Discuss: UPS spent nearly $1.3M lobbying in 1Q

[cheryl]

UPS spent nearly $1.3M lobbying in 1Q - CNN Money
Package delivery company United Parcel Service Inc. spent nearly $1.3 million in the first quarter lobbying on a raft of transportation rules and regulations, according to a disclosure report.

[freeloader]

Ahhh the dark area of UPS. Kinda makes ya sick doesn't it? UPS pays 5 million a year to politicians to get the legislation through that makes them richer.

[local804]

amazing

[pkgdriver]

Originally Posted by freeloader

Ahhh the dark area of UPS. Kinda makes ya sick doesn't it? UPS pays 5 million a year to politicians to get the legislation through that makes them richer.

Kinda makes me sick also that Fred Ex gets to play by some different rules than we have to.

Originally Posted by freeloader

Ahhh the dark area of UPS. Kinda makes ya sick doesn't it? UPS pays 5 million a year to politicians to get the legislation through that makes them richer.

And keeps you employed at the highest wages in the industry!

[drewed]

yea its good and bad, bad for the fact we re buying people sad fact everyone does it good we get legislation passed so we can make more $$$

Originally Posted by ???

And keeps you employed at the highest wages in the industry!

HATER! Don't be hatin tater! What kinda work you do, annonymous undercover spy stuff?! Has your name been withheld on account of you not being authorized to comment on the subject? Or maybe you are the infamous Deepthroat!

[dannyboy]

Anyone have the numbers spent by;

DHL
The postal service (you bet they do)
Fedex
Other trucking companies
Etc

ANd remember, if small package was all that UPS is into, then that might seem like a lot of money. But with all the different divisions and sub companies, that is a really small amount.

So while there are some things UPS does I dont agree with, when they make money, you do as well. IF they dont, what do you think will happen to your job, and the pay that goes with it?

d

[grami72]

How much did the Teamsters spend?

[drewed]

Originally Posted by grami72

How much did the Teamsters spend?

Very good point! the teamsters have 100s of lobbyist!


lets say a lobbyist makes about between 100-150 k a year (rough guesstimate) so thats just saying we have 4-6 lobbyist, my question on this does it include we do in the international market? because if is we re tossing peanuts at the elephant

[moreluck]

Don't forget, the whole wild west opened up to UPS because of lobbying. If I remember correctly, Lady Bird J. had a lot to do with not wanting UPS to come westward. Did I dream that?

[scratch]

Originally Posted by moreluck

Don't forget, the whole wild west opened up to UPS because of lobbying. If I remember correctly, Lady Bird J. had a lot to do with not wanting UPS to come westward. Did I dream that?

I can remember when UPS had to fight the Texas Railroad Commission to be able to expand into Texas. UPS had to lobby and get permission to operate in new states every time we expanded service. Our competitors just rode our coat tails in with little cost to them.

[pretzel_man]

Here is information on PAC's.

You can slice and dice it many ways. This view shows total receipts. You can view it by what was spent, who the money went to, and who contributed.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/topp...=2008&filter=N

Its interesting that in general, Unions make up a larger portion of the contributions to candidates than do companies.

Its also interesting to see the % contributions to democrats vs. republicans.

P-Man

[tieguy]

Originally Posted by freeloader

Ahhh the dark area of UPS. Kinda makes ya sick doesn't it? UPS pays 5 million a year to politicians to get the legislation through that makes them richer.

While the teamsters spent 9 million.

Honest question. why would it make you sick?

Another honest question do you honestly think you can somehow keep your job at UPS without them making any money?

[local804]

Now is that 9 million dollars just from the UPS teamster locals?
na

Undermining Worker Safety

Experts credit UPS and its PAC money with killing the most important new worker safety regulations in decades.

UPS led the charge against an initiative by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that would have required companies to reduce back, shoulder and knee injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders.

OSHA’s ergonomics standard would have required companies like UPS to reduce hazards that cause injuries.

UPS complained that reducing injuries would be too costly. In a filing with the SEC, UPS admitted that, “Our competitor would have incurred proportionately comparable costs.” But the company opposed the rule anyway, saying that to reduce injuries UPS would have to “hire additional full-time and part-time employees.”

President Bush subsequently repealed the ergonomics standard.

Buying the Right to Not Pay Teamsters

In the summer of 2006, UPS tried to change California wage and hour laws to avoid a lawsuit over the company’s practice of forcing employees to work off the clock.

The company successfully got the legislature to pass a bill—specifically designed for UPS— that gave unionized transportation companies an exemption from the state’s pro-worker laws governing breaks.

Fortunately, UPS’s bill was vetoed by the Governor. California drivers subsequently won an $87 million wage and hour settlement against UPS for violations committed under the law the company was trying to gut.



THANK GOD UPS STILL MAKES MONEY!!!

[pretzel_man]

Local:

The initial replies here (including yours) was that UPS was buying influence through PACs. The inference was that there were underhanded dealings going on.

Now that its shown that the Teamsters and other unions spend as much and collectively more than UPS and other companies. (Again, you can slice the data many ways).

You took time to tell your side of a legislative story. I don't know if you're accurate or not. I don't know if I agree with your or not. Its your side of the story and you have a right to ariculate it.

Don't you think UPS has a right to spend money too to tell legislators the company side of the story?

There are two sides.

I want both sides to be told, and that's why I contribute to UPSPAC.

P-Man

[jw55wags]

Originally Posted by tieguy

While the teamsters spent 9 million.

Honest question. why would it make you sick?

Another honest question do you honestly think you can somehow keep your job at UPS without them making any money?

Have you heard of teamster drive? This is were the teamsters get the majority of money from contributions from teamsters who donate.

[rushfan]

1 M in 1Q that's one hell of a bargain!


I was reading the comic newspaper (USA TODAY) and they had a map of D.C. showing the locations of apartments that corporations own there. UPS and FedEx were mentioned in the article. UPS owns one as well as FedEx. Both companies spend a lot on lobbying. It's just a fact in D.C. that there is so much spent on lobbying. IMHO it's a shame it's come down to that regardless of which political party you belong to republicrats or demicans.

I guess the apartments are for the Hookers.....er.....ladies/men, to give company to our politicians who don't want to get caught.

[freeloader]

Originally Posted by tieguy

While the teamsters spent 9 million.

Honest question. why would it make you sick?

Another honest question do you honestly think you can somehow keep your job at UPS without them making any money?

Of course the teamsters lobby too, someone has to lobby for employees. I would think that the majority of UPS lobbying efforts is pro-employer with little benefit to the employees.

What makes me sick? The greed. The company rakes in billions in profits. Division managers live in million dollar homes and buy $100,000 cars. But the starting pay is $8.50 which is pretty much poverty. Sorry but that just strikes a nerve with me.