Our Teamster contract requires UPS to provide water and ice for every Teamster, including inside workers. Here are five steps to make management honor the contract and do their job.
1. Identify the problems.
Is the ice machine broken? Does it always run out of ice before the day sort gets in? Are there not enough water fill stations? Use the Teamster heat safety audit to identify the problems.
2. Document the violations and establish a paper trail.
Talk with members in your work area to make sure everyone is aware of the problem. Put the issue on your building’s safety log and follow up in writing with the safety committee.
3. Ask management to fix the problem.
For a broken or dirty ice machine, or a drinking fountain that doesn’t work, ask management to fix the equipment and tell them they need to supply the building with water and ice in the meantime. Write down the date of the conversation and management’s response.
4. File a grievance.
If management stonewalls, file a grievance. This is our safety.
5. Involve other members.
Work with other members to collect signatures on a petition or group grievance. Make a plan to deliver it to management and the safety committee as a group.
“Our building’s ice machines were faulty and ran out of ice for the preload. Me and the other shop stewards brought the Article 18 violation to management’s attention and they brushed us off. So we made sure members knew about the violation, helped them file grievances, and started a petition. When management saw members taking action, they started providing bagged ice while we waited on the machines getting fixed. That extra pressure was enough to solve the problem.”
- Kenny Spragans, Virginia Local 822
Get Help!
UPS Teamsters United can help you enforce your contract, including the heat safety language in Article 18.
Get in touch with us to talk through your issue and get advice on documenting the violations, writing effective grievances, getting members involved, and making management address the issue.
Click here to send us a message and order heat safety enforcement materials or call 313-842-2600 to talk to an organizer.