September 15, 2011: Letter to Package Division Director Ken Hall from Local 243 Package Car Driver Martin Labut. Report on how SurePost is affecting Teamsters in your area here.

Surepost and UPS Basic to the Post Office is eliminating full-time jobs. We have drivers laid off for the first time I can remember in the summer max vacation period. Every day, routes are cut and combined. We lose about three routes a day out of 30 some routes in our center. We are delivering over 1,000 packages to the post office a week.

Here is a list of companies using SurePost and Basic that I have compiled from my routes delivery to a very small Post Office over about a week and a half: LTD, Gevalia, Lands End, JCP, Kohls, Women Within, Zully, New Balance, Shoes for Crews, Gotham, Bits and Pieces, The Paragon, Danbury Mint, Romans, Radiancy Inc, Dr Newton’s Naturals, Maidenform, HSN, GNC, ACC, M&C, Shop4Tech, SG Company, DTE Energy, Really Good Stuff, 1Saleaday.com, Lakeside Collection, Venus, FRGN, IVL, Bloomingdales, DC Fulfillment Center of CO Springs, Return Mail Ctr of Joppa MD, Cust Service Ctr of Lexington MA, and Casual Male.

I along with my Teamster brothers and sisters used to deliver many of these packages. Now a part timer is bagging these and three drivers sit home.

UPS is running package car drivers into the ground. UPS harassment is at an all-time high. Production pressure and false standards, 9.5s are being totally ignored even after grievances. Full time combo jobs are not being created.

The least you can do for the members is stop this SurePost and Basic garbage that is killing my brothers and sisters livelihoods.

Discouraged and Disgusted, your brother,

Martin Labut, 22-Year Teamster, Local 243, Detroit