Make sure you tell management about the status of your driving privileges before you report for work.

This is covered in Article 16 section 3 and Article 35 section 2 in the National UPS agreement. You should read those sections and discuss it with your Shop Steward and your Business Agent to deal with the specifics. But here are the basics.

Every year, the company gets reports on every member’s license that drives for them. If your license has been suspended, eventually management will find out. If you do not tell them, you can very easily get terminated from the job.

Failing to immediately notify the Company of suspended driving privileges may be considered dishonest. Proven dishonesty is an offense that you can be terminated for after a hearing with your Business Agent. Don’t fall into that trap.

If you tell the company that your license is suspended, you can work inside and keep your job for up to 2 years while you get your license cleared up.

Keep all evidence of when you found out! Whether it is your driver abstract (a driving record from the DMV) or a notice of suspension in the mail, keep that paperwork as proof of when you found out. Don’t wait to inform the company!

If it takes you longer than a day to inform the Company once you know of a suspension, you better have a very good reason why you didn’t tell them. If your license had been suspended for any period of time, you need a good reason and written proof of why you didn’t know earlier.

Some reasons your license can get suspended are:

• Driving under the influence
• Unpaid traffic tickets
• Not paying assessment fees on time, even if you paid the ticket
• Not paying court ordered child support

These reasons are just examples. A good rule of thumb is to pay all tickets as soon as you get them. If you plead not guilty, follow the DMV time limits and guidelines.

Remember, even if you can’t clear up your suspension because of the seriousness of your offense, you can still work inside as long as you inform the company as soon as you know.