My Life a Season Hire

[MeltedSnowman]

I figured I could help some other n00bs with their questions regarding season positions at UPS. You know, the blind leading the blind.

Hiring:

I saw a sign on the street corner advertising jobs at my local hub so I went online and applied which was a very simple process. I liked that UPS actually told me the hours I would work and rate of pay, no mysteries, no wasting time. A few days later on went on a tour of the hub and completed an in person interview on the following day. The interview was nothing, less than five minutes, basically asked all the same questions as the online interview. I was called the next day for information regarding a background check. One week later I was offered a position. It was that simple. Two weeks from start to finish.

Oh yeah, if you show up for your first day without required photo ID you will be not be hired. It happened to two people in my group of 12.

Training

I'm currently in the middle of a five day training class. Topics include hazmat, safety, proper lifting procedures and loading/unloading methods, etc. On the fourth day of training we are supposed to learn our regular position (load/unload) and be paired up with our hip to hip.

Random Thoughts

After touring the facility again last night it's obvious that most people don't following the training. Boxes were flying, tires were rolling around aisles, loaders were wading through boxes, unloaders were struggling with collapsed walls. I should note that two of my fellow n00bs are going to be part time supervisors, their eyes were bugging at the site of the real world.

We've been told that if we show up on time, work as instructed, and don't call in we will be offered permanent spot come January. Both the trainer and HR reps made the same statement. I'm not sure if this a good or bad thing. Do that many people really wash out?

More to come...if survive.

 

[fres431]

Now that's a shocker a new higher that has already caught onto the front ups does with safety. FYI they only do that to cover their butts..

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Traaaaaaiin.....innnng? I don't know what that is.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Now that's a shocker a new higher that has already caught onto the front ups does with safety. FYI they only do that to cover their butts..

It is up to every preloader to choose to work safety....within reason. I realize we can't follow every rule 24/7 but we do not have to WAD if it creates a safety issue.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

 

[cardboard-surfer]

We've been told that if we show up on time, work as instructed, and don't call in we will be offered permanent spot come January.

Rule one: Don't drink the brown kool aid.

Fake, imaginary orange carrots abound, but there's plenty of brown sticks to poke you with.

 

[working up a sweat]

I work night shift PT inside the hub for many years. So far they hired 33 in the last 4 weeks. 9 have quit already.

Where I am at in an air hub without a 3.5 gaurenteed paid. We are gaurenteed 3.5 toward health and pension though. The average work week here is 10 hours. When peak hits, the hours will go up to about 20.

The newbies get paycheck and take home about 50 dollars because they are paying the initation fee to the Teamsters. The noobs are only worked about 8 hours a week and sent home early. The seniority PT workers stay later and get more hours.

Last year they hired about 40 and only 13 lasted to the end of peak. They rehired 12 of the 13. Of the 12, only 6 are left.


The incentive to stay PT at UPS is the health benifits and the pension package. You have to make 5 years for the pension and 6 months for the health at my local.

I got 9 years in the Teamster pension plan at PT and 5 years seniority (I am a re-hire). I make 13.20 an hour and make about about 8,000 a year. If you do the math and figure what my health benifits and pension time built up is worth, I am actually making well over 50 dollars an hour for my labor.

Show up on time , never call out and work as directed and stay positive . Management will love you and retain you after peak. It's like trying out for the team.

This is the best advise that I can give.

 

[EastBrown N Down]

I don't want to make another thread so Please excuse while I hijack this one for a min. My hire date was early in the first week of September. I work in Ma. I was hired as a perm. pt, preload shift. They sold me on the tuition reimbursement and health insurance benefits. I was told last week that UPS made an agreement with the union to "open the window" for "casual" hires. (the FT sups terminology, not mine. Never heard of a casual package handler?) I went straight to the steward, he told me Sept is a hiring month, and not to worry. Since then, I have come across several guys hired within a week of me who were told the same thing. HR will not respond to my several messages. I want something in writing that says I am NOT a seasonal hire. I don't need the cash, I need the insurance and tuition reimbursement would be nice. Although Ive been told not to worry, that I am one of the keepers, UPS' word is as useful as a bus pass in prison.

My question is, has anyone in Mass. heard anything like this? and who can get me definitive proof.. My steward thought I was overreacting. and my FT sup says "don't worry"

 

[jibbs]

a new higher

omg

 

[jibbs]

I don't want to make another thread so Please excuse while I hijack this one for a min. My hire date was early in the first week of September. I work in Ma. I was hired as a perm. pt, preload shift. They sold me on the tuition reimbursement and health insurance benefits. I was told last week that UPS made an agreement with the union to "open the window" for "casual" hires. (the FT sups terminology, not mine. Never heard of a casual package handler?) I went straight to the steward, he told me Sept is a hiring month, and not to worry. Since then, I have come across several guys hired within a week of me who were told the same thing. HR will not respond to my several messages. I want something in writing that says I am NOT a seasonal hire. I don't need the cash, I need the insurance and tuition reimbursement would be nice. Although Ive been told not to worry, that I am one of the keepers, UPS' word is as useful as a bus pass in prison.

My question is, has anyone in Mass. heard anything like this? and who can get me definitive proof.. My steward thought I was overreacting. and my FT sup says "don't worry"

Thing is, it's not about the date you were hired (note to fres: hire*****), it's about the date you make seniority. I'm not sure the exact date, but I want to say if you haven't made book by mid-october you might as well call yourself seasonal.


[Edit: My B about the double-post. Meant to hit edit, guess I hit reply instead.]

 

[MeltedSnowman]

I finally finished the classroom portion of the training and will start work as a loader tonight. Out of the 10 hires two are set to be unloaders, one in small sort, the rest destined to load.

I know this is putting the cart before the horse but what do hours look like for P/T loaders after peak?

 

[jibbs]

I finally finished the classroom portion of the training and will start work as a loader tonight. Out of the 10 hires two are set to be unloaders, one in small sort, the rest destined to load.

I know this is putting the cart before the horse but what do hours look like for P/T loaders after peak?

Guaranteed 3.5hrs a day, but you'll likely work closer to 5 if you're kept after peak.

idk, though, it can greatly vary from center to center, hub to hub. I know of at least one PTer on this forum that says they regularly get overtime, almost every day of the week. Of course, seniority plays a key factor in that, as well. Me, personally, I find myself clocking out with 4 hours , 50 and some change minutes most of the time throughout the year.



But yeah, you can bank on 3.5 hours a day or 17.5 hours a week, minimum (unless you sell yourself short and ask to go home several times a week).

 

[Mustang Nick]

Show up on time , never call out and work as directed and stay positive . Management will love you and retain you after peak. It's like trying out for the team.

This is the best advise that I can give.

^This

I finally finished the classroom portion of the training and will start work as a loader tonight. Out of the 10 hires two are set to be unloaders, one in small sort, the rest destined to load.

I know this is putting the cart before the horse but what do hours look like for P/T loaders after peak?

Classroom training? My training was watching a 30 minute video about how to properly lift a package and how to deal with hazards and leakers then off to the belt i went. Every hub is different, even with hours. Off season we work just under 3.5 hrs and they try to get you out before the guaranteed 3.5 and yell at you if you stick around. Something along the lines of "Yeah you're guaranteed 3.5 but thats only if we have work for you" Really? Then how are drivers guaranteed 8 hrs no matter what?

 

[Mustang Nick]

I don't want to make another thread so Please excuse while I hijack this one for a min. My hire date was early in the first week of September. I work in Ma. I was hired as a perm. pt, preload shift. They sold me on the tuition reimbursement and health insurance benefits. I was told last week that UPS made an agreement with the union to "open the window" for "casual" hires. (the FT sups terminology, not mine. Never heard of a casual package handler?) I went straight to the steward, he told me Sept is a hiring month, and not to worry. Since then, I have come across several guys hired within a week of me who were told the same thing. HR will not respond to my several messages. I want something in writing that says I am NOT a seasonal hire. I don't need the cash, I need the insurance and tuition reimbursement would be nice. Although Ive been told not to worry, that I am one of the keepers, UPS' word is as useful as a bus pass in prison.

My question is, has anyone in Mass. heard anything like this? and who can get me definitive proof.. My steward thought I was overreacting. and my FT sup says "don't worry"

Im not in Mass but during sept and octob my hub has hired several workers that would work tues-thurs. I would guess that those are the "casual" hires. Now that peak is here they work a full week. Not sure what is going to happen to them after peak but my guess is back to the tues-thurs. If you work a full week and your hub has a 90 day probation period before you get seniority like mine then you will get seniority the first week of december. I would say you are good.

 

[MeltedSnowman]

^This



Classroom training? My training was watching a 30 minute video about how to properly lift a package and how to deal with hazards and leakers then off to the belt i went. Every hub is different, even with hours. Off season we work just under 3.5 hrs and they try to get you out before the guaranteed 3.5 and yell at you if you stick around. Something along the lines of "Yeah you're guaranteed 3.5 but thats only if we have work for you" Really? Then how are drivers guaranteed 8 hrs no matter what?

Yep. Probably 12 hours over the past three days full of videos, quizes, paperwork.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Im not in Mass but during sept and octob my hub has hired several workers that would work tues-thurs. I would guess that those are the "casual" hires. Now that peak is here they work a full week. Not sure what is going to happen to them after peak but my guess is back to the tues-thurs. If you work a full week and your hub has a 90 day probation period before you get seniority like mine then you will get seniority the first week of december. I would say you are good.

Wrong. The free period started Oct 15th....no days worked between then and January 15th count towards your seniority....if you didn't finish your probationary period before Oct 15th....you will not get seniority until at least Feb.

However, EastBrown, if you are kept after peak...you will get your benefits a year from your hire date (September 2015)...regardless of when you make book.

 

[Mustang Nick]

Wrong. The free period started Oct 15th....no days worked between then and January 15th count towards your seniority....if you didn't finish your probationary period before Oct 15th....you will not get seniority until at least Feb.

However, EastBrown, if you are kept after peak...you will get your benefits a year from your hire date (September 2015)...regardless of when you make book.

Wow, i did not know that. Is that their way of getting rid of seasonals?

 

[bleedinbrown58]

I don't want to make another thread so Please excuse while I hijack this one for a min. My hire date was early in the first week of September. I work in Ma. I was hired as a perm. pt, preload shift. They sold me on the tuition reimbursement and health insurance benefits. I was told last week that UPS made an agreement with the union to "open the window" for "casual" hires. (the FT sups terminology, not mine. Never heard of a casual package handler?) I went straight to the steward, he told me Sept is a hiring month, and not to worry. Since then, I have come across several guys hired within a week of me who were told the same thing. HR will not respond to my several messages. I want something in writing that says I am NOT a seasonal hire. I don't need the cash, I need the insurance and tuition reimbursement would be nice. Although Ive been told not to worry, that I am one of the keepers, UPS' word is as useful as a bus pass in prison.

My question is, has anyone in Mass. heard anything like this? and who can get me definitive proof.. My steward thought I was overreacting. and my FT sup says "don't worry"

UPS will NOT give you anything in writing...it doesn't matter when you were hired...if you didn't make.book before Oct 15th..they are not required to keep you after peak. That doesn't mean they won't...but you won't get anything official in writing to that effect.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Wow, i did not know that. Is that their way of getting rid of seasonals?

Yes....pretty much.

 

[watdaflock?]

Fake as all can be. Not buying it a bit.