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XPO | Why don't we get paid for travel days?

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Cat-Fan

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When we first started with Conway we were expected to go to brainwashi... I mean "New Employee Orientation" , and of course it was OK to lose one Sunday of your life to travel for the good of the Company. Then there were training courses offered on a volunteer basis for the Mechanics, and you knew that you would have to fly out on Sunday, of course. But it was VOLUNTARY, we knew that we were getting into. Now the "Golden Palace" has mandated that all Mechanics get G2 certified on their own time,
(Approx 40 hours of computer time), fly out to the company-convenient training facilities on Sundays of course for EPA04, EPA07, Cascadia training, and others unless you are ASE certified in the other areas. Of course, if you don't comply, the punishment will be "up to and including termination". Since it is now mandatory that we give up our off-time to fly out of town for the Company, shouldn't we be compensated for the off-time days we lose? Isn't it the same as coming in to work on those days? I'm all for training, and I understand the benefits to the Company to have the Mechanics be competent at their jobs. Not to mention the benefits to the Mechanics to make their resumes look good if they should ever "leave to pursue other interests". But fair is fair. We are not salaried employees, we are hourly. Pay us for the time you take from us and our families. Just my $.02
 
Cat-Fan said:
When we first started with Conway we were expected to go to brainwashi... I mean "New Employee Orientation" , and of course it was OK to lose one Sunday of your life to travel for the good of the Company. Then there were training courses offered on a volunteer basis for the Mechanics, and you knew that you would have to fly out on Sunday, of course. But it was VOLUNTARY, we knew that we were getting into. Now the "Golden Palace" has mandated that all Mechanics get G2 certified on their own time,
(Approx 40 hours of computer time), fly out to the company-convenient training facilities on Sundays of course for EPA04, EPA07, Cascadia training, and others unless you are ASE certified in the other areas. Of course, if you don't comply, the punishment will be "up to and including termination". Since it is now mandatory that we give up our off-time to fly out of town for the Company, shouldn't we be compensated for the off-time days we lose? Isn't it the same as coming in to work on those days? I'm all for training, and I understand the benefits to the Company to have the Mechanics be competent at their jobs. Not to mention the benefits to the Mechanics to make their resumes look good if they should ever "leave to pursue other interests". But fair is fair. We are not salaried employees, we are hourly. Pay us for the time you take from us and our families. Just my $.02
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why would they pay you for all that training ?? once you get certified it will help you at another compnay if you do leave. as far as the flying part look at the up-side and go and get your "junk " fondled.
 
And there are going to be other instances you will be working for free .. you will figure that out in time ... I get paid just like you do ... oh btw .. just my .02
 
W99 I realize that you are only on here to argue, instigate, and otherwise be contrary to everyone else's opinions. It gives you satisfaction to be anonymously negative, but in your short and sweet reply you did hit the nail on the head with the "entitled" portion. I do feel entitled to compensation by the company for time spent working for the company. Don't you? Doesn't everyone who is employed. Isn't that why we work in the first place, to earn compensation to take care of ourselves and our families? And yes, I do fit in perfectly. I have for over 10 years. I'v seen the changes, and put up with the B.S. just like you, so please keep the juvenile name calling to yourself. Just my $.02
 
Why would you ever turn down a free education? It is not Con-way specific training, it is Detroit and Freightliner training. You take that with you. It is a compromise. They want everyone to get the EPA04 class done next year. The 10 or so G2's for S-60's will take about 10 (or less) hours and you have months to do it. 1-2 hours each weekend will get you done in plenty of time. I completed ALL of them in less than 30 hours, they are telling you to do about 1/4 of them by next year. These on-line class have been offered for around 2 years now, every would be done if they spent an hour or two a month when it started. Next year they will probably set a goal for at least EPA07, maybe more if they hire another trainer. Worst case scenario you will have over a year to get the all done.

I don't know how much you've dealt with EGR, regen engines, or Cascadias, but I can tell you that if you've never had the training, you're not as good as you may think you are. That is the truth, I have a few exceptional mechanics at my shop and all of them agreed, these new systems are not something that you'll ever be good at if you're just trying to pick it up as you go. Especially the Cascadia's. I guarantee that you will learn a lot at the classes. The EPA04 has a lot of refresher stuff, so much of it may be what you already deal with, but you will learn how to properly diagnose and repair EGR systems.

Our trainer is a good guy and makes the classes rather fun, they also feed you well and put you in a nice hotel. These things make the time away from your family not as bad. Try to look at the positives, it is a compromise. Free education and making your job easier at the cost of some time. In this case, 5 1/2 days away from home with 40 hours pay. Is it really a bad deal? You'll also get enough rewards points to buy yourself a nice T-shirt (pretty lame, but I wont turn it down). I recommend that you give it a shot. Take a G2 course or two on the new systems. If you are the exeption to the rule and know everything already, ask you DOM if you can take the test without the training because you already know everything that you need to know. If you can prove to them that you know it, I'm sure they'll let you slide.
 
Cat-Fan said:
W99 I realize that you are only on here to argue, instigate, and otherwise be contrary to everyone else's opinions. It gives you satisfaction to be anonymously negative, but in your short and sweet reply you did hit the nail on the head with the "entitled" portion. I do feel entitled to compensation by the company for time spent working for the company. Don't you? Doesn't everyone who is employed. Isn't that why we work in the first place, to earn compensation to take care of ourselves and our families? And yes, I do fit in perfectly. I have for over 10 years. I'v seen the changes, and put up with the B.S. just like you, so please keep the juvenile name calling to yourself. Just my $.02
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Funny .. I dont remember calling you names .. when I went to my orientation I did not get paid for travelling to the airport ... nor the parking .. nor getting paid for that travel day .. I got paid a flat rate ... by how you posted and how I read it your opinion seemed to be you felt like you should be getting something else. It sounded ungrateful to me and you were entitled to get something else. I dont get paid driving to work everyday ... anyone else on this board does not get paid to drive to work everyday unless they have company vehicles .. I just dont agree with your opinion .. which is my right ... and if you cant handle me arguing your opinion ... tough ...
 
Off topic,if you don't mind. Do the shops recharge air cond on older trucks in service,will they repair shoddy vender work at PM, if noted on trac insp report? WE got some real hack venders at my SC. Thanx.
 
wonderring99 said:
when I went to my orientation I did not get paid for travelling to the airport ... nor the parking .. nor getting paid for that travel day .. I got paid a flat rate.
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Here's one thing that has changed since then. You get $0.50 per mile and reimbursement for park and any meals you have during travel. Meals are cost limited, but the limit is well over any decent meal. I think dinner is max $40.00 per person. Save all receipts for any company travel and turn them into your supervisor. This is the same everyone, DSR's included. If anyone tells you no, they are wrong.

Cat-fan, I am not trying to argue with you, I'm giving the other side. I'm telling you the thinking behind it, so if you do take this to the table, you'll know what you're up against and possibly have some better counters. You have a lot to think about if you even stand a remote chance of succeeding. More than 1/2 of the mechanics have done the G2's and more are signing on each week, about 2/3 have either finished or it's in progress. You are now the minority, as more mechanics do it, your arguments become weaker.

I've been through this same argument with a few guys. It boils down to the same thing every time. I will take your complaint up, but if you can't convince me, I'm not backing you up on it. Convince me that this is a real problem and I will back you 100%. As of yet, no one can convince me and no one has wished to take it up the line. If I think you're right, I'll be by your side every step. If I don't, then I'll show you the path that you need to take, but you're walking it alone. In my shop everyone has signed up for the EPA04 class and agreed to do the G2's. Now that you are out numbered you are also up against the mechanics that will say it's not fair that I did and he didn't. Who's right 200 people or 600? I may not know who's right, but I know who's got the tougher fight ahead of them and if I were in the 200 group I'd be planning my moves carefully.
 
W99. What does driving to work have to do with anything I posted? However, if the company told me that I had to drive to work on Sunday afternoon and sit in the parking lot until my shift started on Monday at 8:00 AM, I would expect to be compensated for Sunday. Wouldn't you? Oh and BTW you could have submitted your mileage,and parking receipts and gotten reimbursed for them. Although I didn't either. Nor have I on any of the many times I have had to fly out of town for the company, so that issue is dead. Obviously you and Shop Leader both missing the point. I'm not upset about the training. I've taken and passed all the ASE. I've taken and passed all the G2. I've taken all but the last of the Cascadia training. All I want is to be compensated for the Sunday travel days that I no longer have a choice but to give up to the company. That's it!! No other agendas, no other points to consider. Do you get it now? Think about this before you answer this time. Would you want to be told to go to work an extra day without being paid for it?
 
Mudd Flapp said:
Off topic,if you don't mind. Do the shops recharge air cond on older trucks in service,will they repair shoddy vender work at PM, if noted on trac insp report? WE got some real hack venders at my SC. Thanx.
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Since I have been here, AC has been one of the top items that need to be fixed in a timely manner. Whether it is at PM or if you write it up on the DVI, it has always been expected to be repaired properly. Can you drop it at the shop while you work the dock? I'm assuming you're a line driver and will be working the dock for a couple of hours. Or can you just talk to the shop and maybe take another tractor one day? Either way it should be repaired quickly and properly.
 
Mudd Flapp said:
Off topic,if you don't mind. Do the shops recharge air cond on older trucks in service,will they repair shoddy vender work at PM, if noted on trac insp report? WE got some real hack venders at my SC. Thanx.
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It depends. In the north 2002 and newer units, the A/C should be maintained (2001 and older did not have A/C). Down south, I can't tell you, they had A/C before we did. They/we should fix any shoddy work, they should also address the issues with the vendors, fix it or get a new vendor. The inspection books are not always reliable. The should be, but sometimes an old book gets tossed a week after a new one an we don't see old write ups. Many DSR's have the book in a briefcase or something and take it to the dock with them, so we don't see it. They shouldn't but it happens. The best way and company policy is for the FOS to enter tickets on your right ups, so when we punch on the unit it shows us. It also gives a easy way of tracking. If there is an issue where a complaint was not addressed, I can see what RO that ticket was assigned to and figure out what went wrong.

For A/C issues, a ticket needs to be entered with "A/C" in it somewhere. If your A/C crapped out right after a PM, we wont know until that unit comes back to the shop. A/C is one of the few "non unit down" type repairs that will we schedule in before the next PM. I pull up A/C trouble tickets weekly and schedule the units in. If the FOS did not enter the ticket, I won't know that you HATE ME in the middle of summer.
 
Cat-Fan said:
W99. What does driving to work have to do with anything I posted? However, if the company told me that I had to drive to work on Sunday afternoon and sit in the parking lot until my shift started on Monday at 8:00 AM, I would expect to be compensated for Sunday. Wouldn't you? Oh and BTW you could have submitted your mileage,and parking receipts and gotten reimbursed for them. Although I didn't either. Nor have I on any of the many times I have had to fly out of town for the company, so that issue is dead. Obviously you and Shop Leader both missing the point. I'm not upset about the training. I've taken and passed all the ASE. I've taken and passed all the G2. I've taken all but the last of the Cascadia training. All I want is to be compensated for the Sunday travel days that I no longer have a choice but to give up to the company. That's it!! No other agendas, no other points to consider. Do you get it now? Think about this before you answer this time. Would you want to be told to go to work an extra day without being paid for it?
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come to think of it your right !!! i didnt get paid drive time to go a get a physical, nor did i get paid to get my cdl. i had to drive to the mvr and sit and wait...man now i'am mad as hell too......oh crap what about the time i had to take my (oopps company uniform) to get alterations, or driving to the x-mas party or the summer picnic !!!!! damn whats hoffa's number !!!!
 
Bottom line,a very long time ago Con-way told me that they get paid for everything they do. I took that to heart and from that day up to now so do I. If they are mandating or giving you a directive they are required by law to compensate you. From your post(all mechnics get G2 certified on their own time) you are saying that you are being given a directive that you are not being compensated for. If that is true, then it is all wrong. I have to question that this is being done. Please clarify that you are not getting compensated at all.
 
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