FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 13, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Fired UPS workers in Laurelton get their jobs back
BY DEAN MOSES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Ten Queens UPS employees have been
reinstated aft er beingwrongfully terminated.
Now, Teamsters Local 804 is
demanding weeks of back pay for these
workers.
“People over packages” has been the
message of Teamsters Local 804 as they
fi ght for the rights of their members. In
April, the 10 workers — two of whom
are pregnant — were fi red for not working
overtime, despite fi nishing their parttime
shift . According to Teamsters Local
804, these employees were not informed
that they had to work past their shift . It’s
the union’s position that the walkout allegation
was only aft er the fact, and they did
not refuse to work. Th e workers were fi red
for walking out of the job without fi rst
informing their supervisors despite fulfi lling
their part-time schedule.
For weeks, Teamsters Local 804 let out
a rallying cry stating, “Part-time workers
are essential not disposable.” Th ey
demanded that UPS management treat
their employees like the essential workers
they are, whether they be part-time or
full-time workers.
Th e matter was under arbitration with
UPS stating that the workers could
come back at any time, while
the union shared the condition
of their reinstatement
meant that they would have
to enforce overtime for over
3,000 part-time workers.
For the Teamsters, the
crux of the argument was
that a part-time employee
should not work extra
hours if they are not being
paid full-time benefi ts.
On April 28, Vinny Perrone,
president of Teamsters
Local 804 led a protest
outside of the
Q u e e n s
UPS warehouse at
136-40 Springfield
Blvd. pushing for
their reinstatement,
and less than
two weeks later they
have their jobs back.
“Th is past Friday,
my vice presi
d e n t
a n d
a couple of my business agents went down
there to that building in Laurelton to
meet with the company and the company
relented and said that they could come
back to work and they will arbitrate their
back pay,” Perrone told Schneps Media.
Perrone shared that UPS management
sought to forgo the back pay for these
workers, removing the discharge in favor
of a time served suspension. However,
Teamsters Local 804 say they did not
agree to this, since they feel that the workers
did not do anything wrong.
As of 3 a.m. on May 8, a number
of the workers have already started
their fi rst shift back. Th eir fellow
workers will also return on
Monday, although one of the soonto
be mothers will not return
since she is due to give birth in
the near future (she will be on
disability).
“I feel like it is a victory. It
wasn’t necessary that it got
this far to begin with, but
I am certainly glad that
everybody, and Local
Photos by Dean Moses
804 is glad, that these members are able
to return to work,” Perrone said, adding
that he greatly appreciates the support
from local elected offi cials, candidates and
other unions.
Perrone believes that although the
workers have been reinstated successfully,
UPS will continue to treat all of the
workers with the same bullying tactics but
Teamsters Local 804 will be there to have
their members’ backs.
“Th is whole thing started, I believe
because these men and women were
doing this every day because this is just
their routine — their norm. On that particular
day on Wednesday, April 13, the
building couldn’t project how much volume
came in, and maybe it was way too
much volume or people called out sick
and they felt they could just hold these
people as indentured servants,” Perrone
said.
Perrone is hoping the arbitration for
back pay will be resolved by the end of
May or early June.
Schneps Media reached out to UPS for
comment and is awaiting a response.
Protesters said “All labor deserves dignity,” on April 28.
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