September 11, 2009: UPS Teamsters are increasingly getting just dimes on the dollar for 9.5 violations—when they get anything at all. The problem is epidemic and infecting areas where members historically have been able to win full penalty pay.

Teamsters in Oklahoma Local 886 have been used to seeing their grievances paid dollar for dollar. But after a year of waiting, the Southern Region panel has ruled on 9.5 grievances filed between June and October of last year. Under the settlement, the panel tossed out the first grievance each driver filed. And all subsequent grievances were settled at 40 cents on the dollar.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a 9.5 grievance settled less than dollar for dollar at my building,” said Domingo Ramirez, a package car driver and steward at the Enid center.

“We have drivers working until eight or nine every night. This is hard on our families. This settlement sends the wrong message to management, that they can keep putting more and more work on us.”