UPS to become the Sears & Robuck Of shipping??

[Brown287]

The irony of this thread is that we are watching what’s happening to UPS in real time. Along with our appearance standards and our employment requirements, we’ve also lowered our service expectations.

Why is that important? The more we start to mirror our lower paid competition, the more we will start to expect to be paid the same.

Out here Amazon drivers start at a higher pay rate then our 22.4’s, but our PVD’s are paid top scale plus mileage.

Like I said, this is happening right in front of our eyes.

 

[Zowert]

I have apartment buildings on my route that changed their entry codes on their call boxes and gave me a key to get in. Why? Because they don’t want FedEx or Amazon in their building since all they do is dump their packages in the lobby and bounce. I’m the only one taking stuff directly to the customer’s door, even heavy stuff. I do my best to keep our reputation of good customer service and I think the majority of our drivers across the country are doing the same.

As for appearance, I’ll agree that some of our drivers need to clean up a bit. As for beards, this ain’t the 1950’s anymore. Times change, pretty much every profession out there has an open policy on facial hair.

And for bankruptcy. Record profits. So how?

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

The irony of this thread is that we are watching what’s happening to UPS in real time. Along with our appearance standards and our employment requirements, we’ve also lowered our service expectations.

Why is that important? The more we start to mirror our lower paid competition, the more we will start to expect to be paid the same.

Out here Amazon drivers start at a higher pay rate then our 22.4’s, but our PVD’s are paid top scale plus mileage.

Like I said, this is happening right in front of our eyes.

I have apartment buildings on my route that changed their entry codes on their call boxes and gave me a key to get in. Why? Because they don’t want FedEx or Amazon in their building since all they do is dump their packages in the lobby and bounce. I’m the only one taking stuff directly to the customer’s door, even heavy stuff. I do my best to keep our reputation of good customer service and I think the majority of our drivers across the country are doing the same.

As for appearance, I’ll agree that some of our drivers need to clean up a bit. As for beards, this ain’t the 1950’s anymore. Times change, pretty much every profession out there has an open policy on facial hair.

And for bankruptcy. Record profits. So how?

We currently have a better on time percentage than FedEx (have no clue about Amazon) and still, despite the ever declining quality of up and coming drivers, are known for providing better truck to door delivery. And our wages keep us better staffed than them or Amazon. These factors help keep UPS profitable. But declining market share is not a good thing.

There are too many shippers and consignees out there that don’t care if their ubox of paper towels are delivered two days late by a scruffy dude in a Uhual van for FedEx. Or if their impulse purchases from Amazon are left in their front yard tree three days late by a thug in sagging skinny track pants. And if they do there’s no recourse since Amazon isn’t refunding shipping they never paid for. And that customer isn’t foregoing the laziness that Amazon’s one stop shop for everything app provides them over it. Regardless of how much money they could save if they shopped around and used coupons.

 

[Babagounj]

Agreed, I can see the company dropping residential deliveries and focusing on bulk Business to Business pickups and deliveries.
I also think all of the Shipping Companies will soon do away with guaranteed Air Delivery times

I heard this theory from some of my old center managers decades ago.

 

[Babagounj]

But I truly believe in the end if we don’t change your ways we will become the Sears & Robuck of the shipping industry bankrupt!!!

Funny, that you use Sears & Roebuck for your example.
UPS evolved from a messenger company into the delivery company for the department stores.

 

[Coldworld]

I heard this theory from some of my old center managers decades ago.

Are these the same mgrs that have the ol’ picture of a rusted out REA vehicle in a field along side their “certificate of appreciation” for keeping the company going during the 1997 Teamster strike??

 

[oldupsman]

Are these the same mgrs that have the ol’ picture of a rusted out REA vehicle in a field along side their “certificate of appreciation” for keeping the company going during the 1997 Teamster strike??

Had a center manager who had one of those on his office wall. His favorite saying was
"Evolve or die."

 

[BrownStains]

The market share can swing back our way it only takes a few big shippers. Some of these smaller companies offer both ups and FedEx and the customer decides. Fedex maybe priced cheaper. Atleast ups still has amazon. Don’t we still pickup most of their returns ? I don’t think amazon can do it all on their own , they still need ups because their volume alone is huge. I can agree on the beards / tattoos thing too. We used to have higher standards. This sets us apart from the competition. Remember when they used to say we were the only real professionals in the shipping business?

 

[Whither]

the NEW DRIVERS Have NO RESPECT FOR CUSTOMERS …I WAS HIRED TO BE A SERVICE PROVIDER….

RPCD here one year from top rate. I respect customers/consignees unless they give me a reason to do otherwise. Those who don't show any respect get none in return. Maybe you forgot we're Teamsters -- this union could use a little more attitude.

 

[UnionStrong]

We are better than this

Are we? Perhaps

 

[Whither]

A counterpoint, from bloomberg.com no less, to many of the doomer posts on this thread:
Highly Paid Union Workers Give UPS Surprise Win in Delivery Wars

What's missing from a lot of the posts here is the backbone to fight. If I had the choice to go down fighting or else endorse my wages and working conditions going to the crapper just so the company "could survive" (what a conversation to be having after the company's streak of record profits!!!), I'll let you guess what choice I'm making. We don't go down like be-yotches, we're Teamsters -- we fight.

 

[I have been lurking]

The market share can swing back our way it only takes a few big shippers. Some of these smaller companies offer both ups and FedEx and the customer decides. Fedex maybe priced cheaper. Atleast ups still has amazon. Don’t we still pickup most of their returns ? I don’t think amazon can do it all on their own , they still need ups because their volume alone is huge. I can agree on the beards / tattoos thing too. We used to have higher standards. This sets us apart from the competition. Remember when they used to say we were the only real professionals in the shipping business?

This is your brain on the vaccine

 

[quad decade guy]

A counterpoint, from bloomberg.com no less, to many of the doomer posts on this thread:
Highly Paid Union Workers Give UPS Surprise Win in Delivery Wars

What's missing from a lot of the posts here is the backbone to fight. If I had the choice to go down fighting or else endorse my wages and working conditions going to the crapper just so the company "could survive" (what a conversation to be having after the company's streak of record profits!!!), I'll let you guess what choice I'm making. We don't go down like be-yotches, we're Teamsters -- we fight.

Fight?

Where? Unemployment line?

First hint, whiff of any real decline....you better start looking for a job....shucking Freight was the first shot...

 

[Whither]

Fight?

Where? Unemployment line?

First hint, whiff of any real decline....you better start looking for a job....shucking Freight was the first shot...

You better go and negotiate a significant cut in your pay and bennies or else the company's gonna go bankrupt next year! Maybe you could donate your pension to the company!

 

[quad decade guy]

You better go and negotiate a significant cut in your pay and bennies or else the company's gonna go bankrupt next year! Maybe you could donate your pension to the company!

Dear Fellow Employee in this boat together,

Ignoring what is happening all around you.....will not keep you afloat....

Ok. Enough of the boat analogy...(you wouldn't get it anyway....).

Question: Is there any other delivery service structured as UPS? Union, yada....

No. You say. With word of Amazon and Fed-Ex overtaking us....

Record profits you say? At whose expense? Hint: Us.

Would I take a cut in pay? No. Donate your pension? You bet. In a second.

You are quite cavalier. And sadly...obtuse. Shrug.

There are many, many, many unionized failures on the trashheap of history.

In the end, our paths may cross looking for a job.....I really hope not though.

BTW, those record profits? Sure look good on a for sale sign....

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

A counterpoint, from bloomberg.com no less, to many of the doomer posts on this thread:
Highly Paid Union Workers Give UPS Surprise Win in Delivery Wars

What's missing from a lot of the posts here is the backbone to fight. If I had the choice to go down fighting or else endorse my wages and working conditions going to the crapper just so the company "could survive" (what a conversation to be having after the company's streak of record profits!!!), I'll let you guess what choice I'm making. We don't go down like be-yotches, we're Teamsters -- we fight.

That article proves that we can keep drivers easier than the competition. But that doesn’t help us keep shippers that are more than willing to sacrifice a 6% decrease in on-time deliveries of mostly consumables and impulse purchases that most customers don’t even track.

The pandemic, much like the recession did, forced allot of companies to look for cost cutting measures. One of the first things they always look at is shipping. We’ve lost allot of volume to FedEx and the USPS and the resi volume is falling like a ton of bricks and won’t stop anytime soon. Not with FedEx being able to undercut is more than ever and Amazon soaking up a dangerous, borderline antitrust violation, amount of retail market share.

Fighting for what we deserve is justified but demanding more while our employer is on a definite decline is cutting our own throats. I’d rather slow down increases in our wages and benefits, both of which are already superior to that of the majority of Americans in labor jobs, than contribute to the decline by making us less competitive. These record profits don’t mean a thing for our pensions if the company keeps shrinking and less people are contributing to the pot. Eventually those pension plans will have more people taking than contributing.

 

[Brown287]

It’s strange that a logical conversation based solely on reality that most of us see, comes up against such denial.

Here’s a better example of what could be. The grocery business, most are still Union but not even that has stopped the inevitability of what was once a well paying union job and it’s decline into what it now is.

It’s not about necessity or how much people like you, but when market share continues to decline there’s no stopping what’s inevitable

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

It’s strange that a logical conversation based solely on reality that most of us see, comes up against such denial.

Here’s a better example of what could be. The grocery business, most are still Union but not even that has stopped the inevitability of what was once a well paying union job and it’s decline into what it now is.

It’s not about necessity or how much people like you, but when market share continues to decline there’s no stopping what’s inevitable

Denial is real bad at UPS. I’m guilty of Amazon denial myself. But it was before they actually became a threat. Once they physically accomplished it I couldn’t deny what my eyes were seeing.

I don’t think the article about FedEx jumping ahead of us is 100% accurate if its including the freight industry though. Which we’re not even in anymore. I’d like to see the apples to apples comparison. Either way we’re not totally screwed yet. It would help allot of the government put the brakes on Amazon (not counting on that) but even better if Americans would wake up. Not counting on that either. That leaves smart decisions by UPS. Unfortunately I think Tome has gone the route of one of the basic principles every business major learns in college. Make as much money now with what little time you have and move on with little or no regard for future growth.

 

[Coldworld]

That article proves that we can keep drivers easier than the competition. But that doesn’t help us keep shippers that are more than willing to sacrifice a 6% decrease in on-time deliveries of mostly consumables and impulse purchases that most customers don’t even track.

The pandemic, much like the recession did, forced allot of companies to look for cost cutting measures. One of the first things they always look at is shipping. We’ve lost allot of volume to FedEx and the USPS and the resi volume is falling like a ton of bricks and won’t stop anytime soon. Not with FedEx being able to undercut is more than ever and Amazon soaking up a dangerous, borderline antitrust violation, amount of retail market share.

Fighting for what we deserve is justified but demanding more while our employer is on a definite decline is cutting our own throats. I’d rather slow down increases in our wages and benefits, both of which are already superior to that of the majority of Americans in labor jobs, than contribute to the decline by making us less competitive. These record profits don’t mean a thing for our pensions if the company keeps shrinking and less people are contributing to the pot. Eventually those pension plans will have more people taking than contributing.

When ups stops stepping over the dollar to grab the penny, then maybe employees will start understanding the logic that you’re spitting, but until then….

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

When ups stops stepping over the dollar to grab the penny, then maybe employees will start understanding the logic that you’re spitting, but until then….

They’ve been that way for decades. Since going public. Some say since the strike. Some say longer. But it doesn’t change the reality of what’s happening now.