So the union was able to negotiate another paid holiday, MLK day (management already had it) for craft…if you have been paying attention the last 4 contracts, many of was wondering at what peril or expense was this going to come at??? One peril…blackout vacation days! It’s not bad enough that they MAKE you put in next years vacation at this time (only get 72 hours to decide before it gets moved down the seniority ladder), you now only get half of the total number of working days in a year to take it. More “bennies” getting controlled and pulled but do you think your union told you this before they asked for your vote!?!? More reasoning that they are ONLY after your dues and wait till you see the bureaucratic mess you have to go through to leave the union. What a joke that we continuously get hammered for all wokeisms!!
14 replies (most recent on top)
I bet I did!! You too will soon find out how transparency “should” work.
“Oh shut up! Find another job I bet you won’t.
Nov 10 by Anonymous
6 reactions (+2/-4)
Post ID: @fqyx+1joXJntv
OP was right. Just had a sit down meeting with union rep and management on my exit interview and it was acknowledged about blackout days…which there are ways around however, you have to fight for them. This, along with the other decreasing benefits from the last 4 contracts, have finally made this a heavy turnover place of employment and throw away job. Even the benefits they claim are attracting the best workers (health and retirement), once their accountant or lawyer (only fields that can interpret your ROI on said benefits) figured out how to compute and monetize those benefits, say are average at best in todays working class environment. Very sad what has happened along the way of the stock market numbers game these corporations are dealing in…unless you’re in the revolving door of C-suite management that comes in saying all the right things, albeit never by performance metrics/accountability, and walk out the door with the remains of your golden parachute in hand! The best you should hope for from here on out is the government protection of 80% of your pension if you do not leave with the lump in your hand. Good luck to all and don’t take somebody else’s word for anything, go find your own answers based on your situation with the best possible resources you can trust and utilize! For me, it is moving on to many better things based on my current situation…good night to this board for me!
Why are all these management folks posting on vacations? Do you think your union locals don't fight about this? The person who posted this thread is a anti-union. United we bargain, divided we beg. Union brothers and sisters need to stay in solidarity.
Funny how thebm Union complained about MLK when they never negotiated for that day off. It is all wasted money going to woke unions. They are losing jobs for hard working Americans, they still get their pay checks.
Oh shut up! Find another job I bet you won’t.
You do not lose your time but you can if you wait too long. See, there is 9 months of availability in the year 2023. Plus 4 months into April 2024. We are allowed to canvass potential carryover into 2024. If there are weeks or days you cannot get in 2023, and you don't do anything. Then, you work 2023 without using your unscheduled time, it will carryover into 2024. If you don't use it by the end of April 2024 it will be forfeited and you lose that time.
Our vacation schedule hasnt come around yet. I'm near the top seniority wise in our crew and havnt heard anything about blackout dates until reading this thread. So, if i schedule out my 5 weeks theres dates i wont be able to schedule? What if i only schedule a few weeks and by the time day at a time comes around theres nothing i want or nothing is available due to blackouts? I lose my time? get paid for unused time?
You're right! It's more than 8 months that we can canvass our time. 51 weeks in a year x 5 workdays a week = 260 days. Minus the 80 blackout days = 180 workdays - the (now) 7 paid holidays. Leaves 173 workdays. Divide that by 5 workdays in a week = 34.6. divide that by 4 weeks in a month 8.65. 8 months 22 days. Close to 9 months out of 12 to schedule our time. Now, Add back the 7 paid holidays since that's GOOD paid time off equals 8 months 29 days. FINAL = 9 months of open time. Losing 3 months. Do I approve blackout time? NO. Will the union fight it? Yes. Will they win Next Year 2023? 2024, 2025? Who knows. There is nothing in the contract that says the company cannot blackout time. We negotiate canvassing and amount of entitlement time. There's even a part about 20% being held as a safety net for the company. Once canvassing is done the 20% is released. Company could play the blackouts as their 20% holding. Who knows. But January 1st is right around the corner and we are on the defensive again. Facts Buddy!
You forgot to take off the weekends and paid holidays (Saturday & Sunday) in your math scenario “facts buddy”….which have never been a part of “working days/hours” as calculated on an annual basis in the US of A buddy. This is what’s wrong with your take…you gave the union credit for getting all the vacation time we have but give them an out when it comes to maintaining and enhancing employee benefits now?!?! One more thing…if I leave on January 10th, is the company going to pay me my full years vacation that I get on January 1st?!?!? Please, Do not waste your energy trying to prove everybody wrong when you are clearly unable to interpret and understand what the OP was stating. Just a simple statement bringing awareness to a situation that we will all be dealing with in some way or the other
Ha! Even your reply is so wrong. 80 (working) days equals 4 months. 12 months in a year minus 4 equals 8 working months. 12-4=8. Not 6. And "hang on" definitely goes to you as well. Were both in the same sinking boat. With metrics being tweaked for failure, blackout dates and the Union losing 2 large arbitration suits. Premise Techs being one of them; I doubt you're not going to be happy anytime soon. Live with the changes until 2026 then bailout. Contract is going to get remapped anyways with new CEO and Brightspeed sale complete. No more lipstick. Even some techs who were offered to come back refused to return. That would be like swimming towards the sinking Titanic.
Hi there “Facts buddy” poster…blackout dates have not been on our vacation calendar before this year but how would I know I’m just the one trying to plan my vacation for the following year with 80 less “blackout days” (0 hrs of allotment) to choose from. So now, if you add up “working days”, less weekends and paid holidays, you have approximately 6 months of working days to slam in your vacation! Which its actually way less to choose from if your the lower rungs on the seniority ladder. Just another fleecing of worker benefits but you keep hanging on buddy, you will soon be one living under this control fatigue (there is a reason I’m choosing union representation) and we better see ya smiling when you turn around and discover what is truly happening BUDDY ;))))))
The blackout days are not part of the contract. Union took it to full arbitration and the arbitrator ruled in favor of the company that it was needs of the business. Contract said a reasonable number of slots available daily. Arbitrator said zero could be considered reasonable due to weather patterns or monsoons. Crazy that they can know the weather months ahead
What are you talking about! My crew is large because we're all meshed into one garage and one SRO. 72hrs is an ample amount. I do not want the 12 people ahead of me to take a week to decide what days or weeks they want off. Until it gets to me 3 months later. Blackout dates are not new. It gets more black as the ones above me take the one slot. Yeah, they're not letting 5 of us off in one day. If you want to leave the union, go ahead but remember all the entitlement time you're getting next year was from the Union. If the company has it their way it would be PTO that you earn daily until you make a week then fight to use that week if you're not number 1 on the seniority list. Managers have to work and build up their time off. We are given our time all at once Jan 1st. Facts buddy!
It’s on us to READ the contract.