Are jobs gonna be cut when this happens?

Leragie

Member
The center I work at currently has two groups of drivers. Early starters and late starters. The early starting drivers are made up of high senority drivers that have shorter routes that only take about 5 to 6 hours, but these drivers get their full hours because they do all of the preloading in the morning. The late starters take the bigger routes that fill out a full days work. I was told that soon we are gonna switch to having all of our preload done by part timers. Does that mean that they are going to have to cut out some low senority routes to be able to give more hours to the high senority drivers with the smaller routes?
 

ups79

Well-Known Member
I would say there is ever chance of that happening. If you managed the business would you like to pay someone an extra 3 hours pay for not performing any work.
 
C

clockedout

Guest
The center I work at currently has two groups of drivers. Early starters and late starters. The early starting drivers are made up of high senority drivers that have shorter routes that only take about 5 to 6 hours, but these drivers get their full hours because they do all of the preloading in the morning. The late starters take the bigger routes that fill out a full days work. I was told that soon we are gonna switch to having all of our preload done by part timers. Does that mean that they are going to have to cut out some low senority routes to be able to give more hours to the high senority drivers with the smaller routes?

I don't know about your specific question.

In the old NW Region they're down about 1100 drivers since Spring '01.

They aren't planning to replace any of them.

Teamsters don't dictate staffing requirements and never have.

Bump down, bump out - get out. That's what they've done.
 

psyclone

6311
Most likely, some routes will be busted out in order to ensure all drivers have at least an 8 hour plan.

And yes preload is work, though it surprises me UPS is paying guys $27/hr to do it when they can get away with paying someone else $9.
 

OldUPSDriver

Well-Known Member
Rule of thumb would be one less driver for every 9 man hours of preload work by the full time drivers. One center I worked in put 5 drivers on layoff when the part-time preload was complete.
 

25yrvet

Well-Known Member
Problem is that the company is having a tough time finding good p/t help for 9$ an hour throughout the country. We have a couple of drivers that get called in early a couple times a week to preload because of staffing problems.
 

ups79

Well-Known Member
How are drivers that come in and load routes not doing any work?

The question was, once full time drivers quick loading trucks will some drivers be laid off. Sorry the question was not worded for you to understand, but that is what the initial post was about. Now follow me here, if they are going to go to part time preload I am sure they won't have any full time driving routes consisting of 6 hours work. Do you now understand my response or should I try to explain further?
 

Harry Manback

Robot Extraordinaire
Problem is that the company is having a tough time finding good p/t help for 9$ an hour throughout the country. We have a couple of drivers that get called in early a couple times a week to preload because of staffing problems.


I concur. In fact it is my belief that UPS has resorted to hiring folks without bothering to find out whether they are literate or not. "Oh look, a NDA with a 1300 hin in the 8500 section! Or better yet a 19C pkg on my 20D car! This will only cost me an extra hour at the end of the day! Thanks pre-load!"
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
Problem is that the company is having a tough time finding good p/t help for 9$ an hour throughout the country. We have a couple of drivers that get called in early a couple times a week to preload because of staffing problems.

Of course they are having trouble
because even a basic mcdonalds job pays 8.50 now..
other than benifits,
Why would you bust your butt for 4-5 hours at 3:30 in the morning for $9
When you can flip burgers for .50 cents less but work a full 8 hour day?

Remember neither job is rocket science, so those who are in the "market"
for work, compare and take the easier job.
 

upsgrunt

Well-Known Member
Of course they are having trouble
because even a basic mcdonalds job pays 8.50 now..
other than benifits,
Why would you bust your butt for 4-5 hours at 3:30 in the morning for $9
When you can flip burgers for .50 cents less but work a full 8 hour day?

Remember neither job is rocket science, so those who are in the "market"
for work, compare and take the easier job.

Another way of looking at it is this: UPS expects an unloader to empty a feeder in about 50 minutes by themselves. If you would ask anyone on the street if they would unload a whole semi-load of boxes, by hand, for $9.00, do you think they would laugh in your face? YESSSSSSS-----part-timers need a raise; especially if UPS wants to retain them or get them to show up every day.:thumbup1:
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
The question was, once full time drivers quick loading trucks will some drivers be laid off. Sorry the question was not worded for you to understand, but that is what the initial post was about. Now follow me here, if they are going to go to part time preload I am sure they won't have any full time driving routes consisting of 6 hours work. Do you now understand my response or should I try to explain further?
The drivers should be red circled. You cant allow friend-time lay-offs and replace them with p-time workers. Now i need to know how long these drivers have been doing this preload driver jobs for?
 

DorkHead

Well-Known Member
Sounds like he works at a extension center. Yes, you may lose a route or two but the FT seniority drivers work no matter if they are loading or driving or both.
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
Another way of looking at it is this: UPS expects an unloader to empty a feeder in about 50 minutes by themselves. If you would ask anyone on the street if they would unload a whole semi-load of boxes, by hand, for $9.00, do you think they would laugh in your face? YESSSSSSS-----part-timers need a raise; especially if UPS wants to retain them or get them to show up every day.:thumbup1:

I have been saying that for years.. I started at 9 dollars an hour back in 88, had to wait 1 year for a raise.. Now preload starts at 9.50 an hour but get a .50 cent raise after 90 calender days (imagine that, getting credit for Saturdays and Sundays) So some progress has been made.. My beef is the part-timers getting more raise than full-timers every year(full-timers this Aug 1st-- $1.00 per hour......part-timers $1.20 per hour..)So over the life of this contract part-timers have gotten $1.00 more than full-timers...
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
How are drivers that come in and load routes not doing any work?
He meant the pt'ers. If the drivers can do a preload, you likely don't need pt'ers because it only takes 60-120 minutes to do the preload.

Those drivers have it good; loading your own truck is something I miss from FedEx.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
I have been saying that for years.. I started at 9 dollars an hour back in 88, had to wait 1 year for a raise.. Now preload starts at 9.50 an hour but get a .50 cent raise after 90 calender days (imagine that, getting credit for Saturdays and Sundays) So some progress has been made.. My beef is the part-timers getting more raise than full-timers every year(full-timers this Aug 1st-- $1.00 per hour......part-timers $1.20 per hour..)So over the life of this contract part-timers have gotten $1.00 more than full-timers...
Uhm, $9 in 1989 is worth a LOT MORE than $9 in 2006.

$9 1989 = $14.79 2006
source: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
that number should be much higher, accounting for the inflation rate thusfar in 2007.

So, no progress has been made. Absolutely none. While the hub rats break their backs like the drivers, they don't have the freedom of being outside and interacting with others, and they don't make a rate of pay anywhere near the drivers. I'm not going to attempt to give a "oh pay your hub employees $22/hr" crap argument, but your assessment of the wages in the hub is really off base. the only reason why you have people in the hub is for the benefits for their family, because they live in a hick town where there's no other opportunity, or the tuition reimbursement. Take out 1 & 3, you'll have a paralyzed UPS.
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
Here's a thought to keep part time employees.

Give the employees an option for benefits. If an employee doesn't need the benefits from UPS, offer a higher pay rate and progression. A full time student can generally be on their parents insurance until age 25.

If an employee is at UPS for the benefits, a lesser starting ay rate ($9 estimate) and normal progression. Quite often an employee at UPS for the benefits in a part time position, stays longer than a student. Also the opportunity for a full time job at UPS is attractive, if that is the part timers goal.

One would think UPS has analyzed this situation, but keeping the payrate where it's been forever, is not the solution.
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
Uhm, $9 in 1989 is worth a LOT MORE than $9 in 2006.

$9 1989 = $14.79 2006
source: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
that number should be much higher, accounting for the inflation rate thusfar in 2007.

So, no progress has been made. Absolutely none. While the hub rats break their backs like the drivers, they don't have the freedom of being outside and interacting with others, and they don't make a rate of pay anywhere near the drivers. I'm not going to attempt to give a "oh pay your hub employees $22/hr" crap argument, but your assessment of the wages in the hub is really off base. the only reason why you have people in the hub is for the benefits for their family, because they live in a hick town where there's no other opportunity, or the tuition reimbursement. Take out 1 & 3, you'll have a paralyzed UPS.

Uhm, You mean I was making 14.79 in 1989 and didn't know it?? lol. Cost of living raise was a joke too, 12 cents an hour. 40hours x 12 cents = 4.80 a week (minus taxes) That can't even get me through the Lincoln tunnel.
 
Last edited:

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
Here's a thought to keep part time employees.

Give the employees an option for benefits. If an employee doesn't need the benefits from UPS, offer a higher pay rate and progression. A full time student can generally be on their parents insurance until age 25.

If an employee is at UPS for the benefits, a lesser starting ay rate ($9 estimate) and normal progression. Quite often an employee at UPS for the benefits in a part time position, stays longer than a student. Also the opportunity for a full time job at UPS is attractive, if that is the part timers goal.

One would think UPS has analyzed this situation, but keeping the payrate where it's been forever, is not the solution.

I think there would be a lot of politics involved with that. So a student aged 19 who is a 1st year worker at UPS doesn't need insurance would make 14.00 an hour whereas a person working 4 years at UPS aged 26 needs the benefits and only makes 12.25 an hour. Also, doesn't seem like the Union is pushing for a higher start rate, could be one of those give backs come contract time."Company" You want this and that, ok, starting rate remains 9.50 an hour "Union" ok.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Uhm, You mean I was making 14.79 in 1989 and didn't know it?? lol. Cost of living raise was a joke too, 12 cents an hour. 40hours x 12 cents = 4.80 a week (minus taxes) That can't even get me through the Lincoln tunnel.
you were making the equivilent of $14.79 by today's standards in 1989. like how a snickers bar used to cost 75 cents in the mid nineties and now it's $1.25. you were paying $1.25 back in the 90s without knowing it. :wink:
 
Top