Is there really a high turnover rate?

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Blue in Brown
It was $13.25 an hour I think. I started as a Christmas driver. 6 of us were hired and I was the only one to last through peak. Rehired in early April the following year and spent 7 1/2 years as a preloader/Air Driver with a full time job outside UPS.
For some of you old-timers that say that todays generation doesn't like having to work hard. My question for you is, what was the starting wage when you were hired with the company? I'm just curious.
 
U

uber

Guest
A more correct question for you might be to ask what the minimum wage was when someone started their first job. I understand that you think 8.50 an hour is a crappy wage, (it is don't get me wrong,) but 25 years ago when I started my first job minimum wage was 3.25 or 3.35 an hour. You may think you have it rough now, but back then there were no cell phones that we had to have or any of the other electronic toys todays generation seems to think that they "need" to make their life more complete.

So if you don't think 8.50 an hour is an insufficient wage for you to live on for 90 days, why do you work for ups to begin with? Having a job at UPS is a lot like investing in the stock market, you take the short term loss, (8.50 an hour,) for the long term benefits, (30 bucks an hour for your hard work plus an excellent health care package and retirement).

Answer me this question, what kind of retirement would you have after working for 30 years at Mcdonalds?

You're preaching to the wrong person. I'm in it for the long haul, I love the company, but I think the company dynamic is messed up. But, I also see why they do it the way they do.

I never said, McDonalds was even comparable. Heck, if anyone realizes the importance of the benefits that UPS has its me, I went to the hospital for a month this year and had my colon removed. 4 surgeries later and a hospital bill that came out to nearly $300k. I ended up paying about $300 of that. I also got my Associates Degree paid for by UPS.

If that would have happened to me as a McDonalds employee, I would have been SOL.

What I'm trying to get to, is that old-timers shouldn't be calling on my generations work ethic (I'm 25 yo, by the way). Because when all of you were hired you had it a lot better with the company than kids who are working $125 dollar pay checks for a weeks worth of work and don't get any benefits for a year. Even employees like me, who were hired on the last contract have it much better than those on this current one.

Definitely different times.
 

iowa boy

Well-Known Member
You're preaching to the wrong person. I'm in it for the long haul, I love the company, but I think the company dynamic is messed up. But, I also see why they do it the way they do.

What I'm trying to get to, is that old-timers shouldn't be calling on my generations work ethic (I'm 25 yo, by the way). Because when all of you were hired you had it a lot better with the company than kids who are working $125 dollar pay checks for a weeks worth of work and don't get any benefits for a year. Even employees like me, who were hired on the last contract have it much better than those on this current one.

Definitely different times.

Every old-timer on this board understands the meaning of that dollar in their pocket. The starting wage for part-timers was a lot better back then, I agree. But most of the old-timers on this board have worked for everything they ever wanted or needed. Nothing was handed to them by their parents. I myself never had a video game until I spent my money on it.

What I'm trying to say is that, yes the starting wage was better, but not every ones first job was at UPS. I made due with my 3.35 an hour. I made a car payment, partial insurance payments and put gas in that car for 3.35 an hour, and had spending money left over to go out on when I had time. I moved into my own apt at 18 making 4.15 an hour and paid the rent, electric and phone an still had a car payment and insurance and gas to buy. I never had a cell phone til I was 23. I never "had" to spend $50 or $60 on a video game for my PS3 or my XBox.

I know there are better stories than mine here on the BC, but the part-timers don't have it as bad as you say they do. The current generation seems to want all the latest and greatest "toys" and mommy and daddy wont say no and automatically buy the said toy for him or her. This is why the old timers on this board talk badly about the current generation of employees.:peaceful:
 
U

uber

Guest
How much was a gallon of gas back then? How much was rent?

Different times, brotha.

This generation of entitlement that you claim has more to do with a kids background. If you come from a wealthy family of course kids in any generation have that sense of entitlment. There is definitely more kids from stuffy upbringing's these days than in years past.
 

iowa boy

Well-Known Member
How much was a gallon of gas back then? How much was rent?

Different times, brotha.

This generation of entitlement that you claim has more to do with a kids background. If you come from a wealthy family of course kids in any generation have that sense of entitlment. There is definitely more kids from stuffy upbringing's these days than in years past.

It is different times, but Im getting the impression from you that your generation has it so much worse than everyone elses. I lived on 3.35 an hour working 25 to 30 hours a week while I was in highschool. We all understand what you are dealing with, as we all dealt with it to when we were young too.

Let me ask you, as an example,do you have a cell phone? If so, why? how much do you spend on that every month? The younger generation I deal with seem to think that they cant live without their cellphones any more. They have to check their Facebook or tweet while they are working or sitting on the toilet, or whatever they do with it. Do you think you could live with out it? If you think about it, that cell phone bill costs at least half a weeks pay for most part-timers, depending of course on who your cell phone service it with.

Im not trying to start an argument, Im saying that this generation has more "wants" that they think are "needs", and can't differentiate between the two any more. And neither can their parents.
 

22.34life

Well-Known Member
It is different times, but Im getting the impression from you that your generation has it so much worse than everyone elses. I lived on 3.35 an hour working 25 to 30 hours a week while I was in highschool. We all understand what you are dealing with, as we all dealt with it to when we were young too.

Let me ask you, as an example,do you have a cell phone? If so, why? how much do you spend on that every month? The younger generation I deal with seem to think that they cant live without their cellphones any more. They have to check their Facebook or tweet while they are working or sitting on the toilet, or whatever they do with it. Do you think you could live with out it? If you think about it, that cell phone bill costs at least half a weeks pay for most part-timers, depending of course on who your cell phone service it with.

Im not trying to start an argument, Im saying that this generation has more "wants" that they think are "needs", and can't differentiate between the two any more. And neither can their parents.
people make it harder than it has to be,$150/week and has been for at least 15 years.this is the problem ,the job is supposed to be for college students but even college students cant make it on $150/week.ups has become less and less willing to work with students and their schedules.look around your hub if its anything like mine you dont see many students.with new technolgy comes dependence on that technolgy,computers were a luxury at one time but now are a neccessity.while a cell phone is not a need it has become a hard thing to be without.
 

Magnus

Well-Known Member
Actually... when you consider that over 70% of all us 20 year-olds right now cannot compete with the Baby-boomers and our parent's generation for the jobs that are drying up, yes... we do have it worse. They are comparing our generation to that of the generation of the 1920's because it IS that bad. We aren't even being accounted for on the national unemployment tally because, having not had jobs, we can't qualify and therefore we are the unaccounted for jobless. If we were counted, the TRUE unemployment rate would skyrocket up to 25%.

I've been seeking work, any work, for four years and haven't had a single bite apart from UPS Seasonal. How's that for bad? I am in SoCal, but that is besides the point. How bad does bad have to get before people start realizing how bad things truly are in this country, right now? The youngest of us are being hit the hardest because we just can't compete with people with decades of experience over us who REFUSE to get off of the horse and give somebody else a ride on the "American Dream".

Regardless, 22.34life is right... what UPS pays PTers starting out isn't enough to even cover toilet paper and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in todays staggering rates of massive inflation and corporate greed (marking prices up by 3,000%).

That's how bad things are. HOWEVER, ITS BETTER THAN NOTHING AT ALL!
 
U

uber

Guest
^ That post basically sums up my thoughts on the topic, in a much more eloquent manner.
 

curiousbrain

Well-Known Member
Actually... when you consider that over 70% of all us 20 year-olds right now cannot compete with the Baby-boomers and our parent's generation for the jobs that are drying up, yes... we do have it worse. They are comparing our generation to that of the generation of the 1920's because it IS that bad. We aren't even being accounted for on the national unemployment tally because, having not had jobs, we can't qualify and therefore we are the unaccounted for jobless. If we were counted, the TRUE unemployment rate would skyrocket up to 25%.

I've been seeking work, any work, for four years and haven't had a single bite apart from UPS Seasonal. How's that for bad? I am in SoCal, but that is besides the point. How bad does bad have to get before people start realizing how bad things truly are in this country, right now? The youngest of us are being hit the hardest because we just can't compete with people with decades of experience over us who REFUSE to get off of the horse and give somebody else a ride on the "American Dream".

Regardless, 22.34life is right... what UPS pays PTers starting out isn't enough to even cover toilet paper and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in todays staggering rates of massive inflation and corporate greed (marking prices up by 3,000%).

That's how bad things are. HOWEVER, ITS BETTER THAN NOTHING AT ALL!

I'm in my twenties. I live alone. I have no cellphone, one computer (from 2001), and a Ford Ranger I own outright because I paid it off years ago. I pay a mortgage, all my utilities, and insurance because I work three jobs and bust my butt everyday of the week; the days I do have off I work from my old computer at home.

I've done this for quite some time now; why can't you and everyone else who talks about "I can't find a job" and what not.

My personal opinions out of the way, I understand that not everyone can find a job; however, I have a hard time believing that everyone I talk to is "that one person" who has it so hard they can't make ends meet. I work three part-time jobs; why the hell can't the rest of the people my age? As a quasi-addendum, I do freelance computer programming - there are tons of jobs for people who do similar work, so much so that even the Chinese can't handle it all; there is work out there, is my point I suppose.

[/ENDRANT]
 

TUT

Well-Known Member
Kids today don't want to work.
I have no idea why the paragraph formatting isn't holding... There is always someone to fit any label, but labeling in general is usually a sign of a weak argument. I don't have kids that don't want to work at all, far from it. Yes they do have preferences and they aren't physically tasking fields, but who goes to college to be a package handler? Honestly, I'm raising kids for better jobs then UPS operations. This would be the part time job they might have perhaps while in college, not a career choice. And about entitlement used in this thread. Geeze do we hate our own children that much? The cost of living isn't going down anytime soon and they wanted the American dream like the rest of us. $10 an hour isn't going to get it done these days in many states. As usual, too many old people always want the young-in's to pay their physical due's as some right of passage. Even though you never worked half as hard as your grandfather and would have whined and cried if asked to. Technology changes each generation, it makes it more mental and less physical, I don't know what else to tell you. It's not the children, it's what the market is asking them to do. It's what parents are directing their children to and it's not package handler. Understand the world you live in. Understand kids didn't create this world at all, we brought them into it, for better or worse. Internet says: Kids and parents are bad. Doesn't leave many good people out there. UPS is a respectable job, just not the goal for most, it's a stepping stone at best, more like a paycheck.
 

whiskey

Well-Known Member
I just purchased Rossetastone Chinese at a kiosk at the mall for a mere $565.00. A small investment for my kids future.
 
L

Loufan

Guest
When I was hired it was a class of about twenty. The HR guy had one eye and I remember thinking WTF. Here it is almost twenty years later and there are two of us left. Me and a guy who eventually got to feeders. There was also a guy who became full-time management. The power went out about six years ago and be went up to a local convenient store and bought a couple cases of beer. When the power came on and his people were drunk he got his :censored2: fired. Lol
Wow 20 years later and there's still 2 of you. That's still pretty awesome.
I had about 40 people in my class. I got hired on right before the recession and we were extremely busy. We were getting all kinds of hours until things went south. Now 4 years later there's still 1 other person at UPS from my training class. I still can't believe to this day all those people quit during the worst recession in a long time. Now things are a lot busier and we seem to be getting a lot more hours these days.
 

kmjs14

Well-Known Member
Im not trying to start an argument, Im saying that this generation has more "wants" that they think are "needs", and can't differentiate between the two any more. And neither can their parents.

Totally agree! I also think people are thinking "needs" more now with the downturn of the economy. Less plastic and more savings.
 
In my building the Nassau Hub the biggest turn over problem we have is the full-time management team. They simply cannot get a set team in place. They keep quitting one by one. Now even the part timers are wising up to the situation. Last I heard we were down seven part time supervisors. Another fact UPS hides is there poor management turnover. In my building nobody wants to become a part time supervisor. They have resorted to begging week two new hires to become supervisors. Sad.........
 

Aarmin

Member
Serious question. How do package handlers apply for a job? There are never any open positions posted online at UPS's Career website.
 

hondo

promoted to mediocrity
Serious question. How do package handlers apply for a job? There are never any open positions posted online at UPS's Career website.
Try going to the building you want to work at in person. I know of a building here that never posts openings online, yet regularly hires due to turnover.
Try around 8:30 or 9am.
 

ORLY!?!

Master Loader
You're preaching to the wrong person. I'm in it for the long haul, I love the company, but I think the company dynamic is messed up. But, I also see why they do it the way they do.

I never said, McDonalds was even comparable. Heck, if anyone realizes the importance of the benefits that UPS has its me, I went to the hospital for a month this year and had my colon removed. 4 surgeries later and a hospital bill that came out to nearly $300k. I ended up paying about $300 of that. I also got my Associates Degree paid for by UPS.

If that would have happened to me as a McDonalds employee, I would have been SOL.

What I'm trying to get to, is that old-timers shouldn't be calling on my generations work ethic (I'm 25 yo, by the way). Because when all of you were hired you had it a lot better with the company than kids who are working $125 dollar pay checks for a weeks worth of work and don't get any benefits for a year. Even employees like me, who were hired on the last contract have it much better than those on this current one.

Definitely different times.

Yep, the benifits are outstanding here.

The problem these old timers are complaining about are the 200 of the other wastes of space workers they are come across in their seniority. I see it all the time as well. Some missload on purpose to get better jobs, how do I know? A guy I worked with admitted it to a bunch of people. News spreads fast at a UPS HUB. And thats only the tip of the iceberg.

The real problem lays upon the soups that are supposed to lead and teach these people. Another is the union, everyone gets a pass here at UPS. People really stretch that one out.

Over all the quality has gone way down. Poor leadership and the unions influence has huge effects towards the quality of this job.

This job used to be all about quality, I wish they inverted back to those days I've heard about due to research. Its the reason I joined up, to be apart of something great and well respected. But the examples here and else where are way below even the standard.
 

iowa boy

Well-Known Member
This job used to be all about quality, I wish they inverted back to those days I've heard about due to research. Its the reason I joined up, to be apart of something great and well respected. But the examples here and else where are way below even the standard.[/QUOTE]

You are so right with this last paragraph. This job used to be about quality as that set us apart from all of our competition. Now the higher ups have found out that numbers are more important than the quality element. When the numbers run the operation, every other aspect, (quality, safety, you name it,) becomes second fiddle.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Interesting thread.

I used to have one of the stubs from early on. Take home was around 38 bucks for a full week of part time work. Not a great deal of money, but it was a bit higher than min. wage. Adn the hours were what I needed as well. But back then, to have a part time job, you had to be a full time student too. So there was no time to get another job. Each quarter, you had to show you were still in school, or you would be let go.

I went into driving in the 70's. A customer of mine at Mcdonalds had just started on the morning shift, then promoted to the shift manager. The year I retired with blown out knees and the basic retirement, he was the owner of 6 Mcdonald stores in the area, including the one he started at as a cash register jocky. So comparing McDonalds to UPS is not always a win for UPS.

That being said, in our area, it take 5-8 years to go from new hire to driver if you are lucky. Wendys and Taco Bell start their people out at $9.50 an hour, a dollar more than you can make at UPS. And that wage includes insurance. In my business, I have to shell out at least $10 an hour or more to even have a chance at a decent hire. So that leaves UPS to scrape the bottom of the workforce barrel. So is it any wonder that the retention rate sucks.

The only thing in the part timers favor in the next few years is the retirement rate of the drivers hired in the boom decade of UPS's growth.

d
 
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