Pro Athletes Earn Their Jobs Every Year. Would You Still Have Yours?

[olroadbeech]

Pro athletes get paid what they do because they are athletically gifted individuals who are capable of physical feats that no one else is. Our job doesn't require anything like that, anybody can do it as long they aren't physically disabled. If we didn't have a union the job wouldn't go to the "best" person, it would go to the person who was willing work the cheapest.

I think you hit the nail right on the head. Winner.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

In the pro athlete world, athletes must earn their jobs every year and even every game.

that got me to thinking about our jobs. we are pretty well protected by the union. however , if we had to keep our jobs by merit alone, how many of us would still have jobs?

I bet half wouldn't. after 25 years I know I cant keep up with the younger drivers but I hope my experience would make up for it.

what if performance counted for everything?

WOULD YOU MAKE THE TEAM?

Pro athletes get paid what they do because they are athletically gifted individuals who are capable of physical feats that no one else is. Our job doesn't require anything like that, anybody can do it as long they aren't physically disabled. If we didn't have a union the job wouldn't go to the "best" person, it would go to the person who was willing work the cheapest.

"I think you hit the nail right on the head. Winner."

Huh?

 

[olroadbeech]

when I worked non union trucking jobs I had a lot of pride in being one of the best drivers. the better drivers were rewarded with the best start times, the best tractors, etc. I miss that.

drivers here think that just because they have more seniority than you , they think they are better.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Pro athletes get paid what they do because they are athletically gifted individuals who are capable of physical feats that no one else is. Our job doesn't require anything like that, anybody can do it as long they aren't physically disabled. If we didn't have a union the job wouldn't go to the "best" person, it would go to the person who was willing work the cheapest.

It would go to the fastest person that is willing to work the cheapest.

The pro's have union's, insuring them guaranteed contracts and pensions. Even if your career is short, if you are smart with your money you should be in a great position.

I once saw an article that talked about how something like 97% of pro football players were broke when they retired. Or maybe it was basketball? Hell probably both. I also think its rather strange that a pro athlete can sometimes demand more money for excelling at their position but the franchise can't cut there pay when they are underperforming.

 

[PT Car Washer]

Just started my 27th year and my cover drivers still can't keep up.

It's crazy when the regular route driver comes in at 7:30, 8:00 every night and when he is on vacation the cover driver comes in 5:00 to 6:00 every night.

 

[rickyb]

pro athletes are over paid and so are the guys who own the teams. stadiums are heavily subsidized by government. isnt the NFL a non profit or something lol.

athletes should earn much less, the owners should earn less, and the fans should pay less for tickets

 

[SCV good to go sir.]

My boss straight up told me that I wouldn't make it.

 

[rod]

It's crazy when the regular route driver comes in at 7:30, 8:00 every night and when he is on vacation the cover driver comes in 5:00 to 6:00 every night.

It's not all that hard to figure out. The cover driver skips all his break, drives 90 mph and basically makes no attempt at any delivery that might slow him up. It happens all the time. The regular driver gets back from vacation and spends about a week correcting all the mis-delivered packages and calming down all the irate customers.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

It's not all that hard to figure out. The cover driver skips all his break, drives 90 mph and basically makes no attempt at any delivery that might slow him up. It happens all the time. The regular driver gets back from vacation and spends about a week correcting all the mis-delivered packages and calming down all the irate customers.

...or the regular driver could be a slug who spends all day BSing...

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

It's not all that hard to figure out. The cover driver skips all his break, drives 90 mph and basically makes no attempt at any delivery that might slow him up. It happens all the time. The regular driver gets back from vacation and spends about a week correcting all the mis-delivered packages and calming down all the irate customers.

Spends a week? Hell bid drivers here (except for the runner and gunner types) routinely spend months on cover driver DFUs. Listening to customers complain about the cover drivers even goes beyond a week. LOL!

 

[PT Car Washer]

...or the regular driver could be a slug who spends all day BSing...

That was my thought because I was thinking of rural routes where you are delivering one package to one house and driving for 10 minutes to deliver one package to one house. Easy to lose your focus and start dinking around. And that 10 hours of OT for taking a ride in the country.

 

[9.5er]

pro athletes are over paid and so are the guys who own the teams. stadiums are heavily subsidized by government. isnt the NFL a non profit or something lol.

athletes should earn much less, the owners should earn less, and the fans should pay less for tickets

Some teams should pay their fans just to come watch the games.

 

[rod]

That was my thought because I was thinking of rural routes where you are delivering one package to one house and driving for 10 minutes to deliver one package to one house. Easy to lose your focus and start dinking around. And that 10 hours of OT for taking a ride in the country.

Your day will come if you plan on driving----then report back on how that "just dinking around taking a ride in the country" works out for you.

 

[Catatonic]

Your day will come if you plan on driving----then report back on how that "just dinking around taking a ride in the country" works out for you.

I enjoyed covering rural routes.
Long hours, lots of overtime, seat time of 6 hours a day.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

That was my thought because I was thinking of rural routes where you are delivering one package to one house and driving for 10 minutes to deliver one package to one house. Easy to lose your focus and start dinking around. And that 10 hours of OT for taking a ride in the country.

I have definitely lost focus between stops and drove right by them. Those super rural routes can do that to anyone every once in a while. Especially if you are unassigned and don't really ever have time to adjust to the slower pace of those routes. My route has a semi rural area on it just about every day so that has helped me whenever the route is cut and I end up covering a route that is completely rural.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

Ask Earl Campbell how that worked out for him.

Earl Campbell signed a 6 year, 1.4 million dollar contract after being drafted in 1978, which was a large sum of money then. He had some serious injuries during his career, and he does blame some of those on his current conditions. (He sometimes uses a wheelchair to get around) He owns a sausage company that bears his name, and his current worth is approximately 25 million dollars. I think he is doing pretty well for himself, considering.
http://www.earlcampbellmeatproducts.com/

 

[Catatonic]

Earl Campbell signed a 6 year, 1.4 million dollar contract after being drafted in 1978, which was a large sum of money then. He had some serious injuries during his career, and he does blame some of those on his current conditions. (He sometimes uses a wheelchair to get around) He owns a sausage company that bears his name, and his current worth is approximately 25 million dollars. I think he is doing pretty well for himself, considering.
http://www.earlcampbellmeatproducts.com/

I remember him having an impressive sausage.

 

[dumbmuthertrucker]

None of this matters. If our jobs weren't protected by the Union, as soon as we hit top pay, UPS would be replacing us with new drivers. All they care about is money.
It doesn't matter one bit how fast or slow we are, we all can be replaced with a new driver at a 4-year progression rate of pay.

 

[DOK]

To be a good package driver takes extreme mental focus and self drive, to do this day in day out for a long number of years. That's where most of the younger generation falls short in my opinion.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

I remember him having an impressive sausage.

look about average to me.