April 15, 2020

Union demands employers focus on employee safety rather than productivity

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the United States and the world, Teamsters Local 174 has taken a hard stance against any employers choosing to focus on productivity standards during this crisis. Instead, we are demanding that all of our employers spend their time and energy on finding new ways to protect their workers, our members, from exposure to this deadly virus.

Local 174 leadership has already taken action against employers who choose to use this crisis as an excuse to focus on productivity. For example, a Letter of Agreement (LOA) between UPS and the Teamsters Western Region Supplement negotiation committee bans management from engaging in production-based “OJS” supervisor ride-alongs, and requires UPS management to provide critical personal protective equipment to driver and warehouse workers such as masks, bleach cleaning products, and hand sanitizer. We will continue to put these priority adjustments into writing wherever possible.

Workplace productivity standards focus on statistics rather than people, which is an outdated method of supervising a workforce. In addition, they are developed based on an engineering evaluation of a workplace that no longer exists. The underpinnings of those evaluations have been and will continue to be shaken by the needs of social distancing and other workplace changes necessary to avoid spreading disease, now and in the future.

“Nothing in this world is more important to us than protecting the health and safety of our members during this pandemic,” said Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “This situation is an unprecedented crisis for our members, many of whom have been deemed ‘essential workers’ and are required to continue to report to work in potentially unsafe conditions. Any employer that would attempt to focus their managerial efforts on productivity at a time like this should be deeply ashamed of themselves. We as a Union will continue to work to protect our members, and we will not tolerate any enforcement of productivity standards against our hardworking members.”

“Without Teamsters continuing to work right now, our entire society would have shut down, and that is a sacrifice that must be rewarded,” Hicks continued. “This is no time to be cracking the whip. To our members, we say this: we will remember how every Teamster employer has chosen to respond to this crisis, and we will approach future contract negotiations accordingly. In fact, arguably one of the most successful companies in the world, UPS, does not have recognized productivity standards in their contract to pressure their employees to hit some mythical number that could change every day. UPS operates under the concept of ‘a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.’ This should be the standard by which ALL future contracts are negotiated with the Teamsters.”

Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,600 working men and women in Seattle and the surrounding areas. “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.