Beaten down at UPS

IT IS with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of my friend and UPS coworker Dave Allyn. What is also sad is the circumstances leading up to his passing. The following is what I know and what was told to me by several people, and is all true to the best of my knowledge.

First, let's get some background information. Dave was first hired by UPS on November 10, 1987. He first worked as a part-time supervisor. Dave was then hired as a full-time driver on July 26, 1995. He achieved several years of safe driving--not an easy task with all-weather conditions and all the other drivers on the road doing everything but driving.

I spoke with Dave several times about how he was treated by the management of UPS. It seemed that he was unable to get the spotlight taken off of him. No matter how hard he tried, there was no pleasing his employer. The company has a term "least best" which it applies to employees. It is thrown around like confetti. They rule with fear and intimidation. It's a way of demeaning whoever they are in the process of trying to break down. It seems as if the workers are never good enough.

It seemed as if Dave was always under more scrutiny than any other driver. They would swear at him and ask him if he was stupid. It was almost like sharks smelling blood in the water, with the ensuing feeding frenzy. The work environment we endure on a daily basis is toxic. The psychological intimidation and negative atmospheres is a perfect condition for low morale and depression, not to mention the stress that goes with it.

I saw Dave several times at work, and he looked as if he was crushed by the weight of the scrutiny. His broken-down/beaten-down stature gave it away. His head always seemed down, shoulders slumped and always worried.

Reviewing my notes after his passing, I was reminded of just how much pressure he was under. He was adamant that a center manager was trying to set him up by saying he left next-day air packages in his package car. He was sure he unloaded those packages in a timely manner in order to make it to the airport on time. However, he kept getting reprimanded for not doing so. It got to the point where he needed to have another driver count with him how many he unloaded. But it didn't matter--he was still accused of not taking them all off the car, and was constantly reprimanded for it.

There also seems to be an integrity issue with the management at UPS. They will conjure up whatever is needed to get the results they are looking for. At one time, we had a center manager (who was later fired) take the Employee Relations Index survey for us. It seems that we were all very happy with him and the company.

I tried my best to reassure Dave that everything would be okay as long as he did his job, and that they would get bored with the harassment and move onto another victim. That, unfortunately, never seemed to be the case. As anyone knows from past experiences, the bullies' favorite target won't be ignored. People outside of that kind of environment might say that there is no way they would tolerate it. However, if the bullies are the ones who provide the necessary income to survive, then there really isn't much of a choice.

After enduring mistreatment for years, his paranoia was through the roof. He once texted me, "I have been there 25 years, and they have ruined me to the core."

ON A dark, rainy evening on March 25, 2015, Dave was backing into a driveway to make a delivery when he realized that his front tire had gotten off the edge of the driveway and made a mark on the lawn.

After realizing this, he immediately informed the homeowner. He apologized for the mistake and told her he would be more than happy to fix it by reeking and putting down seed. Her response was that it would be fine. Dave asked several times, and she insisted that it was okay. He then got in his package car and left. He saw the husband pull into the driveway, returned and spoke with him, and he also said that it was okay--nothing to worry about.

The following day, a complaint was made to UPS for damage to property. Maybe they thought a company making over $11 billion in profit each year would provide an entire yard makeover. On March 27, Dave was fired for dishonesty--not reporting what UPS now called an accident.

On April 6, Dave went to the company for his routine DOT physical. He had prior health issues pertaining to his heart. He was unable to pass his physical and thus unable to drive. Perhaps all the stress had taken its toll over the years.

The doctor gave him this information to give to UPS management. They were unsatisfied with the wording of the paperwork from the clinic. Dave was finally able to satisfy all that UPS needed. He was happy to have a job back after being fired for approximately four or five weeks--he was now earning money again. The heart issue would have to wait, since he had been without a paycheck for so long.

On Monday, April 13, he was able to return to work on a different, non-driving shift. Over 30 years ago, I was on that shift, doing what Dave was doing. It was the most physically demanding work I had ever done.

On April 15, Dave was unloading several package cars with another worker. The other worker witnessed Dave drop to his knees and grab his chest. Dave told him, "These people are going to kill me." The other worker, who didn't know about Dave's heart issues, told him that he would take care of this for him.

Finally, it was time for his lunch break at 1 a.m. Dave had his motorcycle with him and thought he would switch it with his pickup truck, since it would be a cold ride at the end of the shift. When the shift started back up again, Dave was not accounted for. Finally, they came across a fellow worker, a mechanic in the shop who had his number. When he got ahold of him, Dave kept saying, "They are coming for me." He meant that the ambulance was on its way to help him. He also said, "Sorry, but I can't finish my shift. Tell them I'm sorry."

While he was saying this, he was unable to catch his breath. He just kept gasping for air, saying he was sorry about not coming back to finish his shift. Finally, the mechanic felt it was best for Dave to hang up so he could relax and catch his breath. Unfortunately, he passed away.

All of this information was compiled from several people. This information is based on the truth, to the best of my knowledge. I write this to try to bring closure to Dave's family. May Dave rest in peace.