Follow these tips to protect yourself no matter what Peak Season throws at us.

Don’t Cut Corners

When peak season volume spikes and discipline drops, it may feel like management is looking the other way.

Don’t be fooled. Don’t cut corners.

Management will still use driver observations and dishonesty to discipline members.

Don’t falsify records. Sheet all your packages honestly and accurately. Report any and all accidents or unusual conditions on the road.

Management will call you on the phone to ask you to falsify records and later deny what they said and leave you hanging out to dry.

Use the DIAD for all company communications and take pictures of DIAD messages.

Protect Your Overtime

If you got off the 9.5 List before September 1, management cannot take away your work or divert it to a seasonal driver.

If management tries to send a seasonal driver out to your route to take packages off of your truck, you have the right under Article 26 of the contract to refuse the help and keep your work.

If management insists after you refuse, then work as directed and file a grievance later.

If you think management is denying you overtime by diverting your work, talk to your steward about filing a grievance.

Your steward or business agent has the right to obtain your delivery records and the records of other drivers by filing an information request with the company. That evidence could help prove your case and win your grievance.

Stop Supervisors Working

UPS is increasingly trying to send us home after eight hours and give our work to lower-paid seasonals.

During peak, management will also put more supervisors to work to avoid paying Teamsters what we’re owed.

File supervisors-working grievances to protect Teamster work and overtime.

You may not want the overtime, but another Teamster does.

We can bring home hundreds of thousands of dollars to hard-working Teamsters if we hold the company to the contract.

No Sixth Punch

Peak season also does NOT mean UPS can force you to work a sixth punch. If you are asked to work a sixth punch day you have the right to say No.

Inside Workers: Protect Your Safety and Job Security

Piles of packages blocking egress. Overflowing belts. Spills and hazards.

Carol Tomé is making our hubs overcrowded and dangerous.

We can protect ourselves and make UPS create more jobs by enforcing Article 18 contract protections on health and safety.

Here’s how:

• Stop the belt if you believe it is unsafely overcrowded or operating too fast.
  
  
• Over 70s—No employee can be forced to handle an over-70 lb package alone. Pause and ask for help. File a grievance if a supervisor harasses you for asking for help.
  
  
• Egress Violations—If aisles, and especially building exits, are blocked with packages or equipment, talk with your steward to file a grievance and an OSHA complaint.
  
  
• Spills and Hazardous Material—Don’t handle any damaged package that may contain hazardous material or work in an area with spills. Get a trained hazmat responder.
  
  

PART-TIMERS: Get That Peak Season Money

Part-timers, take advantage of peak season to make UPS show you the money, from double-shifting to seasonal work opportunities.

Our contract requires UPS to give you the opportunity to work as an SSD, driver helper, or seasonal driver before hiring off the street.

Talk to your shop steward or BA if you have a question or if management violates your rights.

Welcome Seasonal Workers

Introduce yourself to seasonal workers, and talk up the union. Seasonal workers are working for UPS just like us. Many want to work at UPS long term.

This peak season will be the first impression of the union for many future Teamster brothers and sisters. Make sure they get a good one.