Back to the 19th century at UPS

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

UPS has implemented a mandatory 70-hour workweek for Teamsters who drive the brown trucks called package cars....

And if a worker is hurt in the process, management has a policy of blaming the injured victims instead of its own unsafe and dangerous production schedules..........

Last week, at the CACH facility outside of Chicago, a fire broke out that filled a section of the building with smoke. Management refused to evacuate the building, but though it did eventually evacuate the area where the fire was raging....

During the eight-hour movement of 1880s, the demand was for an eight-hour day with pay equal to 12 hours of work. We need to argue for that, but before we get there, we need to stop the company from instituting a 70-hour workweek.

To read more:

https://socialistworker.org/2017/12/08/back-to-the-19th-century-at-ups

The GOP has always been an enemy of the union movement because unions allow workers to negotiate from a position, not of equality, but at least a stronger position. Union workers negotiate, while non-union workers have to beg in many cases.

And as the unionized sector of the workforce declines, so does wage and power inequality increase.

[Matthew28]

1. This is where the democrats

should be focusing on! Rebuilding our unions and demanding better for our workers.

[elleng]

4. Yes, and this WAS where democrats DID focus, I think.

TROUBLE without it, but seriously difficult to do so now, imo.

[guillaumeb]

7. Very difficult indeed if politicians refuse to even raise the issue.

And thus wage inequality grows as individual workers confront corporate Goliaths.

[elleng]

9. Yes.

Yes.

[guillaumeb]

5. And to do this, it is necessary to speak the word union.

I truly cannot remember the last time that I heard a Democratic candidate for President even speak about unions.

[LisaM]

2. Yuck. Like I really want the roads full of tired and stressed UPS drivers.

Years ago I worked at a coffee shop and one busy, rainy Saturday morning, one of the customers was a FedEx driver who came in and ordered a quadruple espresso drink.

The owner handed the driver her coffee, and nicely said, "be careful out there!" The driver answered, "can't do it, ma'am. FED EX". That was pretty much the most troublesome answer she could have given. Ever since then, I've pictured FedEx drivers as overly-caffeinated and unable to drive carefully because they work for FedEx.

[guillaumeb]

6. Fed-Ex drivers purchase their own vehicles.

They are contract workers.

FedEx claimed and claims that because they make these drivers buy their own trucks and scanners, pay for their own uniforms, and work whatever hours are necessary to get FedEx’s work done, the drivers aren’t employees. They claim that because they require their drivers to sign contracts saying they are independent contractors, that they are independent contractors. They claim just because they say FedEx can’t control the “manner or means” of getting the job done, regardless of what they do, that these drivers are independent contractors.

https://www.bayareaemploymentlawyerblog.com/2014/09/fedex-drivers-are-employees-no.html

A brave new world of "independent contractors" who are regulated in every aspect of their job.

[RandomAccess]

13. Bernie did

Even showed up on a few protest lines, IIRC

[msongs]

3. we tell our suppliers upfront we want USPS shipping not gouger brown. Usually we

get what we want. otherwise we try and support businesses who use USPS and we tell them so

[guillaumeb]

8. Even the USPS is guilty of understaffing.

But there is a limit of 12 hours per day, which works out to a 72 hour week for overtime list employees, and 60 hours for non-overtime employees.

[workinclasszero]

10. Wasn't UPS and Fed Ex formed to get around the postal workers union rules

in the first place?

They cherry pick the most profitable part of the mail biz and anti worker rules as well.

[guillaumeb]

11. Many UPS workers are members of the IBT, the Teamsters.

Fed-Ex workers are called contractors by the company and are not unionized.

UPS was started to deliver packages and later added express service, but as far as the package business segment, most people are not aware that the USPS, the Postal Service, actually delivers more packages than UPS and Fed-EX combined.

[workinclasszero]

12. Cool

Thanks for the info.