The new contract books were finally received at the Union Hall this past week. Members seeking copies of the contract should contact their Steward, Business Agent or the Local Union Hall.
As a UPS steward, I have some extra copies to distribute, so members who see me in person on a regular basis can feel free to ask.
2 Comments »
Filed under: 2008 contract, I.B.T., UPS, rights, unionism
You may be thinking, “Of course you’re supporting Barack Obama for President – the Teamsters endorsed him!” And while I do consider myself a good Teamster, I have my own reasons for volunteering, donating and voting for the Obama campaign. As I wrote in a testimonial on the Teamsters for Obama website:
As American workers, we are achieving unprecedented gains in productivity, yet somehow we are seeing less and less of the wealth our productivity creates. This needs to change, but it will only change if everyday Americans, especially union members, vote in their own best interests.
Barack Obama’s positions on the Employee Free Choice Act and the corrosive trade agreements of the past 15 years are key to stemming the anti-worker tide in American today. He knows that a strong labor movement is vital to helping workers gain the compensation and leverage they deserve.
I’m supporting Barack Obama and I’m encouraging my fellow union members to do the same – because now more than ever we can’t afford to stick with the same tired, anti-worker policies that got us into the mess we’re in. We can’t afford to let the politics of fear and smear lead us away from our interests anymore.
We need to tip the scales back in our favor, and Barack Obama is the only candidate who will do that.
If you’re a Teamster and you’d like to check out the Teamsters for Obama site, click here.
And whether you’re a Teamster or not, why not check out the Obama campaign website, where you can sign up to volunteer, donate or just learn more about Barack Obama and what he stands for.
Comments »
Filed under: 2008 Presidential election, I.B.T., politics, solidarity, unionism
Ever heard of telematics? From TDU (“UPS Expands Spyware Program“):
July 17, 2008: Are new sensors appearing on your package car? UPS is expanding its use of new technology to monitor vehicles, and drivers, like never before.
The company’s new “telematics program” uses computer technology to combine data UPS gathers through GPS, the DIAD board and new sensors that are being mounted on package cars in pilot areas.
More than 200 new sensors are being mounted on select package cars to gather information on everything from vehicle speeds and oil pressure to the number of times a truck goes in reverse, what doors are open and when, the time the truck spends idling, and how and if you are wearing your seatbelt.
The article goes on to explain that while telematic information has some useful applications, like improving fuel economy and routing convenience, it also has much more dangerous potential. It gives UPS an unprecedented ability to spy on drivers as they do their jobs, which means the Union must, now more than ever, be on the lookout for abuse of this techonology.
Suddenly, the subtle changes in Article 6 of the new master agreement make a little more sense:
(8) No employee shall be discharged on a first offense if such discharge is based solely upon information received from GPS or any successor system unless he/she engages in dishonesty (defined for the purposes of this paragraph as any act or omission by an employee where he/she intends to defraud the Company). The degree of discipline dealing with off-area offenses shall not be changed because of the use of GPS.
How nice, in this Orwellian era of employee monitoring, that the UPS driver is at least (somewhat) protected for the first offense. But what is our protection after that?
Comments »
Filed under: UPS, rights
