Discuss: UPS Mechanic–What's in a Name?

[cheryl]

UPS Mechanic–What's in a Name? - Air Cargo World
Currently, close to 1,400 Teamsters mechanics are negotiating a new contract with UPS Airlines. They are worried about their jobs being outsourced to other countries.

According to UPS, its line maintenance mechanics are paid a base salary of $43 an hour, or the equivalent of close to $90,000 a year. The group currently enjoys a 401K and pension plan. To date they have not had to pay for healthcare benefits.

To put this in context, UPS supplies a convenient salary comparison: FedEx pays its line mechanics just over $40.00 an hour while the top rate at ABX is $32.70. US Airways mechanics earn just $29.06 an hour.

[tellitstraight]

Funny - in two previous threads I asked ups767mech to explain exactly what work UPS was outsourcing or planning to outsource to China. It seems I am not the only one that is confused over this and I still have not been able to get a straight answer. The author of this article in Air Cargo World seems equally confused. Is there really an issue here or is this a negotiating tactic by local 2727 to confuse the real issues. This is reminding me of the 1997 strike when the "public" issue was full time jobs but the "real" issue was control of the pensions. I am not saying full time jobs was not an issue but it was not the primary issue.

http://www.aircargoworld.com/regions/northam_1208.htm

[DownsizedUPS'er]

the mechanics should be worried for their jobs. so should every UPS employee. i worked for UPS for 18 years until my position was outsourced. my position was not in opperations, therefore, I had no contract to protect me. these people deserve to have secure jobs. they deserve to have health care. in non-operations, we used to have our health insurance and meds paid for. that was the first thing to go. then when the company went public the company changed 380 degs. i miss UPS. i miss my UPS family. we were not able to unionize, but i support the union employees and they need to have secure jobs. we all used to have that, operations and adminstration alike.