Details

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Payroll Issues: On page 34 of the Ten Roads Employee handbook, it states that is a mistake has occurred on a worker’s check and it’s the companies mistake “the company will provide the employee an additional check or payroll deposit correcting the error no later than the next pay day.”
An item you can bargain for in a union contract is that the company ACTUALLY does pay you for their mistake and if they don’t (by a certain time), they have to pay you additional penalty fees.

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Sick Pay: On page 32 of the 10R Employee Handbook, it says, “The company will deduct and payout up to 8 hours of available vacation for each scheduled or nonscheduled day of work missed…”
According to the (New Jersey) Dept of Labor and Workforce Development, “Employers of all sizes must provide full-time, part-time, and temporary employees with up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per year so they can care for themselves or a loved one.

Why is 10R using your vacation days when you’re sick?

https://www.nj.gov/labor/worker-protections/earnedsick/law.shtml

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Unscheduled Layovers: if your truck breaks down or there’s an accident on the highway that leaves you sitting/stranded somewhere for up to six hours…how does the company pay you for that time? On page 31 of the Ten Roads handbook, it tells you that you’ll be “moved into a non-working time.” The company will give you: “0-less than 6 hours is $0.” Nothing.

In a union contract, it’s possible to negotiate to be paid for that time.

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Route Bidding: the 10Roads Employee Handbook states that: “The hiring supervisor…may elect to not post certain positions when there are lawful, non-discriminatory based for doing so…” (page 30).

Ever lost an opportunity to bid on a route because you didn’t even know the opportunity existed?

With a union contract, it’s not unusual for there to be language that details how all jobs are bid, in a way that is fair and transparent to all the workers.

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Cameras for safety or invasion of privacy?:

On page 28 of the 10 Roads Handbook, it states that, “The company seeks to ensure the right to personal privacy of all employees.”
On page 25 of the handbook, in regards to safety cameras, “The camera safety program is a video based coaching tool designed to help employees be safe and perform at their best.”

Do you know of any situations where the cameras were used as a means for discipline instead?

It’s possible to put in a union contract that those “safety cameras” are only to be used for safety and the protection of the workers and cannot be used for discipline.

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Your privacy (Part II):

The 10 Roads Handbook states that, “ The company seeks to ensure the right to personal privacy of all employees” (page 28).

On page 24, the handbook states that “As a condition of employment, each Employee…agrees to allow and assist with the search of any company property and/or vehicle, any personal property contained therein, as well as any personal vehicle while parked on company property, at any time. A search may include the employee’s person, work areas, lockers, vehicles, if driven or parked on company property….and any other personal item.”

It’s possible to have language in a union contract that requires an employer to have reason to search your personal property.
With a union, you can ask for a union steward to be present (and there to witness) in any situation that may appear to be disciplinary.

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At Will Employee:
The 10 Roads employee handbook says that, “the employment relationship between the company and its employees is “at will.” This means that employees voluntarily enter an employment relationship and are free to resign at any time. Similarly, the company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice or cause” (page 8).

This means you can be fired for no reason whatsoever.

Under a union contract, an employer must have “just cause” (a good reason) to fire you. You are also entitled to union steward to have your back in the face of any discipline.

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USPS Holidays:

If there’s any question about what day the USPS Labor Day holiday (or other holiday) is observed (for holiday pay), here is the official 2023 USPS holiday calendar:

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/events/