Rights during week by week mass layoffs

[ReadytoStrike]

I work at the Portland, Oregon Swan Island hub on the Twilight shift. For the past two weeks about 70 of us out of around 200-250 (not sure about the total on our shift) have been getting calls from management laying us off for the week. I was called last night and told I would be laid off again next week. There have been many issues with UPS doing the layoffs improperly -- seniority violations, late notice, supervisors working, and attempts by management to get people to accept "requests off" when they would have otherwise been laid off. Aside from UPS's fuckery, our local union refuses to invoke Article 38 change of operations, bring in rapid response unemployment rights education, or use their right to demand to bargain over the effects of slashing Twilight's volume by 50% compared to our normal volume post peak season.

The excuse from our local is that UPS told them they did not move volume, so Article 38 doesn't apply. I asked my BA if they had proof showing that UPS wasn't lying to which he said no. Twilight usually has around 100k volume a day, and since February 3rd it has been around 40-60k a day. Our night shift has not seen a drop in their usual volume, they have actually seen more than their usual 100k a shift, up to 150k last Friday. The explanation for why Twilight volume dropped so much was due to a 'natural drop in volume' from economic conditions. Even if this is indeed true, which I strongly suspect is not the case, doesn't our union have a right to demand to bargain over the layoffs and change in volume for our shift? Has anyone here dealt with something similar and have advice for how to get our local to do something?

[Jazzman]

From what I've read here that Local doesn't want to do much of anything. Perhaps your Steward can make some good information requests to show one way or another whats happening with volumne. Not a plan, but it's tough when the BA looks for reasons to not do stuff.

[ReadytoStrike]

Our stewards are not empowered or conscious enough to take independent action like that, unfortunately

[TheMilitantTeamster]

[TheMilitantTeamster]

[TheMilitantTeamster]