What would you do?

[scooby0048]

1h20 unpaid to get and come back from work?

nonsense, your life is worth more than that

I'm already doing that drive but getting paid to do it. The new satellite doesn't change the drive just the paid day. I have a feeling my day will be later though.

I did the same thing. Gave up a good route for a crappy one in a building closer to where I live. It was worth it for the personal time saved. Longer commute wasn't bad in good weather but could take twice as long sometimes.

With the weather here that is how it is all the time but as for saving time, the drive is the same.

Ran a satellite for about 3 years with the commute time being identical to what you are facing. You will never get home at a decent time, you have to wait for the tp60, then load your own truck, then start your route with a full days volume. After you complete pickups, you must take those back to the tp60 and unload them (more dead time). At days end you park the truck and secure the satellite center and you still have the long drive home. Getting repairs made to the truck was a major hassle, they tend to forget about you.

You are stuck with any problem pkgs. that get sent out to you (damaged, misloads).

The actual satellite location is a huge consideration. Ours was a raised table in the middle of a parking lot ( no bathroom, no water, no shelter overhead).

This is spot on for another satellite center that we have. Those guys are always out late and that is the reason for moving that satellite and making an additional one in a centralized location. Suposedly this new satellite will be better but I have never seen the company promise better and actually make it better.

When they tried that here satellite start times weren’t until 10:30 or 11:00 so your 8 hours aren’t up until 8:00 or so. during peak you could work until 10:00 or 11:00 or later
That was a no go for me

They claim we are going to get volume at the same start time as the current building because the feed truck driver is going to leave 20 minutes early then another driver will bring the overflow later as we are loading. They also said that we were going to get back to our normal start times of around 830-845 since we got air figured out. That was 3 years ago and our start time times are between 930-945 now.

I don't believe anything the company says about efficiency.

 

[NAHimGOOD]

Commute times tend to hold more weight these days...

It's not like you have to learn the job all over.

 

[scooby0048]

Sounds to me like the best thing, and what you are probably already leaning towards, is to follow the work. It sucks that you have to deal with the extra wear and tear and fuel expense. Hope it works out for you, one way or the other.

You're right I am leaning towards following the work. Just trying to see what the consensus is from my colleagues in this situation. Since I have had my own route I have to admit, knowing where I'll be everyday, what truck I will be in, not having to go back out to help, not running 200 stops, has been a real stress reliever.

I just can't imagine going back into the swing pool and having to go through this all over again. I started this job older in life and went through the whole process for the first 6 years on the job. I'm not getting any skinnier or younger and the way I look at it, the 20 somethings runners can have the 13 hour days and 300 stops.

 

[scooby0048]

our satellite drivers can bid on any vacated routes in the main building.

That was something that was brought up in the meeting between labor and the union and those of us affected. Even though we have the same SLIC number, the loads are brought from this center to the future and current satellite, and that the budget and numbers all come from this center, according to the union and labor, they are separate. The only thing that separates the satellites from this center is the vacation pick list and seniority.

They have told us that once we follow the work, we will no longer be able to return to the current center without terminating our employ or being laid off.

 

[trickpony1]

They have told us that once we follow the work, we will no longer be able to return to the current center without terminating our employ or being laid off.

Is this in writing, like maybe in a union contract book, or is it something they are making up as they go?

 

[ManInBrown]

Our building is creating a new satellite center by moving several routes to one centralized area. Some are following the work and will have to commute 30-40 minutes to the new satellite. Some are not, and staying at the current building going back into the cover / swing pool. My country route is one that is also being moved. I will also have the commute now if I keep the route. Once we go with the work, we will no longer be able to go back to the building we are in now and will not be able to bid any job here or leave our route(s) unless we terminate and start over.

Pros:
Will still have my own country route
Own truck still
Know where I will be everyday and not part of the swing pool running 300 stops or 30 stops
Won't have to deal with the BS at the current center as there will only be a few of us at the satellite
Will have the highest seniority at new satellite


Cons:
Will have to commute 30-40 minutes
Will have to load own truck
Bids are for life so no hope of getting another route
Possibly later start time
Would no longer be able to bid routes / jobs at current center

That seems crazy that you can’t go back to the center. In the 177 package bids are also for life, but you can bid off and onto another route. The package routes are for life if you want the route for life. You are still allowed to bid on another route. This makes no sense. How can they tell you that you aren’t allowed to bid on open routes in the building?

If it was me, I wouldn’t follow the work. I’d vacate the route and hope something in the building opens up. You said you have a lot of seniority. So you’ll be close to top cover. Like someone else said you’ll be dealing with all types of BS every day. Misloads. Delays. Package car issues. No way. I’d stay at the building.

 

[old levi's]

You're right I am leaning towards following the work. Just trying to see what the consensus is from my colleagues in this situation. Since I have had my own route I have to admit, knowing where I'll be everyday, what truck I will be in, not having to go back out to help, not running 200 stops, has been a real stress reliever.

I just can't imagine going back into the swing pool and having to go through this all over again. I started this job older in life and went through the whole process for the first 6 years on the job. I'm not getting any skinnier or younger and the way I look at it, the 20 somethings runners can have the 13 hour days and 300 stops.

The only reason I took the satellite route was to avoid going back to swing driving, I had already done that for 10 years.
One of the routes that I frequently had to cover as a swing driver was a county with an area of 345 sq. miles. They were one of the last to go on a 911 address system. Other than the 2 federal highways there were only 2 roads that were named. A county road would have a number but none of the dirt roads were named. Mileage would be between 200 and 250.

Another factor to consider, if the trucks are often late leaving the center, that pushes your day even longer.
You are pretty much helpless waiting for the tp60.

 

[scooby0048]

Is this in writing, like maybe in a union contract book, or is it something they are making up as they go?

Out of the mouths of babes...or pigs. Straight from the local president and the BA. Once we go,we are there for good. It's like we are transferring to another building. I have asked where it says that we cannot come back if a bid in this building opens up and I was told, they will get back to me when they can find the MOU or past practice agreement.

That seems crazy that you can’t go back to the center. In the 177 package bids are also for life, but you can bid off and onto another route. The package routes are for life if you want the route for life. You are still allowed to bid on another route.

We were told that we can bid the routes that are moving to the satellite if one comes open but we cannot bid any openings in the current building after the move. There are only 5-6 routes moving.

 

[Jones]

Do you have any Change of Operations language in your supplement? In the Atlantic you get 3 years to bid back to your old center if work becomes available. If the only language you have is from the Master then your BA is correct as the master does not have any language allowing you to bid back after following your work to a new building.

 

[scooby0048]

The only reason I took the satellite route was to avoid going back to swing driving, I had already done that for 10 years.
One of the routes that I frequently had to cover as a swing driver was a county with an area of 345 sq. miles. They were one of the last to go on a 911 address system. Other than the 2 federal highways there were only 2 roads that were named. A county road would have a number but none of the dirt roads were named. Mileage would be between 200 and 250.

Another factor to consider, if the trucks are often late leaving the center, that pushes your day even longer.
You are pretty much helpless waiting for the tp60.

The prospect of being a swing driver again just makes me sick. I love my country route and I really have it tuned up.

 

[scooby0048]

Do you have any Change of Operations language in your supplement? In the Atlantic you get 3 years to bid back to your old center if work becomes available. If the only language you have is from the Master then your BA is correct as the master does not have any language allowing you to bid back after following your work to a new building.

The central does not have specific language. Article 38 is the only thing that we go off of and I have reached out to @BigUnionGuy for his input as well as @542thruNthru to see if there were anything we could do to avoid this move and it seems as though we are at the mercy of the company. I even tried to use the whole no bathroom / washroom with cold and hot water thing but it was decided many years ago by the JAC.

 

[old levi's]

The prospect of being a swing driver again just makes me sick. I love my country route and I really have it tuned up.

I understand completely, just trying to point out some of the negatives of a satellite route.

 

[ManInBrown]

The prospect of being a swing driver again just makes me sick. I love my country route and I really have it tuned up.

It makes you sick, because you allow it to. It’s not that bad. Plus didn’t you say you have decent seniority? Open routes are dispatched to drivers in seniority order for the most part. You’ll be dealing with so much BS at the satellite center. Waiting on the TP60. You’ll be working 12 hour days. From everything I’ve heard about pop up satellite locations, they suck.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Commute times tend to hold more weight these days...

It's not like you have to learn the job all over.

This. The job is the job, not too much different. Although personally I would never ever be a spare driver. It’s really the commute after you get off work that really matters. I see guys get off a 12-13 he shift and have to them drive home 1.5 hrs at night. That’s rough.

 

[scooby0048]

I understand completely, just trying to point out some of the negatives of a satellite route.

No, I totally agree with you on all your comments. I am torn between following my route with the downfalls you mention or staying in the building and going back to swing pool. There are pros and cons to both ways and I am trying to see it from others points of view. I'm a little jaded as you can see.

It makes you sick, because you allow it to. It’s not that bad. Plus didn’t you say you have decent seniority? Open routes are dispatched to drivers in seniority order for the most part. You’ll be dealing with so much BS at the satellite center. Waiting on the TP60. You’ll be working 12 hour days. From everything I’ve heard about pop up satellite locations, they suck.

It makes me sick because I cannot stand the pukes who leave their piss bottles or trucks filthy for others. I am right in the middle for seniority at this building and there are others above me without a route. I have no problem filing if I have to and I work at my own pace so threats don't work on me like they do for the gunners.

Some guys like the chaos of being a swing driver seeing a different route every day. I don't. I like to have discipline and order in my day. Boring I know but I am a creature of habit and structure. At the new satellite, I will have the highest seniority. In our building now, there are only a few bid coverage drivers the rest get thrown in and on whatever route is available. One day you might have 30 stops and 300 miles and another day you might have 300 stops and 3 miles. The guys at the other satellite center do have some friend* up days.

 

[scratch]

Personally, I would avoid a satellite route. Start late, break off to meet shuttle, and clocking out late would be negatives for me. Our satellite drivers could bid back into our Center, a lot of them did as soon as they could. If you are a few years from retirement and you love your route that much, it might be worth it.

 

[ManInBrown]

No, I totally agree with you on all your comments. I am torn between following my route with the downfalls you mention or staying in the building and going back to swing pool. There are pros and cons to both ways and I am trying to see it from others points of view. I'm a little jaded as you can see.

It makes me sick because I cannot stand the pukes who leave their piss bottles or trucks filthy for others. I am right in the middle for seniority at this building and there are others above me without a route. I have no problem filing if I have to and I work at my own pace so threats don't work on me like they do for the gunners.

Some guys like the chaos of being a swing driver seeing a different route every day. I don't. I like to have discipline and order in my day. Boring I know but I am a creature of habit and structure. At the new satellite, I will have the highest seniority. In our building now, there are only a few bid coverage drivers the rest get thrown in and on whatever route is available. One day you might have 30 stops and 300 miles and another day you might have 300 stops and 3 miles. The guys at the other satellite center do have some friend* up days.

Understand what you’re saying about swing but what good does seniority do for you in a pop up satellite location with 5 routes? Only benefit is if one of the other four vacate and their route is better. BOL in whatever you decide to do. Just trying to point out the negatives of long days and BS at the satellite.

 

[scooby0048]

Personally, I would avoid a satellite route. Start late, break off to meet shuttle, and clocking out late would be negatives for me. Our satellite drivers could bid back into our Center, a lot of them did as soon as they could. If you are a few years from retirement and you love your route that much, it might be worth it.

10 Years until I can retire. I love my route just don't like the idea of it being permanent. There are other routes or jobs that I might want to try and bid but from what they are saying, once we follow, we are there. That's one of my sticking points that I am having a hard time with.

Understand what you’re saying about swing but what good does seniority do for you in a pop up satellite location with 5 routes? Only benefit is if one of the other four vacate and their route is better. BOL in whatever you decide to do. Just trying to point out the negatives of long days and BS at the satellite.

I agree having seniority means S* if there is no hope of bidding onto something good. I'm happy for the responses trying to see it from all points of view as mine can be jaded sometimes. Everywhere is different. No one here likes the swing pool but in other places, some love it.

 

[burrheadd]

Out of the mouths of babes...or pigs. Straight from the local president and the BA. Once we go,we are there for good. It's like we are transferring to another building. I have asked where it says that we cannot come back if a bid in this building opens up and I was told, they will get back to me when they can find the MOU or past practice agreement.

When we got to this part the union told the company men to go out in the hall

We as drivers decided with input from the BA we could either make it a stand alone center or still be attached to the old center
We decide to stay attached

How are they going to cover vacations? If they’re from the old center you might have an angle ( if you can get union to back you up)

 

[old levi's]

10 Years until I can retire. I love my route just don't like the idea of it being permanent. There are other routes or jobs that I might want to try and bid but from what they are saying, once we follow, we are there. That's one of my sticking points that I am having a hard time with.

I agree having seniority means S* if there is no hope of bidding onto something good. I'm happy for the responses trying to see it from all points of view as mine can be jaded sometimes. Everywhere is different. No one here likes the swing pool but in other places, some love it.

The joker in all of this is the lifetime bid.