How are they going to keep PTers after next month.

[ThisJob'llBeTheDeathOfME]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie, Only been with the company 3 weeks. I work as a sorter at my hub. I enjoy the job, but nothing they say to you before hand really prepares you for how physical it really is for such a tiny amount of money.

I know they have trouble keeping New Hires, but I was just wondering what every1 thought is going to happen when they make the new hires wait 6 months for benefits.

I'll be honest, I might've quit by now if I knew nothing was going to improve for at least 6 months.

Just curious what other ppl's thoughts are.

 

[drewed]

bad news spanky its a year for bennies
umm they come and go, the world turns, the big brown machine rolls on

 

[Leftinbuilding]

Ya gotta be mature enough to think long term. Hard to do when you are 18-20 yrs old. If you stick it out, you can have a nice secure (relatively) career.

 

[deathracer]

trust me i know what you mean, but just stay unless you have another job that is permanent without lay offs, cause thats hard to find right now especially with the economy. remember UPS is for a long term career its not something for ppl that are willing to quit anyday. i remember i started in a class(for training) with almost 20 ppl almost a year later there are only 4 left might be 3 if i decide to quit soon. did they even train you? i remember someone telling me that they dont even train ppl like they used to.

 

[satellitedriver]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie, Only been with the company 3 weeks. I work as a sorter at my hub. I enjoy the job, but nothing they say to you before hand really prepares you for how physical it really is for such a tiny amount of money.

I know they have trouble keeping New Hires, but I was just wondering what every1 thought is going to happen when they make the new hires wait 6 months for benefits.

I'll be honest, I might've quit by now if I knew nothing was going to improve for at least 6 months.

Just curious what other ppl's thoughts are.

Gauging by your avatar, I would say quit now.

 

[ThisJob'llBeTheDeathOfME]

It's called a joke there, satellite. I didn't even say I was considering quitting. I enjoy my job, I just don't see why anyone would want to do it for peanuts without the added benefits. I'm fully invested in keeping the job, I learned the sort on my own time, I contribute to my 401K, and work damn hard to keep pace with the senior unloaders.

 

[HEFFERNAN]

I feel there is a very good reason Part-Time wages are low and for the 1-year wait for benefits.

UPS wants to hire 18-19 year olds. That's it. And it makes perfect sense.

Why would UPS want to hire a 40 year old who's gonna break down in 5 years and use up the medical benefits? So if they push the benefits a year later, the older ones will look at the pay for this job and walk out. Not worth it for them. Unless they look past the low wage and back-breaking work to their ultimate goal (cheap medical benefits) "the golden ticket"

The young guns that come in look at this company as a stepping stone to bigger things, be it a career working here or reimbursing their college classes for good grades. There is a different mindset here and that should not be undervalued. I'm not saying they don't get hurt, I'm just saying they bounce back a lot quicker being young and most injuries will not be long-term.

In my 15 years in the company, UPS has a reason for everything. AND I MEAN EVERYTHING. I'd bet my UPS stock that this is the main reason.

 

[satellitedriver]

It's called a joke there, satellite. I didn't even say I was considering quitting. I enjoy my job, I just don't see why anyone would want to do it for peanuts without the added benefits. I'm fully invested in keeping the job, I learned the sort on my own time, I contribute to my 401K, and work damn hard to keep pace with the senior unloaders.

I truly appreciate someone who is willing to put the time, effort and foresight in working at UPS, on any level.
The joke must be on me, since I tried to make one.
If some one can not see a future in the long term of working at UPS, then I could care less why they chose not to work at UPS and wish them well in their future.

 

[cac6827]

When I first heard of the wait for medical benefits for the part timers under the new contract, I asked if they were at least getting a good raise? The answer---nope. When I started with UPS 24 years ago as a Christmas temp driver, I was paid $9 an hour. The new hires today get less then that. How can UPS or the Teamsters expect for todays employee to make it on the wages they are offering in the new contract?
I agree with the statements- UPS wants only the young and not older new part timers but there is the Teamsters view to consider. I asked our local Teamster Pres who states, the more turn around UPS has the more money the Teamsters get (initation fee, union dues, penison, etc) that they will never have to pay out to the short term employee. Considering the turnaround of the part timers I have seen, this is a lot of money for the Teamsters. All I can say, I'm glad I will be retiring next year.

 

[browniehound]

It goes a lot deeper than the $8.50 you are probably making. You could get a job at a fast food restuarant for the same wage. You could also probably get a job making a better wage working on a dock, driving a forklift or delivering pizzas.

Problem is, those jobs will get you no-where. At UPS you have an opportunity for a career. Bust your butt for a while and before you know it you will have a full-time job. Depending on your location, the wait can be as little as 2 or 3 months for a 22.3 full-time job.

Even if you choose not to drive (its not for everyone) and just stay full-time inside, you will be making around $23 an hour at top rate.

You will NEVER EVEN SNIFF that at any other company that hires you at $8.50 to start.

My advice: stay at UPS, it really is your best option.
Unless, of course you just finished dental school?

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

I feel there is a very good reason Part-Time wages are low and for the 1-year wait for benefits.

UPS wants to hire 18-19 year olds. That's it. And it makes perfect sense.

Why would UPS want to hire a 40 year old who's gonna break down in 5 years and use up the medical benefits? So if they push the benefits a year later, the older ones will look at the pay for this job and walk out. Not worth it for them. Unless they look past the low wage and back-breaking work to their ultimate goal (cheap medical benefits) "the golden ticket"

The young guns that come in look at this company as a stepping stone to bigger things, be it a career working here or reimbursing their college classes for good grades. There is a different mindset here and that should not be undervalued. I'm not saying they don't get hurt, I'm just saying they bounce back a lot quicker being young and most injuries will not be long-term.

In my 15 years in the company, UPS has a reason for everything. AND I MEAN EVERYTHING. I'd bet my UPS stock that this is the main reason.

monetary is first of all. PAS took the skill out of alot of jobs. NOW UPS has the flexibility to cut back on paying out benes because there's alot less skill involved.

Every year from now on jobs will require less skill as the computer age rears it's high tech edge. This will only allow UPS to bargain lower (relatively) wages and less benefits.

 

[satellitedriver]

monetary is first of all. PAS took the skill out of alot of jobs. NOW UPS has the flexibility to cut back on paying out benes because there's alot less skill involved.

Every year from now on jobs will require less skill as the computer age rears it's high tech edge. This will only allow UPS to bargain lower (relatively) wages and less benefits.

Sad, but true.
Look at how many skills have already been lost, by not being taught.

 

[soberups]

How are they going to keep part timers after next month? Simple...they won't. The chronic turnover issues suffered by PT will only get worse.

Ultimately, UPS will be forced to take it upon themselves to raise the starting PT wage. Once the staffing reaches an impossible level, UPS will have no other choice but to start calling full-time employees in early to load their trucks, at an overtime rate of pay. They will keep us in late to unload our own trucks. The brutal math of the situation---paying drivers $42 an hour to load and unload---will leave the company no other choice but to raise the PT wage up to a level that people will actually be willing to do the job for.

This is a situation where the individuals who negotiated the language never spoke with the individuals who are responsible for staffing and training the PT workforce. They might work for the same company, but they dont live in the same reality.

 

[brownmonster]

Judging by my load, the job doesn't require any skill.

 

[tourists24]

Judging by my load, the job doesn't require any skill.

dont you love it when you ask your loader "where'd you load smiths hardware... they go ,,,, ummm, what?"

 

[satellitedriver]

How are they going to keep part timers after next month? Simple...they won't. The chronic turnover issues suffered by PT will only get worse.

Ultimately, UPS will be forced to take it upon themselves to raise the starting PT wage. Once the staffing reaches an impossible level, UPS will have no other choice but to start calling full-time employees in early to load their trucks, at an overtime rate of pay. They will keep us in late to unload our own trucks. The brutal math of the situation---paying drivers $42 an hour to load and unload---will leave the company no other choice but to raise the PT wage up to a level that people will actually be willing to do the job for.

This is a situation where the individuals who negotiated the language never spoke with the individuals who are responsible for staffing and training the PT workforce. They might work for the same company, but they dont live in the same reality.

National turn over rates for drivers in 1986 was 3yrs.
Some how UPS has survived this lack of front line workers for the last two decades.
I have a feeling that UPS will still be around long after I am chunked into the cold,cold clay.

 

[HEFFERNAN]

Ultimately, UPS will be forced to take it upon themselves to raise the starting PT wage. Once the staffing reaches an impossible level, UPS will have no other choice but to start calling full-time employees in early to load their trucks, at an overtime rate of pay. They will keep us in late to unload our own trucks. The brutal math of the situation---paying drivers $42 an hour to load and unload---will leave the company no other choice but to raise the PT wage up to a level that people will actually be willing to do the job for.

I'm already seeing some of the early signs in the FT ranks. They are trying to cut so many routes everyday. They even ask us to go take work off a driver and stay under 11.
This would be unheard of 5 years ago. No one was allowed over 10, no matter what. Now stay out there for almost 11 paid hours. It has become such a joke lately, the dispatch is disgusting, and the driver sups can't do nothing because the empty suits above told them how many routes their running.
It would not shock me one bit that they would pay us to stay on the clock and unload our own trucks. They would see it as saving the company a PT employee.

 

[Bad Gas!]

The quality of PT workers will only go down from now-on. We will get crap on a stick loading our vehicles..Even the young students will go other places with benefits not aquired for a year....On other notes..A couple of us drivers have to finish loading our trucks and pull add-cuts because the preload doesn't have enough people or already sent them home....UPS math- pay me 42 an hour for 20 min. or keep a 9hr job around to do it..STUPID...I say STUPID!...everyday..

 

[Sac Hub Sorter]

Current turnover rate at my hub is 40-50%...

 

[bellesotico]

dont you love it when you ask your loader "where'd you load smiths hardware... they go ,,,, ummm, what?"

Tourists-
Preloaders are trained to look at the PAS label not the address label. Why would your loader know where "Smith's Hardware" is? Next time refer to it by its HIN and you may get a different answer.