UPS engineer joins picketing, quits

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member
UPS engineer joins picketing, quits - Wilmington News Journal

When employees conduct informational picketing, they hope to raise public awareness of their workplace problems and send a message to the employer.

But a Thursday march involving about 50 ASTAR Air Cargo pilots outside UPS’s Atlanta headquarters reached different eyes: A UPS software engineer on lunch decided to join the protest and, after leaving the picket line, resigned on the spot when approached back at work by two security workers and two Human Resources staffers.
 
B

Bagger Brown

Guest
A Software Engineer is in Management and by definition must support the decisions of the Board or Management Committee; at least publicly. Unfortunate but in any company if a member of Management publicly demonstrates against a Management decision, they would be gone. Respect his spunk and I hope he gets another job quickly.
 
A

an anonymous guest

Guest
Somebody stole his red stapler. He burned more than a few bridges here. Needs a checkup from the neckup.

Go UPS!
P71
 
Ah, Pea-COCK-71 up to his usual tricks.....

Contact me through any of the blogs below -or- here:
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/cargo/29229-why-astar-fights-thier-jobs.html

http://boards.fool.com/Message.asp?mid=26850247&sort=whole#26855456
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/07/21/daily46.html#tp_newCommentAnchor

P71's add'l attacks.....as seen on: http://boards.fool.com/Message.asp?mid=26850247&sort=whole#26855456

"Tony:
I can't comment on your situation at UPS because I don't know anything about your project. However, when I read the news releaase the other day the thoughts that came to mind we images of the movie 'Network' where the anchorman loses it all of a sudden, and one other image. Tell us, are you looking for a missing red stapler?
Go UPS!
(who has worked on many UPS special projects)
P71 "

"You are just another disgruntled former employee. Better than being a current one. All good companies should have them.
Go UPS!
P71 "

Pea-COCK-71,
Don't take your former employer's anti-worker, anti-trust (and now it seems anti-national-security) actions so hard. They can't all be perfect.

Tony
Resigned UPS on 7/24/08 and Proud of it!
 
A Software Engineer is in Management and by definition must support the decisions of the Board or Management Committee; at least publicly. Unfortunate but in any company if a member of Management publicly demonstrates against a Management decision, they would be gone. Respect his spunk and I hope he gets another job quickly.

I was never in management. We're called 'specialists' and although we're on salary and had a history of being highly abused by management, we're definitly not management. After years of being lied to that we were, I researched it with HR and saw 'non-mgmt' under the employee type field.

Thanks for your props...Job offers flying in already from local companies that admire ethical stances.
 
As far as Tony Bor[d]oli joining the picket line, after reading the article, looks to me like he just needed a reason to leave UPS and got some media attention at the same time.

6 days after the event, I'm coming to that same realization ("that just needed a reason to leave UPS and got some media attention at the same time") and am slowly but surely losing steam to fight the good fight. My UPS pay officially ends end-of-day tomorrow and it's certainly time to move on.

My comments last Thursday, those that sparked the entire "media circus" with me, admittedly, the self-promoting leader twirling the baton, have been removed from the bizjournal article(http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/07/21/daily46.html#tp_newCommentAnchor)
.

Could UPS have called the media-entity to have my initial comment and rebuttals removed? Could I take this as a violation of my 1st Amendment right to free speech (irregardless of what I had to say was 'right' or 'wrong').

Once again I have choice: I can either continue to fight and delay this "festering" wound (see post several posts above) from healing and now take on the media entity for caving in to UPS' lawyers (an obvious assumption on my part for there could be any number of reasons including a TOS violation on my part) -or- do I simply let it go and move on with my life? A rhetorical question, for the 'right' answer is obvious (that 'right' answer the one being the healthiest for me and my family).

Good Luck to you in your future jobs. I'm not sure a whole lot of companies will view you as a loyal employee.
But the again, you state you are marketable in the Atlanta area and can take care of your family.

I have battled with this over the past 6 days. Obviously, none of the media attention would have followed had I "resigned with dignity" (as one poster on the bizjournal article site pointed out). In the insuing days, I've been accused of being a deat-beat-dad, an opportunist, a disloyal employee, a maroon, a BS-er, someone missing their 'red swingline stapler' (LOL), etc., whilst at the same time a hero, a class act, a non-apologist, someone with courage, etc.

My head has spun around and around and I no longer know what to think. I have many options in my immediate future (back to the private sector, academia, a union entity, the government, etc.) Just like all of us, the ideal career is one that is challenging, engaging and takes on the task that would otherwise be a 'hobby'. I have some time ahead of me to really think hard about where I'll devote the next 20 years of my time.

I hope, in earnest, that those that have interacted with me in the last several days, either in a positive or negative manner, will understand that what I did, right or wrong - self-promoted or otherwise, has been done. My "15 minutes of fame" has come to a close and I'm more happy than sad that it is over.

This will be my final statement on this topic post (to some, goodriddance, I know ;) ).
 

mxfj49

New Member
Just back from vacation and everyone was buzzing about this incident. A buddy of mine happened to be in the cafeteria that day when our friend Tony made a big scene over someone getting a bigger helping then him. Why don't you tell the group about your famous Mac and Cheese incident Tony. I heard it was a hoot but sad for you.

To add insult to injury, my buddy told me the guy he was upset with getting over getting more Mac and Cheese then Tony had bariatric surgery. He always gets sides, eats 3-4 spoonfuls and throws the rest away. I wish you luck mr Bordoli, but your issues seem larger than the pilots who were picketing.
 
Just back from vacation and everyone was buzzing about this incident. A buddy of mine happened to be in the cafeteria that day when our friend Tony made a big scene over someone getting a bigger helping then him. Why don't you tell the group about your famous Mac and Cheese incident Tony. I heard it was a hoot but sad for you.

To add insult to injury, my buddy told me the guy he was upset with getting over getting more Mac and Cheese then Tony had bariatric surgery. He always gets sides, eats 3-4 spoonfuls and throws the rest away. I wish you luck mr Bordoli, but your issues seem larger than the pilots who were picketing.

I'll explain exactly as I did to the AJC reporter.

After walking in the picket line, finding myself at the gym with no sneakers, walking again back to Bldg. 35, I realized that I'd need to get some lunch and leave it at my desk because the cafe would be closed after my return from the gym.

I went down to the basement cafeteria at 35 Glenlake and stood in line behind (beside rather) the aforementioned gentleman that I DID NOT KNOW was having bariatric surgery. He ordered macaroni and cheese. Roberto, the head 'chef' there, gave him two full scoops of macaroni and cheese overflowing practically the gentleman's to go container. The gentlemen grabbed the item, walked right past the cashiers station (didn't pay) and to his seat.

Realizing that Sodexho's portion policy is to give only the required one server scoop (those at 55 know what I mean with their little dishes and a one rounded ice-cream scoop like portion), I asked for macaroni and cheese as well. I was given one scoop and not even a well rounded one at that. I asked Roberto, "Can I get what you gave the gentleman before me?" Roberto responed, "I did. I gave him one scoop." I replied, "Roberto, you gave him two full scoops." Roberto once again denied it. Betty, the cafe supervisor (and cashier) was in the back of the kitchen but was coming around. A friend of Betty's, I brought the unfairness in portion quantity and Robert's lieing to her attention. During this time, Roberto quickly ran out after the aforementioned gentleman and huddled with him over the yet to be eat Mac n Chees double helping. Betty said, "Let's go see." and I followed Betty out to the dining room at which time she asked the aforementioned gentleman how much he was given. After great hesitation (realizing that Roberto had showed him favoritism) he said, "I think a scoop and a half." Betty inspected the portion, realized that favoritism had been shown and offered me by portion for free. After declining, I asked if I could have her manager's phone number so that we could address the integrity issue here of (1) Roberto lieing to me (2) unfairness in portion controls and (3) some customers being allowed to bypass the cashier and pay for their food (I did find out afterwards that he's on a program in which he eats first and pays later like a sit-down restaurant). Someone at the aforementioned gentleman's table made a comment to the effect of "You should be happy, Mac-n-Cheese ain't good for you."

And that was it.....

I agree that had I not walked in that picket line only 20-30 minutes earlier, I would not have made the complaint which resulted in the incident. I was quite disraught with the uncertainty ahead of me. Everything that happened during that lunch was inter-linked and related. Those that were withness to the cafe incident only saw the one incident in isolation. Already on my mind at that moment was the inner turmoil surrounding making the final decision to resign (the two reasons for which you're already aware).

These attempts by UPS-retirees and 'friends of UPS-ers' to discredit me were not entirely unanticipated. Say what you want on this anonymous forum and poke fun at my every action that day. When it comes down to it is you, the character attackers, that carry the greatest "soul-guilt" for not having the backbone to do what I did.

Attack away!
 
Maybe Kraft is hiring.
Too funny! Yeah, I have a sense of humor. It was a messed up day all over. As soon as I exited that picket line, I came out transformed, boldstered, emboldened, etc. I grew a backbone. I wasn't going to take it any longer from UPS nor the Sodexho 'chef' Roberto and his blatant favoritism....Nobody.
 
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