BY DAN FEIN
ATLANTA - Members of Teamsters Local 728 at the United Parcel Service (UPS) facilities in Atlanta rallied July 31 to protest the employer's refusal to put more part-time workers on full-time. Similar actions took place across the country.

More full-time jobs was the central issue in the 15-day nationwide strike against UPS a year ago, which won widespread sympathy among working people. Through the strike, the union won a pledge by UPS to create 10,000 more full-time jobs from the ranks of the part-timers over five years. The company now claims that because the volume of business is down and they have laid off workers, they are not bound to create the full-time jobs.

At the Pleasantdale facility and the Atlanta Hub facility, the Teamsters set up tents with literature tables on the issues and served refreshments. Workers came to the tents on their way to and from work to protest UPS's not living up to the contract. One flyer distributed by the union says "UPS has been cutting driver jobs through attrition. It has reduced the need for drivers by delaying deliveries to residential areas that are less profitable. It is also pressuring drivers to work more forced overtime and work through lunch."

Ken Hyde, a full-time driver with UPS for 19 years, told this reporter, "They claim volume is down, so they don't have to create full-time jobs, but there is no way the union can disprove this. The company is trying to take it out on us for our strike last year. They want to make it as miserable as possible for us."

Rod Jacks, a driver and union steward at the Pleasantdale facility said, "UPS is saying the package volume is not there, but profits are up substantially. Before the strike there was some leniency regarding work rules, but now policies are in full effect. There have been incidents of targeting people. Some people on the inside are urging to go back out on strike."

Robert Wood, who works at the Pleasantdale facility, said, "In Pleasantdale alone there are 25 jobs where people are working two shifts - more than nine hours a day - but the company refuses to make them full-time. These are called combination jobs. Their pay would increase from $9.50 per hour to $15 per hour immediately. They are now only getting 20 hours vacation per year instead of 45 if they were full- time."

Local 728, which has around 8,000 members, organized its members to wear a large button saying, "Respect our Contract. Create 10,000 Full-Time Jobs." The local is also filing grievances by part-time members who have asked to bid into full-time positions.

Dan Fein is a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia. Jill Fein contributed to this article.  
 
 
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