Reality Check EP 017

The hosts of the podcast discuss a new system called DMORS, which tracks packages on trucks. They argue that the system is flawed and leads to unjust discipline for employees. They emphasize the importance of filing grievances and using Article six to challenge the company's use of technology for supervision and discipline. They also criticize upper management for implementing the system and urge members to stand up for themselves. Teamster Power 767 Reality Check with Jeff Schoenfeld and Garfield Hooper. Okay Garfield, we're going to get right into it today, right to it, DMORS, aka no scans, aka bull emoji, yeah, we'll just call it that, yeah, that's just a load of crap, I mean just a load of hot steaming poo that the company is pulling again, I mean really it's still steaming. Yeah, it's just absolutely ridiculous, I got into it with my division manager because, you know, they started disciplining a few guys in our center this week for it, you know, for no scans, if you don't know what a DMOR is, it's a no scans, for most people it'll be a package that wasn't on your car, most likely because it was misloaded on somebody else's car, and it was still in your ad, so obviously you can't scan something that's not on your car, so you sheet it as not found, or you, you know, swipe it over on the board and put it under not found. That gets reported to the center, well the center goes and says, oh, well our computer says this was on your truck, so the next morning they give you a warning letter for a no scan for this package, even though you were on the truck, it wasn't there, you didn't scan it, so. So let me just say it, guilty till proven innocent, right? Unbelievable. Yeah, it's on the company to make that proof that you didn't have that. That's their burden, absolutely. So when they started giving the discipline, I went to the center manager and she just kind of shrugged her shoulders at me, it's like it's coming from above, so I went to the division manager, and I had this conversation with him, I told him, I said you're basing this solely on technology, and he's like, well, we've got this system that scans all the trucks, and I was like, so that's technology, correct? He's like, yeah, well, if it shows it on your truck, then we're going to consider it on your truck. I was like, no, you consider the PAL label on your truck. If I have a misload on my car that has my PAL label on it, and I found that misload and I, you know, send it in as a misload and sheet it up mislater because it's going off bump-fuck Egypt somewhere, and I don't deliver it, and I bring it back to the building. But that PAL label that was supposed to be on another one of my packages was on that package. So as far as their computer is concerned, that package was on my truck, but just that PAL label was on that truck. So now I'm getting a discipline because, you know, my package ended up somewhere else, but the PAL label ended up in my truck and then somebody else didn't scan it for whatever reason. But I'm getting that discipline, even though I didn't. Yeah. And again, not that this matters because everything is based solely on technology, but, you know, they're assuming that all their supervisors are going to scan, you know, scan that truck with that one that they have. Not that it matters. I'm just saying, you know, in their head, oh, you know, everyone scan this. Everyone did what they're supposed to do because management always does what they're supposed to do. Now I'm lying, right? They're not because they don't. OK. And this is frustrating because it's just, you know, we know it's based off of technology and yet they still want to do this. And, you know, when I was a BA, it's it's they would give the DMORs out and when we would have the hearings, we would get them all thrown out. Why? Because the management's too lazy to actually go back and check each one. Instead, they want to just go into a system. Nope, that doesn't work. Sorry. Well, I feel like they or I believe that's what they feel like. Oh, so you feel or you think or you believe that that that that the the employee was doing this. I'm sorry. That doesn't work. That doesn't work here. It doesn't work at the panel. And so they just want to they want to they want to justify. They want to say, OK, it was the employee. It was the employee. So, you know, everyone needs to file on the discipline, obviously file a grievance on the discipline. Then you file, you know, file another one on Article six for harassment based off of technology because you just can't do that. And they know that. But you know what it is? It gets into people's heads and we're in we're in peak season. You're pulling these politics. I mean, that's ridiculous. Yeah. It's absolutely ridiculous for them to be doing this right now because like the loads are, you know, everybody's heavy. You know, they're pushing everybody to just cram everything in the trucks. You know, whether it fits or not, whether it's in the right place or not. And, you know, if you can't get it, if you can't walk through the truck, you certainly can't scan the whole damn thing. And, you know, I reached out, I reached out to to the hall when all this started happening. And they told me that anybody that files in Article six as regards to this is like them being disciplined solely for discipline to put on there for the company to cease and desist from using technology to oversupervise and issue discipline. That's what you should ask for on the settlement. Yep. They always I mean, they should always cease and desist. Yeah. They should never even do it in the first place. And it's it's it's harassment because they know that that's absolute harassment. Yeah. Yeah. You're throwing harassment in there, too. You're throwing a 37 and 66. Yeah. Yeah. But you do it. You do it with the six because it's based off the technology. So, you know, I mean, it's just 37 and 66. I mean, I oh my God, the things that they do. Get this, Jeff. So I went in Saturday morning early to deliver for a few hours when I was getting ready to leave. One of the supervisors or managers or whoever for preload came in and scanned my truck. So I watched him do it. You know, it's a Saturday. You know, I run a rural route, so there's not a lot of stuff in there. So he's walking over there waving this thing around and it's beeping. And I started asking him questions about what does that mean? What's that beeping mean? I was like, means there's a misload in here somewhere. We're scanning around here, but oh, we can pick up the stuff that's on the belt, too. Oh, my God. Just I mean, I just yeah. So, hey, so once again, something else that isn't 100 percent, which we've already known, and that's why that language we're not going to give up. You're not going to just base it solely off of something that isn't 100 percent, you know, perfect, you know, I just you know, but this is what this is what they want to do. And members need to understand. Don't let it get to you. You know, you just file that grievance because this is something we're going to win. If you get the warning letter, fill out your disputes. And on top of that, send in another grievance, you know, Article six, claiming the harassment put on there that, you know, that they need to cease and desist with the discipline and supervising based on technology. Like that's the best way we can do is just, you know, flood them with this because this is clearly something they can't do. Article six, section six says out that, you know, no employee shall be disciplined based solely upon information received from GPS, telematics or any successor system. And this would be considered a successor system, some brand new systems they're bringing in to try to track all this bullshit and, you know, try to discipline people for, you know, shit they're not doing. Absolutely. And, you know, because they're putting their issues on us, they're you know, they're trying to put it on us like we made the mistake, we did this, you know, and I did hear I've heard a bunch of on road say, oh, they're making all this money now. So, you know, whatever, we're working hard for it. OK, so we don't have to cheat to do anything. I mean, it's nuts. It is what it is. And, you know, I just and I know this comes from the upper management, but you know what? You're complicit. You're there. You're doing it. You're giving the discipline. So you're just as you know, it's just as much your fault. So, you know, no sympathy there. We had a we had one of our brand new on road suits was kind of bad mouth in the union the other day. And I was like, look, man, I was like, it's like you can you know, he drove for like a hot minute and then became a supervisor like most of them do. And I said, look, man, I said, you can bad mouth the union all you want to. But do you think they'd be paying you a fraction of what you're making right now? We weren't making what we're making. Every dollar you make, you can you should be thankful to the teamsters fighting for our money because they wouldn't be paying you what you're making if we weren't making what we were making. Yeah, I mean, it's it's it's so many things and they don't see it and, you know, they wanted to switch over to, you know, the dark side, you know, it's like it's oh, maybe the grass is greener on the other side. No, you know, it's not. And that was your choice. Fine. That's your choice. Yeah. But, you know, don't have an issue when you know, because we're making a certain amount of money or whatnot. So that's crap. And any time I hear him complain, I said, you made that decision. Nobody twists your arm, made you become supervisor. Nobody, nobody made you become a manager. You could have said over here, you think we've got it so good. You could you could easily say it over here. I don't know why you're complaining. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And it's not the supervisor, but the, you know, the management side, they signed the contract and, you know, under that contract where they can't face it's totally over technology. So, I mean, did their side agreed with that? So, once again, something else that they just need to shut up. I mean, enough. I mean, it's just, you know, just beat yourselves up. Don't don't start coming after us. It's always the it's always the same thing. But, you know, on our end, we got to we got to, you know, help members stick up for themselves. So and let them know what it is. So, I mean, that's that's obviously frustrating. But there's there's another thing we wanted to talk about. And it's it's driver safety. Oh, yes. And yeah. And, you know, you know, driver helper, anyone who's on the on the truck. Now, this goes for year round, but especially this time of year, there are people who follow the trucks and take stuff, you know, take the packages. You've got to be aware of that stuff. You don't want to confront anyone. No, you know, there is no at all at all. And, you know, we're seeing videos of people getting, you know, FedEx and you guys getting getting, you know, truck jack. Yeah. OK. And, you know, it's dangerous. And we've had people had guns put to their heads. And, you know, recently, within the last year, a bunch of situations. And it's it's it's not good. And, you know, I know we care on our side. Safety. Safety is first, right? Safety. It has to be. And I just want everyone to just be aware of your surroundings. And it's just gotten worse. There are, you know, some desperate people out there and they'll follow your truck. They'll look, they'll see what you do. If you have an everyday route, they'll look in there. They're they're watching you. They're saying, OK, this is what they're doing. You know, I mean, they're I mean, it's it's they're they're basically chasing your route, you know, and just be careful. Just, you know, they come to you with a gun, whatever you want. You don't fight them. You don't do anything. No, you worry about yourself. There's one everyone to get home to their family. There's nothing in that truck worth your life. And I've always, you know, I've always told everybody, I was like, if somebody comes up to me while I'm on the route or wherever and, you know, threatens to kick my ass, you know, they don't have to pull a knife on me. They don't have to. They don't have to pull a gun and be like, hey, man, the truck's all yours. I'll show you how to start it. Yeah. I said, good luck. Oh, yeah. I'll give you a 20 minute head start. I mean, that's that way you're not. I mean, you're you're a better chance of nothing happening to you. I mean, don't confront them. No, I mean, it's just these packages are insured. This is just take care of yourself. I just if this if this helps anybody out there, please just be aware of your surroundings. Don't get complacent. Look around all the time. Yeah. OK, so. But, you know, that was important. What we talked about today, both things very important. And, you know, know your rights and be aware of your surroundings. So, everyone, you have a good night. We all deal with national language, but on this podcast, when it comes to supplemental language, we deal mostly with the southern region. And as always, it's best to get advice from your local stewards or business agents. If you would like to reach out to us with any questions, we have an email address, 767 Reality Check at gmail dot com. That's 767 Reality Check at gmail dot com. And remember, strong people stand up for themselves, but the strongest people stand up for others.