Merry Christmas UPS here's your 24 Million Dollar Check

[Big Cheese]

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development will throw in $24 million in tax credits to help UPS.

"We simply have to do everything we can to help companies like UPS stay and prosper in Illinois," said Warren Ribley, director of DCEO.

Ribley said the investment package will help UPS retain 500 jobs in Rockford and 2,500 in Hodgkins, because of the size differences of the operations, but company officials couldn't confirm specifics.

UPS spokesman Gary Langston said the company didn't have jobs on the chopping block, but the state aid will help keep the facilities competitive long-term.

UPS has 1,500 workers at the Rockford hub, including 500 full-time employees. For the holiday peak season, it adds about 600 more part-time workers.

"Rockford is obviously an important place to us," Langston said. "Our objective every day is to maintain our business and grow our business. ... We're very appreciative for (the state's) continued support."

In 2006, UPS invested $25 million to update equipment and expand sorting capacity at the Rockford hub, which is its second-largest air hub in the country. UPS is the main reason Rockford is the 19th largest cargo airport in the country.

Mike Dunn, chairman of the Greater Rockford Airport Authority board of commissioners, commended Ribley and Gov. Pat Quinn for their aid to keep UPS here.

"For the first time since I've been here, we have a governor and we have a (DCEO) director who actually knows we exist up here," Dunn said. "The thought of UPS cutting back or the thought of UPS reducing its operation in Rockford is frightening to us. ... We appreciate what UPS does for this community, we certainly appreciate what UPS does for this airport."

Contact staff writer Thomas V. Bona at 815-987-1343 or [email protected].

This is BS. I would like the money to go to business here in Rockford that can use it. Business that will employ full time workers. The Rockford air hub is the worst run place I have seen. The supervisors in Rockford have no idea how to manage people.

 

[Catatonic]

The Rockford air hub is the worst run place I have seen. The supervisors in Rockford have no idea how to manage people.

Rockford sounds pretty unique in this respect.
But we do thank IL for their help.

And welcome to BC Big Cheese.

 

[cachsux]

Rockford sounds pretty unique in this respect.
But we do thank IL for their help.

Gosh,you`re welcome.

 

[upandcomer]

Not that I want to start any nasty rumors but!!! Could this be a under the table deal to keep the Region office open in Chicago?

I would say the Chicago office was the leading front runner for being closed if you just used common sense.

It will be interesting to see what happens on January 4th!

 

[Buffaloaf]

Jut out of curiosity, how many other facilities have you worked in outside of Rockford? Believe it or not, Rockford is actually well regarded in the UPS community -- try going to CACH sometime if you can, their Supervisors do more flirting / talking than managing.

 

[cachsux]

Jut out of curiosity, how many other facilities have you worked in outside of Rockford? Believe it or not, Rockford is actually well regarded in the UPS community -- try going to CACH sometime if you can, their Supervisors do more flirting / talking than managing.

Drivers do too,hotstuff

 

[trplnkl]

Drivers do too,hotstuff

ahhh, it is against UPS policy for management to fraternize with hourly and we all know that there is too much competition between management for flirting. lol

Cach, are you flirting with buffaloaf??

 

[cachsux]

ahhh, it is against UPS policy for management to fraternize with hourly and we all know that there is too much competition between management for flirting. lol

Cach, are you flirting with buffaloaf??

I felt left out

 

[Buffaloaf]

They actually got rid of all the "dating" rules. The only difference now is that if they find out your dating someone they send you on "special assignment" -- you have to work somewhere that is close enough to commute or to stay in a hotel each week for a temporary time period as punishment for being a bonehead. Also, I think it is meant to be a trap for male sups to feel comfortable trying to pick a girl up for a date, but UPS is hoping that girl will report unwanted attention to HR. At least, this is what I have seen as the results from this policy change thus far.

Anyways, I didn't mean to dog on you cachsux, I'm just sayin', whenever I had to drive into cach for my loads, it seemed like I saw part time sups by the vending machines or wandering around looking like they didn't know what was going on. This happens all over, I'm sure, but I just remember the wing where I had to pickup my loads was especially not very good (I remember seeing a full time sup or two, and she seemed like she was lost -- just a sign of her poor leadership trickling down to the part-timers, no doubt)

 

[cachsux]

Anyways, I didn't mean to dog on you cachsux, I'm just sayin', whenever I had to drive into cach for my loads, it seemed like I saw part time sups by the vending machines or wandering around looking like they didn't know what was going on. This happens all over, I'm sure, but I just remember the wing where I had to pickup my loads was especially not very good (I remember seeing a full time sup or two, and she seemed like she was lost -- just a sign of her poor leadership trickling down to the part-timers, no doubt)

I don`t disagree with you there. The place is only as good as it`s leadership starting with Mr. Potatohead. Plus when they do pull a PT into the managment chain they are only as good as the group that they can choose from.

 

[rod]

Sad to say but the bottom line is if the right person sitting at a desk somewhere gets a wild hair up his butt to shut down some UPS facility -- ain't nothing or nobody or no amount of cash going to stop it. ------------------------- I almost said "with his feet on the desk" but decided not to start WW3

 

[UPSAOT]

Not that I want to start any nasty rumors but!!! Could this be a under the table deal to keep the Region office open in Chicago?

I would say the Chicago office was the leading front runner for being closed if you just used common sense.

It will be interesting to see what happens on January 4th!

Guess I don't have much common sense-why would you say this? Just curious...I know a few people who work there and would hate to see them out of a job.

 

[Dis-organized Labor]

There's a 50 + year old chain smoking admin guy at Hodgkins CACH that can't use a computer or answer a phone.
I hope his job is safe. Otherwise, there will be a void left on a certain Yahoo board.

 

[705red]

That's it Quinn has lost my vote for reelection! Giving $24 million to a company that will profit well over a billion this year is outrageous! Other companies are closing its doors, or on the verge like YRC but lets help profitable companies! BS

 

[Old Man Jingles]

That's it Quinn has lost my vote for reelection! Giving $24 million to a company that will profit well over a billion this year is outrageous! Other companies are closing its doors, or on the verge like YRC but lets help profitable companies! BS

I have noticed in your other posts and now this one that you seem to hate UPS. Has UPS treated you badly in your employment?

 

[705red]

I have noticed in your other posts and now this one that you seem to hate UPS. Has UPS treated you badly in your employment?

I am an employee of UPS and I see how they attempt to intimidate drivers. I see them threaten to make drivers work through lunch and record breaks even if they don't take one. But as a employee, I do not do this and they wont even waste their breath trying this on me.

But I am also a steward, and I see how the grievance process is dragged out. I watch sup working grievance get deadlocked at panel. Which now goes through the attorney process. Meaning that UPS pay their attorneys rumored $600 an hour. Follow along here, these attorneys charge ups at least 2 to 5 hours for a 1 hour grievance only to pay it out right before arbitration. A $50 grievance, that ups has spent close to $3,000 on just to drag it out only to pay it. And the state that I live in is handing them $24 million dollars? That's a load of crap!

Other companies are really trying to do the right thing and suffering and yet UPS spends millions a year in labor costs that they shouldn't have to spend if they honor the contract.

$24 million that could have helped out our schools, homeless shelters, our vets, etc.
Happy Holidays!

 

[bbsam]

Rockford sounds pretty unique in this respect.
But we do thank IL for their help.

And welcome to BC Big Cheese.

LOL! And you guys said "brownbailout" was just a Fedex internet media blitz! Appears to be more truth than even Fedex envisioned.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I would be willing to bet that the $24M is a drop in the bucket as compared to the economic impact the 3K employees have on the local and state economies. Tax incentives such as these are not uncommon. New York has Empire Zones which basically provide companies with tax and other credits if they choose to set up shop in certain geographic areas.
It makes good economic sense to invest in prosperous companies, whether it be by individual investors or local governments and these tax credits can be thought of as an investment in the future of the local economy.

 

[cachsux]

Upstate hit it on the head. This is far from the first time our state or any other has provided an incentive to a healthy company to either locate or stay in their state. Especially in ones with troubled economys .

 

[tieguy]

I am an employee of UPS and I see how they attempt to intimidate drivers. I see them threaten to make drivers work through lunch and record breaks even if they don't take one. But as a employee, I do not do this and they wont even waste their breath trying this on me.

But I am also a steward, and I see how the grievance process is dragged out. I watch sup working grievance get deadlocked at panel. Which now goes through the attorney process. Meaning that UPS pay their attorneys rumored $600 an hour. Follow along here, these attorneys charge ups at least 2 to 5 hours for a 1 hour grievance only to pay it out right before arbitration. A $50 grievance, that ups has spent close to $3,000 on just to drag it out only to pay it. And the state that I live in is handing them $24 million dollars? That's a load of crap!

Other companies are really trying to do the right thing and suffering and yet UPS spends millions a year in labor costs that they shouldn't have to spend if they honor the contract.

$24 million that could have helped out our schools, homeless shelters, our vets, etc.
Happy Holidays!

Red in hindsight it sounds like UPS would be doing you a favor if they shut Rockford down.