UPS laying off Technical hourly employees

[beentheredonethat]

Not shame on the local management. Shame on Corporate TSG. They are the ones that slowly started taking away our rights and ability to do our jobs.

We used to:
Have more external customers before CTP (we used to give customers a shipping system, now we just give them money to buy their own so they have to do their own support)

Have the ability to create new user accounts in NT. Once AD came about that right was taken away.

Have to ability to reset passwords. That was taken away.

ICS used to give us the "fix" for an issue so we could take care of it ourselves the next time. Now they won't give us any info.

Used to be able to change phone information when a user changed numbers. Now that goes through the TSC.

Used to have to do service pack upgrades, now it's all done remotely.

I could go on, but you should get the picture by now.

Our departments were staffed right for the work we USED to be allowed to do.

I don't agree with all of Corporate TSG, but having a Tivoli job run that automatically updates our computers with patchs instead of having to dispatch a tech seems like a good idea. Having a web site where a user can go to, where they can reset there own password vs going to a tech to do it also seems like a good idea. I could go on, but you should get the picture. I say shame on local mgmt since as these rights and responsibilities were taken away they should have looked at avenues of reducing there workforce by not replacing technicians who leave the company or transfer to other jobs within UPS. The writing about reduction was there for years, local mgmt should have responded beforehand instead of saying well we always had 30 techs so we need to replace the one that just left.

 

[beentheredonethat]

If the techs are not doing anything, then they have done their jobs correctly. When they are busy, it means there is a problem and all is not well.
-a|ex

You can't be a UPS tech if you actually think UPS should have techs sitting around and bitching about Bill Gates and doing nothing. They can be busy by auditing PC's in building, working on disaster recovery manuals, etc etc. But sitting around during non break times and doing NOTHING should not happen at UPS.

 

[Anonymous Tech II]

You can't be a UPS tech if you actually think UPS should have techs sitting around and bitching about Bill Gates and doing nothing. They can be busy by auditing PC's in building, working on disaster recovery manuals, etc etc. But sitting around during non break times and doing NOTHING should not happen at UPS.

That is not necessarily true. I cover three buildings and usually have nothing to do at either because I have automated almost everything, such as:

SPA, DCAP, and Intl systems wake up 30 minutes before preload and shut down one hour after the local sort ends.
Since auditing is now handled by Tivoli, Tivoli endpoints are automatically refreshed monthly
Disaster recovery documentation is updated monthly and stored on a non-production workstation along with PTE data, DCS configuration, and user profiles; that data is subsequently backed up to tape.
The backup workstation will power on the servers automatically in the event of a power failure

While technically, none of this is 'accepted methodology', I have the computers working for me instead of the other way around.

 

[IT_Consultant]

You can't be a UPS tech if you actually think UPS should have techs sitting around and bitching about Bill Gates and doing nothing. They can be busy by auditing PC's in building, working on disaster recovery manuals, etc etc. But sitting around during non break times and doing NOTHING should not happen at UPS.

Techs are your insurance that the network stays online and makes the company money... The good techs automate most of their tasks, but I doubt very much UPS lets them install any software the techs want. Auditing is automated. Antivirus is automated. Hardware Pre-failure detection is automated (if using IBM). If they are still working on disaster recovery, then you are in real trouble.

Well, I guess you can lay them all off when their job is done and just hire temps whenever problems happen. Oh wait... that's the current IT model...

-a|ex

 

[Just a number]

Has there been any talk of a class action law suit yet? The way this was handled in our district was wrong. They told us they would place us in posistions and when the time finally came, yesterday, one month after they told us they were going to cut us they decided that we could just take the seperation package or leave. Talk about a BIG BROWN LIE. But then again corporate has become full of a bunch of no good bull****ters. Maybe if we quit spending money on insurance for same sex domestic partners we could afford money to pay the techs. UPS is on a down hill run and if you dont see it your blind. Small companies die quick like car accident deaths, big companys die real slow and UPS has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and there is not enough money in our flexible spending account to fit the bill.

 

[bdva50]

cracking me up......like saying the service providers dont do anything........just drive around all day.........lets see what happens when the spa machines go down........

 

[Rainman1]

True, good techs either automate or innovate. UPS does not allow anyone to install whatever they want, but that does not matter if the software does not need to be 'installed'. If there is a power outage at either of my buildings, I can turn them back on via Wake-On-LAN from my BlackBerry. Definitely not corporate approved, but it is so convenient and has already saved the company a bunch of money in mileage and overtime. I doubt, though, that whey would care much about that being that it is not approved.

 

[broke.in.tsg]

True, good techs either automate or innovate. UPS does not allow anyone to install whatever they want, but that does not matter if the software does not need to be 'installed'. If there is a power outage at either of my buildings, I can turn them back on via Wake-On-LAN from my BlackBerry. Definitely not corporate approved, but it is so convenient and has already saved the company a bunch of money in mileage and overtime. I doubt, though, that whey would care much about that being that it is not approved.

Nice idea... you just cut yourself out of some overtime.

Wake-on-lan packets are not routable. You're obviously punching a hole in some security setup by DS to run your wake on lan server, which is a big no no in our office. Doing something outside the box like this in my district you wouldn't last a week. Are you getting the SAP?

 

[Rainman1]

Nice idea... you just cut yourself out of some overtime.

Wake-on-lan packets are not routable. You're obviously punching a hole in some security setup by DS to run your wake on lan server, which is a big no no in our office. Doing something outside the box like this in my district you wouldn't last a week. Are you getting the SAP?

Nope, no SAP and only port 80 and there is a two hour minimum, does not matter if it only takes me ninety seconds.

 

[broke.in.tsg]

Nope, no SAP and only port 80 and there is a two hour minimum, does not matter if it only takes me ninety seconds.

Ouch... Rogue webservers were banned in our district/region several years ago. Anyone caught running one would be disciplined with grounds leading up to termination.

 

[TSG_Lets_Unionize]

We had 5 TSC techs left at the beginning of February when they announced the closing date of the 28th. The two with the most seniority took TSG positions in Orlando and Cocoa/Melbourne ("only" 40 miles away with no travel reimbursement). The only two other TSG slots were in Lakeland (50 miles away), and Pinellas (90 miles away). None of us that were left were willing to take travel that far, so they said we were not going to get any seperation allowance since we "chose" to refuse the positions offered. Problem is the choice they gave us was no choice at all.

Check your "administrative and technical employee handbook" It states that they can not force you to accept an assignment with a start location more than 50 miles from your current start location. At least that what ours says. I assume it's the same in every district.




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[Daone]

I'm not in the technical department but have several friends in it. Last I heard the number was around 300+ across the US by Feb'28th, they will not be offered other positions in the company even though there are other non-union positions open. They will be forced to take the compensation package of 2 weeks pay plus a week of pay for each year of service. We all know the entire company runs on technology, which in 6 months will be hell in a handbasket, as they've angered the entire technology workforce, plus the reduction in support. Soon you'll probably start seeing your building going on paper due to no DIAD's, no PAS system for 2-3 hours, timecards not being sent up on time, etc. They are running with a skeleton crew already trying to keep all the technology going, now techs will be 2-3 hours away to fix problems that need to fixed in less than an hour, be prepared for lots of problems as the technology is neglected.

300+ disgruntled employees with admin rights to the companies entire technical assets. Not a good thing to do.

Go Check on your Admin rights!! You no longer have them..Smart people run this company. No Idiots here.

 

[DAHONE]

That is funny. BrownDeath or whatever had many chances to take a job this year in TSG in and around Orlando but he decided against it. Another winning decision like many of his. As a fellow TSG tech I feel these folks could get jobs today if they want to. They are used to working in offices and staying clean. He can take one today that is 30 miles away from his home as he said but he would not becuase that is too long to drive. Cry Baby.

 

[DAHONE]

What would it take for the unionization of TSG? It sounds like that will be the only possible hope.

Unionization means nothing. 30,000 jobs at ford are gone. They are all union. The union does not protect you from being laid off. Drivers get laid off everyday in areas where there is no growth.

 

[DAHONE]

I'm in one of the TSC's that's been shut down already. We were not informed of the shutdown. Just walked into work yesterday and was told that no more calls would be routed to us.

We have had no information from our managers and are in a state of limbo. We have been given conflicting information about everything from the final closing date to the availability of the SAP. 1st week of February we were told it would be available, next week we were told we would not be getting any compensation for being laid off.

In all my years working I have never seen such a horribly mismanaged situation. The fact that they didn't even have the courtesy to let us know that they had shut us down, and that they took away our SAP option, tells me UPS no longer has any respect for their technical workforce.
This one is going to come back and bite big brown in the ass. The remaining workers are going to burn out quick. A co-worker who's not being laid off summed it up nicely when she said, "I don't know if I should be sorry for you or be jealous."

Has anyone thought about going to the media with our situation?

Yes. We did and they told us it is not a story. They said it is a Joke and at the end of the day Maybe 120 people Nationwide would get a SAP, so that is not newsworthy. By the way, we feel sorry for you becuase you will find out that UPS is one of the best companies. Every company does this almost yearly. Good Luck but you will find out after your UPS life.

 

[The TRUTH]

LATEST UPDATE: UPS laying off Technical hourly employees

This work is moving to Las Vegas and will be employed by UPS Teleservices employees. Just like in any Call Center operation, consolidating all groups into one will save money because of increased efficiency and the standardizing of training. We save over $200 million/year in our Customer Call Centers (now about 10 of them) that was previously in over 65 Call Centers nationwide. Bottom Line...It's about saving money.

 

[DAHONE]

That's the sad thing about this (UPS laying off Technical hourly employees)no one really knows what is going on. I really think they are going to try and out source TSG altogeter in the end. I'm from the 1# TSG in the country according to that great BSC we all worship. TSG in our district have been under staffed that is why we are not being affected by layoffs. But I know what BrownDeath is going through.

You are right. Being in the number one TSG in the country protected your job and that is why you did not get affected. Your Mgmt is pretty smart that they did adjust staffing to even have open positions for the Orlando TSC. Imagine if you worked for a stupid Mgmt team and left your district fat like Alabama, Tennessee etc. I know your mgmt team and they are the best in the country as I watch from another district "39". You guys and your Mgmt team are the best and I wish our Mgmt team here did the same.

 

[Anonymous Tech]

To those of you talking about "part time" TSG positions, did those positions exist previously? We do not have any part time TSG positions in our district, but is this something new they are creating as part of the cost cutting? How do the benefits work?

In our district we were told there are no part-time TSG tech positions. I guess they say whatever they have to get to what they want. I would strongly caution everyone to read between the lines when management tell you something.

 

[RetiredandLovingIT]

UNIONIZATION IS NOT THE ANSWER! Individuals that mention such are nothing more than "predators" that are preying on people's fear of the unknown if they were to lose their position at UPS. To even suggest that organizing a union membership will stem these job losses or any others for whatever the reason is ludicrous! If people are truly losing their jobs, please provide suggestions that really may help, not rhetoric.

UPS is one of the greatest organizations in the world. I am very proud to say I work for UPS. I, and others like me in my area, have not heard of any layoffs which may or may not affect us. We are fortunate to function in an area of UPS that is growing by leaps and bounds. Opportunities are numerous for those that desire to achieve greater heights through higher education and hard work. All unionization would do is remove "personal achievement" from the equation and make everyone equal, in the eyes of the union. The only thing that would count is seniority. That I cannot endorse and never will. That is what a union will do for you, not save your jobs.

Please do not be led into filling out any type of union materials, especially anything that requires your signature. You cannot take it back...

 

[DAHONE]

I agree with you 100% CurrentUPSer. The union is one of the reasons we are not as competitive any more price wise. The best way to protect your job is to do your best day in and day out as you promised when you got hired. People forget that and all of the sudden they start acting like UPS or other employers owe them something. It is simple, do your job well, professionally and as you promised. Otherwise, find other employment where you might be happy.