In my desire to retire I have obtained new information on the UPS health care package being offered by the company pretty much nationwide. If you intend to retire any time before January 1st, 2010 you will not be eligible to change to the new retiree package being offered. You must be an active employee on January 1st, 2010 in order to qualify for the new changes. For those of you that may not know it, under the new retiree plan you will have Dental, and Vision coverage at no additional cost. Something you wouldn’t have had under the old plan.
     Of course you need to read the rest of the changes that go with the plan change. Things like being in “Networked Care”. Buying your prescriptions from Medco, and being forced to buy Generics first. There are a number of changes over the current plan, and it is very obvious that the providers save a great deal of money with a networked plan. Enough that they can offer you all of these additional benefits, and still come out ahead.
     Again my point is not to persuade you one way or the other. My point is to get you to look closely to see which of the plans meet your needs. The company is holding regular meetings to discuss the overall changes, and I highly recommend you attend one of these meetings.
     As for speculating about the future, I think, come the next contract negotiation, you will all end up under the new plan, like it or not. Just something to keep in mind.
     Remember, once you decide to take the new plan, you cannot go back, like it or not!

      I ran across a little article in the paper the other day that really made me think. It seems the longest working employee at UPS retired this year on Founder’s Day. Marty Peters, who is only 87 years old, finally hung up the browns after 67 years with the company. My first thought on seeing this was “God man, get a life.” Why would somebody choose to go to work instead of retiring when they have the chance?
     One reason is that people are simply scared to retire. They think they can’t afford it. Or they hear stories of people retiring and dying in 6 months. They’re scared they might be one of those people. They’re afraid and it’s easier to keep going to work than it is to make a life change. I know  a lot of you are thinking, “Man, I’d retire tomorrow if I was eligible.” But would you..really…?? I know a lot UPSers who have over 30 years, hate their jobs, but feel they can’t walk out just yet.
      I think there are few key factors that can make retirement possible and affordable. One is pay down your debts, like your house, as much as you can. You don’t have to have it paid off to retire, that’s a myth. Also, have a good financial planner.  Make a plan and stick to it. (I can recommend mine if you can’t find one). Get into a savings plan, like a 401(k) and don’t take any money out of it. And, for heaven’s sake, be willing to work part time when you retire. 
     With a defined benefit pension, it’s easy to plan for retirement. You know how much money to expect right off the bat. Thirty years of service nets you about $3000 a month. At age 62, you can draw your Social Security which should be more than half that amount again. When you add it up, that’s over $50,000 a year. A good financial planner should be able to set  you up with a comfortable lifestyle with those base figures. If you feel that won’t be enough, then you need to change your savings and spending habits now. 
     I’m telling you, nobody needs to work until they are 87. I’m coming up on the first year anniversary of retirement. Sept. 19 was my last day on the street and October 1  was my first day of retirement. I’m having a great time, money is not a problem and I haven’t looked back. I don’t miss working long hours and getting yelled at. Retirement should be the best years of your life. Be ready to jump as early as you can.

     So, you’ve had your 3 day OJS ride and management wants to see you in the office with your Steward. That means that you probably ran a little better on paper during the observation than you had been doing on your own. Now they are going to wave the numbers in your face and threaten to fire you if you don’t maintain this improved level of production. They want you to sign a commitment.
     What do you do?
     It doesn’t really matter if you sign the commitment or not, management will have your Steward sign that it was reviewed with you. This meeting is meant to make you feel powerless and it does. If you have ever wished that you had a document to lay over theirs to remind them that your commitment is to the contract and reviews what the contract says, then your wish has come true.
     Here is a statement that you can print up, you and your Steward can sign it and you can instruct management to place it in your permanent file. (Remember that you have the right to see your file and check if it’s been placed in there). To print this letter, copy it and paste it onto a Word document, then print it. Print a few and pass them out to your friends. It’s legal, it’s within your rights and it feels good. It comes to us compliments of  Zack Ochs and Tim Barnhart of Local 118, Rochester, NY.

Re: Discipline for failure to meet productions standards

UPS’s measurement of work and how it pertains to productivity is imprecise. Time allowances and their relevance to work performed including, to and from area travel; on area travel and time at stop are highly impressionable based on varying conditions which impede their accuracy. These constantly changing conditions lead to varying times in completing work, therefore making no transparent calculation for time. Varying factors which may include others not mentioned are as follows: Weather, which leads to delays in driving, walking and may also change delivery location. Interruptions in driving due to traffic, construction delays and other safety related issues. Customer service issues which can lengthen time at stop. Excessive AM or PM time based on the ineffectiveness of other UPS operations. Technologies effect compounded by human error. Assistance in completing work from customers, supervisors or other UPS employees. Load conditions due to other operational imbalances. Area knowledge and distortion based on day to day variances. Fluctuating volume levels which effect all operations on a daily basis .These factors along with conditions not mentioned can and will have a profound effect on a driver’s level of productivity on a daily basis.

  According to Article 37 section 1 paragraph A of our contractual agreement “The parties agree that the principle of a fair days work for a fair days pay shall be observed at all times and employees shall perform their duties in a manner that best represents the Employers interest.” The company’s use of “over allowed” to enact discipline is unfair and unjust. “Over allowed” as it pertains to a measurement of work is meant to identify a problem may exist. It does not, under any circumstance, decide who or what may be the cause.  Our labor agreement does not recognize time allowances, or a failure to meet them as being cause for disciplinary action. Future unsubstantiated claims will be considered grounds for grievance submittal under article 37 of the National Master United Parcel Service Agreement.

 

 

 

Employee   ______________________________

 

 

Steward      ______________________________

 

 

Date            ______________________________

 

     Have you ever been threatened with a 3 day ride? Of course you have, we all have. It scares the hell out of you. Suddenly, it feels like it’s you against the world and there is just way too much to remember and do. How can you possibly survive??
     Well, help is on the way. It’s not just you against the brown giant this tiime. A couple of guys out of Rochester have put together a list of “How to survive an OJS ride”.
     Read through it, memorize it, do it and everything else will fall into place.

METHODS,METHODS,METHODS

 

Ask your loader if anyone is was in the car “fluffing” the load.

 

Perform a full pre-trip.

 

Maintain speed limit and come to a complete stop at stop signs.

 

Count 1, 2, 3 before accelerating after red light to maintain space cushion.

 

Use handrail when exiting and entering vehicle. (set pkg on floor if need be)

 

Go to rear of car to cross street. (do not go out drivers side door)

 

Out of weather and out of sight dr’s. (use bags and go around back of house)

 

Indirect with a goal of 0 send agains. (indirect at neighbors house)

 

Never run. Walk at a safe, brisk pace.

 

Use hand cart whenever reasonable.

 

Get assistance with over 70’s.

 

Use the diad for all communications, not your cell phone.

 

Attempt a sales leads. We operate in the real world where customer contact is a necessity.

 

Drink water to stay hydrated.

 

Use bathrooms on route, not the back of the vehicle.

 

Fill delivery notices out completely. (Indirect at neighbors, go back and leave note)

 

All packages hand to surface. Do not “toss” any.

 

Containerize all smalls.

 

Do not drop off COD’s and pick up checks later.

 

Take your full lunch and break.

 

Stay on designated walkways. Stay on sidewalks and driveways, do not cut across lawns.

 

If supervisor opens a door, touches any package, or hurries a customer, note it.

 

Do not let them ask OJS questions while on lunch or break. Wait until PM time at bldg.

 

Do not let them ask OJS questions while driving as to focus 100% on methods.

 

Bottom line, NO SHORT CUTS.

 

If asked to review your ride, have a steward sit in and listen.

 

There is no transparent calculation for time.

 

“A fair days work for a fair days pay” is not a production standard. It is only an obligation.

 

The labor agreement does not recognize time allowances, or failure to meet them, as being a cause for disciplinary action.

 

Never sign anything the company hands you with respect to production. Article 6 of the National Master Agreement grants you a right to refuse to sign any agreement or contract whether individually or collectively that is outside the National Master Agreement. A production agreement is outside the National Master Agreement. If asked to sign such agreement, cite this article and base your grievance on this right. 

A big thank you to

Zack Ochs
Tim Barnhart
Local 118 Rochester NY

Next time…………How to survive the OJS ride review harassment.

            Misloads are a huge problem in the Commerce City building. Packages with bad spa labels and boxes just loaded into the wrong trucks have been a growing headache since the arrival of PAS. At first the problem was addressed with a shuttle car that ran around all day taking misloads from one car to another. Sometimes the shuttle car was manned by a supervisor and that resulted in a string of supervisor working grievances that padded more than a few drivers’ paychecks for the first year we were on the new system. 
          Then the company started having an hourly run the shuttle car and that resulted in some nutty steward (me) filing a grievance claiming that once that job was in existance for 30 days it became a full time job and needed to be bid. The company’s response to that was to take out the shuttle car and make everyone run their own misloads. That solution has added 30 to 45 minutes to almost everyones paid day. Only if you are sitting on a 9.5 grievance can you hope to be exempted from the misery of being told to run a misload that will turn a 9.2 day into a 10 hour day. 
          The company says that the customer shouldn’t be denied service because the loader made a mistake. “Don’t put the customer in the middle,” they love to say as they send you 50 blocks or more off area to deliver a Home Shopping Club box. “We can’t make the customer pay for our mistakes.” 
          But somebody has to pay. It’s not the loader. He’s home sleeping and the next day he does it again. His start time has probably been moved back and his hours reduced to cut costs on his shift and he’s most likely not long for that job anyway. The manager doesn’t pay, he is keeping his preload costs under control. The investor doesn’t suffer as UPS keeps it’s reputation for service and the profits keep coming. The shipper doesn’t suffer because his shipment was delivered in the guaranteed number of days.
        So who does get put in the middle? Who pays when the loads are so crappy that a driver has to spend an additional half an hour to an hour running misloads? Your family pays. UPS puts your family in the middle. The difference between a 9.2 day and a 10 hour day is huge. It’s the difference between seeing your kids at night or not seeing them. It’s the difference between being there for your family or not. Every misload is a half an hour you won’t spend with one of your kids. It means missed birthday parties, little league games, BBQ’s and more because UPS cannot fix the misload problem.
        So don’t tell me that we can’t put the customer in the middle, because that means your family will have pay the price. And when it comes down to missing a piece or missing the chance to kiss your kids goodnight, my loyalties lie with my family. I strongly resent how UPS screws my family on a daily basis by understaffing and cutting hours and then forcing us to work extra hours to correct the problems that their policies create.

     The company has put out information to all drivers at UPS “offering” a change in our health care plan. They call it the UPS Health and Welfare “Package”. They sent out a 16″ by 20″ color glossy brochure so you would be sure not to miss it. It’s amazing how many of you didn’t notice it.
      My goal here is not to discuss the details of the plan changes. They are many, and each of you can make your own choices regarding what you need. The fact you need to know is, thanks to the Teamsters Union, you have a choice. The company just wanted to make wholesale changes in your plan and make you all eat them, like it or not. Please take time to thank the Teamsters for providing you with options on such a major life decision.
     To melt it down the plan is a change to a managed care plan, sort of like Kaiser offers to it’s members. The key to the quality of the plan is the “quality of the Network” you are in. The plan saves enough money to be able to offer you the cost savings by controlling the costs and charges of the care providers you go to. If Doctor Dick, who is a member of the network, charges 180 dollars for a checkup, but the plan only allows for 110 dollars, that is all he can bill to the insurance provider. Pretty simple way to save bucks, and when everything is working, everybody is happy.
     Where the problem comes in is when the doctors suddenly feel the plan is not paying enough. There have been other managed care systems, in the past, where doctors have dropped out of the network because the plan will not pay a reasonable amount. After awhile, no one would accept the plan, forcing the members of that plan to consistently seek care outside of the network and end up paying more for there health care than they would have under the open type of plan. That is the biggest problem with this type of plan. Any of you that have read the prospectus will see that once you make the decision to go into this plan, you cannot get out of it!
     Please understand, my goal here is to get you to look closely at the plan, and ask questions. There will be meetings to discuss the plan changes, but my impression is the most common answer will be, “we gotta get back to you”. I simply want you all to read the information, and research the realities of the change. They are giving you a big sell job, and I’m sure it’s because they benefit from the changes. You need to determine if you will benefit! Don’t let someone else make the decision for you.
    

Do you ever worry about losing your job? Do you worry every day that UPS could fire you with or without a good reason? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone.
A new report shows that worrying about losing your job is actually worse than losing it. 

Simply worrying about losing your job can cost you your health, a new investigation of data from two long-term studies finds.

Surprisingly, the effect is worse than actually losing your job, the research suggests.

“Based on how participants rated their own physical and mental health, we found that people who were persistently concerned about losing their jobs reported significantly worse overall health in both studies and were more depressed in one of the studies than those who had actually lost and regained their jobs recently,” said Sarah Burgard, a sociologist at the University of Michigan.

“In fact, chronic job insecurity was a stronger predictor of poor health than either smoking or hypertension in one of the groups we studied,” Burgard said.

One simple reason: the stress caused by insecurity. Other research has shown that stress can be deadly, leading to a range of poor health conditions that can shorten one’s life.

Burgard and colleagues examined data from two nationally representative sample surveys of the U.S. population; each survey was based on two interviews with each of the study participants. One of the surveys was conducted between 1986 and 1989, the other between 1995 and 2005.

The results were announced today and published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

“Dramatic changes in the U.S. labor market have weakened bonds between employers and employees and fueled perceptions of job insecurity,” Burgard argues, citing other studies that support this contention. She admits, though, that the research into this claim could be more robust.

“We need more and better data on this,” she told LiveScience.

Why would insecurity be worse for health than getting fired?

“Ongoing ambiguity about the future, inability to take action unless the feared event actually happens, and the lack of institutionalized supports associated with perceived insecurity are among them,” she said.

The researchers controlled for other factors – race, marital status, neurotic tendencies, education and job characteristics – to make sure the apparent link between insecurity and health was not actually based on something else. For example, they ruled out the possibility that poor health was the cause of insecurity.

“When you consider that not only income but so many of the important benefits that give Americans some peace of mind-including health insurance and retirement benefits-are tied to employment for most people, it’s understandable that persistent job insecurity is so stressful,” Burgard said.

The work offers food for thought for employees, employers and policy makers during this time of high unemployment, the researchers note.

“Certainly job insecurity is nothing new, but the numbers experiencing persistent job insecurity could be considerably higher during this global recession, so these findings could apply much more broadly today than they did even a few years ago.”

Burgard and her colleagues, James House at the University of Michigan and Jennie Brand at the University of California, were supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. They drew from the Americans’ Changing Lives Study, supported in part by the National Institute on Aging, and from the Midlife in the United States Study, funded in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

If you’re feeling good about your job’s prospects, here’s one more thing to stress about: Other research has shown that the stress of a tough job – long hours and high pressure to perform – can also ruin your health.

Robert Roy Britt
Lifescience.com