Was anyone told.....

[browniehound]

I voted yes. Yes, the semi-annual raises are less than ideal, but at the end of the day, we will get out money. We'll be getting 33 bucks an hour and almost 50 bucks an hour for overtime! If UPS needs to split the raise over the year in order to compete with non-union couriers, then I'm for it.

I guess the alternative would be to work at Fed-ex for 20 bucks an hour. I don't want to get too greedy here.

It also looks like our pensions and health benefits are getting an extra boost this time around.

I have friends that haven't gotten a penny raise the last couple of years. Never mind that they have to pay for health insurance and have NO pension. I think we get a pretty fair shake (or better) from UPS and can't imagine striking after being offered this contract.

Just think, at 50 bucks an hour with 7.5 hours a week in overtime we will be making more than what many people with our education make in a week. I mean, if you needed extra cash you could go work part-time at Home Depot all day Saturday and Sunday and not equal what you can make by working 4 hours OT at UPS.

Thats the way a look at the overtime I get from UPS. Many people only get 40 hours a week and need to find a second job to make ends meet.

As drivers we can skip that 2nd job and live comfortably doing so. And thats how I view the contract situation and is why I voted yes.

 

[pkg-king]

I voted yes. Yes, the semi-annual raises are less than ideal, but at the end of the day, we will get out money. We'll be getting 33 bucks an hour and almost 50 bucks an hour for overtime! If UPS needs to split the raise over the year in order to compete with non-union couriers, then I'm for it.

I guess the alternative would be to work at Fed-ex for 20 bucks an hour. I don't want to get too greedy here.

It also looks like our pensions and health benefits are getting an extra boost this time around.

I have friends that haven't gotten a penny raise the last couple of years. Never mind that they have to pay for health insurance and have NO pension. I think we get a pretty fair shake (or better) from UPS and can't imagine striking after being offered this contract.

Just think, at 50 bucks an hour with 7.5 hours a week in overtime we will be making more than what many people with our education make in a week. I mean, if you needed extra cash you could go work part-time at Home Depot all day Saturday and Sunday and not equal what you can make by working 4 hours OT at UPS.

Thats the way a look at the overtime I get from UPS. Many people only get 40 hours a week and need to find a second job to make ends meet.

As drivers we can skip that 2nd job and live comfortably doing so. And thats how I view the contract situation and is why I voted yes.

Well said...time to appreciate what we ALL have..management & hourly.

 

[govols019]

How many people do you see here that are complaining about the money we make?

Money is not the issue.

 

[705red]

Don't know about the circle thing but I kinda like the idea of a union and company standing side by side against our non union competition. Or did you prefer your leaders fight over the remains of our company just to show everyone they were tough guys?

Its more like the company and union standing side by side shafting the members together! Tie please dont pour mouth this company right now, 1.7 billion in profit last quarter. I could care less about the money negioated for myself, i do care about the ptimers and the future upser to come.

 

[livinitup]

What would the tax implications be if this contract passes?

Do you think UPS can write off there entire year of Profits for 2007?

I think UPS will be in no hurry to negotiate. The union has allowed them to divide us. I know that if it came down to it there aren't enough people that have prepared themselves financially for a strike. This is probably UPS's best chance to attempt to break the union. That being said I wouldn't work for this company if there was no union. The management is too arrogant already. I could only imagine how they would be if they broke the union.

As, for the comments about getting payed so well for people with "our" education. Yes, we are paid well but there are other Jobs that pay well. In my area if you started in a trade as a pipe fitter or a electrician it takes between 4-5 yrs to become a journeyman. People in these trades do make good money. Lots of overtime is available. My brother is a pipe fitter and is making in the neighborhood of $100,000 per year. He rarely works more than 50 hrs per week.

If you take into account the time it takes a part-timer to go full-time and the time in progression, most would be better off going into a trade.

The electrician's union can't get enough people to fill the jobs. An apprentice electrician starts at $19 per hour. Top out high 20's or low 30's

Look at the big picture. They should have addressed the wages of the part-times to get more of them to stick around. I would have accepted the same money and benefits. It's not about the money we need solidarity and unity. That would strengthen the union and make it more appealing for other workers to want to be in the union.

 

[sawdusttv]

Its more like the company and union standing side by side shafting the members together! Tie please dont pour mouth this company right now, 1.7 billion in profit last quarter. I could care less about the money negioated for myself, i do care about the ptimers and the future upser to come.

I agree RED, and TIEGUYS statement about the company and union standing side by side against the competition is scary at best. We are not paying the union to stand side by side with the company, specially when it appears that they are standing side by side, not against the competition, but against US the hourlies. I think it is time to exterminate our union leaders as a whole and start over!

 

[sawdusttv]

What would the tax implications be if this contract passes?

Do you think UPS can write off there entire year of Profits for 2007?

I think UPS will be in no hurry to negotiate. The union has allowed them to divide us. I know that if it came down to it there aren't enough people that have prepared themselves financially for a strike. This is probably UPS's best chance to attempt to break the union. That being said I wouldn't work for this company if there was no union. The management is too arrogant already. I could only imagine how they would be if they broke the union.

As, for the comments about getting payed so well for people with "our" education. Yes, we are paid well but there are other Jobs that pay well. In my area if you started in a trade as a pipe fitter or a electrician it takes between 4-5 yrs to become a journeyman. People in these trades do make good money. Lots of overtime is available. My brother is a pipe fitter and is making in the neighborhood of $100,000 per year. He rarely works more than 50 hrs per week.

If you take into account the time it takes a part-timer to go full-time and the time in progression, most would be better off going into a trade.

The electrician's union can't get enough people to fill the jobs. An apprentice electrician starts at $19 per hour. Top out high 20's or low 30's

Look at the big picture. They should have addressed the wages of the part-times to get more of them to stick around. I would have accepted the same money and benefits. It's not about the money we need solidarity and unity. That would strengthen the union and make it more appealing for other workers to want to be in the union.

"People with or education?"

I don't know about the national average, but at my location, I would estimate that at least 40 to 50% of our drivers have a Cllege degree. That is a much higher percentage than our management at my location. Our feeder manager, which is manager over three building in three locations, only has a high school education.

 

[tieguy]

I started at UPS on a contract that sold out the ptimers but back then $8hr was still decent pay. I made more the first full year than I would have for the job I was going to school for so I never left. This day and age $8.5hr,for this work,is an insult,but I see another "step on the heads of the ptimer" to get a step up the ladder style contract. Now where I`m at I am someone who couldn`t care less about ptimers if I wanted to,they don`t load my package car or work my sort isle. I move loaded trailers,if ones not done I move another one,no muss no fuss. But the future of the business is based on the quality of the work performed,if we don`t give these people something to work for then why should they care how well they work.

I also would like to have seen us bump it up more so we continue to attract a better class of worker. Don't lose site of the point that the part time job has never been more then an entry level job or one that is good for people who only want part time work. There is definitely a lot more full time opportunity now then when I started with many part timers getting full time opportunity in less then two years in the buildings in my area.

 

[FIST]

Drivers always talking about how much they make, most of us don't make 20 dollars an hour, or anywhere close to that!

 

[FIST]

try 10 to 12 years for a full-time job

 

[Damok]

I also would like to have seen us bump it up more so we continue to attract a better class of worker. Don't lose site of the point that the part time job has never been more then an entry level job or one that is good for people who only want part time work. There is definitely a lot more full time opportunity now then when I started with many part timers getting full time opportunity in less then two years in the buildings in my area.

I was under the impression that the company can up the starting wage on their own. The contract just gives a minimum... at least that's the way I read it.

I understand the negotiating committee didn't make it a priority, as per the little survey we all hopefully filled out, but isn't the onus also on UPS for not setting it higher?

Or am I waaaay off here?

 

[browned out]

try 10 to 12 years for a full-time job

I feel bad for the part timers that will now have to wait even longer.

 

[browniehound]

"People with or education?"

I don't know about the national average, but at my location, I would estimate that at least 40 to 50% of our drivers have a Cllege degree. .

And which "Cllege" did you go to? I hate to say I'm right, but you just made my point.

 

[browniehound]

"People with or education?"

I don't know about the national average, but at my location, I would estimate that at least 40 to 50% of our drivers have a Cllege degree. That is a much higher percentage than our management at my location. Our feeder manager, which is manager over three building in three locations, only has a high school education.

Saw, where did these 40 to 50% get their degree? From a cracker jack box?

I say this because if you had a skill and education why the hell would you hump packages for a living? My guess is these 40 to 50% with degrees graduated in the bottom 10% of their class.

You also state that there is a larger % of drivers holding a degree than management in your area. Do you know that for a fact? Have you personally taken a survey of all employees? How would you know such information?

 

[sawdusttv]

Saw, where did these 40 to 50% get their degree? From a cracker jack box?

I say this because if you had a skill and education why the hell would you hump packages for a living? My guess is these 40 to 50% with degrees graduated in the bottom 10% of their class.

You also state that there is a larger % of drivers holding a degree than management in your area. Do you know that for a fact? Have you personally taken a survey of all employees? How would you know such information?

I know this because I have been there for 25 years and know most of the people and there back grounds. When you have been around people for that long, you tend to get to know them.
Furthermore, I hold two degrees, and I am a feeder driver. I was in school when I started at UPS, as were a lot of my co-workers. When I was nearing the end of my schooling, UPS offered me a full-time job and I took it as did many of my co-workers. A good living, so here I am.
As far as the management in my location. All but a few are old school and did not have to have a degree to be in management. Most are truck drivers from way back. Most of the sups. that have any type of education have been there for less than ten years. A degree is not everything however. I much prefer to work for the old schoolers.
I'm sorry for you however. Based on your post most of the people in your location must be uneducated!

 

[govols019]

We too have a high percentage of drivers with a college degree. Why is that so hard to believe?

Oh, that's right, we're just supposed to be some dumb ol' truck drivers.

 

[tieguy]

We too have a high percentage of drivers with a college degree. Why is that so hard to believe?

Oh, that's right, we're just supposed to be some dumb ol' truck drivers.

This conversation usually pops up every couple of months. A degree probably does not help a whole lot while your delivering packages. 40 to 50 percent sounds pretty high. It raises the question of why someone would spend the time and money to get a degree if their intent was to pursue a delivery job that does not require it. And as always the theme here is that all the drivers have degrees and all the sups don't so we make our ownselves as drivers feel we are better then the sups. Seems like a waste of time and energy but if you're that insecure with yourself then have at it.

 

[Hangingon]

When I started 25 years ago, the FT pay I was offered compared favorably to the median starting wage of my chosen major (computer science). Ok, I'll admit the decisions I made at 21 may not have been well thought out.

In our center it is also around 40% of the drivers have at least an undergraduate degree and several have their masters. Exactly where do you think the new mgm't (all of whom have to have a degree now) are coming from?

 

[over9five]

Although I agree a college degree is unnecessary for a driver, is it even necessary for low management like a supervisor or a center manager?

I'm not asking if it's required , but if it's necessary.

 

[govols019]

Our center manager doesn't have one. Which, according to him, is why he is as high in UPS as he will ever go.