UPS mandates 70-hr. weeks for drivers

THIS CHRISTMAS, UPS drivers are getting the gift of overtime — whether they want it or not.

United Parcel Service on Dec. 1 called for mandatory overtime for its drivers across the country — although not every shop has had to immediately implement the new hours.

Thanks to a projected 5% increase in package deliveries this month from the same time last year — a jump to 750 million from 712 million — UPS has mandated drivers put in 70 hours a week instead of the usual 60.

That equates to an extra day of work a week — on top of the already extended 11-hour shifts UPS drivers are putting in, according to their union, Teamsters Local 804.

The UPS drivers learned of the policy change the day before it was implemented.

For those who work Monday through Friday, it means working a sixth day, on Saturday.

For those scheduled Tuesday through Saturday, it means their sixth day will be Monday, according to a UPS spokesman.

One UPS driver based in Queens said he didn’t know he was getting mandatory overtime until the end of shift Thursday.

“They called me into the office, a manager and three supervisors, no union representation, and told me I was instructed to come into work on Saturday,” said the veteran UPS driver, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

The worker complied — and said he will keep doing so through Jan. 5, which is when UPS projects the need for mandatory OT will subside.

But at least 70 other Local 804 workers in delivery centers in Queens and Brooklyn told their supervisors they couldn’t make the adjustment on such short notices, Local 804 said.

Those workers were issued a notice of intent to discipline — which the union said could end in dismissal.

UPS spokesman Steve Taut said it was unlikely the mandatory overtime would result in any firings — or even discipline.

“The next step is a meeting and that notice of intent may turn into nothing and an employee can explain the reason they couldn’t work,” he said. “There may or may not be any sort of discipline or repercussions, depending on the situation.”

So far, UPS has activated its mandatory overtime policy only in Queens and Brooklyn — but it could spread to the roughly 7,000 Local 804 drivers in Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan.

Taut said that UPS had staffed up for the busy holiday season — hiring 95,000 additional temporary workers.

But as online sales continue to boom, so does demand for speedy delivery, he said.

“Volume has come in extremely strong, so we’re taking whatever measures necessary to make sure we can deliver to our customers,” Taut declared.

To justify its change up in hours, UPS cited a Department of Transportation law that permits drivers to work up to 70 hours in an eight-day week. But Local 804 says UPS is playing fast and loose with regulations designed for long-haul surface truckers — not package-delivery drivers who are in and out of their vehicles all day carrying hundreds of packages. “It’s exhausting, a lot of wear-and-tear and stress on the body. We have filed labor charges on this,” said Local 804 Principal Officer Eddie Villalta. “This is a safety issue.” The Teamsters are in the middle of negotiating a new contract for UPS driver members before the current one expires in July 2018.

Local 804 was engaged in supplemental side negotiations in New York, which have now been canceled, Villalta said.

“We’re being bombarded with calls from drivers because, honestly, how does UPS expect them to be functional and productive working all these extra hours?” he asked.

UPS has about 75,000 delivery drivers nationwide and 7,000 in Local 804.

Vincent Perrone (inset), a 23-year veteran of UPS, said plenty of workers have always volunteered to work extra days — but he couldn’t recall being forced to do it in the past.

“This year they said everybody has to come in, and we understand there are busy days, but it is the holiday season for us too. What about our families and children? Our shopping and decorations?” he said.