UPS- Teamsters relationship shifting favorably towards....

[ups1990]

UPS. Here's why. In our center as well as others, drivers have been getting terminated for a wide variety of reasons. I wrote in a different thread that UPS was also going to need 25k new hires not only due to attrition but because of firings.
Our fellow co workers will not confide in us about their questionable delivering and driving habits. Only when UPS holds them liable by means of termination are we all made aware of such practices. In my two decades of service, my experience has been that drivers who get fired had some sort past behavior that they couldn't rein in. For example, tardiness, no-call no-shows,mile discrepancies and not being where they said they were.
PAS has brought an end to the latter practice but some continue to try to act and drive as if it were 1989. Drivers are quite frankly, scared and intimidated when hearing of yet another teamster getting fired. They look at each other and ask "Am I next?". These terminations are holding water at panel, guys are not coming back and this is the sad part. Technology has made us better more productive workers and at the same time more accountable to UPS. We need to ask ourselves, better yet, I need to ask myself, What am I doing that can be seen by this company as being a termination offense?
This is only one man's opinion. UPS currently has the upper hand on its employees but just with any tide or shift and pendulum, it can change direction at any time.

 

[SWORDFISH]

I wasnt aware we are starting to lose the termination cases? I never see us lose. I have seen 1 loss in 13 years and he lost cause he covered up an accident(bent his bumper on a fire hydrant and bent it back using a dock) at christmas he had w/ his helper on board. Would have never got caught but his helper told on him. When asked about it he denied it and denied it. Then he finally admitted to it but was way to late and he was terminated. Other than that we have a driver that is about to lose her job due to 2 DUIs. She is only going to lose her job cuz of law in our state otherwise she would be reinstated. Where are people being permenately terminated and for what reasons? Im curious cuz I thought we were winning the panel and arbitration cases on these.

 

[ups1990]

I wasnt aware we are starting to lose the termination cases? I never see us lose. I have seen 1 loss in 13 years and he lost cause he covered up an accident(bent his bumper on a fire hydrant and bent it back using a dock) at christmas he had w/ his helper on board. Would have never got caught but his helper told on him. When asked about it he denied it and denied it. Then he finally admitted to it but was way to late and he was terminated. Other than that we have a driver that is about to lose her job due to 2 DUIs. She is only going to lose her job cuz of law in our state otherwise she would be reinstated. Where are people being permenately terminated and for what reasons? Im curious cuz I thought we were winning the panel and arbitration cases on these.

Well, where do we start. A driver hiding a DUI from UPS, input of ending miles not correlating to odometer........ So Cal drivers know of these things.

 

[SWORDFISH]

Well, where do we start. A driver hiding a DUI from UPS, input of ending miles not correlating to odometer........ So Cal drivers know of these things.

The guy that put the wrong ending miles. How in the world did that stick? Their has to be more to the story? Im really curious about the situations. Im a steward at my center and I want to warn my people of what is goin on out there.

 

[Highwayman]

I think it's great to do your job the way they tell you and they still make you feel like a thief for doing your job.

 

[Jones]

The guy that put the wrong ending miles. How in the world did that stick? Their has to be more to the story? Im really curious about the situations. Im a steward at my center and I want to warn my people of what is goin on out there.

We had a guy get terminated for that very thing. The reason it stuck is because he was doing it every day. I'm pretty sure if it was just a one time honest mistake it would not be an issue.

 

[jimstud]

Well, where do we start. A driver hiding a DUI from UPS, input of ending miles not correlating to odometer........ So Cal drivers know of these things.

a driver hiding a dui and driving without a license should be fired as far as screwing up puting in the wrong mileage that won't go anywhere.

 

[Catatonic]

We had a guy get terminated for that very thing. The reason it stuck is because he was doing it every day. I'm pretty sure if it was just a one time honest mistake it would not be an issue.

Agreed ... I never did it more than once or twice a month.

 

[bad company]

I got interviewed about my mileage discrepency. It was off by a mile... big friend'in deal. My starting miles didn't match up my ending miles from the day before...turns out my mechanic had performed a PMI. Management is fishing for things...

I also got asked about some over 70s that I keyed in. Unfortunately, they decided to wait until almost a month after the fact, so of course I did not recall.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

When I sign my DVIR I also write down the ending mileage in the upper right hand corner. This is something I started doing when I was on my country run. I would fuel my package car each night on the way back to the center and needed a full tank to complete my day so if the mileage was off I knew someone had used the PC and that I would have to refuel either before starting my route or while on route.

I recall one time reading the operations report and my mileage was circled. Turns out I had a bit of dyslexia and had flipped two numbers adding 45 miles to my day. It sure did make me look good on the report!

 

[scratch]

Regarding reading mileage. I always reset my trip meter when I spot my package car every night. Often times a late pickup air driver or a Saturday Air driver will take it out before I drive it again and not put fuel in it. The newer package cars have an electronic display with two little black buttons at the bottom on the right side. One of them changes the functions from tachometer to mpg to trip length. I just look at it and see how far my package car was driven the last time I was in it, the fuel gauge isn't always accurate.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Neither is the trip odometer.

 

[SWORDFISH]

We had a guy get terminated for that very thing. The reason it stuck is because he was doing it every day. I'm pretty sure if it was just a one time honest mistake it would not be an issue.

Thats totally different. That is clearly not a mistake. Im talking about every so often having an accident of putting it in wrong.

 

[SWORDFISH]

I got interviewed about my mileage discrepency. It was off by a mile... big friend'in deal. My starting miles didn't match up my ending miles from the day before...turns out my mechanic had performed a PMI. Management is fishing for things...

I also got asked about some over 70s that I keyed in. Unfortunately, they decided to wait until almost a month after the fact, so of course I did not recall.

What was the result? They didnt fire you did they?

 

[SWORDFISH]

When I sign my DVIR I also write down the ending mileage in the upper right hand corner. This is something I started doing when I was on my country run. I would fuel my package car each night on the way back to the center and needed a full tank to complete my day so if the mileage was off I knew someone had used the PC and that I would have to refuel either before starting my route or while on route.

I recall one time reading the operations report and my mileage was circled. Turns out I had a bit of dyslexia and had flipped two numbers adding 45 miles to my day. It sure did make me look good on the report!

Thats a good idea Dave. I write down all my #s every day on the back of my info notice pad. Never know when Im going to have to make them look stupid for a false accusation.

 

[soberups]

This is only one man's opinion. UPS currently has the upper hand on its employees but just with any tide or shift and pendulum, it can change direction at any time.

I disagree.

One of the nice things about PAS/EDD and Telematics is that if push comes to shove...you can just shut your brain off and follow the trace and methods by 100% and the resulting service failures will be their fault not yours. Micromanagement and oversupervision work both ways.

 

[ups1990]

The guy that put the wrong ending miles. How in the world did that stick? Their has to be more to the story? Im really curious about the situations. Im a steward at my center and I want to warn my people of what is goin on out there.

This specific case was not about a mile or two difference that occurred on two separated days, but a difference of 7 to 10 miles on numerous days. No steward can possibly defend this action.

 

[bad company]

What was the result? They didn't fire you did they?

I didn't get fired.

Bottom line though, is that they are looking at everything and for anything. And I've been told I can expect my package car to be audited for over 70s in the morning before I leave. Of course they tried to get me to sign some paperwork about the mileage discrepancy, but I told them the only thing I'd do with that document is wipe my ass. My center manager didn't like my response, but that's nothing new...

So now when I have any package that is an over 70 or remotely close to being an over 70 (we all know not every over 70 pkg is properly marked as an over 70), I will send an ODS message and ask for hourly assistance with the package. That way, there are another set of eyes on the package to verify that I am not a liar, and that there is a reduced risk of me being injured.

Interestingly enough, one of the on-road sups in my center told me that IE removed the extra time allowance for over 70s in the special counts section about a month ago. So basically, whether I put down 100 or 0, it doesn't have an effect on the numbers... so how can one insinuate that I am falsifying records to improve their numbers, when the records that I in theory would be falsifying, have zero effect on their numbers?!?!?

 

[pkgdriver]

Interestingly enough, one of the on-road sups in my center told me that IE removed the extra time allowance for over 70s in the special counts section about a month ago.

I also heard that from an on road about 5-6 months ago.
Anybody know if this is true?

 

[Bubblehead]

Thats a good idea Dave. I write down all my #s every day on the back of my info notice pad. Never know when Im going to have to make them look stupid for a false accusation.

Me too.
The bottom of my locker is littered with them.
Not a very sophisticated filing system.