I show up to work witnessing the employer constantly thrusting us into unsafe working conditions and grossly contravening the contract. Supervisors handle packages and they direct unloaders to hammer out volume causing piles of boxes on accumulate on the floor. The shift before us will be standing on boxes and surrounded by 10 ft high avalanches of boxes, without a single concern in the world. I'll try to explain to them that that is unsafe and UPS would not cover them when they facture their ankle, but they either a) give me deer in headlights look or b) "well the manager will yell at us and that's scary!" line. Our facility is small, we've way the hell outgrown it, and co-workers are way too short sighted to remedy the problems that they complain about.
So I decided to take a stand against this stupidity. Work as directed. My supervisor hates me for it. My sup said not to throw boxes, I never throw them. It just means I stop the belt and walk them up to the trailer. And then when my sup tells me to ceas stopping the belt them and "walk them down the belt up" (yes, that is what my supervisor told me to do when I get hammered), I do just that, only that 50% of my boxes end up at the end of the belt at the end of the night and mis service. The tail of my trailer will get full (4ft pile of boxes in the tail of the trailer), there won't be any stackers availing themselves, and I will stack the boxes on the floor, and when I cannot have direct access into my trailer, I stop the belt and clean it up (take all boxes, stack them on the belt, and clear a path for me to stack). I'm not doing this to deliberately screw over the operation, I'm just choosing not to put myself into unsafe conditions. I don't run, throw, overload, or put my co workers and I into unsafe conditions.
Sad thing is, no one else follows. Everyone will whine and complain about the employer and the conditions, but they will not stand up for their right to a safe work place. I'll try to explain that if every employee would not tolerate mounds of boxes and unsafe conditions, the operation would go a lot slower (than if they were to run volume at a regulated, controlled, pace), and they may re-consider their approach. But my co-workers seem to lose me after the first sentence. They seem to have the attitude that if bitching won't solve anything, working to rule won't, either.
So on the line, co workers will climb over boxes in order to stack trailers. I'll tell them that they should clear a path for them to walk on to, even if it means spilling it out onto the belt; there is NO reason why they should be putting themselves into such (avoidable) danger. After all, allowing ourselves to be put into unsafe working conditions is a nod to the employer's unloading techniques (hammering it out). I'll even offer to help them clear a path. They'll give me a condenscending reply "ohh! it's safe!" as they nervously look for a place to grip their hand while atop a 15 ft avalanche, or after I tell them to stop being such tools to the employer they'll give me a look and some kind of reply that they have no other choice. After all, they'll could get yelled at! OH NOES!
Often, while performing safe actions (like stopping the belt to get around, clearing a path, stopping the belt to clean up) our union-rep in waiting will yell at me, asking why I am stopping the belt. I'm seriously going to file a complaint against the govt' labour relations board regarding fair representation if he actually becomes rep, because he's totally in the pocket of the supervisor and unwilling to stand up for our rights, as he doesn't even practise them.
So my supervisor changes my job from picking to stacking to make an example out of me. I find this to be demoralizing and insulting, and I really do not care about the quality of my work any more. I really don't care. Before I would make sure every box got to the right destination, now I am spending too much energy trying to stay safe. Only could UPS take a keener and mould him into an impartial lazy thug.
This has taught me that half the corporate culture of a company depends on its employees. If we were united and stood for the same thing, many (but not all) of our problems/stress would disappear. Morale would be a bit higher, and we wouldn't lashout at each other. But unfortunently, my co-workers are too short sighted and I guess they think our hub is the way all hubs are supposed to be run and there's nothing they can do about it.
I'm thinking of calling the rep from the Union front office, and see what he can do. Nice guy BTW, his attitude totally changed the perception that I hold of unions.
Any input or opinions?
So I decided to take a stand against this stupidity. Work as directed. My supervisor hates me for it. My sup said not to throw boxes, I never throw them. It just means I stop the belt and walk them up to the trailer. And then when my sup tells me to ceas stopping the belt them and "walk them down the belt up" (yes, that is what my supervisor told me to do when I get hammered), I do just that, only that 50% of my boxes end up at the end of the belt at the end of the night and mis service. The tail of my trailer will get full (4ft pile of boxes in the tail of the trailer), there won't be any stackers availing themselves, and I will stack the boxes on the floor, and when I cannot have direct access into my trailer, I stop the belt and clean it up (take all boxes, stack them on the belt, and clear a path for me to stack). I'm not doing this to deliberately screw over the operation, I'm just choosing not to put myself into unsafe conditions. I don't run, throw, overload, or put my co workers and I into unsafe conditions.
Sad thing is, no one else follows. Everyone will whine and complain about the employer and the conditions, but they will not stand up for their right to a safe work place. I'll try to explain that if every employee would not tolerate mounds of boxes and unsafe conditions, the operation would go a lot slower (than if they were to run volume at a regulated, controlled, pace), and they may re-consider their approach. But my co-workers seem to lose me after the first sentence. They seem to have the attitude that if bitching won't solve anything, working to rule won't, either.
So on the line, co workers will climb over boxes in order to stack trailers. I'll tell them that they should clear a path for them to walk on to, even if it means spilling it out onto the belt; there is NO reason why they should be putting themselves into such (avoidable) danger. After all, allowing ourselves to be put into unsafe working conditions is a nod to the employer's unloading techniques (hammering it out). I'll even offer to help them clear a path. They'll give me a condenscending reply "ohh! it's safe!" as they nervously look for a place to grip their hand while atop a 15 ft avalanche, or after I tell them to stop being such tools to the employer they'll give me a look and some kind of reply that they have no other choice. After all, they'll could get yelled at! OH NOES!
Often, while performing safe actions (like stopping the belt to get around, clearing a path, stopping the belt to clean up) our union-rep in waiting will yell at me, asking why I am stopping the belt. I'm seriously going to file a complaint against the govt' labour relations board regarding fair representation if he actually becomes rep, because he's totally in the pocket of the supervisor and unwilling to stand up for our rights, as he doesn't even practise them.
So my supervisor changes my job from picking to stacking to make an example out of me. I find this to be demoralizing and insulting, and I really do not care about the quality of my work any more. I really don't care. Before I would make sure every box got to the right destination, now I am spending too much energy trying to stay safe. Only could UPS take a keener and mould him into an impartial lazy thug.
This has taught me that half the corporate culture of a company depends on its employees. If we were united and stood for the same thing, many (but not all) of our problems/stress would disappear. Morale would be a bit higher, and we wouldn't lashout at each other. But unfortunently, my co-workers are too short sighted and I guess they think our hub is the way all hubs are supposed to be run and there's nothing they can do about it.
I'm thinking of calling the rep from the Union front office, and see what he can do. Nice guy BTW, his attitude totally changed the perception that I hold of unions.
Any input or opinions?
. I'm going to talk to the union local president, and have him come in to witness the sort. All sorts don't have a shop steward assigned to them yet, which is why the employer is allowed to get away with this.
