Doing the right thing.

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
Not sure where this is going or what it all means. Just something I have been pondering this week.

Out of all the jobs I have had in life, including owning a business with the wife, I have to say that I feel as though working at UPS makes you really wonder what is the right thing to do. I know it may be black and white for a lot of drivers, more so with the seasoned drivers, but for me I find myself in a gray area. The only other thing in life that I can compare this to is being a parent. As a parent it is sometimes difficult to make the right choices. Our parents made mistakes when they thought they were doing right, just as we make poor choices when we think we are doing our children a service.

When I first came to UPS, and the cafe, I was a company guy. I did everything that my superiors wanted me to do. It felt like it was the right thing to do. Started driving and it made sense to sheet the residential air on a Saturday as delivered when I was only a few minutes away. It made sense to see a supervisor bring work out to me because they had a late shuttle. It made sense when i was a loader to send me home before my 3.5 guarantee because preload was wrapping up and the drivers were finishing the loading. Along with many many other things.

Now I am at the cross roads that many of the drivers here told me I would be down the road. I now see that a lot of things I did in the past was not always the right thing to do. But, and this is important and may not be well received here, I am not completely sold that everything we do as a union is the right thing to do. I often ponder how profitable, and more importantly sustainable, UPS would be if everyone across the board followed the contract to the T. Just as we complain about UPS adding more and more work and expecting us to "deliver" the impossible day in and day out, I am sure that UPS feels that they can't keep giving us pay raises and health care considering the sky rocketing cost. You have a non union, profitable company called fedex getting bigger and stronger everyday. As they get larger, their costs per piece will continue to go down.

How does one determine what is the right thing to do? I know many many will say follow the contract. And I understand and believe this MAY be the best option. But how do you do that when you understand what is at stake with Fedex on our heals. Or better yet, how about wanting to see your off spring playing the starring roll in a school play and the only way you can do that is to skip lunch, run and the want not.

I just don't know. Again, I feel as though I am at a cross roads and just don't know what the right thing to do.
 

Indecisi0n

Well-Known Member
I follow the contract. The rules were made with both the union and UPS at the table so we all know what we should be doing. Why would I put my ass on the line for UPS which could give two ****s about me? Sheet that NDA 2 blocks away so its not late but if the customer complains I get fired. Why would you want to put your job at risk to help UPS with this number? I use to be so worried about late air when i first started. I use to drive like a NASCAR driver to get it all done. Now i don't care. It's not my fault that THEY over dispatched me. They tell me "The normal driver does 15 airs..." My response " IM NOT THE NORMAL DRIVER!" They set drivers up and put them in these "gray areas" and it falls on the driver to make decisions. Well I don't play that game. I said it before and i'll say it again, Im a stupid driver that knows nothing so you (management) needs to tell me what to do. Let the responsibility fall on them not you. I have too much air so its my job to say "Hey i have too much air." If they still send me out anyway and its late guess what? I did my part and advise them before i left.

Perfect example was the Wal-Mart delivery. If I was that driver I would have texted the center and asked what THEY wanted me to do. That way whatever happens you can say i was instructed by XXX to do it this way. It's a new time. The old days of "Lets do what it takes to get it done" is over. The new UPS is cover your ass with everything you do and follow the contract. Can rules be bent? Sure. Broken? No.
 

TearsInRain

IE boogeyman
if you really want to help the company, just work as hard as you can and DR as much as you can

everything else is way above you or me
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
Not sure where this is going or what it all means. Just something I have been pondering this week.

Out of all the jobs I have had in life, including owning a business with the wife, I have to say that I feel as though working at UPS makes you really wonder what is the right thing to do. I know it may be black and white for a lot of drivers, more so with the seasoned drivers, but for me I find myself in a gray area. The only other thing in life that I can compare this to is being a parent. As a parent it is sometimes difficult to make the right choices. Our parents made mistakes when they thought they were doing right, just as we make poor choices when we think we are doing our children a service.

When I first came to UPS, and the cafe, I was a company guy. I did everything that my superiors wanted me to do. It felt like it was the right thing to do. Started driving and it made sense to sheet the residential air on a Saturday as delivered when I was only a few minutes away. It made sense to see a supervisor bring work out to me because they had a late shuttle. It made sense when i was a loader to send me home before my 3.5 guarantee because preload was wrapping up and the drivers were finishing the loading. Along with many many other things.

Now I am at the cross roads that many of the drivers here told me I would be down the road. I now see that a lot of things I did in the past was not always the right thing to do. But, and this is important and may not be well received here, I am not completely sold that everything we do as a union is the right thing to do. I often ponder how profitable, and more importantly sustainable, UPS would be if everyone across the board followed the contract to the T. Just as we complain about UPS adding more and more work and expecting us to "deliver" the impossible day in and day out, I am sure that UPS feels that they can't keep giving us pay raises and health care considering the sky rocketing cost. You have a non union, profitable company called fedex getting bigger and stronger everyday. As they get larger, their costs per piece will continue to go down.

How does one determine what is the right thing to do? I know many many will say follow the contract. And I understand and believe this MAY be the best option. But how do you do that when you understand what is at stake with Fedex on our heals. Or better yet, how about wanting to see your off spring playing the starring roll in a school play and the only way you can do that is to skip lunch, run and the want not.

I just don't know. Again, I feel as though I am at a cross roads and just don't know what the right thing to do.
I think you know. It sounds like your gut is already telling you. You are a good person. Just follow your instincts, and be sure to cover your be-hind. :bigsmile2:
 

ymelord

Well-Known Member
UPS wasn't forced to sign the contract, they signed it knowing they could still make money. Don't feel to bad for UPS they had enough to pay CEO 10 mil bonus, if I recall correctly.
 

Jackburton

Gone Fish'n
I used to have that grey feeling, thanks to the new UPS mentality of micro management, I no longer have that feeling. Management gets paid to tell me how to do the right thing within the confines of the labor agreement. It makes life so much easier to just do what they say, taking the decision making out if our hands. Look at driver follow ups, accidents, injuries, among other things. Those things get blamed on you regardless if you made a judgement call or not. At least if they do question you about any of those things you just inform them that you do it how they want. This shifts the blame back on them exposing their bad judgement calls, not using yours as an exscuse.
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
So, at some point in your career at UPS, stealing and lying made sense?

Stealling,,,,,,,NO. Cheating the system when directed to by supervisor. YES. I didn't see the "big picture". If I was directed to lock in an air, I thought I was doing what I was suppose to be doing as that is what I was directed and expected to do.
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the responses. I want to be clear, I do not cheat airs. I do not sign for packages. I do not pad stops. I do not add miles. But I am constantly being put in a position where I have to make a decisions that isn't easy. There is one trip in my center where the bid driver could not meet the 80% pick up compliance. The center fixed the issue by scheduling all of his pick ups at 10:30. All 20+ even though you can not pick up most of the pickups until much later in the day. Do I stir up the water and forgo the way everyone else does it? If I need to get home for something important, is it ok to skip lunch? Is it ok to get in the truck 10 minutes before start to pull any missloads so that I can get home to see my kids play?

I could go on and on. I do know the proper answer and I guess it not being a favorable answer, this it what adds to the delimea. Also, being in a center where I would say 75% or better of the drivers are in their trucks well before the start time. I can name 3 on one slide that are in there 1.5 hours ahead of start time, with 1 in their well before 2hours ahead of the time we pull. The part time sups spend their days loading trucks. YES, loading. Sending home part timers.

I commend, truly commend those of you who stand behind the contract 100%. But please dont judge those of us that are in a center that does not follow the contract.
 

texan

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the responses. I want to be clear, I do not cheat airs. I do not sign for packages. I do not pad stops. I do not add miles. But I am constantly being put in a position where I have to make a decisions that isn't easy. There is one trip in my center where the bid driver could not meet the 80% pick up compliance. The center fixed the issue by scheduling all of his pick ups at 10:30. All 20+ even though you can not pick up most of the pickups until much later in the day. Do I stir up the water and forgo the way everyone else does it? If I need to get home for something important, is it ok to skip lunch? Is it ok to get in the truck 10 minutes before start to pull any missloads so that I can get home to see my kids play?

I could go on and on. I do know the proper answer and I guess it not being a favorable answer, this it what adds to the delimea. Also, being in a center where I would say 75% or better of the drivers are in their trucks well before the start time. I can name 3 on one slide that are in there 1.5 hours ahead of start time, with 1 in their well before 2hours ahead of the time we pull. The part time sups spend their days loading trucks. YES, loading. Sending home part timers.

I commend, truly commend those of you who stand behind the contract 100%. But please dont judge those of us that are in a center that does not follow the contract.

I respect your posting since I have been part of BC.
I know that you walk the narrow path of doing the right thing.
It is within your posts, so do not worry.
I am proud to know you from your post, and call you a UPSer sir.
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
I respect your posting since I have been part of BC.
I know that you walk the narrow path of doing the right thing.
It is within your posts, so do not worry.
I am proud to know you from your post, and call you a UPSer sir.

Much appreciated. I will say, I have developed into who I am (as far as in the UPS world) do to several drivers at work, and a lot of posters here. Had it not been for BC or those drivers at work, I would probably be on my way to having several injuries, accidents under my belt plus my :censored2: on the line if corporate saw what goes on in my center.



Thanks again.
 

Omega man

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the responses. I want to be clear, I do not cheat airs. I do not sign for packages. I do not pad stops. I do not add miles. But I am constantly being put in a position where I have to make a decisions that isn't easy. There is one trip in my center where the bid driver could not meet the 80% pick up compliance. The center fixed the issue by scheduling all of his pick ups at 10:30. All 20+ even though you can not pick up most of the pickups until much later in the day. Do I stir up the water and forgo the way everyone else does it? If I need to get home for something important, is it ok to skip lunch? Is it ok to get in the truck 10 minutes before start to pull any missloads so that I can get home to see my kids play?

I could go on and on. I do know the proper answer and I guess it not being a favorable answer, this it what adds to the delimea. Also, being in a center where I would say 75% or better of the drivers are in their trucks well before the start time. I can name 3 on one slide that are in there 1.5 hours ahead of start time, with 1 in their well before 2hours ahead of the time we pull. The part time sups spend their days loading trucks. YES, loading. Sending home part timers.

I commend, truly commend those of you who stand behind the contract 100%. But please dont judge those of us that are in a center that does not follow the contract.

It's not hard to tell which is the right thing to do. Simply do what is true and honest at all times.
UPS never needed you to lie for them to be profitable. They have always been quite profitable and even made in excess of 1 billion just last quarter.
You and many others make excuses for not having the courage to stand up to UPS from the start.
This only perpetuates the problems, never forces UPS to address them, and only makes it more difficult for those who act honestly.
What you must understand is that it was never your option to not follow the contract or to be complicit in management's dishonestly.
You can begin to do what is right at any time. It's never too late. Why not start this week?
In fact, you will be helping UPS as a company by standing up to those at UPS who are destroying it with their
lack of ethical behavior.
 
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soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
.....The center fixed the issue by scheduling all of his pick ups at 10:30. All 20+ even though you can not pick up most of the pickups until much later in the day. Do I stir up the water and forgo the way everyone else does it? If I need to get home for something important, is it ok to skip lunch? Is it ok to get in the truck 10 minutes before start to pull any missloads so that I can get home to see my kids play? ....

Doing the right thing means being honest.


The center didnt "fix" the issue of 80% pickup compliance on that route, they just stuck a BandAid of dishonesty over it.

Actually "fixing" the issue is straightforward; its called being honest and accepting the reality that "80% pickup compliance" on that particular route is not realistic. "80%" is just an arbitrary number that they want to see in order to look good on a report. It doesnt mean anything. It doesnt matter.

If you are "stirring up the water" simply by being honest about the time you actually make the pickups, then it sounds to me like the water in that particular pitcher is bad and needs to get poured down the drain. Why the hell should you feel obligated to lie so that your manager can look better on a meaningless report?

If you need to get home for a family function and you choose to skip your lunch...then be honest about it. Reasonable people can debate and disagree over whether or not it is OK to skip your lunch...but no reasonable person would argue that you should lie about it. Whatever choice you make...tell the truth.

Same deal with showing up early and pulling misloads prior to start time. I personally think it is a great idea to go thru your car and pull out the misloads before leaving in the AM....as long as you are on the clock when you are doing it. Why should you have to lie about it? If you are doing the work, you should get paid for it.

The bottom line is simple; a management person that respects you and has your best interests at heart would not ask or encourage you to falsify a timecard so that he can look better on a meaningless report. Being honest is always the right thing.
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
Doing the right thing means being honest.


The center didnt "fix" the issue of 80% pickup compliance on that route, they just stuck a BandAid of dishonesty over it.

Actually "fixing" the issue is straightforward; its called being honest and accepting the reality that "80% pickup compliance" on that particular route is not realistic. "80%" is just an arbitrary number that they want to see in order to look good on a report. It doesnt mean anything. It doesnt matter.

If you are "stirring up the water" simply by being honest about the time you actually make the pickups, then it sounds like the water in that particular pitcher is bad and needs to get dumped out. Why on earth should you feel obligated to lie so that your manager can look better on a meaningless report?

If you need to get home for a family function and you choose to skip your lunch...then be honest about it. Reasonable people can debate and disagree over whether or not it is OK to skip your lunch...but no reasonable person would argue that you should lie about it. Whatever choice you make...tell the truth.

Same deal with showing up early and pulling misloads prior to start time. I personally think it is a great idea to go thru your car and pull out the misloads before leaving in the AM....as long as you are on the clock when you are doing it. Why shouldyou have to lie about it? If you are doing the work, you should get paid for it.

The bottom line is simple; a management person that respects you and has your best interests at heart would not ask or encourage you to falsify a timecard so that he can look better on a meaningless report. Being honest is always the right thing.


About the driver with the pick up compliance. I covered the trip before he took it over. It was possible to follow the pick up schedule and made sense. That driver that took it over was unable to get them done in time. The beards decided to just have them all put at one time to get him above 80%.

My question is how do I do it. Do I follow the pick up times of 10:30 and go to 20 pick ups just to go back when they are suppose to be done? That would be the right thing to do.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
About the driver with the pick up compliance. I covered the trip before he took it over. It was possible to follow the pick up schedule and made sense. That driver that took it over was unable to get them done in time. The beards decided to just have them all put at one time to get him above 80%.

My question is how do I do it. Do I follow the pick up times of 10:30 and go to 20 pick ups just to go back when they are suppose to be done? That would be the right thing to do.

I dont understand. Are you saying that there are 20 pickups that all have a scheduled pickup time of 10:30? That is ridiculous. It seems to me that the right thing to do is to run the route in the most efficient manner possible while also doing the pickups at a time that meets the needs of the customer. You are trying to strike that optimum balance between productivity and good service. Whether or not that winds up generating the arbitrary 80% number that your management team wants to see in order to look good on a report means nothing. Its just a number, it doesnt matter.
 
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