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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsYou're not going to believe what UPS delivered
From email.
What did UPS deliver two weeks ago? Pink slips. To 250 employees.
UPS fired a longtime union activist in Maspeth, NY, without the fair hearing he was entitled to. When word got out, 250 other drivers walked off the job in solidarity.
Now UPS is retaliating. They sent a termination notice to all 250 drivers who participated in the protest. In other words, "You're fired."
I wrote a petition that now has over 11,000 signatures to tell UPS that firing their workers for protesting is wrong. Click here to add your name to the petition now.
The well-being of these drivers and their families hangs in the balance because they spoke out against a company that violated workers' rights. UPS shouldn't ship pink slips to their drivers out of retaliation. What should have been a routine disciplinary matter became an attack on hundreds of working families.
Today, the drivers are committed to negotiating a fair resolution -- why can't UPS do the same and take back the notices of termination?
What can brown do for you? Certainly not this.
Tell UPS that firing 250 innocent drivers is the wrong turn for their employees, their brand, and most importantly, their customers: http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=9478
In Solidarity,
Bill Lipton
Working Families
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,678 posts)LiberalEsto
(22,845 posts)I hope these drivers have good lawyers.
myrna minx
(22,772 posts)PumpkinAle
(1,210 posts)I was always amazed at how many "republicans and anti-union" workers were quite happy to work for UPS and get the "union" benefits - guess they are now running the show.
Shame on UPS.
TRoN33
(769 posts)F-U UPS douchebags!
Agony
(2,605 posts)thanks for the OP!
steve2470
(37,457 posts)sarge43
(28,942 posts)DirtyDawg
(802 posts)...as UPS moved their headquarters to a 'Right To Work ' state - Georgia - 15 or 20 years ago, you could absolutely count on their, ultimately, coming to this 'corporate culture change' that 'the help just don't matter'. They're just debit entries on the ledger and 'the boss' doesn't have care what they do to em cause there's nothing they can do about it. You see the US Chamber, The Conference Board, and the rest of the GD bunch have turned the country's labor force into a hoard of sniveling wimps that are afraid they'll lose their jobs in this economy...you can thank RR's leadership with the Air Trafficers busting moves...and the Courts have gone along with everything cause they're 'in their pocket' too. Untill employees of an entire industry, or corporation, shuts one, or more, of these bastards down, you can expect more of the same.
sunnystarr
(2,638 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)redwitch
(14,946 posts)LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)greatlaurel
(2,004 posts)Thanks for posting
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)and forgot to change the delivery mode from UPS to USPS. I loathe UPS, and this only increases it.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)brooklynboy49
(287 posts)I can't stand UPS and use USPS or FedEx whenever possible. UPS has been sticking it to their drivers for years.
navarth
(5,927 posts)They do some bad shit to their drivers. Stick to USPS. My 2cents
brooklynboy49
(287 posts)I will use USPS whenever and wherever possible
yuiyoshida
(41,835 posts)I hope it will tell BROWN where to PACK it.
veness
(413 posts)onestepforward
(3,691 posts)AAO
(3,300 posts)Cha
(297,503 posts)Skeeter Barnes
(994 posts)I made by far the best money I ever had there but was miserable as could be. Driving a garbage truck is better than working for them under the shit contracts that Hoffa / Hall negotiate for their members. It doesn't matter how good the wage is if you have to put up with constant production harassment and daily disciplinary interviews. And that is just at the Parcel division.
The Freight division's contract is even worse where Hoffa / Hall just crammed down members throats a contract implementing a two tiered wage structure. GM couldn't get that in their contract with the UAW until the company was literally bankrupt but Hoffa conspired with UPS mgmt. to implement it at a company making billions of dollars a year!
If UPS management feared or respected IBT leadership even a little bit, they would have never attempted this. But UPS knows they have the IBT in their back pocket. They have the language in the contract they need to shitcan anybody they want at any time. The Teamsters rank and file need to clean house and throw Hoffa out on his ass!
freebrew
(1,917 posts)after they crossed picket lines of other unions, threw bricks at anti-war protesters.
I feel sorry for these guys, but they need another representative union.
One that's not bought and paid for by big business.
Skeeter Barnes
(994 posts)There are good people throughout the Teamsters. But they do need to get Hoffa and his cronies out.
freebrew
(1,917 posts)it seems to be a strong union. And I won't write them off.
And I even support them vs. the corps.
Just that I won't forget some of the things done in the past, whether done by leadership or individuals.
BainsBane
(53,041 posts)tavalon
(27,985 posts)Union workers need to stand in solidarity. There are far too few of us nowadays.
PBass
(1,537 posts)daleanime
(17,796 posts)tofuandbeer
(1,314 posts)Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)I kid.
chervilant
(8,267 posts)I will not use UPS ever -- had the worst experience with them!
NBachers
(17,133 posts)LuvNewcastle
(16,849 posts)Half-Century Man
(5,279 posts)B Calm
(28,762 posts)Android3.14
(5,402 posts)How do we know this actually happened?
Omaha Steve
(99,690 posts)Support Grows for Maspeth Drivers
http://teamsterslocal804.org/
Political leaders, Teamsters and other unions are uniting behind the drivers at Maspeth and calling on UPS to meet with Local 804, rescind the terminations and reach a fair agreement so we can move forward.
Local 804 members are holding parking lot meetings and circulating petitions to support their brothers and sisters. These actions will continue throughout the week and will cover every building in the local.
IB ImageTeamster members have joined our fight and are collecting signatures at UPS buildings across the nation, like these Chicago Local 705 Business Agents and members who were busy building solidarity this morning.
IB ImageCongressional representatives, city council members and the New York City Public Advocate are calling on UPS to withdraw the terminations and meet with Local 804. We thank the Working Families Party and Teamster Joint Council 16 President George Miranda for their help in organizing this support.
FULL story at link.
Same link
Secretary of Labor Robert Reich's Message to United Parcel Service
Meet With the Union. Negotiation is Always Better
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich says UPS has the responsibility to meet with their union and not fire their entire workforce. Negotiation is always better than unilateral actions that harm peoples lives.
Teamster member Paul Trujillo contacted Reich by email and the former Secretary of Labor wrote back. Check out Reichs message which has been making the rounds on Facebook.
New York UPS workers strike to protest unjust firing
http://www.fightbacknews.org/2014/2/26/new-york-ups-workers-strike-protest-unjust-firing
New York, NY - Hundreds of UPS drivers and warehouse workers walked off the job, Feb. 26, at the Queens hub in New York City.
The UPS workers from Teamsters Local 804, a local led by rank-and-file reformers, called an impromptu wildcat action to fight back against the unjust firing of a driver and vocal Teamster fighter. UPS management in New York resorts to firing workers on trumped up and nebulous charges in an attempt to weaken the union. The company abuses the grievance procedure to delay worker reinstatement and back wages in these cases of unjust firings, attempting to starve workers who stand up for their rights on the job into submission.
The strategy backfired. Workers fought back to defend the union fighter who UPS unjustly fired. Hundreds stormed out of the building shouting Stop the war on workers! and Shut down big brown! The workers held an impromptu picket, gave speeches and chanted for the vast majority of the day.
A striker, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation, said, Were sick of the companys harassment. They fire people with families and kids for no reason. Its just wrong. The strike demonstrated the union spirit of an injury to one, is an injury to all!
The strike inspired Teamsters from hubs in the other boroughs. Workers from the 43rd Street hub in Manhattan, as well as the Bronx hub, said many plan to organize support for the brave strikers who stood up to management and want to send a strong message that any further firings or retaliations will be met by overwhelming solidarity and unity.
Hundreds Of UPS Drivers Strike In Queens
February 26, 2014 12:49 PM
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/02/26/hundreds-of-ups-drivers-strike-in-queens/
?w=620&h=349&crop=1
UPS walked off the job in Long Island City on Feb. 26, 2014. (credit: CBS 2)
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) Hundreds of UPS delivery drivers walked off the job in Queens on Wednesday morning.
The drivers from Teamsters Local 804 in Long Island City stood in the snow to protest working conditions.
Some chanted, Stop the war on workers and others yelled, Stop harassment at UPS.
In a statement, UPS confirmed some drivers delayed their dispatch because of a personnel concern.
UPS said the drivers have since resumed activity.
(The above statement by UPS is not true)
Android3.14
(5,402 posts)Now I'm pissed.
Niceguy1
(2,467 posts)Was the walkout sanctioned by the union?
Did the walkout violate their contract?
Ie was it an legal walkout? If not they c oi kcal be rightfully terminated and or the union cab be fined if it sanctioned an illegal walkout.
I wonder what the NLRB has to say
Skeeter Barnes
(994 posts)UPS from firing people on the spot except for offenses of extreme seriousness like stealing or assault. If it's not an extreme offense, there are supposed to be progressive stages of discipline before termination, per contract.
UPS should have given verbal warnings to their employees instead of discharge letters.
Niceguy1
(2,467 posts)unlawful walk out? I've heard they can vary from suspension termination or suspension and fine
Skeeter Barnes
(994 posts)that employees accused of wasting time undergo progressive stages of discipline before reaching the point of dismissal. I don't think there is an article in the contract that says the company and Union agree that employees slow walking or stopping work will be terminated immediately. If there is such language, I don't remember seeing it.
Regardless, I don't see how firing all their drivers can possibly be good for their customers or the company and AFAIK, all the packages got delivered the day of the protest.
It would have been best for UPS to have a labor rep get together with the president of that Local and work this out like professionals instead.
bkanderson76
(266 posts)I am questioning your questions...Was the walkout sanctioned, Did the walkout violate, Was it an illegal walkout...?
This is fine example of solidarity for the cause of labor in a matter as it should be. Time to take the gloves off.
What is UPS sanctioning?....What contracts/obligations are UPS violating?....Illegal workout?...UPS can't even fulfill their contractual obligation to deliver parcels on time and they/you are worried about the workers being illegal? If UPS wants to carry such the heavy stick, they deserve to have the average slobbering worker driving them brown trucks and, off the cliff, I say. Otherwise, work with your vastly experienced worker in a fair and legal manner.
USPS
classykaren
(769 posts)dembotoz
(16,823 posts)spanone
(135,858 posts)bleedinglib
(212 posts)If this is allowed too stand?
I will never use ups again!!!!
HelenWheels
(2,284 posts)Beach Rat
(273 posts)The truck had a "Fire Obama" sticker right in the middle of the back door. Astounding.
Loki
(3,825 posts)Proud to be Union
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,032 posts)kristopher
(29,798 posts)RebelOne
(30,947 posts)louslobbs
(3,238 posts)Lou
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)Progressive dog
(6,917 posts)Thanks, I hadn't looked at my e-mail from WFP until I saw your post. The link in e-mail took me to Move On (WFP and Move On are jointly collecting signatures).
DiverDave
(4,886 posts)K+R
MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)Did the Working Families site get hacked?
Omaha Steve
(99,690 posts)Firefox has been dealing me fits for a month. But I don't want to leave it, so.....
Hell Hath No Fury
(16,327 posts)K&R