All posts by George

Action

I feel good….I knew that I would

I feel good that the Employee Free Choice  Act is going to come up this year for a vote in the US Senate. If you aren’t sure why America needs the Free Choice Act, read this great article. The Free Choice Act, which is often referred to as Card Check, will level the playing field for union organizing.
I am so sick and tired of union bashers going around and boasting that union ranks are shrinking because unions are dinosaurs who have out lived their usefullness. American workers and the middle class today need unions more than at any time in the last 50 years. Our jobs are disappearing, corporations treat us like waste and the American Dream is all but out of reach for most Americans.
We had it pretty good after the unions came to power in the 1930s and 1940s. Workers were a valued commodity and they shared in the bounty of their hard work. But we took too much for granted and slowly but surely, the corporations stole our wealth and our pride away from us. Now the game is one-sided.
Current labor laws have made it hard if not impossible to recruit new members.  By allowing companies to harass and threaten  interested workers during organizing campaigns, union membership has declined. And as union ranks began to shrink, so did the money. And since money is power, the balance of power shifted from the organized labor to the corporations. Many politicians claimed that the balance would work itself out. But we know what the result is when corporations call all the shots.





 Manufacturing is at a 28-year low and even Obama’s economists say unemployment could top 10 percent before the recession ends. One in 10 homeowners is at risk of foreclosure and the dollar continues its slide in value.  The Denver Post 

The time has come to rise up again. The Employee Free Choice Act will level the playing field when it comes to organizing. Unions will grow because American workers want to restore the power their fathers and forefathers knew. They want to share in the fruits of their labor. They want another shot at the American Dream. 
I feel good because I know that unions will grow with Card Check. I’m tired of hearing people talk bad about unions because I believe that collective bargaining is the only way to  wrestle good pay and benefits away from greedy corporations.
America needs to get back on its feet and I believe it will with the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. I believe the middle class will rise again. That makes me feel good…. I knew that it would.

Here are a couple of good links. The first two explain why the country will benefit from the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Read through these websites so you can be articulate on the benefits of card check. The great debate is coming.
Employee Free Choice Act
American Rights at Work
This other website is anti-union. It’s like the guy in the chainsaw massacre movie telling you how great his chain saw is. Of course he just used it to slash your job, cut up your health care, destroy your pension…but it’s a damn good chainsaw.
Heritage Foundation

Union

Supporting YOUR Union

For thirty some years I have been involved with the Teamsters Union. I’ve watched the internal political fights, and actually have attempted to make some changes from within. It is very daunting, and scary to the average rank and file guy. You can feel very out of control when dealing with the Speak upUnion. Even on a local level they can seem very aloof and detached. (Many times they are). In some ways they are absorbed with their own self interest much the way the corporatist’s are. The difference is when you (the rank and file member) slap them, they will at least look your way. Every one of you needs to become involved. The union was created to serve the membership, not be a gravy train for the self serving officer. You can help yourself by reading the information put out by the union both in print and on-line. Get information through the Teamsters On-line. Get opposing viewpoints. There are many, the biggest being TDU. It is the membership that ultimately drives this train. It is your apathy that derails it. Don’t depend on some other guy to direct the path of the Union. It may not go the way you want it to. It is the fear of you, (the rank and file), that forces our Union in the direction it needs to go. You pay for it. It is your Right. Let them know.

You can link to many of the informational sites from Denver Brown. Be sure to return here for more information, or better yet subscribe so that you get e-mail reports of updates.

Action

The Attack of the Corporatists

As normal rank and file Union people we have done a wonderful thing (we think). We have risen to the occasion and elected a person we believe will look after our interests, take care of our family needs, help us for the future. We should be proud! The future is bright! Maybe! The ball is in our court now. Obama is beginning to make choices and push agendas that will affect us. All that’s coming out of the right wing sound machine is a hope for failure. Obama is under constant attack by the Limbagh’s and the Hanady’s hoping for his failure to implement the programs that will save you and I financially. John Boehner, (Randi Rhodes calls him Boner), continues to preach the tax cuts for the rich as the way out of our financial mess. Isn’t that part of the reason we’re in it. We vote them out, yet they continue to open their mouths as if they have some kind of mandate to be jack-asses. They continue to scream that the country is being taken over, (by you and me, the middle class, aren’t we Americans also, not in their eyes). They continue to scream that Obama is not an American, ( The Ron Paul conspiracy theorists are hard at work trying to spin some concoction that Obama is a Kenyan, not an American) to get you to believe there is some kind of foreign takeover happening. Meanwhile they are taking our middle class jobs to China, and stealing our government treasury, and enriching the Saudi’s, all the while lying to us that it will Get off your assall somehow be to our benefit. They lie to us about what should be our Christian values. They lie to us about what should be our morality. They lie to us about how our guns are going to be stolen, and ammo will be priced and taxed out of the market. Many of you continue to fall for this crap. They are stealing your homes, and health, right out from under you while you sit there and nod in agreement with them going “yup, this Obama guy is going to screw up our country”. Let’s get this straight! The right wing has screwed the real Americans. The middle class is systematically being destroyed. Many of you are bending over and begging for them to give it to you up the ass. They are doing just that, still! Turn away from the propagandist’s. Turn away from the job selling, family killing corporatist’s. They do not have your interests at heart.  

UPS

Telematics What is it? What it means to you!

Many of you have heard of the possibility of the company wiring your package cars. The plan is to put sensors on your seat belts, your bulkhead doors, your e-brake, and your reverse gear. It’s happening now. Our shop has piles of the wiring harnesses to do all of the trucks, (except for some of the old stuff), in our building. I’m sure every shop across the country is gearing up for this major install. I’m sure the extended centers will end up with it soon as well. If your cars suddenly disappear for awhile you can figure you’ve got it. So what does it do? It’s simple. When you put your car in gear it senses if you have your seat belt on, and whether your bulkhead door is closed or not. Additionally it will tell if you put the car in reverse first and for how long. The other sensor on the e-brake will tell if you applied the e-brake when you turned the key off. The nuances of the system are yet to be Time for Actiondiscovered. When you return to the building at night it supposedly downloads all of the information, including the time you first hit the building. Again if you go to the air dock, or unload internationals, that may affect the real time, but they will know when you got there. HELLO BIG-BROWN BROTHER. “WE ARE WATCHING YOUR EVERY MOVE. PRETTY SOON WE’RE GOING TO PUT A SENSOR UP YOUR ASS SO WE KNOW IF YOUR REALLY TAKING ONE, OR TALKING TO THAT PRETTY GIRL AT THE COUNTER!!” How’s that for paranoia. Really for those of you that do your job as trained, (we have harped at you about that on these pages), it won’t change anything. Who it will affect are the balls to the wall, kiss ass that throws everything like it was a newspaper route. Those guys have big trouble ahead. I say Right On. All it will do is make a lot more good Union Members. What does it mean to you discipline-wise? You can be fired for not wearing your seatbelt. Get that straight today. That will be the major issue to come out of telematics. You can be disciplined for not closing your bulkhead door. You better get in the habit or you are going to have big trouble ahead, “up to and including discharge”. Close it every time without fail. They will know if its open when you are moving. The other stuff will aid in any accident investigation. No more lying about the e-brake in a roll-away. No more lying about whether you pulled into a space or driveway, then backed out. They will know. The big thing you need to realize is the more technical this job becomes, the more valuable you become. You guys that master this stuff are gold to them. All this system does is raise your value to the company. The major goal of the new system is to eliminate management. One guy will have more information than ten. The company continues to treat it’s management as overhead, and do everything in their power to reduce their ranks. If you read these pages you know about my “Lord and Master” theory. The company hopes to manage us all from one office in Atlanta, Georgia. That theory will remain until they create robots to deliver like in the movie Hitch. My point here is not to scare you, but to keep you informed. If you are on of those haul ass, kiss asses, you better get a clue. If you are one of those, get the job done right, and go home guys, you have nothing to worry about. The other little point is to remember there is such a thing as “too much information”. While this information is readily available, there won’t be anyone to look at it unless you rise to the top of the sh-t list for some reason. Do your job everyday, go home to your family, and have a nice day. Big Brown is Watching!

One last thing to remember is that the system will download any vehicle codes the on-board computer sets much like On-Star. Most of the time it won’t matter to you, but it will give an indication of vehicle abuse. Just a fact to keep in mind.

Union

10 Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some of the more frequently asked questions of the stewards with some general recommendations how to deal with the situation. As always consult your steward before taking any action to be sure of your rights.



  1. Can the company discipline me without a steward present, if no steward is available? The answer is a flat no. The company must provide a steward in any discussion with a union member if the possibility of discipline even remotely exists. Even if timeliness is an issue, the company cannot bring discipline without the presence of a steward.
  2. What does automatic protest mean on warning letters? Automatic protest means that the union and the company have agreed to place the warning letter under protest, and unless the issue comes up again, the letter will be withdrawn in 90 days, (unless some other time frame is agreed to). If the same issue comes up again, the union and the company have agreed to hear the warning letter issue before any more severe discipline can be implemented. I have expressed my displeasure with Automatic Protest in the past, but that is the system we live under today.
  3. What is the attendance policy for the company? My assumption is that the policy is consistent throughout the company, but here in the Rocky Mountain area you are allowed three attendance discrepancies in a running thirteen week period before you can be issued any discipline. The company must review each and every discrepancy in a timely manner with the steward present.
  4. Does the company have the right to dictate my appearance? The appearance issue has come up many times over the years. The company has the right to set appearance standards, and you have an obligation to abide by them. The only exceptions are if you are being singled out for a different standard than the other drivers, or the standard is discriminatory.
  5. Is it ever O.K. for Supervisors to do Union Work? Basically the answer is no. The only real situation is when management exhausts all possible hourly means to make service then the Supervisors can do the work. The problem arises when they get lazy and just resort to the Sups. as the first remedy. My recommendation is if you see them work, file, then sort it out later.
  6. Is it true I can be paid Double Time for excessive 9.5 hour days? Being paid Double Time for excessive 9.5 hour days is true, sort of.  You must inform the company of your desire to have your hours reduced, and give them the opportunity to correct the problem. If they don’t, you file under Article 12 Section 1. The first grievance will be resolved as “the company agrees to abide by Article 12 Section 1”. If you continue to be dispatched with excessive OT you will file again, and usually after the grievance goes through the entire process, you may be awarded double time. 
  7. I don’t like something the Union is doing, how do I make a change? Well most of you would first seek out the steward. If the steward does not satisfy you, don’t be afraid to go straight to the Business Agent at your Local union. If you still feel the need to go up the ladder, contact the Principle officer for your Local Union. Usually you will get results somewhere along this line. You still can go straight to the International Union, but that process is an article all of it’s own.
  8. I am being singled out for more severe discipline/harassment than the drivers around me. What do I do? Of course your first line of defense is your steward. Do not let management badger you without your steward present. Be very clear you want representation. That in itself is your most powerful tool, as the company will be much more careful what they say to you with the steward present. When all else fails resort to the grievance procedure.
  9. I have a good reason to be off work, but my manager is telling me no. What do I do? If you have a legitimate reason you need to be gone, and you’ve informed the company, and they are telling you no, then you need to take your lumps under the attendance policy above. If it’s a legitimate reason, (illness, doctor, dentist, family issue) simply call an hour or more before your start time. Of course you must fall within the 3 in a 13 week discrepancy or you may still be subject to discipline. It’s simple. The company needs you at work everyday. Try to be there, but in all of our lives things come up. You need to take care of things outside of the company as well.
  10. My steward is not taking care of my issues. What do I do? My first question to you is “are you simply expecting the steward to know you are having an issue, or have you taken the time to seek them out and let them know of your problem.” The steward can’t possibly know every driver’s problems in a big center. You must seek them out and verbalize your troubles to them. You can always go up the ladder to the business agent, but my bet is that if you simply communicate with the steward you will get results
These are simple answers to some complicated questions. Your union is in place to help you be treated fairly and to see to it that you are provided with a decent, safe, workplace. Educate yourself to your rights, and you will have a good career with the company. *

Action

I Told You So

 

OK, I can’t resist. Any of you that have read my stuff on Denverbrown know that I have been an ad advocate of taking the corporations out of our national politics and making our government a government of the people.

I have advocated the reduction of corporate welfare. Look where we are now. The corporations are taking us all down. But today we have hope. On January 20th, Barack Obama will become our 44th President. While I am hopeful about the possibilities for the future, the time has come to rise up and demand what we have all voted for.

If we all sit down and just let it happen with out voicing our concerns, the money trap will swallow our hopes for the future. Don’t kid yourself; these people that will take office are politicians after all. They will be looking out for their survival first as all of them have in the past. It is up to the people to make their concerns known.

The first step must be to get coprorate money out of politics. The next step must be for the working people of this counmtry to rise up and demand health care, card check, and that workers comp., social security and welfare be restored to functional levels.

The people must also demand that a level playing field be established for importing goods to help generate American jobs and American wealth. We Americans are paying for the benefit of coprorations to be able to buy cheap labor overseas and s–t can our jobs. You pay for it, and they they sell you out. In fact, they steal what little you have left.

The true patriot supports American workers and American people. Our children are dieing in Iraq to support the Saudi’s. That is the corporate way. Sacrifice your jobs, sacrifice your health, and sacrifice your life; all for the bottom line. It is the ultimate in soul selling. Only they are selling your sold to the devil for you, without your permission.

Stop them now. Get involved. Open your mouth. Speak your peace. Change won’t happen without you.

Yes you.

UPS

The UPS Family

       All of us are members of the UPS family. It’s a good family, it’s well respected and wins many awards as the ideal family. But we all know that in the real world, outward appearances often hide internal conflict. The ideal family is not the norm, the more common family is the dysfunctional family. Is UPS a dysfunctional family?
        Here are some examples of patterns that frequently occur in dysfunctional families. See if any of these sound familiar in your relationship with UPS. Just substitute the work :management” for the word “Parent”.

Parents have addictions or compulsions such as overworking, that have strong influences on family members.
Parents use threats as the primary means of control.
Parents exploit the children and treat them as possessions whose primary purpose is to fill needs of parents.
Parents threaten to withdraw financial support.
Parents exert a strong authoritarian control, often rigidly adhering to a particular belief.
Compliance with role expectations and with rules is expected without any flexibility. 

 Since we are treated as the children in this family, we all suffer some common problems. Some of us may often:

Experience “reality shifting” in which what is said contradicts what is actually happening.
Have excessive structure and demands placed on our time and behavior.
Be restricted from full and direct communication with other family members.
Be ignored, discounted, or criticized for our feelings and thoughts.
Experience rejection or preferential treatment. 

        Dysfunctional families often foster children who question their self worth and are unable to trust their own judgements. Not surprisingly, they may experience problems in their work.
        In common with other people, members of dysfunctional families often struggle to interpret their situation as “normal.” The more they have to accommodate to make the situation seem normal, the more bizarre their world becomes. Do you feel that life at UPS is bizarre? 
        Is your UPS the ideal family or the dysfunctional family?

Action

Welcome to the Denverbrown Blog

You know what a blog is.

Blog: It is a specialized site that allows an individual or group of individuals to share a running log of events and personal insights with online audiences.

This is the Denverbrown Blog. And it’s not just for me. It’s for you too.

Denverbrown has been around for about 5 years and I’ve given a lot of opinions on a lot of issues important to me. Bob Newhouse  also poured out his soul on the pages of Denverbrown. Neither of us are timid about saying what’s on our minds. I know sometimes our readers have agreed and sometimes they haven’t.

Anyone who has something to say about UPS or the Teamsters or labor or politics or whatever is welcome to post here.

Just email me your story and I will post it up for you.

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This is the page of Denverbrown that will be always be fresh and updated.  What’s new and exciting at UPS? You will find it here.  

So check back often. Hell, subscribe. But most of all, contribute. You know what I think, let the world know what you think!