LongTimeComing
Air Ops Pro
The Airline/Gateway forum is soo dead. Why do I feel like the only air person/hourly/manager/employee here?
#crickets
#crickets
Anyone?
- Thread starter LongTimeComing
- Start date
LongTimeComing
Air Ops Pro
Because, apparently, you are.
BSWALKS
Fugitive From Reality
that's funny.
The only airport experience I have is as an air driver, picking up Saturday airs & my pm route, I go directly there.
I don't know a thing about air ops, I just find all the equipment fascinating. Kinda makes me want to transfer there.
LongTimeComing
Air Ops Pro
When I transferred to the gateway in 2004, I had the ground hub down pat. I knew it like the back of my hand. I could sort in the sort isle, run the load/unload areas, knew my boxlines, small sorts, etc etc etc. When I got to the gateway...literally NOTHING that I knew before mattered much, operationally speaking. Completely different world. From an hourly perspective...it's pretty kosher in comparison to loading in trailers. The only exception being that you are stuck directly in the weather.
There's loads of training, loads of responsibility, and everything is high profile. We are in pretty constant view and contact with region level management....sort of unheard of running a PD in a hub. You have to deal not only with UPS rules, but you have to adhere to TSA, FAA, and local airport regulations. Lots of fingers in the pie. But it's pretty great. I love it out there. I want to stay in air the rest of my career if possible. Now, if I was only concerned with being a part-time supervisor forever, my ass would be back at the hub. The level of responsibility between an air gateway PT sup and a package center/hub PT sup is astronomical. You would think it should justify a higher tier pay classification. Not the case....but it should. You screw something up with a jet, it costs more to fix, could crash the plane, could kill people. I do things wrong at the gateway, and I could literally be fined personally and sent to jail. You screw something up at the hub, and you get a slap on the wrist and a talk with. A full truck of mistoggles? Aw, shucks. A falsification on a Weight and Balance that could lead to the loss of life for downing an A/C? Felony charges and jail time.
Granted, I'm being a little dramatic, but it's the truth nonetheless. But again, the smaller workgroup....the variety of work....being outside....working with jumbo jets....having to actually think from night to night...I love it all.
There's loads of training, loads of responsibility, and everything is high profile. We are in pretty constant view and contact with region level management....sort of unheard of running a PD in a hub. You have to deal not only with UPS rules, but you have to adhere to TSA, FAA, and local airport regulations. Lots of fingers in the pie. But it's pretty great. I love it out there. I want to stay in air the rest of my career if possible. Now, if I was only concerned with being a part-time supervisor forever, my ass would be back at the hub. The level of responsibility between an air gateway PT sup and a package center/hub PT sup is astronomical. You would think it should justify a higher tier pay classification. Not the case....but it should. You screw something up with a jet, it costs more to fix, could crash the plane, could kill people. I do things wrong at the gateway, and I could literally be fined personally and sent to jail. You screw something up at the hub, and you get a slap on the wrist and a talk with. A full truck of mistoggles? Aw, shucks. A falsification on a Weight and Balance that could lead to the loss of life for downing an A/C? Felony charges and jail time.
Granted, I'm being a little dramatic, but it's the truth nonetheless. But again, the smaller workgroup....the variety of work....being outside....working with jumbo jets....having to actually think from night to night...I love it all.
BSWALKS
Fugitive From Reality
Sounds like you made a great decision 8 years ago. From what I read, & talking to, or overhearing conversations from supervisors & managers, theirs not very much job satisfaction. I couldn't do that, day in day out for decades.
Sounds like you landed in your promised land, career wise. Congrats.
Sounds like you landed in your promised land, career wise. Congrats.
Catatonic
Nine Lives
The Airline/Gateway forum was put in place when the last contract for mechanics was in progress.
It fell off the edge of the earth once that was signed.
LongTimeComing
Air Ops Pro
Our airline mechanics made out like friggin bandits. After the contract, one of my mechanics got back pay that was what I made in a YEAR. Seriously, probably one of the sweetest jobs in our company.
Your not being dramatic. Working at gateway and getting that plane out on time(safely) is a big responsibility. But we(mechanics) didn't make out like bandits. We went 3+ years without a raise, so the retro check we received was just money owed to us that ups made interest on. We got a 2.5% raise. The big issue was they were holding firm on us paying for medical. Once we took our strike vote and newspapers caught wind and started printing possible ups strike, contract got signed.
LongTimeComing
Air Ops Pro
Holy crap...an air person. So glad to see you exist here.
Thank you for clarifying some of that. I didn't really get the nitty-gritty details from my mechanics. No raises for 3 years.....I'd be friggin livid as well. And considering your general level of pay, including the overtime you guys get when stuff breaks, that puts his back-pay check better into focus.
Either way, I wish someone told me to get involved with aircraft maintenance. It's literally one of the secret gems of job assignments in this company, if you ask me.
I know there used to be quite a bit of tension between the ACMX's and UPS throughout various operations....what that primarily due to the contract issues? Is it still prevalant? We have always had a great working relationship at my gateway....back-scratching abound.
As far as paying for medical benefits...I can't really relate, sorry. This is where I, at times, envy the union. Take into consideration that I (PT sup) probably take home, on average, 4 times less than what you do. When I had my daughter, my cost for family was about $80 a WEEK. From what I'm getting from your post, is that you guys don't pay a penny. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have to pay. When I factor in your salary, I feel like I would hardly even notice that $80 missing. I know this is a matter of perspective, and I'm making some assumptions. Do you know a dollar amount that they were expecting from you guys?
I need an answer I have worked in ups warehouse now for 7 years. During my time I got my license to work on planes. Since then I have been busting my butt working two jobs. I now have 4 years experience working on planes. I have tried to transfer as a aircraft mechanic but ups human resource can't help me. I need advise. Located in Fort Wayne in
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
Are you talking about your A&P license? You should be able to write your own ticket with that license in hand.
Put your resume on monster, My son got his 100k+ job on there, when he got out of the military. Dont wait on UPS. They had their chance. Good job, good luck.
I have a question for you I have worked at ups warehouse for 7 years and I got my a+p during that time I now have 4 years experience working on aircraft and still with ups. How do I get in as a aircraft mechanic for ups our hr people in indiana do not know anything about the air side. I need info asap. Thx
hubrat
Squeaky Wheel
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
If you don't know what an A&P license is you are clearly not an airplane mechanic.
