Forget a Buy Out, therere Quitting!

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upsdude

Guest
In our Division, 8 supervisors (including 2 managers) have quit in the last 60 days. One manager left Monday morning after 29 years. These folks arent being let go, therere being driven out the door by an absolutely worthless division manager and district manager. These two guys are impossible to please. The division manager refers to drivers as the lower class and loves to yell at supervisors in front of other management and hourly employees. The district manager demands a minimum dispatch of 9 hours (were not bonus). We have gone from a very good injury and accident frequency to the cellar. What was a very good relationship between drivers and management has turned into daily dogfights. Ive loved my job for 16 years, but I have to admit, even my attitude is sinking fast.
 
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dannyboy

Guest
HEy dude, hang in there. This too shall pass. Been there, had to put up with that for many years. It will get better with time. Just remember, they come and go, but you work for Brown!

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rushfan

Guest
Yep, hang in there. I've worked less than you have....10 years...I've seen some pretty good supervisors quit. I've heard some managers call us "lower Class" uneducated, low iq's, etc..When in fact many of us "lower class" have college degrees. Many stay after college as we all know because of good bene's ect.

In my center, it seems all the good one's either quit, get transferred, or get fired.
 
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bigbrownone

Guest
You must be in Virginia......Sups dropping like flies around here............If the person that you are talking about that left after 29 years is the same one that I know, he was a great guy. I was sad to hear about that.
 
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upsguy89

Guest
Same thing here in Indiana, In the oast 8 months we've had a Center manager, Driver Sup, Reload Manager and a Driver all walk off the job, They just QUIT. If bells and whistles aren't going off somewhere they should be. 2 managers,1 Sup,and 1 Driver, COME ON (and they were all some of the best UPS has ever seen). I'm a 14 year employee and I've seen them come and go, but not in this short amount of time.
(Do you all notice how this subject got zero notice from all of the brown-blood's) Speak up and tell us what you think is going on.
 
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wkmac

Guest
"Speak up and tell us what you think is going on."

Not sure that's a wise thing to do on their part nor is it the proper thing either especially in a public forum. I know of several who have left within my own function and one was someone I greatly respected. Huge loss for UPS IMO. Times are tough and the demands are great and may become greater so we all may see more before it's over. It's just the nature of the beast I guess.
 
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toonertoo

Guest
For some reason they are beating people to death, and the supervisors are being worked un Godly hours. I feel sorry for the young promising people who have young children, and to better their lives and the quality of it, they worked hard and got promoted. Now they are lucky to see their children during the week. And same with the hourly, but at least we get paid by the hour. They cut routes, say volume estimates say volume is down, so instead of three 8 hr routes, they have two 12's. Then the customer is on the tail end and getting delivered late,or not at all, picked up early, or not at all. Yet we are constantly beaten into getting more leads for service we are dropping the ball on anyway. Eventually the hours take the toll, and people break down, get sick, or just sick of it and call off, or quit, which is happening more and more that I can see. I dont know the answer, but in 19 yrs I have never seen it this bad, or morale so low among employees. I thought it was just my area, I see it is everywhere.
 
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upsdude

Guest
Until 6 months ago my route ( 125 delivery stops, 20 pickups, 46 miles) would be 8.3 hours planned day everyday. All the sudden I now need 145 stops to have the same planned day. The route hasnt had a time study in nearly 7 years. I routinely get beat by almost an hour and average 150 stops a day. The thing I really dont understand is sending drivers home everyday and working others right at 11 hours a day. Under our supplement, H&W is paid if you work one day a week. Since your paying the H&W anyway, why not reduce the paid day?
 
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toonertoo

Guest
Exactly my points, my route used to need 65 stops with 30 pickups for 8 hrs, routinely now I get over 90 and then a few times a week, i get in and have 40 stops off another car left to be delivered, and most of it is business and they are closed. If these customers would complain and get their shipping back for guaranteed ground, UPS would see that this is not saving money, but most customers put up with it or switch to another carrier. But in the meantime, supervision wants to know why this stuff is delivered after 5, I just say do the math. Picked up the stops at 630 pm, Duh. doesnt seem to be the way to treat customers when we say we want the volume. I have never understood the mentality of sending people home, who usually are making less, and keeping others out and paying them 30+ an hour in OT. I know I expect 50 + hrs at peak, but in the summer you should be able to get home before dark.......And like all of you, we know there are days and weeks where things just happen, people off for funerals, sickness and other things, but for seasons at a time?

The other thing that gets me is when a customer does call to complain, some office person tells them, "we have to cut routes, combine routes, and the volume is down, and this is just the nature of our business blah, blah blah" Why does UPS think a customer gives a hoot about the nature of UPS, or why they would understand UPS numbers theory, or want to, when it is hurting the business the customer is trying to run? And we are the service provider, correct? After all they ARE paying us to provide the service. And in my opinion we are not providing service when they have to put up with a bedraggled driver, and late deliveries and service failures.
 
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oldupsman

Guest
I've been told by my management friends here up north that people who are leaving in Va. are doing so because someone got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. And their was more than 1 hand in the jar and quite a few people knew about it. Right now UPS is interviewing young sups in our district for positions in Va. I guess they want to bring in people from the outside who had no knowledge of what was going on.
And kid I'm sorry to hear about your hours. Our center is averging between an 8.8 and 9.1 dispatch a day. I'm averaging a 44 to 45 hour week. It's been a nice summer so far.
And upsdude I'm sorry you work in a enviroment like the one you describe. Our division manager is quiet well spoken man who has respect for his managers and drivers. He would never berate or discipline in public. Nor would my manager. Your place sounds like my "old" UPS.
 
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packageman65

Guest
Hey....here in Arkansas the supt's are falling like flies.We now have a new supt that has never drove in his life.He came straight out of part time preload.We are fortunate to have some really good drivers that help the poor guy out.We have lost 5 supt's since Jan.
 
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clarkie

Guest
I'm in VA and I haven't heard that any of our recent departures were for any mis-dealings. We've had a few in the past, but not the recent rash...
As for the hours...the contract allows a grievance procedure for having worked over 9.75 hours for any 3 days in a 5 day period. It doesn't fix the problem, but it does usually lighten me up for a couple of days...
 
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oakland

Guest
In our building it seems to be a mirror image of what everyone is saying here. They want more stops per hour, don't get hurt or have a "crash", scan everything in your car "duh". All commercial done before they close, sometimes not happening. Integrity is job one, then comes service. SPARKS reports laying around the office with red highlights on them. I have to be short with my customers out of fear for my job. On bad prelod days management is sent out to deliver packages left in building (no big deal), but in order to prevent showing an under 8 car on road, they don't use a DIAD, they just leave the package with the customer then ODS the driver to come by and scan the delivery or they have them sign a delivery notice and have someone put it in their board in the pm. Didn't they get the memo? Anyways we get a raise in a month!
 
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upsdude

Guest
"On bad prelod days management is sent out to deliver packages left in building (no big deal),"

Bad Pre-Load days are every day in my center. In the past, Pre-Load would start at 4:00 to 4:10 AM most everyday and have us ready to go at start time. Now they start from 4:50 to 5:05, send the loaders home at 8:35 and let the drivers finish. We usually leave the building at least 30 to 45 minutes past start time everyday. Most of the drivers have late air everyday (10:30 commit ). The Pre-Load sup must look really good on paper (hours). I guess the district manager is more concerned about missed scans, signing the call tag log, and generating sales leads than he is with late air and 45 minutes of am time. Im to embarrassed to turn in a sales lead, the last customer had to wait 3 weeks for a follow-up. FedEx doesnt have to take our business, were handing it over our selves.
 
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proups

Guest
Is there anything positive going on anywhere?

I'm working a lot of hours too. The volume is down. We are cutting routes. We are losing volume to FedEx (rates), but we are getting some back too (service).

If management is quitting, or being fired, then they made the choice. Nobody could drive me away from the company from which I plan to retire.

(Message edited by proups on June 29, 2003)
 
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bigbrownone

Guest
Poster by oldupsman (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 209.92.227.89

"I've been told by my management friends here up north that people who are leaving in Va. are doing so because someone got caught with their hand in the cookie jar."

This is not true.....at least not in this part of VA. Every sup that has quit was because they were intimidated by upper management and they couldn't hack it, or were just over it.
 
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bigbrownone

Guest
Our preload is also doing terrible. They just changed their start time and they are still getting us out of the building at 9:15. last year we were getting out of the building at 8:30...right at start time.

This last thursday I had a part time sup bring me out a ground QVC bag at 5pm. He told me that they are working him like that everyday. He also is trying to become a full time sup. He looked tired.

As far as being over-dispatched,,,,it is also happening in our center. They cut out too many routes everyday and then appologize for it the next day, but do it again!!
 
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toonertoo

Guest
I wish there was more Positive things going on, but there are not. I love what I do, when I can give people decent service, have time for a lunch or break, and get home at a decent hour. I used to have fun running my route, and other routes (dont tell anyone). And the prestige you get when you tell someone who you work for is also rewarding. I feel this thread is here to help us all through this difficult time, and if any bright management out there read this to see it is everywhere. And maybe here we can find the way to go to improve things and again enjoy what we spend a 1/3 + of our lives doing.
Preload running LIB's, management running packages is fine in an emergency, not every day. I was on the preload for 8 yrs and it was rare, not a daily occurence. When it is happening everyday, someone is either not doing their job, or having their hours cut so they cant do their job. How do they hold a preloader accountable for a stop count when they leave 1/2 hr before the trucks are loaded out? How does a driver deliver the same amount of air stops when leaving the building 1/2 hr later? They dont. Many employees are fearful of getting fired for not being able to perform the impossible being asked of us at this time. This isnt fair, or good for anyones stress level. With all the stress of our jobs on a good day, we dont need this added stress. Do it by the book, put it in their lap. Dont cheat to try to make commitments. They will fire you for that 4 sure.
 
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upsdude

Guest
toonertoo.............

I agree. It hasnt been that long ago that I loved going in to work. I looked forward to picking at some of my customers and the stuff they would throw back at me. Drivers would be laughing and joking around in the mornings. The delivery sups actually had time to swap stories with drivers about work or the weekend fishing trip. Now days everyone is flat worn out. UPS is quickly turning into the monster that a few have always accused them of being. I dont have time to answer customers questions. I dont have time to go back for an extra pickup piece. I dont have time to deliver the customers air and ground at the same time. One stop told me that we are just like FedEx, 2 deliveries a day. One for air one for ground. The difference being at least with FedEx the customer will see two different drivers, with us its the same guy, me.

Im in this for the long haul, no way Im giving up 16 years. I will do my best every day to serve folks as best I can. Ill leave my quickly developing negative attitude in the center. The customers will continue to see a smile. Someone in Atlanta needs to get their rear end from behind the computer and check out the real world. I challenge Mr. Eskew to send me a private message and offer to spend a day in my world. He better bring a towel and plenty of water.
 
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