quote:

The one good thing is health insurance is significantly cheaper on the military side. I think the family rate for Tricare is about $230/month.

^^^^^^^^^^
True but the copay goes up every year and the rate paid to Doctors is low. On the other hand, UPS insurance is MUCH better.

Sorry to hear about your son's firing. I might possibly look to a local lawyer for advice, maybe one that specializes in employment/union issues.

quote:

Originally posted by ThankGod4Sig:
No Union will help. I’ve learned this in the past year with my own employment unions are useless the union represents no one expect it’s own business, they are not there to help you. I will never join nor be apart of another union in my life.

One time working in a Union auto dealership was enough for me and that was over fifty years ago. Two incidents, first unwittingly as a result of someone else’s actions during my initiation period despite dues being collected from my pay got me no help from them. Only an admission by the other person involved (petty theft, about two dollars) saved my job. That set the tone. Union reps position was that I was not a member “yet” so I was on my own.

About six months later we found a direct violation of the contract, uncompensated work time. Union reps position was “we’ll deal with this later in the next contract”

I dealt with it myself. Gone within a month.

Sorry to hear about the OP's son being fired. My response is pretty blunt, but sugar coating is unlikely to be helpful. I have 28 years experience at a Fortune 500 company.

quote:

Originally posted by sigarms229:
Ok, I'm going to play devils advocate here and I'm not trying to offend you but I'm struggling to understand why your son doesn't deserve to be fired after his comment? I mean it's basically him stating he'd like to commit workplace violence against his supervisor.

+1

At most Fortune 500 companies, this would be taken very seriously. Therefore, 3 or 4 Corporate security personnel (off duty LE plus ex-mil and/or ex-LE) would be joining his termination meeting and then escort him off premises. Additionally, high-dollar outside counsel would be hired for arbitration and/or court to increase odds of favorable ruling (i.e. not working there ever again).

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
A job one has to sue to get back isn't worth having. He'd always be under a cloud that is looking for a chance to rain on him.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
I'm with the "move on" crowd. All the time concentrating on this is all the time lost on finding a new job.

+1 but with the caveat "learn and move on"

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

But an employee can't say something like that in a modern company like UPS and think they will overlook it.

But I'm still interested in the recording of the conversation without consent.

Isn't there a claim to be made on that aspect, given the laws in that state about such recordings ??

Suppose he pursues a claim and as a result UPS pursues getting him charged with making a threat to do harm to another employee? Better to just move on, learn a lesson, and find another job.

Some jobs are not worth having, some people are not worth working with,
some companies are not worth working for.

Even I, Mr. Inept figured that out.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

But an employee can't say something like that in a modern company like UPS and think they will overlook it.

But I'm still interested in the recording of the conversation without consent.

Isn't there a claim to be made on that aspect, given the laws in that state about such recordings ??

You would have to see if the state statute about recordings gives a private cause of action for violation of the statute. It may not.

And, didn't a co worker make the recording? Assuming there is a cause of action, what are the chances that person has any money to pay a judgment? Close to none.

Does there need to be a recording?

Could the conversation have gone:

UPS Labor Relations Guy:
I’d like to talk to you. So and so said he recorded you saying would would like to back over your supervisor. Did you say that?

UPS Driver:
I said that, but I didn’t really mean it.

UPS Labor Relations Guy:
You’re fired.

A woman that I worked with went through the same thing, got fired but got her job back thru the union. Threatened a manager. But when she started working again the mgmt. micro managed the fuck out of her, wrote her up countless times and fired her. It stuck this time. She was black and so were the managers. She had almost 17 years in making 42.00 an hour.

The only reason to even attempt to get the job back is to be able to state in interviews he is “currently employed”, and to have that, and only that, confirmed by HR. Leaving is the only realistic goal, and that keeps more options open to better positions. But, I’d bet pursuing that course is not likely to be fast or cheap, and given the even the known parts of his situation, probably isn’t practical.

How was his performance before all of this? Generally they give someone very few hours hoping that they quit on their own accord.

As a truck driver he should be able to get a good paying job right now just about anywhere as they're in high demand. So why is he looking into the national guard which won't pay anywhere near what he was making?

I would think getting an attorney involved right now would be a good move. Considering they used an illegal recording to make a decision. However, saying you want to kill someone at work in today's day and age is taken very seriously, especially in IL.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
UPS Driver:
I said that, but I didn’t really mean it.

I'd add an apology.

Just for the hell of it I would file a suit against the snitch, which you should be able to do on your own at no cost except filing fee if any. It will at cost the asshole some $$ to respond.

I did 5 years at UPS during college. We had one of mechanics show up drunk to work. He was back in a few months. Maybe things are different now, but we basically couldn't get rid of anyone because of the union. If he really wants to fight it, lawyer up. Unless it is legal in that state and spelled out in company policy about being recorded like that, I'd start there

To everyone feeling like he deserved it for a single off-the-cuff sarcastic remark made in the heat of a moment...I'm sure you've never done that. Even at work. Riiiiiiight.

Thanks for all the good advice, I will pass it on.
I misunderstood when he told me he was recorded, In my old school thought pattern I thought recorded was recorded, it was not. In fact, it was a text message he sent to the other employee.
His desire to join the Natl. Guard has to do with health insurance.
My Wife and I have given him and his wife plenty of advice, now we will let him figure out what he wants to do.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
I did 5 years at UPS during college. We had one of mechanics show up drunk to work. He was back in a few months. Maybe things are different now, but we basically couldn't get rid of anyone because of the union…

That’s what my dad said. He had a 15 year driver with an otherwise excellent record that didn’t lockout his truck. The truck rolled backwards downhill into someone’s front yard. This was spelled out in company policy as automatic grounds for firing, everyone knew this. The guy was fired. The union threw a fit and the guy was back a month and a half later. My dad also said there was no way the company could cut a driver’s hours back. The hours were part of the union contract and if the company tried to cut a driver’s hours, the union would throw a fit.

My dad has been retired for 30 years now, so that might have changed.

Oh, snap. He said that in writing?? Not good for him.

Have him get his haz mat certification. Drivers with this are very hard to find and make upwards of 6 figures a year.

I hate to hear this, but I believe your son did this to himself.

Whatever difficulties he had at UPS, no matter how much may have been caused by his boss, he needs to own up to his part in this termination and learn from it. He's young and he can bounce back. Fortunately, he has a very marketable skill.

If a prospective employer wants to know what happened to make him lose his job at UPS, he needs to shoulder some of the blame. He can do so without giving specifics. He doesn't need to dog his former boss or UPS.

I think he will get back on his feet. I wish him the best.


.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
His desire to join the Natl. Guard has to do with health insurance.

Why the NG? Has he looked at the Reserves?