Contract Enforcement Pays
In a tough economy, UPS is squeezing Teamster members harder than ever—cutting jobs and boosting productivity through production harassment, 9.5 violations and supervisors working.
Local 804 members are feeling the pinch—but this isn’t a Local 804 problem. Teamster officers and UPS Teamsters across the country report a steep rise in contract violations.
Local 804 members are showing that when we stick together and stick with it, we can make UPS pay for violating our contract.
Members Win $50,000 in Grievances
Local 804 took a record number of grievances to the last national grievance panel. We documented our cases and held the company’s feet to the fire.
As a result, Local 804 members won more than $50,000 in grievances for 9.5 violations, supervisors working, paycheck shortages and unpaid wages.
We asked members for their advice on winning strategies for grievance success. Here’s what they had to say.
Nail Down the Facts.
The Flushing Center filed mountains of grievances on sups working and 9.5 violations in 2011—and members got thousands in penalty pay. Their secret: doing a thorough investigation.
They start by collecting information from members: “We built up a text network. When a supervisor takes 20 packages off of a driver, the driver texts one of our stewards. And then we pull the recap for the day,” said alternate steward Domenick DeDomenico.
Under the contract, your steward and business agent have the right to review relevant company records to investigate your grievance. Investigating your case gives the company less room to wiggle out of it. “Instead of saying a sup worked for approximately this much time, we can say exactly how much time the supervisor worked,” DeDomenico said.
Educate Newer Members About Their Rights.
All package drivers who made book before Aug. 1, 2008 are eligible for 15 minutes of “coffee pay” after you work 8.5 hours.
The company was shorting a group of newer drivers in the Flushing Center in Maspeth on their paycheck.
Shop steward Vinny Perrone helped the drivers file a grievances—and they won over $4,500 in unpaid coffee pay.
Keep Filing Grievances Till The Problem is Solved.
Filing just one grievance usually isn’t enough to solve the problem. You have to build up your case over time.
Back in 2010, management was cutting and combining routes at the Brush Avenue building. The average driver was delivering for 11.5 or 12 hours.
Steward George Zamot filed over 250 9.5 grievances. At first, the center manager responded by threatening and harassing a few drivers. But the drivers stood their ground—and their center manager was demoted.
“We kept piling on grievances. It didn’t happen overnight, but we built up our case, stuck together, and management backed down,” said Zamot.
“Now management will work with us to adjust their loads. And it usually doesn’t even take a grievance.”
Drivers in Yorktown, Elmsford, and other buildings took similar action—and got grievances paid and loads adjusted.
Make it a Team Effort.
At Brush, members hold a weekly 15 minute meeting to discuss problems and get everyone on the same page.
At the Flushing Center, the stewards have built a text network so that members can report problems and collect the facts for grievances quickly.
“Getting the company to back down doesn’t happen overnight,” said Zamot. “Every member has their part to play. When we stick together, we can get results.”
We Built Our Case
“We kept piling on grievances. It didn’t happen overnight, but we built up our case, stuck together, and management backed down.
"Now management will work with us to adjust loads. And it usually doesn’t even take a grievance.”
George Zamot, Steward, Brush Ave.
