0:04 And you know, we all like to say uh you
0:05 know, screw the company whenever or
0:08 whatever it is. But the reality is is
0:11 that you are an employee and they have
0:14 rules and regulations and you as an
0:15 employee have to follow them just like
0:17 we expect them to follow the contract. And
0:24 the fact states and events presented in
0:25 this video are from the members's best
0:26 recollection and may not be fully
0:27 accurate. This video is intended for
0:28 entertainment purposes only. Always
0:29 consult with your local union about your
0:30 rights and duties at your workplace. The
0:31 opinions shared on this video are own
0:32 and do not necessarily represent my
0:34 employer's position, strategies, or
0:35 opinions. All views shared are protected
0:37 under the National Labor Relations Act.
0:39 What is going on everybody? So today I
0:41 have Greg Kerwood out of Local 25 in
0:44 Boston and we're going to get into basically
0:45 basically
0:48 the company is heating things up. You
0:51 know, we just had these uh buyout offers
0:54 and I don't think it's going too well.
0:56 And so we're going to get into like
0:57 what's the next step? Where's the
0:59 company going to end up going from here?
1:01 So, Greg, you know, UPS offered these
1:04 buyouts, then they ended up extending
1:06 it. I mean, what is this all telling you
1:07 right now?
1:09 Well, it says to me that they're not
1:11 getting uh people to take the buyouts
1:13 like they expected to. Um, clearly the
1:15 offer was garbage, so they were
1:18 delusional in the first place. Um but
1:20 you know that means that uh whatever
1:23 they're promising or calculating uh as
1:25 far as a reduction in the workforce
1:27 isn't happening through buyouts. And so
1:30 that says to me uh that they're going to
1:32 try to find another way. And the most
1:34 obvious way is to try to get rid of
1:36 people through discipline. And so I
1:40 would expect uh you know uh them to be
1:44 uh you know on on the money uh as far as
1:46 the discipline goes as far as looking at
1:48 every little thing, nitpicking
1:49 everything, trying to build up a case
1:51 against people uh you know warning
1:54 letters and progressive discipline or
1:56 and if they can jump straight to a a
1:58 discharge or put somebody on the street,
2:00 go down that road. But I think uh that's
2:01 the only way they're going to hit the
2:03 numbers they want to hit. And so that's
2:05 what I would expect to see. And let's
2:07 say I'm just a driver that comes in,
2:10 does her job, go home, maybe I'm late
2:11 every once in a while. You know, I don't
2:12 want to be in that place any longer than
2:14 I have to be. So maybe I'm a couple
2:16 minutes late every day. I I really don't
2:18 pay attention to the PCM. I just try to
2:20 rush out, get done. I mean, what do I
2:23 have to worry about with all this?
2:25 Well, I think anybody who isn't doing
2:26 everything by the book would have to
2:29 worry. I mean, you know, you can tell
2:31 yourself that, uh, you know, they love
2:33 you or, you know, cuz you run and gun or
2:34 that, you know, you don't have to worry
2:37 because you quote unquote show up and do
2:39 your job. Um, but, you know, there's a
2:42 lot of rules. There's a lot of methods,
2:44 340 of them. There's a lot of workplace
2:47 rules. Uh, attendance is an issue,
2:49 stealing time, all of these things that
2:51 the company has at their disposal uh,
2:53 when they want to discipline people. And
2:58 so it's there's few uh members that
3:01 would be uh safe in a situation like
3:04 that. You know, I mean, plenty of people
3:06 have said in my career, you know, I can
3:08 fire anybody anytime I want cuz you
3:09 know, somebody's always doing something
3:11 wrong. And you know, part of it is the
3:12 fact that we're human and we make
3:15 mistakes. And obviously those mistakes
3:17 don't wash when it gets to panel
3:19 necessarily. But, uh, you know, if
3:21 you're doing something and you think
3:23 that they don't care because perhaps
3:26 they haven't cared in the past, uh, but
3:28 it is in fact against the rules or a
3:31 violation or against the policy, uh, you
3:33 better start paying attention because
3:36 they're going to start to care and you
3:37 don't want to blow it off until all of a
3:39 sudden you're facing a, you know, notice
3:41 of termination because you thought it
3:43 was no big deal and you didn't take it
3:45 seriously. So, when you talk about this
3:48 these things that, you know, the company
3:50 didn't care about in the past and they
3:54 care now, are we talking like maybe I'm
3:56 not getting a signature on a package,
3:59 I'm just leaving at their front door? Or
4:01 maybe I'm not delivering everything and
4:03 throwing it on the the the bell. Is that
4:04 are those the things you're kind of
4:05 referring to?
4:07 Those would be obvious choices. If
4:09 you're if you're smoking packages and
4:10 not sheeting them, if you're not getting
4:12 signatures or you're signing for
4:14 packages, those are, you know, I hate to
4:16 say use the word easy discharges, but
4:18 they're easy discharges if the company
4:20 can catch you doing it. Um, but then
4:22 there's other more subtle stuff, uh,
4:24 like showing up to work on time.
4:25 Attendance is another easy one. You
4:27 know, you may think that, oh, they don't
4:29 care if I show up late or whatever it
4:31 is, but once they start disciplining
4:32 you, you know, if you get a warning
4:35 letter for something, you better start
4:37 paying attention. uh in this environment
4:40 because that warning letter will rapidly
4:42 turn into two-day, 3-day, 5day
4:44 suspensions, no determination if you
4:46 don't change your behavior. Uh because
4:48 if you don't change your behavior,
4:51 you're not doing what you're supposed to
4:54 do when you face discipline. And so, uh
4:56 it could be big stuff or obvious stuff
4:58 like that, but it could also be being
5:00 out of uniform. It could be, uh, you
5:03 know, violating their uniform policies.
5:05 Uh it could be paperwork, you know,
5:07 records. Uh you know, anything you've
5:10 been directed to do as far as pickups if
5:12 that's a hot topic, pick up within the
5:14 pickup window. Uh you know, if they're
5:17 telling you to do something and you
5:19 don't do that every day and but they're
5:20 directing you to do it going forward,
5:23 you better do it unless it's unsafe or
5:26 illegal, you know, you better do it.
5:28 So, let's say I just I show up in the
5:31 morning and
5:33 I get to the meeting, the PCM as they
5:35 call it, and the you know, center
5:38 manager's there and I notice him looking
5:40 around just gazing at everybody's
5:43 uniform and everything else. I mean,
5:46 what are they exactly looking for at
5:47 that moment?
5:50 Uh, it depends on what they want to pick
5:51 up on. I mean, you know, they've they've
5:53 loosened up a lot of the restrictions
5:55 with the shining of the shoes and, you
5:57 know, the the facial hair and all of
5:58 those things. So, there's not as much
6:01 stuff, but, you know, you have to be in
6:03 uniform. I mean, if you're wearing not
6:04 not that anybody's wearing a hoodie in
6:06 this weather, but, you know, if you're
6:07 wearing a hoodie and your your
6:09 supplement doesn't allow for hoodies or
6:12 or your agreement doesn't allow for
6:14 hoodies, um, you're out of uniform. if
6:17 you're wearing, you know, a t-shirt
6:20 that's got some fake UPS logo on it or
6:23 people make homemade stuff uh that's,
6:25 you know, brown and they slapped a logo
6:27 on, uh, you know, or you're not wearing
6:28 the socks you're supposed to wear or
6:29 whatever it is that you're supposed to
6:31 wear. If you're not wearing it, you're
6:33 out of uniform. And again, they can't
6:35 just, you know, these are not things
6:36 they can throw you out of the building
6:39 for. But if they say to you, listen, you
6:41 you know, you can't wear that shirt and
6:44 you wear it again 2 days later, that's
6:46 you not adjusting your behavior after
6:48 it's been corrected by your management
6:52 team. And you know, we all like to say
6:54 uh you know, screw the company whenever
6:57 or whatever it is. But the reality is is
7:00 that you are an employee and they have
7:03 rules and regulations and you as an
7:05 employee have to follow them just like
7:06 we expect them to follow the contract.
7:08 And you know, I'm not going to stand and
7:11 defend management's nitpicking garbage
7:13 by any stretch. But by the same token,
7:16 when you're facing an arbitrator, that's
7:17 the way an arbitrator is going to see
7:19 it, right? You work for this company,
7:22 they told you to do X, Y, and Z. I see
7:24 no reason why you can't do X, Y, and Z,
7:27 and you refuse to do X, Y, and Z. And
7:29 that, you know, leads you into
7:32 insubordination or just simply
7:34 progressive discipline that leads to
7:36 termination. And you're not changing
7:37 your behavior after multiple warnings.
7:39 And you know, you're not going to win
7:42 that battle. You're simply not. And it's
7:45 not worth risking your job over stupid
7:47 things where you think, well, I always
7:49 did it this way or I don't care or no
7:50 one's going to tell me what to do or I
7:52 don't like these shirts or or whatever
7:54 it is. You know, at the end of the day,
7:56 you don't have a leg to stand on with
7:57 that stuff. And you know, the company
8:00 can't turn around and suddenly flip a
8:02 switch. But as long as they inform all
8:04 the members, listen, going forward from
8:06 today, if you're not wearing your UPS
8:08 shirt to work, you're going to face
8:11 discipline. Then they're good to go.
8:13 It's as simple as that. So even if
8:15 they've neglected something in the past,
8:17 as long as they reset it and let
8:18 everyone know that going forward it's
8:20 going to be enforced, they can they can
8:22 change what they did, you know, two
8:24 weeks ago, 3 weeks ago, four weeks ago.
8:26 And you can't just simply say it's
8:27 always been this way and you're not
8:27 going to win.
8:29 And let's say I go to PCM, but you know,
8:31 I never like to attend it. I like to go
8:33 to the back and go to the snack machine
8:35 and grab my Diet Coke or whatever in the
8:37 morning. Is is there anything I should
8:39 be concerned about doing this?
8:41 Yeah. Again, in in a nitpicking
8:42 environment, you're stealing time.
8:44 You're supposed to be somewhere. You're
8:46 on the clock. You're being paid and
8:47 you're handling your own personal
8:50 business uh by going to the soda machine
8:52 or or whatever it is. you know, folks
8:55 that are like, uh, you know, stopping
8:57 off to use a bathroom and grabbing three
9:00 Twinkies and a six-ack of Coke along the
9:02 way. Like, that's not a bathroom break
9:04 anymore. It's now a break. You're
9:07 purchasing items to consume on company
9:10 time that's not coded off as a break.
9:11 like you know these things seem like
9:14 they're uh splitting hairs but at the
9:16 same time if the company is in that mode
9:19 which I think they're going to be given
9:21 the way this buyout has has gone and
9:24 what I I see and hear uh you know you
9:27 have to go by the book you have to tow
9:29 the line you have to do things you have
9:31 to split those hairs you have to know
9:33 the difference between a bathroom break
9:35 and a break you punch out for you know
9:38 and and and not cross that line and if
9:40 they catch you crossing that line or
9:42 they tell you to do something or that
9:43 you know you're you're caught doing
9:45 something that you were getting away
9:48 with quote unquote and now you're not,
9:50 you need to stop the behavior. If you're
9:51 driving around with your cell phone to
9:53 your ear and someone sees you doing that
9:55 and they tell you you're getting a
9:56 warning letter for using your cell phone
9:58 while you're driving, you know, without
10:01 a Bluetooth, you better stop doing it
10:02 because the next time it's going to be a
10:04 notice of suspension and they're going
10:06 to start licking their chops, you know.
10:08 And I will say, not to single out any
10:12 one group here, but those of you newer
10:15 drivers who haven't perhaps seen any of
10:17 this cycle in the past, who think that
10:21 the job consists of showing up whenever
10:23 and running and gunning and doing 300
10:24 stops and they love me and and you know,
10:26 they'll never get rid of me because I do
10:28 this and that and whatever for them,
10:29 you're going to be in for a rude
10:31 awakening because at this point with
10:33 this company where it's at, a body is a
10:35 body is a body. And if they can get rid
10:36 of a whole bunch of new guys easily
10:38 because they don't know the rules and
10:39 they don't know the methods and they
10:40 never learned them or taught them or
10:42 followed them, they're going to do it.
10:44 They're not going to worry about who's
10:46 going to replace who. They're going to
10:47 worry about, listen, we're not getting
10:49 rid of the people we want to get rid of.
10:50 And here's a quick way to get rid of a
10:52 whole bunch. And so, you got to be on
10:54 your toes.
10:56 Absolutely. In the end of the day, we're
11:00 under a contract. And by doing all these
11:02 A, B, and C, you may think that, you
11:03 know, the company loves you because
11:05 you're scratching and you're making the
11:06 numbers look all great and everything
11:09 else, but in the end of the day, as Greg
11:11 just said, a body is a body. And if you
11:16 are violating the contract, that is uh
11:18 an easy case for them to win that panel.
11:20 And they would rather bring an easy case
11:22 for them to win that panel than a guy
11:24 they can never get in a million years.
11:27 So, we're just cutting straight to it.
11:30 And uh Greg, thank you so much for
11:32 coming on. You know, uh if you have not
11:35 done so already, follow Teamster
11:37 resource page on Facebook. Uh Greg
11:41 Kerwin runs it. And uh shout outs, Greg,
11:43 who you want to shout out?
11:45 Yeah, I'm going to give a shout out to
11:48 uh our brother uh Steve Bloomer out of
11:52 Pennsylvania. Uh he had uh some form of
11:56 accident uh couple days ago. I don't
11:57 know all the details and I'm not going
12:01 to pretend to. Uh, but the short version
12:04 of the story is he was found uh with his
12:06 feet up in the cab and his head down on
12:09 the ground uh outside of the driver's
12:12 side door. Um, you know, there's plenty
12:15 of room to speculate as to whether he
12:16 passed out, had some kind of medical
12:19 issue, overheated. Who knows? I don't
12:22 know. I don't pretend to know, but he uh
12:24 was in critical condition. and I haven't
12:26 received an update today and you know as
12:28 of whenever this comes out but there is
12:31 a gofundme page set up for him. Uh if
12:34 anybody would like to give please do so.
12:36 Um obviously
12:38 that's the kind of thing that is
12:39 everybody's worst nightmare. And I think
12:42 that you know sometimes we mis uh
12:44 understand just how dangerous of a job
12:46 we do. You know we're out in traffic,
12:47 we're getting in and out of vehicles all
12:49 day. We work in crazy weather, heat,
12:52 cold, and you know, a split-second
12:54 decision or a split-second mistake or
12:56 anything at one time uh can change our
12:58 lives and the lives of the people we
13:00 care about. So, uh if you get a chance,
13:02 you know, please do what you can for him
13:04 and his family and you know, keep them
13:05 in your thoughts.
13:07 Absolutely. I'll leave it a link down
13:10 below in the description or uh in the
13:11 comments section for anybody who wants
13:14 to donate. Uh I got another thing for
13:17 you guys. Uh, Brown Cafe is I think it's
13:20 officially closed off. Uh, one of the
13:21 guys who was always on the forum, all
13:23 the forum guys, they moved over to this
13:26 other page overworked. I'll put that in
13:28 the link as well for anybody who was a
13:32 Brown Cafe goer or casual goer and wants
13:34 to go to the new site to where they all
13:37 congregate. So, uh, that's all I got
13:38 everybody. love you and I'll see you next
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