Just wondering

[Dustyroads]

Dude, if you feel that way you have no way of passing the next random drug test.

Cach, if I didn't like my job, I would have certainly found another career sometime in the past three decades. As for my other claims, well, my center manager and sups treat me with lots of respect. As for my route, 60 stops is 8 hours; would you consider that a desirable position? As for my package car, you might ask EmergencyConditions, he drives one just like mine, I'll let him make the call on that one. And, I'm pretty proud to be a Teamster. I joined in 1979, and my local has always treated me really well. Our union steward has been around longer than I have, and there's no one I'd rather have in my corner. I wasn't speaking for all drivers, or in fact, for any drivers besides myself. I guess it bothers some people if a package car driver is treated fairly and likes his job. To each their own.

 

[bbsam]

Aside from the pension issue, which I thought was a maximum of 20 hours per week, I can't for the life of me think of one driver that would want to handle more cardboard when they finally retire. I know circumstances will dictate your lifestyle but I already lost my fingerprints from the old industrial runs.

No fingerprints? There are probably alot of non-tax paying opportunities awaiting you should ethics not be a hinderance for you.

 

[jimstud]

No fingerprints? There are probably alot of non-tax paying opportunities awaiting you should ethics not be a hinderance for you.

unlike fedex retirees those of us who retire from the big brown machine don't need non-tax paying opportunities to get along. i don't mean to insult you but if you have to put your ethics on the back shelf for a job then it is probally a job you should not take.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

You arent answering to UPS, you are answering to the pension fund that mails you a check every month.


That pension is funded by employer contributions made on the employee's behalf. In order to make those contributions, the employer must be able to remain competitive.

No one should be able to work for a non-union competitor while simultaneously drawing a pension that is funded by a union company. Bear in mind that a person who retires on a union pension will receive far more in payments during the course of their retirement than they ever contributed during their employment.

It shouldn't matter. A retiree should be able to work where ever they wish just as they were able to prior to retiring. I worked at RPS for a year while working at UPS. In no way did my employment with RPS EVER conflict with UPS's performance. In fact, it gave me the ability to tell customers and friends about the differences (superiority of UPS) between the two. A retiree working for a competitor would be no different. And what does working for a non-union competitor have to do with anything? Our union represents our competition. OH OH! There is the stinger in your argument. So, I guess its ok to work for the competition as long as they are union? LOL! Do you see the paradox there?

The rules and restrictions of your pension fund were in place when you made a decision to accept employment at UPS and become enrolled in that pension plan. A person who finds those rules to be unacceptable is free to leave and seek employment at a place whose pension fund does not have such restrictions.

Just because the rules are in place doesn't mean they are fair and acceptable. Those that don't find them acceptable also have another option (a better one) and that is to try and change them. Simply disagreeing with a rule or policy isn't grounds to simply tell someone they should leave. Come on man! That sounds just like the a management response. I thought you were better than that?

 

[bbsam]

unlike fedex retirees those of us who retire from the big brown machine don't need non-tax paying opportunities to get along. i don't mean to insult you but if you have to put your ethics on the back shelf for a job then it is probally a job you should not take.

I don't mean to insult you, but it was a joke. You know, a job as safe-cracker or bank robber. Something where they dust for fingerprints in old movies. Jokes lose their fun when you have to break them down for the listener. Then the listener becomes the joke.

 

[jimstud]

I don't mean to insult you, but it was a joke. You know, a job as safe-cracker or bank robber. Something where they dust for fingerprints in old movies. Jokes lose their fun when you have to break them down for the listener. Then the listener becomes the joke.

should have i put sarcasm in quotes for you ? the only true joke is fedex ground.

 

[EmerCond421]

Cach, if I didn't like my job, I would have certainly found another career sometime in the past three decades. As for my other claims, well, my center manager and sups treat me with lots of respect. As for my route, 60 stops is 8 hours; would you consider that a desirable position? As for my package car, you might ask EmergencyConditions, he drives one just like mine, I'll let him make the call on that one. And, I'm pretty proud to be a Teamster. I joined in 1979, and my local has always treated me really well. Our union steward has been around longer than I have, and there's no one I'd rather have in my corner. I wasn't speaking for all drivers, or in fact, for any drivers besides myself. I guess it bothers some people if a package car driver is treated fairly and likes his job. To each their own.

Just like Dusty stated, as far as the current fleet of vehicles, couldn't think of a better more comfortable car to drive. A vehicle that has a padded dash and driver's air bag/ only ones in the fleet I believe. T G I had this vehicle when I've had to drive 375 -421 miles in a day.

 

[bbsam]

should have i put sarcasm in quotes for you ? the only true joke is fedex ground.

Now I'm confused. Was that sarcasm? And since when is putting "sarcasm in quotes" correct gramatically correct?

 

[Channahon]

BBSAM,
I heard that FedEx will terminate a driver if they receive any tickets while driving a FedEx vechicle, regardless of the circumstances. Any truth? As this is the word on the East Coast.

 

[Old International]

All I know is that when I hand my feeder keys back to UPS, and drive out of the gate for the last time, I don't want to ever see another cardboard box that I have to pickup. I might consider driving a Class 8 truck, but it would have to be on my terms.

 

[bbsam]

BBSAM,
I heard that FedEx will terminate a driver if they receive any tickets while driving a FedEx vechicle, regardless of the circumstances. Any truth? As this is the word on the East Coast.

Not quite that draconian. And they won't terminate a driver because they can't. They may make him inelligible for lengths of time from 30 to 90 days and in some instances from 3 years to life depending on the infraction(s). Even that is subject to challenge by the contractor because in actuality the contractor is still free to hire whomever they want, but if not approved by Fedex, the contractor stands to lose a lot of money in bonuses.

 

[BrownBlue]

So, just to reply to the original question. The reason for a pension is to stop working. Hence retirement, is retirement from working. We are lucky to have such an option, many Americans do not. So unless you get into some bad spending habits, or divorces, or other extremely costly things, a UPS driver making the money we do, without paying for nearly any of our benefits, should retire quite comfortably. I thank god every chance I get that I chose to go brown instead of purple back when I did. I never see any Ground guys last more than a couple years before being arrested, seriously injured, quit or get fired (and yes that includes the so-called contractors), and the poor express people, while about half i've met seem friendly, they never seem to retire, no matter how old they are. Guy that I see most is like 80, says he can't retire because he can't afford it. I feel bad for him, but he is a total grump, so tough tities. So no I plan to retire at 52 and never work another day, except volunteering. I'm blessed to be a union member. And yes sometimes I hear union doesn't do this, doesn't do that for my dues, but hell look at how we are compensated compared to others in the industry. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better than the alternative. Boy that went long.

 

[rod]

So, just to reply to the original question. The reason for a pension is to stop working. Hence retirement, is retirement from working. We are lucky to have such an option, many Americans do not. So unless you get into some bad spending habits, or divorces, or other extremely costly things, a UPS driver making the money we do, without paying for nearly any of our benefits, should retire quite comfortably. I thank god every chance I get that I chose to go brown instead of purple back when I did. I never see any Ground guys last more than a couple years before being arrested, seriously injured, quit or get fired (and yes that includes the so-called contractors), and the poor express people, while about half i've met seem friendly, they never seem to retire, no matter how old they are. Guy that I see most is like 80, says he can't retire because he can't afford it. I feel bad for him, but he is a total grump, so tough tities. So no I plan to retire at 52 and never work another day, except volunteering. I'm blessed to be a union member. And yes sometimes I hear union doesn't do this, doesn't do that for my dues, but hell look at how we are compensated compared to others in the industry. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better than the alternative. Boy that went long.

I said about the same thing when I retired at 53. I did absolutely nothing (except play and travel) for 5 years. Then I was offered the perfect job working for my local township as a handyman. I come and go as I please- work when I want to- good pay ($15.00 an hour). I couldn't pass it up- I don't really need the money but it keeps me in new toys and tools and gives me a good excuse to get out of the house------I've been known to work an hour or two and disappear the rest of the day or evening. Its amazing how fun it is to work at a job you really enjoy.

 

[NHDRVR]

All I know is that when I hand my feeder keys back to UPS, and drive out of the gate for the last time, I don't want to ever see another cardboard box that I have to pickup. I might consider driving a Class 8 truck, but it would have to be on my terms.

that's what I'm talking about...