Chances of a UPS strike?

[Goldilocks]

Thinking back to the last brown out. We quadrupled our volume, many of us got hurt while we took amazing amounts of abuse from the public becayse we couldnt absord it all. Then we took abuse drom upper mgmt for taking in too much freight and blowing out the system. The company made a bundle and all we got was the equivilant of a weeks pay before taxes. This time Fred will have to do it without my extra help.

I agree, its going to be suicidal for Fedex Express

1. Because Express does not have the workforce it did in the past

2. Nobody gives a crap anymore

3. DRA will explode, creating too many routes not enough people

It will be a total disaster.

 

[hypo hanna]

Look at it this way.... There are 3 entities who presently deliver small packages in the US. FedEx, UPS and USPS.
If UPS strikes the other two will try to absorb their freight. Neither is in very good shape right now and neither has easy access to enough extra lift to move that freight. USPS is a union shop so I don't see them taking on temp employees. FedEx would hire an army of temps but at least on the express side they have made the job so complex it takes months to have one adaquatly trained and up to speed. Like the last strike, they will suspend the money back guarantee. Not many front line employees are going to go all out like last time. I was pulling in 3 to 4 times the freight that was doing prior to the last brown out and working 14 hours plus every day. DOT regulations didn't seem to bother mgmt much when they were making that kind of money. Despite Herculean efforts on the part of the drivers we never came close to absorbing UPS's customers. And btw, those were the customers who were screwed the worst. We were told specifically if they weren't shipping with FedEx prior to the strike, not to take their freight if it would interfere with the freight of our regular customers.
I think for all of Fred's hatred of unions, he has done a lot to strengthen your hand. He thinks the enemy of his enemy is his friend and we fedex drivers help him out by busting our tails when UPS strikes.
IMO, when UPS strikes, that's when we should be slowing down.

 

[MAKAVELI]

The difference being he is actually part of the process where you again are on the outside thinking you know more than you actually do.

I know the shipping business. If the workers believe a strike is suicide, then they will lose a tone of leverage.

One person's opinion does not represent the consensus of the union as a whole.

How about two people's opinions?

Nope. How many people are in your union? I would say if a majority thinks that way than you have a pretty weak union and would deserve any concessions you make. If FedEx had the opportunity to negotiate our wages and benefits, it would be an all out war right now. Grow some cajones.

 

[TUT]

One person's opinion does not represent the consensus of the union as a whole.

True, just saying in that one persons statement, that isn't a great way to voice your opinion.

 

[1989]

I suspect with a .05 dividend increase, ups is confident in a contract ratification. UPS execs. are probably laughing at this nonsense. The teamsters probably asked too little when initially coming to the table.

 

[MAKAVELI]

One person's opinion does not represent the consensus of the union as a whole.

True, just saying in that one persons statement, that isn't a great way to voice your opinion.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if the majority of their membership and union leaders thought that way then they would not be enjoying the wages and benefits they have today.

 

[TUT]

If there is a UPS strike a lot of packages won't move.

Fedex will create contracts to very few that are worded "they won't go back to UPS when the strike ends" otherwise Fedex won't pick their stuff up. It is a bit of cherry picking at that time, but it is never going to come close to moving everything or even wanting to move everything. Many companies will be put on hold. If long enough congress could even get involved.

The only thing I would not like to see is the tactic of... "You old timers, we'll take care of you like we have. But any new hire will be making a lot less, like less than half less." This has happened too much and then leaders get on TV and talk about the future of America and how important kids are. And they wonder why some people snap. I still have a long way to go myself in the business world and I'm more looking out for my kids future as I've found my happy place, I'd like to think well paid UPS vets are thinking the same, the nest egg I'm building will hopefully equate to an inheritance. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed.

 

[TUT]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if the majority of their membership and union leaders thought that way then they would not be enjoying the wages and benefits they have today.

That's right, good to hear. They'd be contractors, right?

 

[MrFedEx]

Look at it this way.... There are 3 entities who presently deliver small packages in the US. FedEx, UPS and USPS.
If UPS strikes the other two will try to absorb their freight. Neither is in very good shape right now and neither has easy access to enough extra lift to move that freight. USPS is a union shop so I don't see them taking on temp employees. FedEx would hire an army of temps but at least on the express side they have made the job so complex it takes months to have one adaquatly trained and up to speed. Like the last strike, they will suspend the money back guarantee. Not many front line employees are going to go all out like last time. I was pulling in 3 to 4 times the freight that was doing prior to the last brown out and working 14 hours plus every day. DOT regulations didn't seem to bother mgmt much when they were making that kind of money. Despite Herculean efforts on the part of the drivers we never came close to absorbing UPS's customers. And btw, those were the customers who were screwed the worst. We were told specifically if they weren't shipping with FedEx prior to the strike, not to take their freight if it would interfere with the freight of our regular customers.
I think for all of Fred's hatred of unions, he has done a lot to strengthen your hand. He thinks the enemy of his enemy is his friend and we fedex drivers help him out by busting our tails when UPS strikes.
IMO, when UPS strikes, that's when we should be slowing down.

If UPS strikes, it will be our last chance to gain some measure of respect from the cretins who run Express. This would be the time to finally grow a set, and just slowdown, stop the belt, or whatever else we need to do to stop the abuse. Remember, these are the same people who want to give you 6 or 7 hours per day, but now want you to work 14 because it suits their needs and will fill the corporate coffers with cash.

Screw them. If Brown goes out, we need to stage a sickout and get something back from these bastards. Make no mistake...they absolutely are bastards, and they don't give a crap about us. In the new Express paradigm, they will do just fine...we will not. They are already making contingency plans for a possible UPS strike, and anxiously awaiting all of that tasty volume. Don't help them out, because none of the profit will find it's way to you. You'll work 14 hours a day..and get NOTHING, except some cursory BZ talk on the next Frontline saying how
we all pulled together" blah, blah, effing blah. They will get bonuses, even if they completely screw it up, because they are the "stars" and we are the janitors.

As long as we do nothing, they will keep right on taking and taking and taking. Hopefully, enough people have had enough and won't cooperate this time.

Screw you, Smith.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if the majority of their membership and union leaders thought that way then they would not be enjoying the wages and benefits they have today.

That's right, good to hear. They'd be contractors, right?

If they had no union that would be a strong possibility. I for one hope that their negotiations go relatively smoothly and do not have to make many concessions if any.

 

[Brown287]

What you don't understand is that it would be damaging to both UPS and the union. That's why we won't strike. This site is full of hot air. It's just like when we complain how bad we have it to each other but we will always be the first to tell a stranger how good we have it.

 

[MrFedEx]

What you don't understand is that it would be damaging to both UPS and the union. That's why we won't strike. This site is full of hot air. It's just like when we complain how bad we have it to each other but we will always be the first to tell a stranger how good we have it.

You do have it good. I just wish that some of your fellow UPSer's could figure that out. Yes, you work your ass off, and yes, they watch you like a hawk, and yes, they always expect more.

But, and this is a huge BUT...you are compensated very well for what you do. For a job that requires nothing but a HS diploma and a willingness to work hard, you make excellent money and have very good benefits. Our job is essentially the same, and we're making far less and paying a lot for Medical.

I do think you should stick to your guns on Medical. We have watched our premiums rise to the sky, as well as our deductibles. They just take more whenever they want, because we have no mechanism to stop them

You do, and you should make sure your Medical doesn't get compromised.

 

[TUT]

What you don't understand is that it would be damaging to both UPS and the union. That's why we won't strike. This site is full of hot air. It's just like when we complain how bad we have it to each other but we will always be the first to tell a stranger how good we have it.

Right, and if both sides come with reasonable requests and agree then there will be no strike. The only thing that will create a strike is if they come to the table and tell you to strip and then say "get used to it". In that case... do you roll over? Otherwise, good deal both sides, sign and continue on, which is what I suspect.

 

[hypo hanna]

Right, and if both sides come with reasonable requests and agree then there will be no strike. The only thing that will create a strike is if they come to the table and tell you to strip and then say "get used to it". In that case... do you roll over? Otherwise, good deal both sides, sign and continue on, which is what I suspect.

Isn't this how it always works? Each party looks at their positions of strengths and weaknesses and negotiates from there?
We the fedex employees are looking at it from the position of a very interested 3rd party that doesn't have a seat at the table but could affect the outcome by how we collectivly react to a strike.

 

[overflowed]

You do have it good. I just wish that some of your fellow UPSer's could figure that out. Yes, you work your ass off, and yes, they watch you like a hawk, and yes, they always expect more.

But, and this is a huge BUT...you are compensated very well for what you do. For a job that requires nothing but a HS diploma and a willingness to work hard, you make excellent money and have very good benefits. Our job is essentially the same, and we're making far less and paying a lot for Medical.

I do think you should stick to your guns on Medical. We have watched our premiums rise to the sky, as well as our deductibles. They just take more whenever they want, because we have no mechanism to stop them

You do, and you should make sure your Medical doesn't get compromised.

+1 -you don't ever want to start down that road