Upward and Onward (?!?!) in 2010

[Frunobulax]

Well, I picked up my last helper check yesterday, $188 USD, for four
days and 25 hours of difficult work performed in cold, wind, snow,
ice, and freezing rain, which sum represents just north of half of one
billable hour of my time, about what it would take me to write a
several page letter for a client. Rather than deposit the check, in
order to more fully experience the sense of marginalization endured by
the working poor, I cashed it at a currency exchange, thereby giving
back one-quarter hour of wages. An hour later I received an offer for
a full-time Fed. job that I had written off as a longshot. So I start
that gig Monday.

While waiting at the UPS hub for my helper coordinator to bring me the
check, I spent about twenty minutes chatting with a UPS HR person who
told me I could probably work as a loader after Jan 1st and that,
after 90 days, assuming I proved educable, I could become a PT Sup.
She also mentioned that they do still hire drivers off-the-street.

Anyway, in 2010, I'll be hedging my bets; so I think I will work at
UPS as a second job to more quickly fill in the hole that 2009 has
created in my once flush wallet. Two jobs, I have learned, is better
than one or, indeed, none. Also, of course, should the Fed. Govt. fail
and chaos ensue across the Americas, perhaps I will be able to
transfer my UPS skills to the Beijing or Shanghai hub. Chinese is a
tough language to pick up (it's tonal and pitch-based) but I'm a
musician and have a good ear and, hey, I managed to haul around
without too much stress hundreds of pounds of parcels for UPS......

Happy New Year.

 

[User Name]

Congrats, and good luck to ya...

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

But to walk five steps in another man's shoes...


I would bet my paycheck that you had little regard for a UPS driver, much less a seasonal helper, in your former career as a barrister. (You're not the only one who knows big words.) You may have seen the brown trucks, may have asked a secretary or mail clerk to "overnight" a contract or deposition, but had little regard for how it got from point A to point B.

I would hope that if you were to have taken anything away from your experience here, besides the meager paycheck, it would be just how physically demanding and stressful this job can be. I would also hope that you have gained a greater appreciation for the value of good old-fashioned hard work. (Don't worry, your hands will go back to their silky smoothness after awhile.)

I would also hope that the chip which rests squarely on your shoulder has been somewhat reduced after your completion of UPS Peak 101.

Marginalization endured by the working poor? Give me a freakin' break. Get off your damn high horse!!

 

[anonymous6]

explain to me like a fourth grader.

your point. in 25 words or less

 

[Frunobulax]

Very rough year. Lost $$. Got job. Happy. 2010 better. Learned lessons. Best to you.

(15 words.)

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

...and you as well.

 

[soberups]

There is dignity in an honest day's labor, no matter how menial it might be.

It is healthy to see how "the other half" lives and to walk in their shoes.

In addition to my 23 years at UPS I have worked at Taco Bell, Wendy's, Burger King, and at several gas stations. I have worked as a waiter and as a busboy in a high-end restraunt. I spent the summers of my childhood working in the fields, picking beans and potatoes and strawberries in 100 degree heat in order to earn money for school clothes.

I respect anyone who shows up on time, punches a clock, and does a job to the best of their ability.

We had a bunch of late volume that didnt make it in yesterday due to the snow, so when I stopped at Taco Bell for lunch I didnt have their paychecks, which I normally deliver to them every other Wednesday. There were several employees who were waiting there for me to show up with their checks, and when I told the manager that I didnt have them the looks on their faces broke my heart. These are minimum-wage earners who may very well have gone hungry last night because they were counting on those checks for grocery money.

I felt guilty sitting there eating my taco and watching them walk away empty-handed. It makes me grateful for what I have.

 

[bluehdmc]

It's good you've had the experience of hard work. If you work in the hub and you unload you'll wish your were back to driver's helper. 3 and 1/2 hours of grabbing a package, putting it on a belt, grabbing another package, etc. with a 10min break. At least you won't be in the rain or snow.

There are hundreds of jobs like that in the world. Think about that the next time you hear the garbage men want higher wages, or you're next waitress' tip. Maybe with your experience you've gained some appreciation for the people you probably never paid attention to or even noticed.

 

[Catatonic]

It's good you've had the experience of hard work. If you work in the hub and you unload you'll wish your were back to driver's helper. 3 and 1/2 hours of grabbing a package, putting it on a belt, grabbing another package, etc. with a 10min break. At least you won't be in the rain or snow.

There are hundreds of jobs like that in the world. Think about that the next time you hear the garbage men want higher wages, or you're next waitress' tip. Maybe with your experience you've gained some appreciation for the people you probably never paid attention to or even noticed.

Why are you assuming he did not before?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Why are you assuming he did not before?

Good point.

 

[Frunobulax]

I worked summers during college in a railroad car factory (Boilermaker's union; Chicago Heights, Il), extremely difficult and dangerous work (saw a guy get killed on the factory floor and I also worked as a hospital orderly double shifts for six months to finance graduate school. Many years ago though.
I've never been afraid to work; and I'm still strong physically. I'll be 52 in two weeks. As I posted elsewhere, I have great respect for UPS workers, particularly the PC drivers; and I was happy for the opportunity. I was even a little bit proud of myself that I was able to do the job as well as I did.

 

[bluehdmc]

Why are you assuming he did not before?

I guess it was the comment about "marginalization". I don't understand why the "working poor" use check cashing places where if they opened a savings acct, kept the minimum amount in the acct, (which is probably less than 1 month of fees at the currency exchange), they wouldn't have to pay the fees. I can understand a currency exchange for an illegal alien that's about it. I guess thats one of the reasons UPS has gone to the total pay card.

 

[Frunobulax]

There are many people with jobs that can't get checking accounts because of past credit difficulties, judgments, bankruptcy. The poor are excluded (and therefore marginalized) from many opportunities that those better off take for granted. Talk about a double whammy: you have to pay fees to cash your payroll check. So, as with UPS, 52 pay periods multiplied by a few $$ a week, adds up in the course of a year. That was my point.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Well, I picked up my last helper check yesterday, $188 USD, for four
days and 25 hours of difficult work performed in cold, wind, snow,
ice, and freezing rain, which sum represents just north of half of one
billable hour of my time, about what it would take me to write a
several page letter for a client. Rather than deposit the check, in
order to more fully experience the sense of marginalization endured by
the working poor, I cashed it at a currency exchange, thereby giving
back one-quarter hour of wages. An hour later I received an offer for
a full-time Fed. job that I had written off as a longshot. So I start
that gig Monday.

While waiting at the UPS hub for my helper coordinator to bring me the
check, I spent about twenty minutes chatting with a UPS HR person who
told me I could probably work as a loader after Jan 1st and that,
after 90 days, assuming I proved educable, I could become a PT Sup.
She also mentioned that they do still hire drivers off-the-street.

Anyway, in 2010, I'll be hedging my bets; so I think I will work at
UPS as a second job to more quickly fill in the hole that 2009 has
created in my once flush wallet. Two jobs, I have learned, is better
than one or, indeed, none. Also, of course, should the Fed. Govt. fail
and chaos ensue across the Americas, perhaps I will be able to
transfer my UPS skills to the Beijing or Shanghai hub. Chinese is a
tough language to pick up (it's tonal and pitch-based) but I'm a
musician and have a good ear and, hey, I managed to haul around
without too much stress hundreds of pounds of parcels for UPS......

Happy New Year.

I hate to put a damper on your parade but your 52 yrs old and your going to start work PT for UPS on either the pre-load or local sort. Your going to have no senority so your chance of getting a drivers job anytime soon are slim to none. As for UPS hiring drivers off the street yes they do it's a 6-1 ratio meaning for every six PTimers they promote to drivers they hire one from the street. SO your chances of getting a drivers job before you turm 60 are really not that good. Do you know how many PTimers are in your local I would say building but in some areas like mine there are more than 1 building falling under the same senority list.

As for becoming a PT Sup you really don't fit the person UPS is looking for they like young kids that they can pretty much tell what to do and tell them that someday they could become a full time SUP. I haven't been with UPS really long but I have seem many PT SUP come and go but none get promoted.

 

[bluehdmc]

I hate to put a damper on your parade but your 52 yrs old and your going to start work PT for UPS on either the pre-load or local sort. Your going to have no senority so your chance of getting a drivers job anytime soon are slim to none. As for UPS hiring drivers off the street yes they do it's a 6-1 ratio meaning for every six PTimers they promote to drivers they hire one from the street. SO your chances of getting a drivers job before you turm 60 are really not that good. Do you know how many PTimers are in your local I would say building but in some areas like mine there are more than 1 building falling under the same senority list.

As for becoming a PT Sup you really don't fit the person UPS is looking for they like young kids that they can pretty much tell what to do and tell them that someday they could become a full time SUP. I haven't been with UPS really long but I have seem many PT SUP come and go but none get promoted.

It seems the HR people will say anything to get warm bodies to work the hub. I guess they're evaluated by how many bodies they get, not whether said bodies stay long ???
Where I am (a feeder driver) all the casuals they hired were told they may be hired full time after peak, last year we had at least 10 feeder drivers on layoff from around Feb 1st untill Oct, the highest number was a week or two with over 30. These are off the street drivers, but the casuals were all told the same thing, then they rush around, trying to do a "good job" and after Christmas all get laid off.

 

[Frunobulax]

No parade; and no damper.

I think you have misread my post. Or, to be fair, perhaps I was unclear. I have no interest at the moment in working part-time except to make a few extra $$ to begin to defray some of the $120K or so I am down for 2009.

I understand the seniority rules; and I am aware of the 6:1 ratio. I'm not looking for a career path ending in driving. I wouldn't be even if I was 22. My aside about hedging bets, though, was meant seriously in this sense: having been hammered during this recession (and being old enough to remember those of 1973-74 and 1981-82), I do think it makes good sense to leave yourself as many possibilities as you can no matter your age, education, and experience.

Also, UPS has many types of jobs beyond PC operations. I'm simply glad I have this connection and am in good standing with a potential employer

 

[UPSGUY72]

No parade; and no damper.

I think you have misread my post. Or, to be fair, perhaps I was unclear. I have no interest at the moment in working part-time except to make a few extra $$ to begin to defray some of the $120K or so I am down for 2009.

I understand the seniority rules; and I am aware of the 6:1 ratio. I'm not looking for a career path ending in driving. I wouldn't be even if I was 22. My aside about hedging bets, though, was meant seriously in this sense: having been hammered during this recession (and being old enough to remember those of 1973-74 and 1981-82), I do think it makes good sense to leave yourself as many possibilities as you can no matter your age, education, and experience.

Also, UPS has many types of jobs beyond PC operations. I'm simply glad I have this connection and am in good standing with a potential employer

You have no connections the only connection you have is to get PT loader or unloader job. Your HR person isn't going to get you a job any better than that. UPS has recruitesr for hiring people higher in coporate.

 

[Frunobulax]

Exactly right.

 

[pemanager]

You have no connections the only connection you have is to get PT loader or unloader job. Your HR person isn't going to get you a job any better than that. UPS has recruitesr for hiring people higher in coporate.

UPSGuy72,

you are correct that his initial HR contact will likely only lead to a P/T hourly position, but, if I read his post correctly, he is looking for fallback leg in the door. Not too sure about the legal dept. but most of the Staff Functions will look at UPS employees, who have gone through the promotion process, before they look outside. We actually prefer the UPS experience if there are qualified candidates. The legal dept has also expressed interest in one of my Supervisors who was considering a law degree.

Not saying his odds are great or that I would recommend it but he does have potential options outside a P/T hourly position once his foot is in the door.

 

[whiskey]

Very rough year. Lost $$. Got job. Happy. 2010 better. Learned lessons. Best to you.

(15 words.)

U da man. Bobby D should have been so succinct. Probably time for a string change on your git fiddle. I enjoyed your former post over the latter.
Happy New Year.