Members Get Paid For Sups Working

Supervisors aren’t helping us when they do our work. They’re taking money out of our wallets.

But Local 804 members are making management pay thousands for supervisors working. You can do the same.

IB Image“Supervisors will tell you ‘I’m here to help you,” says Ruben Rivas, a part-time preloader at Maspeth. “But they’re not helping you. They’re taking money out of your pocket.”

Before he started enforcing his rights, management was sending Rivas home after his 3.5 hour guarantee, and then finishing up the work with supervisors.

That’s starting to change.

Rivas only has two years in at UPS. But he’s learned a thing or two about getting paid when supervisors do our work. He just got a check for $300 for his supervisors working grievances. And another check is on the way.

UPS has to pay double-time pay for supervisors working violations.

“My shop steward Chris Williamson showed me the ropes. You can’t argue and fight with these guys. Ask them what they’re doing, and write up your grievance,” Rivas said.

How to Report Sups Working

When you see a supervisor working, the first step is to ask them why they’re working.

If they say they’re just filling in for someone in the bathroom, ask them “Who?” (And if they don’t tell you, be sure to write that up in your grievance.)

If the supervisor keeps working, your next step is to file a grievance.

Carefully documenting what happened will make it easier to get paid. Write down:

  • Who was working?
  • What were they doing?
  • Where were they doing it?
  • When did they start working and when did they stop? Including start and stop time will give management less wiggle room to debate how long the supervisor worked.
  • What did the supervisor say when you asked him what he was doing?

Also, were there any witnesses? Witnesses aren’t required but having them strengthens your case.

Click here to download a Supervisors Working Grievance Form.

Click here for the new Local 804 Inside Workers Survival Guide which includes a reporting form you can use to write down all the required information.

Contract Enforcement Tip

Under Article 3, Section 7 of our contract, UPS has the responsibility to maintain a sufficient workforce to run its operations without using supervisors.

If you see a supervisor working, make a note of any members who were sent home early.

That information will make it harder for UPS to blame absenteeism or members for the fact that supervisors were doing our work.

IB ImageAsk Them What They’re Doing

“The supervisors know that if I see them in my work area, I’m going to question them.

"Now, they get a heads up from the other supervisors, and they don’t even bother touching a package when I’m around.”

Hector Chang, FT Inside, Maspeth

IB ImageTake Away the Wiggle Room

“We built up a text network. When a supervisor takes 20 packages off of a driver, the driver lets us know.

"Instead of saying a sup worked for approximately this much time, we can say exactly how much time the supervisor worked.”

Domenick DeDomenico, Alternate Steward, Maspeth