UPS pilots asked for concessions we are next?

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

UPS saved a decent amount of money when it changed the terms of the PT health insurance plan. You now need to be employed with the company for 12 months to get health insurance, and 18 months for dependents.

Would you classify this as a concession?

 

[Braveheart]

Wow... I couldn't have said it better myself. But taking concessions could be a good bargaining chip to barter for other things we want.

Great point. I would be willing to give up the next couple of raises for some work rule protections, more protections from harassment/excessive supervision, more 8 hour day requests, less abuse of the helpers ahead of our part time workers and cover drivers, extra vacation, more flexibility with converting vacations to individual days off, 1/2 day pay actuals or ability to work Saturdays to make up for missing a day for Dr appointment, stop the changing out of our trucks, start times, satellite routes etc etc, a stronger grievance process, stronger penalties for violating seniority, more flexibility with lunch like extending it for Dr appointment on area or right to code 5 if we need to skip it for family emergency, so on and so forth.

They would save millions and millions of dollars if we skip the next couple of raises.

 

[BLACKBOX]

Did anyone catch was a great benefit the UAW has worked out for their members in the event of a layoff?

Its in their contract that the company will make up the difference they would lose after filing for unemployment. So they really won't lose a penny by being jobless.

Really makes me think twice about those poor,poor unemployed auto workers.

 

[ups767mech]

Did anyone catch was a great benefit the UAW has worked out for their members in the event of a layoff?

Its in their contract that the company will make up the difference they would lose after filing for unemployment. So they really won't lose a penny by being jobless.

Really makes me think twice about those poor,poor unemployed auto workers.

The UAW has renegotiated their contract and im sure that isnt in the new one although i havent had the chance to read it yet.

Funny thing is ........ THE COMPANY AGREED TO THAT.

 

[Catatonic]

Did anyone catch was a great benefit the UAW has worked out for their members in the event of a layoff?

Its in their contract that the company will make up the difference they would lose after filing for unemployment. So they really won't lose a penny by being jobless.

Really makes me think twice about those poor,poor unemployed auto workers.

If the company goes bankrupt, then they will not get anything.
Something for nothing is what it sounds like to me.
Also, what percent of GM is owned by the Union now?

 

[Just Numbers]

Great point. I would be willing to give up the next couple of raises for some work rule protections, more protections from harassment/excessive supervision, more 8 hour day requests, less abuse of the helpers ahead of our part time workers and cover drivers, extra vacation, more flexibility with converting vacations to individual days off, 1/2 day pay actuals or ability to work Saturdays to make up for missing a day for Dr appointment, stop the changing out of our trucks, start times, satellite routes etc etc, a stronger grievance process, stronger penalties for violating seniority, more flexibility with lunch like extending it for Dr appointment on area or right to code 5 if we need to skip it for family emergency, so on and so forth.

They would save millions and millions of dollars if we skip the next couple of raises.

Some good points but, I fail to see a cost savings in the millions if people get extra vacation or 1/2 day pay for a dr. appt. Even if you work Saturday I believe those drivers cost UPS less. As to the part about converting vacations into days off (someone correct me if I'm wrong) I believe one of the weeks of vacation came from combining 3 sick days and 2 option days together. It seems they can't dispatch properly now, can you imagine what it would be like if 1/3 of the drivers called in to take a vacation day. You would be out till midnight!

 

[JonFrum]

Originally Posted by CFLBrown

UPS saved a decent amount of money when it changed the terms of the PT health insurance plan. You now need to be employed with the company for 12 months to get health insurance, and 18 months for dependents.

Would you classify this as a concession?

Yes. Though a better term would be SELLOUT!

Imagine paying five year's of dues and initiation fees to an organization so that they can get you 17.5 hours a week at minimum wage, and they negotiate away health care for the first year and a half!

 

[JonFrum]

Great point. I would be willing to give up the next couple of raises for some work rule protections, more protections from harassment/excessive supervision, more 8 hour day requests, less abuse of the helpers ahead of our part time workers and cover drivers, extra vacation, more flexibility with converting vacations to individual days off, 1/2 day pay actuals or ability to work Saturdays to make up for missing a day for Dr appointment, stop the changing out of our trucks, start times, satellite routes etc etc, a stronger grievance process, stronger penalties for violating seniority, more flexibility with lunch like extending it for Dr appointment on area or right to code 5 if we need to skip it for family emergency, so on and so forth.

They would save millions and millions of dollars if we skip the next couple of raises.

And that list of complaints is only a partial one.

But I doubt the Teamsters will ever negotiate a Contract we can feel good about. UPS and the Teamsters have both been in business over a hundred years. They have been negotiating with each other for the better part of a century. Surely they could have gotten it right by now if they really wanted to.

Each new Contract since 1982 has contained major concessions. Yet the Teamsters always tell us it is the Best Contract Ever, the negotiating team strongly recomends it, and the nationwide officers and Business Agents approve it unanamously. To them, we live in the best of all possible worlds --- thanks to them.

And now we have the bad economy to contend with as well.

 

[Just Numbers]

And that list of complaints is only a partial one.

But I doubt the Teamsters will ever negotiate a Contract we can feel good about. UPS and the Teamsters have both been in business over a hundred years. They have been negotiating with each other for the better part of a century. Surely they could have gotten it right by now if they really wanted to.

Each new Contract since 1982 has contained major concessions. Yet the Teamsters always tell us it is the Best Contract Ever, the negotiating team strongly recomends it, and the nationwide officers and Business Agents approve it unanamously. To them, we live in the best of all possible worlds --- thanks to them.

And now we have the bad economy to contend with as well.

Good points but refresh my memory. Prior to 1982 we did not compete against FEDEX with Next Day Air and our only competition was was the Post Office which tended to self destruct anyway. There was no Roadway Pkg Express (FEDEX GROUND) so I guess my point is it is easier to get what we want in a contract if we have no competition.

 

[JonFrum]

Good points but refresh my memory. Prior to 1982 we did not compete against FEDEX with Next Day Air and our only competition was was the Post Office which tended to self destruct anyway. There was no Roadway Pkg Express (FEDEX GROUND) so I guess my point is it is easier to get what we want in a contract if we have no competition.

UPS had lots of competition back then, and major problems with government restrictions.

R.I.P., REA Express [Bow head for moment of silence]

 

[bubsdad]

I don't like it when people compare teamsters to the UAW. For all of you that have had your rte pulled on certain days and you go home, does ups give you 90% of your pay? I think not.

The UAW and the big 3 made their beds. My former neighbor who retired from jeep recently would get 3 weeks off at a time with 85 or 90% of his pay. And he would tell me how he was doing the company and junior employees a favor. The only thing they did by this is drive themselves straight to Bankruptcy.

10 years ago, they were all getting 5K-10K profit sharing checks from Daimler/Chrysler. I must have missed mine from UPS. It's not our faults the union and CEO's ran their company like a freakin lemonade stand. The sad part is that the greed of so many has affected us all. Same with the banks, they blew that balloon up so much it had to burst.

Just wait, another couple years from the annointed one running the presses like there is no tomorrow and it'll take a wheel barrow full of money just to buy a loaf of bread.

My ex-wife and her dad worked at Chrysler. Both worked as much overtime as they could. She worked 7 days a week 12 hours a day. He worked double shifts. I use the term worked loosely. She started at 10pm and was done working by 2:30am. The rest of her 12 hours was spent playing dominos or whatever. Her dad started at 10pm and was done working by 4am. The rest of his 16 hours was spent at home because he had a buddy that would clock him out. If his buddy didn't work that day he would stick around and sleep until the bars opened then leave and go back to clock out. You people that are comparing the Teamsters to the UAW might as well be comparing hamburgers to filet mignon. Yeah, they're both unions but that's where the similarity ends.

 

[Just Numbers]

UPS had lots of competition back then, and major problems with government restrictions.

R.I.P., REA Express [Bow head for moment of silence]

Forgot about REA. Remember seeing that green truck parked at my last pickup stop. Driver always had his feet up and reading the newspaper. Then one day he wasn't there anymore. Before UPS...REA was the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Food for thought isn't it.

 

[anonymous6]

Concessions may be next. In looking at what has happened to the United Steel Workers and the UAW it is logical the Teamsters will be next. I'm just preparing myself financially as best I can.

I was wondering about this also. First the airline workers took huge cuts in their pensions and now the auto workers. Remember this in 2013 when UPS tries to convince us to leave our pension providers like they did in 1997.

 

[anonymous6]

Was the extension of time before a new part-time employee receives health benefits not a concession? How about the extension of progression for new full time employees, concession or no? The change in the 8-hr day language, surely that was no concession was it?

The last contract was full of concessions.

I agree . Concessions were granted so the Teamsters could organize UPS Freight and Fed-Ex.

 

[farmerbrown]

Great point. I would be willing to give up the next couple of raises for some work rule protections, more protections from harassment/excessive supervision, more 8 hour day requests, less abuse of the helpers ahead of our part time workers and cover drivers, extra vacation, more flexibility with converting vacations to individual days off, 1/2 day pay actuals or ability to work Saturdays to make up for missing a day for Dr appointment, stop the changing out of our trucks, start times, satellite routes etc etc, a stronger grievance process, stronger penalties for violating seniority, more flexibility with lunch like extending it for Dr appointment on area or right to code 5 if we need to skip it for family emergency, so on and so forth.

They would save millions and millions of dollars if we skip the next couple of raises.

Nicely said Braveheart. I would be happy to give up a raise for any of those things. Every time that we get a raise in Local 483, our insurance benefits (copays and amount covered) take a beating.

 

[trplnkl]

One change I would really like to see is having an arbitrator present at all grievance hearings as they do in local 705.That would certainly speed up the process.

 

[govols019]

Nobody asked how my weekend at the river went?

 

[Catatonic]

Nobody asked how my weekend at the river went?

Damn, I'm sorry. How did it go?

 

[govols019]

I found out I'm getting older. I think the skis will have to be retired. Every muscle in my body hurts.

 

[705red]

One change I would really like to see is having an arbitrator present at all grievance hearings as they do in local 705.That would certainly speed up the process.

The sitting arbitrator is only for discipline cases. Lets not forget that we do not have the gps language either.