleck, a know it all or deep in Brown Denial. You have clearly read the point of the post, as my first sentence stated the point wasn't about the gloves or the sleeves, the point was about the dangerous trend. I do use the sleeves but I don't even use the gloves but I know a lot of Porters and mechanics do. They first denied the gloves and then a few weeks later they denied the sleeves. What will be next is the question?

I agree.... a lot of the wise ass comments are really getting played.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
You seem to be one of the few on this site that is not a smart aleck, a know it all or deep in Brown Denial.
1 for 3 ain't bad. :wink2:

But you are right ... next thing you know, they will be replacing 3-point seat-belts with lap-belts.

PS - I will admit that I am a major league smartaleck ... and proud of it.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
You know, on the surface I can see why a $.28 pair of gloves might not seem like a big deal....but it is in fact part of a larger trend.

Cheap uniforms. Refusing to fill uniform orders due to "budget cuts". Constant shortages of needed items like decent handtrucks, tape guns, pens, delivery notes. Good luck trying to find a squeegee and a bottle of Windex to clean off your filthy mirrors--we are UPS and we cant afford such luxuries.

Due to overcrowding, I have to park outside and in the winter my winshield is often frozen over. I will spend 15 minutes on the clock idling and defrosting because the company is too cheap to buy a $2 ice scraper taped to a broom handle.

The OP makes a valid point that the items described are part of his job function and that the company will no longer provide them as it has done in the past. Left unchecked, this trend will only get worse...like a small crack in a dam.

As a driver, how would you feel if you came to work one day and all the pens and delivery notes were in a vending machine and you had to start paying $.28 apiece for them?

I could care less about food or safe driving awards or other discretionary items....but if it is a needed part of the daily job function then the company should provide it.

What about gloves for package handlers? Sunglasses for drviers? How far will we take this? Too many gray areas that are not in writing /contract.

As far as D notes, obviously there should be a surplus of them if the economy and package volume is really down. ahem ;)
 

tieguy

Banned
You seem to be one of the few on this site that is not a smart aleck, a know it all or deep in Brown Denial. You have clearly read the point of the post, as my first sentence stated the point wasn't about the gloves or the sleeves, the point was about the dangerous trend. I do use the sleeves but I don't even use the gloves but I know a lot of Porters and mechanics do. They first denied the gloves and then a few weeks later they denied the sleeves. What will be next is the question?


Hopefully not the kleenex box!!
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
What about gloves for package handlers? Sunglasses for drviers? How far will we take this? Too many gray areas that are not in writing /contract.

Which is why we have a "past practice" clause in the contract.

The company has never provided gloves for package handlers or sunglasses for drivers, nor should it be expected to do so. They are not necessary job related items of equipment.

The company does provide disposable gloves for drivers to use while fueling their package cars, as well as to the mechanics who service the cars. In this case, the gloves are necessary job related items of equipment.

I would say that a Plant Engineer who is working on greasy or filthy machinery ought to be entitled to the same sort of protective equipment that the company already provides to the drivers and mechanics.
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
Which is why we have a "past practice" clause in the contract.

The company has never provided gloves for package handlers or sunglasses for drivers, nor should it be expected to do so. They are not necessary job related items of equipment.

The company does provide disposable gloves for drivers to use while fueling their package cars, as well as to the mechanics who service the cars. In this case, the gloves are necessary job related items of equipment.

I would say that a Plant Engineer who is working on greasy or filthy machinery ought to be entitled to the same sort of protective equipment that the company already provides to the drivers and mechanics.

I've never been offered a pair of disposable gloves for the purpose of fueling. 3 years ago our center manager bought a bunch of gloves with the nice grip for drivers to use while delivering. The Center has been supplying them free of charge ever since. As with everything else, different regions, different policies.
 
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