UPS Teamsters are using new strategies to beef up contract enforcement by bringing the union to the members.
This spring, part-timer Reuben Naverette in Los Angeles Local 396 started organizing ‘Teamster Thursdays’ during break time. He got the idea from other part-timers in a different building in his local.
Members wear Teamsters shirts and other union gear, and they meet to share snacks and discuss a different shop floor issue each week.
“At first, I would buy the snacks to share every time, but now we have different people take turns to bring something in to share. It’s a way for everyone to have some investment in it,” Naverette says.
“You can tell what we are doing makes a difference when the information we talk about in the meetings starts to spread beyond just the people who attended.
“One thing we’ve found success with is educating people about their rights on paid breaks. In our center, the company had been shorting us five minutes on our breaks, so we made a point to educate members on their rights to a full break. People were afraid at first, but once enough people started doing it, it caught on.”
Parking Lot Meetings & Leafleting
In Kansas City Local 41, package-car driver steward Ben Reynolds holds regular parking lot meetings to update members about their contract rights and how to enforce them.
“One of our biggest successes this year was getting grievances won around penalty pay for payroll errors. It’s a black and white issue that we win every time we file, but previously guys would either not know about the contract language or they’d be too afraid to file,” Reynolds says.
“This year, we had a dozen different people win penalty pay grievances, including some high seniority guys who were filing a grievance for the first time ever. Every time someone wins, I tell them to spread the word. As the small wins pile up, people’s confidence grows.
“We’re at the point now where fear of filing grievances has pretty much disappeared, which would have been hard to imagine a couple of years ago,” Reynolds said.
In Mississippi Local 891, Keith Hill and his co-workers pass out contract enforcement flyers from the IBT and UPS Teamsters United.
“Summers can be brutal in Mississippi, and most members didn’t know about the new heat safety language we won in the contract. A group of us started handing out TDU heat safety enforcement materials at the gates and talking to members about their rights. Now more members are enforcing safety on the job, by taking cooling off breaks when they need them and by demanding that UPS keep ice machines fully stocked.”
Shop Steward Network
TDU activists covered by the Central Region supplement have built a network of more than 100 stewards and activists to share strategies.
They use a Whatsapp group chat and regular conference calls and Zoom meetings to exchange information on management tactics and share ideas for organizing members and enforcing the contract.
Spencer Jonas is a new steward from Dodge City, Kansas, Local 795. He has used the resources from the network to become an effective steward and organizer.
“Everything changed for me when I got connected with TDU. We started winning more 9.5 grievances and more 8-hour grievances. I constantly picked up little tips here and there to help defend against discipline.”
As they started to win more grievances, more members bought into the union more and got involved. In August, Spencer and nearly half the drivers from his small building made the three-hour drive to Wichita for a contract enforcement training at his local union hall.
Backing Up Grievances With Group Action
Stewards and other TDU activists backed up grievances with group action to break through stonewalling and make the company follow the contract.
As summer temperatures rose in Canton, Ohio, UPS management ignored requests from members and the safety committee to install fans.
Preload steward Damian Kungle from Local 92 started a petition, circulated it on every shift, and presented the signatures at the next safety committee. UPS stopped stalling and started installing the fans.
Inspired by the victory in Canton, TDU members in Minneapolis and Denver took action.
In Minneapolis Local 638, Siobhan Moore and her co-workers and another steward passed out heat safety flyers and information to build awareness.
After weeks of flyers, they held a “Teamster Tailgate” event to put the heat on management.
“Within days after the Teamster Tailgate, the company got to work installing the fans for our shift. UPS was always capable of getting the fans installed. We just had to put the pressure on to push them to do it,” Moore said.
TDU members in the Commerce City, Colo. hub in Local 455, collected more than 800 signatures on a petition for designated cool zones and more fans in the hub.
A handful of members set up a table and collected signatures at least two times on every shift in the hub. Drivers demonstrated their support for the inside workers by signing the petition, and some of them helped to collect signatures at the table before and after their shifts.
In August, ten UPS Teamsters stayed after work for a “march on the boss” to confront their preload manager. One week later, UPS replaced broken fans and installed several additional ones.
The dog days of summer are behind us. But these strategies for uniting members and putting the heat on management to follow the contract can be put to work year-round.
Need advice or support? Want to network with other members and shop stewards? Contact TDU and our UPS Teamsters United network at 313-842-2600.
Shop Stewards Network
“Participating in TDU’s network of UPS stewards in the Central Region has been a huge benefit to me since I won my steward election this summer. I’m able to consistently talk to other stewards to discuss strategies and get tips on communication and writing grievances. It’s comforting to know that I’m not doing this alone, but as a part of a larger group working to make the union stronger.”
Rachel Altfillisch
Local 344, Wisconsin
Building Union Density
“I work in a very rural building in Dodge City, Kansas. Connecting with TDU has made a big difference for me and my coworkers this year. Watching webinars and being able to ask questions to other knowledgeable stewards in the region has boosted my knowledge and confidence for contract enforcement. When other members see that we’re starting to win some grievances, they get more interested in the union and want to be involved.”
Spencer Jonas
Local 795, Dodge City
Parking Lot Meetings
“We held the first parking lot meeting in our building last year during the contract campaign, and now they’re a regular occurrence in our building. Over time, we have figured out some ways to make them work better. We give people plenty of notice and cover topics that are relevant at the time for our drivers. After the meeting, I make sure to follow up individually with the folks who attended to see if they have any additional questions or input.”
Ben Reynolds
Local 41, Kansas City
Leafleting & Education
“Handing out TDU contract enforcement materials at the gate has been a great way for us to educate our members and engage activists. These conversations are the starting point for building a stronger union.”
Keith Hill
Local 891, Mississippi