Holiday pay at... UPS Freight

[KabawL]

I work for UPS Freight and was told today in a pre-shift meeting about the upcoming holiday known as Christmas. This year our paid holidays Christmas Eve and Christmas fall on Wenesday and Thursday. Normally before we became unionized and even after we became unionized, our holiday pay was to remain the same.

The contract reads...

"The Employer will pay full-time and casual employees for the following nine holidays each year provided they work either the day before and the day after the holiday or are on an approved paid absence:

*New Years
*Memorial
*Independence
*Labor
*Thanksgiving
*Day after Thanksgiving
*Christmas Eve
*Christmas
*Floating Holiday"

Now, we were told in this pre-shift meeting that by our Operations ManagerIn 2008, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fall on Wenesday and Thursday, and the Friday after Christmas will be scheduled as a non-service day. Employees who do not work, or are not scheduled for a paid day off, on Tuesday the 23rd, and Friday the 26th will not receive holiday pay for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Wenesday and Friday surrounding New Years will be handled the same way. Please note that the days surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday may be light volume days as well.

You have several options to ensure that you get paid for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years day. You can:
*Use your 2008 Floating Holiday on one of the surrounding days.
*Schedule another unused 2008 paid day for one of the surrounding days.
*Use a 2009 paid day on Jan 2nd

The UPS Freight-Teamster contract language allows for several ways to ensure that you receive your pay for this coming season's holiday. Please make sure you understand how the contract language affects holiday pay and plan your time and days off accordingly.

He said if any of us are called off the day following the holiday, we will not get paid holiday pay.

As a shop steward, Local 63 Union member, 90% guaranteed 8 hours a day employee, these F%ck@rs are out of their mind.

Tell me what you guys think.

[johndobee]

I think it's crap.
Saturdays are ALSO a "non service" day.
Does this mean that if the 4th of July falls on a Friday we will all lose that holiday pay as well?!?!
UPS pulled this stunt as a way to rob employees of their negotiated, contractual paid holiday benefit!
THEY are the ones who determined we won't be working the day after Christmas!
WE didn't call in sick, they just decided to pull the rug out from under us!
Why? Because they can. It's late in the year and they know full well that most employees have used their vacation time so they would lose it the first of the year. This holiday is ONE WEEK BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR!!
In fact, I have personally seen management communications where upper echelon management was encouraging terminal managers to get the employees to get their vacation time in before the end of the year!
Supposedly for the employees own good.
Not only that, but since freight volumes have been down, people have been told to stay home and then encouraged to use vacation time!!
This reeks to high hell, and does NOTHING to foster employee good will!
At a time they expect us to go out and drum up new business for them, they stick a knife in our backs and tell us "too bad"!!
I'll tell you, most peoples reactions is to do NO more than absolutely necessary. UPS is cutting their own throats on this one.

[MULER]

We have had this in the NMFA for years. Even if it is not busy just come in and it will drive them crazy. If you guys thought the Union would be the complete answer I' am here to say Good Luck. The companies will always be @ssholes just bone them harder than they do you and you will win out some day YOUR BROTHER ALWAYS.

[KabawL]

I called the Department of Labor as was told that they are entitled to do so. On the DOL website, this is what was referred to me regarding the issue. It cant be read here...

29CFR4.4.174 - Meeting requirements for holiday fringe benefits.

Either way, I need to have a talk with my business agent and see if it applies to us even though we are under our bargaining agreement. It sounds like their trying to screw us.

[crazy]

Read into your contract,check the language ,with ours all one has to be,is to be available the day before and the day after if your on the list and if you are casual work three days in the week..What I am not sure if this is the language in the NMFA or the local supplement...Best thing is to check with your BA

[WestCoast]

The entire UPS Freight interpretation sounds incorrect, IMO. Contact your BA, and file a grievance.