What does the union do for UPS

[Tony31yrs]

With that said I'm glad that we have the IBT. I couldn't imagine working at UPS without them. Like someone said....if you want an idea of what it would be like without them just look at how management treats their own.[/quote]


You are so right. Management takes every advantage it can despite the contract, but at least the union can take care of any contract violations. Without the union, UPS wouldn't have grown so huge because you wouldn't have any stability in the workforce. Drivers would quit or get fired all the time. I saw good workers get constantly harrassed because of personality conflicts with bosses.
Inside workers don't have the time constraints that drivers do. In our hub, the older drivers who couldn't keep up with the time standards or got sick of being hassled every day and those that were hurt usually bid the inside jobs. Some of the lazier guys(the ones that didn't take supervision) also would bid inside because they usually wound up in the small sort. They usually didn't get much overtime and started work at 5 PM.

 

[freeloader]

I also think that the relationship between UPS and the Teamsters has gotten worse for 2 other reasons. One: when Carey was Teamsters president he changed the way the two did business (good or bad? you decide) and Two: Ever since IE has started calling the shots instead of operations, it has changed the way UPS does things.

Since you started the thread Tie I'll ask you (maybe this should be a new thread?): What is your opinion about IE running things?

IE has ALWAYS ran UPS since day one. That is why they are there. They create the standards and procedures that are followed by operations. I don't think it has ever been the other way around.

 

[westsideworma]

How often have you heard comments like this "The employees here in our center didn't come here with the bad attitude, they aquired it after working here" I've heard so many say this, drivers, and management.

"You don't have to be crazy to work here, we [-]can[/-] will train you"

 

[tieguy]

And.... you honestly don't believe this is because they, we, have to be constantly on the defensive because of harrassment from management, impossible demands, and disrespect?

that would be known as an excuse. You either have it and or believe in it or you don't. All employers are demanding. The only difference is you could be working for someone else, experiencing the same things and making a lot less.

 

[Cezanne]

that would be known as an excuse. You either have it and or believe in it or you don't. All employers are demanding. The only difference is you could be working for someone else, experiencing the same things and making a lot less.

I would have to agree considering most of us have either been with the company for decades (full-time) or have not really started their chosen careers yet (part-time). It is the same everywhere, more demands for productivity and or results. Let us forget about this union/management labels and see what is happening to the workforce as a whole. I see good employees on the ground level who are loyal to both the company and union finding out that they are not getting the same loyality. On a certain level you are considered a statistic, the only consideration is numbers. The people making those decisions will never face you, even when asked. Questions might be asked that require concrete answers and lead to liability issues. Really what recourse does anybody from management have when issued orders that go against their orginal policy directives. The statements of "Just following orders" (company) or "Sorry that is the way it is" (union) shows that the problem is not the people we encounter on a daily basis. Does anybody remember when "doing the right thing" was a consideration.

 

[Tony31yrs]

I have to agree that you could be working somewhere else, making a lot less and still getting a lot of grief from a demanding boss. The only difference is that a lot of those places have no stable workforce and are mindless, repetitive jobs that often don't involve knowledge of a route, good customer relations and a certain positive attitude even if it is driven by pay and benefits.
Today's young workers don't care about a job if it pays around minimum wage because there's always someone else who will hire them. That's why some employers are always hiring. If they talk sternly to a worker or if the worker thinks the job sucks, he just quits and moves on to the next job. With its reputation and competition from other carriers, UPS wouldn't have become the powerhouse it is today. UPS gets a good workforce and the employees get a good living.

 

[brownmonster]

The Union provides job security for front line supes. Without the Union protecting the jobs of some misfits the supe would have no one to babysit.

 

[Tuskaloosa]

Those of us that do our job well can thank the union for negotiating great pay and benefits. The bottom 25% can thank them for keeping them their job when they should have long since been fired.

 

[Fnix]

The Union keeps the bad workers as good as it does the good workers.

 

[feeder53]

I believe that the Union in general provides a better worker due to the fact that the pay is a livable pay and if you are a real trouble maker, they will work that issue too. I worked for Leaseway Transportation delivering to homes and it was a teamster operation , then they decided to go non-union in my district....We union people were let go (I was #3 on the seniority list). They then replaced us with workers who were paid a lot less and the damages to the products, the appearance of the delivery peron to the customer and other issues lost them the contract. We had our share of workers who had issues, but it was kept at a minimum. I also agree that the union is primarily there for the workers. I do try to buy union products as it is another way we support our union employers.

 

[pkg-king]

Great question from impacted TSG. Whats the benifit to UPS. What does the union do for UPS that they would not be able to have without the union.

It is much cheaper for UPS to have a union than to have government buearocrats poking their noses around. IMO.

 

[joe416]

Local 710 just don't care. Our Union Steward is a little man who drives and his children went to school with the plant manager and they are tight. He does not defend your right to pick any job. He brings in people that are placed in positions seniority workers want and deserve because he is either doing a favor for a friend or the plant manager wants to date them.
They tell you "I don't care." The Union Steward tell the little people to handle things himself and if you go over his head the guy above him tell you the same thing. I wonder what am I paying dues and fees for? Job protection period. The drivers were mad at the last election and many said it was fixed because the steward supposedly went out and got the votes for himself from drivers on vacation or enroute. I can't understand how they can justify taking money from hard working people that get nothing in return. It's impossible to deal with them so, if you ahve a better union than that, your doing good.It boils down to this " We work for a company that hired the mob to take a percentage of our pay for protection."
Protection = the abilty to work for a living.

 

[tieguy]

Local 710 just don't care. Our Union Steward is a little man who drives and his children went to school with the plant manager and they are tight. He does not defend your right to pick any job. He brings in people that are placed in positions seniority workers want and deserve because he is either doing a favor for a friend or the plant manager wants to date them.
They tell you "I don't care." The Union Steward tell the little people to handle things himself and if you go over his head the guy above him tell you the same thing. I wonder what am I paying dues and fees for? Job protection period. The drivers were mad at the last election and many said it was fixed because the steward supposedly went out and got the votes for himself from drivers on vacation or enroute. I can't understand how they can justify taking money from hard working people that get nothing in return. It's impossible to deal with them so, if you ahve a better union than that, your doing good.It boils down to this " We work for a company that hired the mob to take a percentage of our pay for protection."
Protection = the abilty to work for a living.

not saying I agree with the post but I hope you stick around . You should definitely liven things up here.

 

[Fredless]

Local 710 just don't care. Our Union Steward is a little man who drives and his children went to school with the plant manager and they are tight. He does not defend your right to pick any job. He brings in people that are placed in positions seniority workers want and deserve because he is either doing a favor for a friend or the plant manager wants to date them.
They tell you "I don't care." The Union Steward tell the little people to handle things himself and if you go over his head the guy above him tell you the same thing. I wonder what am I paying dues and fees for? Job protection period. The drivers were mad at the last election and many said it was fixed because the steward supposedly went out and got the votes for himself from drivers on vacation or enroute. I can't understand how they can justify taking money from hard working people that get nothing in return. It's impossible to deal with them so, if you ahve a better union than that, your doing good.It boils down to this " We work for a company that hired the mob to take a percentage of our pay for protection."
Protection = the abilty to work for a living.

Go work for Fedex, that way you won't have any stewards or union to complain about.

 

[speeddemon]

Our union is useless now. They lost what leverage they had when they gave up the pension to UPS. We fund them, thats it.

 

[Brown Dog]

Many good posts in this thread!!! All of my stewards and BA's have also said' " Work hard, Don't cheat,steal, or lie, work as directed. Give a fair days work for a fair days pay and benefits" I believe our union is responsible for our good wages and benefits. That in turn Benefits UPS by having a majority of their workers be honest, hardworking,dependable, and do whatever it takes to get the job done. That being said, here are my reservations about both UPS and the Teamsters, They are BOTH big businesses that are going to take care of themselves first and us workers second(as a byproduct), I understand that, that IS the way it works. By having both the union and UPS, they keep each other in check, from running roughshod over us " worker bees". I'm optimistic despite my cynicism. I just don't trust either one with my pension or "401". All you have to do is look at Enron or the airlines.

 

[Fredless]

Our union is useless now. They lost what leverage they had when they gave up the pension to UPS. We fund them, thats it.

Right...Again, go to work for a non-union company. You won't have any pension to worry about to begin with. Oh wait, you won't do that because FedEx wont pay you what you make, nor give you the benefits and then find ways to term you when you're close to retirement so they won't have to give you what pension they do have.

What do you people want? You HONESTLY think UPS is made 100% of money and has unlimited amounts of it?

I just do not get the UAW-ish mentality of some people who think we deserve 50+ dollars an hour, 100% pension when we retire, 20 and out, plus better benefits than we get.