What is oversupervision?

[stemispawn]

UPS has staffed enough supervisors on my shift to give a supervisor to every 2 employees. I am a very new steward and I have already filed under article 21 because I have my own supervisor with no other employees. The supervisors are filling in an audit of some kind on all the preloaders that i'm sure will be used later against them for prodution. I'm looking for all the help I can get but my local seems real busy and not sure what I shoud do.

 

[feederdude]

stemispawn,
Your job as a UPS employee is a good start. As a steward, if there is a condition that requires your union support, then you should investigate any wrongdoings. Get all of your fellow workers to be as productive as we can, and maybe we will put some hurt on Fed-ex, that should be your biggest concern as a union representive.
Sincerely,
Feederdude

 

[local804]

A supervisor to every two employees???? That seems a bit much, but if its true, the saying too many chiefs not enough indians fits in just well. Over supervision in my area is when one person or a few seem to get special treatment in the depot. There are always the few suits who keep hopping on the same trucks, auditing the same people, and nailing them to the crosses for something they did that everyone else does (im sure you all know what I mean). To answer your post......If the 2 to 1 ratio suits are not just out to bust balls, just do your job and collect the paycheck at the end of the week.The 2 to 1 ratio will not last long.

 

[kidlogic]

I would see if they are setting up the new preload system before I acted.

 

[bigbrownone]

Posted by feederdude:

"stemispawn,
Your job as a UPS employee is a good start. As a steward, if there is a condition that requires your union support, then you should investigate any wrongdoings. Get all of your fellow workers to be as productive as we can, and maybe we will put some hurt on Fed-ex, that should be your biggest concern as a union representive.
Sincerely,
Feederdude"

If we weren't paying this EXTREME amount of supervisors, then we wouldn't have to worry about fedex,,,,,we may also please the shareholders with a bigger proffit. Isn't that the bottom line when your stock goes public??

 

[jcroche]

OVERsupervision?

He11, everyone knows that the only things that UPS "stupidvisors" do are harass hourly employees at the start of the day and then go into their offices and surf the internet until the drivers start to return.

OOPS!

Are you telling me that UPS has seen fit to put
extra supervision into your operation?

Gee, I wonder why that might be? Could it be that there is a problem there? Nah, I didn't think so. UPS is just trying to justify the number of "stupidvisors" it has on the payroll.

BTW - Monday (07/07) marks my first anniversary of being retired. I was in management for 33 years, the majority of which were in Feeders. When people ask me what I did for a living, I look them square in the eye and reply that I "was a high priced babysitter".

jcr

(Message edited by jcroche on July 05, 2003)

 

[wkmac]

kidlogic,
I think you hit the nail on the head. Prior to PAS being installed IE will do a detailed study in order to determine system needs prior to install and also gathering input data for loop detail. We just went live with PAS and they did the same thing in our building and even when they went live there were tons of folks going out with the drivers on the initial day of the process. A number of Sup/Driver teams laughed about not having a clue at the start but at some point in the process they both figurd it out and everything started to click.

 

[feederdryver]

jcroche-

goo goo ga ga

 

[upslocal480]

<font color="0000ff">The one thing that stands out in my mind as oversupervision is when management follows drivers around in their own personal vehicles as if they were spying on them. They usually get busted though. I've even heard that drivers have took sups to court over this and won.</font>

 

[upsdude]

Win what?

Youre telling me a supervisor has no right to follow around his drivers? Maybe its because Im one of those do what youre supposed to do guys, but I see no problem with a sup doing a little snooping around. As a matter of fact, I wish mine would follow around a couple of the guys in my group. Im tired of having to help the same guys every day, guys that go out with less work than I do. Im no lawyer, but I did spend enough time in law enforcement to know that my boss following me around doesnt violate any laws in my state. It sounds to me like someone is handing you a line.

 

[upslocal480]

<font color="0000ff">Actually that line was "fed" here some time back as well as discussed where I work and yes following people around continously, on the job or off, can be considered a crime. </font>

 

[wigman]

jcroche,
My butt is itchy!!! Take cafe of it, wudjya?

 

[upsdude]

Off the job is one thing, on the job is a completely different issue. Please tell me what law(s) a supervisor would be in violation of by following one of his/her employees during the workday? The very nature of our work, driving an assigned route, would require the supervisor to follow us to confirm that company policy and rules are being followed (no pun intended). Im really not trying to get into an internet argument with you, Im just weary of potentially false information being posted about UPS. The company has enough real issues, we dont need false accusations, i.e.; criminal behavior.

 

[upslocal480]

<font color="0000ff">A sup following a driver around on many occasions can be considered a violation of the contract for sure and also can be in violation of the public law if it gets bad enough. I have a family member that was being followed by an ex-husband and she called the police precinct to ask if anything can be done about him. She had only caught him following her (I called it Stalking) 4 times. The officer she spoke to suggested a restraining order and informed her that if she was to file an official complaint that he would be in serious trouble but she ended up not having to do that. As far as those supposed law suits go....the last one I heard about was in Florida. That's all I can help you with just from memory. I think being followed around by sups is just as bad, in fact, the same thing, as a sup standing over a loader or unloader's shoulder day by day. I have seen sups get nailed for things like that and most will back off at the first sign of the employee getting frustrated with that anyway. That's how it should be done instead of all the filing and law debates. That is my opinion.</font>

 

[rushfan]

I remember the "buyout" that took place a few years ago. It was to reduce the amount of management ie: save some money. Within the past 2 years more positions have been created. More positions now than there were before the "buyout".

 

[dannyboy]

UPS dude

WE had a driver that called the police on a manager following him around. The officer pulled him over and warned the manager to quit, and if he did not, the employee would be able to file charges of stalking. Not hearsay now but actual experience.

That being said, what really stupid reason would you have for stalking a driver? If you want to see how he works, ride with him. For every thing else, you have programs etc you can run for information. In this age of terrorism, theft, and murder, any one following me will get the police called on them. And I WILL press any and all charges I can. And as for filing a grievance under the contract, why would I? There are no teeth in the contract for this type of behavior. I file, you promise not to do it again, the next day you do it again, and I file again, adinfinitum. So what good would it do?

d

 

[feederdryver]

If a cop follows a suspected drug offender around, is he breaking the law or just doing his job?

Sorry, but I agree with UPSdude. It's the nature of the work. As long as the supe isn't obtrusive or jeapordizing the safety of the driver, I see no law being broken.

 

[deliver_man]

UPS management are not cops, and UPS drivers are not supected drug offenders, so that analogy is false. The question is not whether "you" think the law is being broken, the question is whether or not the judicial system thinks that the law is being broken. Dannyboy caled it right, if you think there is a probelm with a driver's methods, ride with him and find out. If you think a driver is breaking the law, call the police and let them handle it. It's their job to follow suspected criminals.

 

[dannyboy]

Feeder

How do you figure it is the "nature of the work?"

Nature of the work is sweating like it was raining, even on cold days, hardly seeing your family during the week because of long hours, having to bite your lip with rude and crude customers (and co-workers)and on and on. That is the nature of the work.

In case you didnt realize it, it is against the law for the police to even follow you around unless they suspect a crime is or will be comitted. Its called reasonable cause.

As a manager, if you think a driver is committing a crime, you are to get LP to take over. If a driver is not doing the job, you are to ride with him. But NEVER is it your job to stalk a driver for any reason.

If you have any doubts, come on down to Tennessee and follow me around for a few hours and we will see who is legally able to do what.

d

 

[feederdryver]

DeliverMan-
So you think cops don't have restrictions, but UPS management do? Cops are not above the law. That's why they have an Internal Affairs dept.
And if a supe suspects a driver is stealing time, how is that different from a cop suspecting a drug offender of doing drugs?
If you were stealing time, and the supe decided to ride with you, would you still steal time?? Maybe the cop should hang out with the druggie all day to see if he's going to do drugs....
Yes cops are not UPS supes, but my analogy is still correct, fool!

Dannyboy-
Quit your whining you babbling buffoon !

"Waaaaaaa,
Help me they're "stalking" meeeeeeeee... Waaaaaaaaaaa !!!"


hahahahaha