Eric Klejka has been delivering packages to customers in Westmoreland County, Pa., for more than nine years. As a UPS package car driver and member of Teamsters Local 30, Klejka prides himself on his work.

So, when he began his shift one morning with a truck that had not been cleaned, he decided to be proactive.

“The truck was so filthy I could barely see out of the windows — it looked bad and was a safety hazard,” Klejka recalled.

He left the Greensburg package car center and took a few minutes to get the truck washed. A few days later, the company fired him for “theft of time.”

While Klejka was out of work for three months, Local 30 was preparing a solid grievance in his defense. Teamsters put on a strong case at the recent Western Pennsylvania panel and the arbitrator ruled in the union’s favor. Klejka was reinstated with full back pay, including lost benefits and pension. 

“For a company that preaches safety and attempts to discipline members for minor infractions, it’s unacceptable that this driver was fired for being extra cautious knowing he would be out in the public eye all day,” said Gino Bosetti, President of Local 30. “Brother Eric knew he needed to be able to see the public and they needed to be able to see him. He made his safety and the safety of the public his top priority, and the company was wrong to fire him for that. I want to thank Shop Steward and Trustee Mike Abbott and Business Agent Adam Augustine for their excellent work on this case.”

“I’m happy to be back at work and even happier know I have a strong union that has my back. This shows how we can put UPS in its place when we fight back and enforce our contract,” said Klejka.

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