April 22, 2020

Teamsters Local Union 509 - Opts Out

 of the

UPS / IBT Covid 19 Vacation Bank MOU

Local Union 509 has notified UPS that Local 509 is opting out of the MOU negotiated between UPS and the IBT to bank vacation time that was originally scheduled beginning week ending May 23^rd through the remainder of 2020. Local Union 509 carefully examined the MOU and determined that the MOU did not portray the ideas and positions of Local Union 509. Below in part are the reasons that Local Union 509 made the decision to opt out.

1. Local Union 509 believes it is important that the members take their vacations. Considering the long hard hours, the UPS employees work, they need a break from the pressure of the day to day business.
2. Article 55 Section 2 specifically states “No employee shall accept vacation pay in lieu of vacation”. This language was negotiated with the clear an unambiguous principle that the employee needs vacations and must take them.
3. The MOU states that the employee must notify the employer in April and once they opt to work on their vacations, the employee cannot change their mind and later decide not to work.
4. While UPS would save hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars in benefits cost, the MOU requires employees who work their vacations to work at the straight time hourly rate of pay. Local Union 509 is against employees working on their vacation(s), but if they do, it is the position of Local Union 509 that they should be paid time and one half (1-1/2) for all hours worked.
5. Employees working on their vacations would also adversely affect coverage drivers who bid coverage to cover drivers’ vacations.
6. Allowing full time employees to work on their vacations would prevent the Company from allowing part time employees to fill full time positions, which would certainly adversely affect the part time employees financially.
7. If Local Union 509 agreed to the MOU it would allow the Company to force drivers to work on their vacations and pay them the straight time hourly rate of pay. Without the Local Union agreeing to the MOU, UPS cannot force an employee to work on their vacation(s).
8. In many UPS buildings the Company is already behind on putting on full time drivers. Additionally, there are grievances headed to panels and or arbitration because the Company awarded full time driving jobs but then made the decision to not honor the awarded bid. Allowing drivers to work on their vacations would destroy the argument of the Local Union that the Company needs drivers and should honor the awarded bid.
9. The MOU is only for full time employees, which could be considered discriminatory in nature as the part time employees are not able to be a part of the MOU.
10. Local Union 509 is interested and will agree to any conditions that are better than what is already in place, but we do not believe this MOU is in the best interest of all the UPS members.