April 5, 2010: IBT Vice President and Package Division Director Ken Hall says local officers and members are to blame for weak contract enforcement because they bring cases “with no facts.”

Here are five changes the International Union could adopt today to increase contract enforcement.

1. Stop Golfing with UPS management. Treat contract enforcement as work, not a vacation. Stop holding grievance panels at resorts. Ban golf outings between UPS brass and union representatives at the panels. You wouldn’t believe how much this still goes on.

2. Conduct a National Audit of 22.3 Jobs Elimination. The International Union doesn’t know how many of the 20,000 full-time 22.3 positions required by the contract are actually filled—or where the existing jobs are. Stop preaching about documenting violations and start doing it. Conduct a national audit of full-time 22.3 jobs by having every UPS local document the 22.3 jobs in their jurisdiction. Then use the evidence to take a national grievance to arbitration. Thousands of jobs have been lost. We can’t wait any longer.

3. Bargain Stronger 9.5 Protections. Instead of blaming members, make it easier to document and grieve 9.5 violations. Article 37 allows the 9.5 committee “to adopt guidelines to balance” the company’s needs with “an employee’s legitimate need to avoid excessive overtime.” UPS used this loophole to water down the 9.5 rules. It’s time to get some fair balance here.

4. Provide Enforcement Guidelines & Training. Print clear guidelines on how to document winning grievances. Launch a nationwide program with trainings for stewards and members in every UPS local.

5. Create an online database of grievance decisions for stewards and local officers. National and regional panel decisions should be available to local officers and stewards with case summaries and explanations for the decisions so we know how to document, prepare and win future cases.