letter carrier trying to jOin ups

eddiegOnepOstal

New Member
hey guys... i've been in the postal service for almost two years.. i make 19.61 an hour and the work is not bad at all.. but benefits suck, retirement sucks too.. 30 years in service ,years 55 years old... aNd to reach top pay is over ten years..... am in nyc
so my question is , would it be a wise choice to go brown... thanks guys
 

LKLND3380

Well-Known Member
hey guys... i've been in the postal service for almost two years.. i make 19.61 an hour and the work is not bad at all.. but benefits suck, retirement sucks too.. 30 years in service ,years 55 years old... aNd to reach top pay is over ten years..... am in nyc
so my question is , would it be a wise choice to go brown... thanks guys

IF you go to UPS with all of your postal training... Because it is union and things are done by senority... There is a 75% chance you will start out on preload working part time at $8.50 to $9.50 an hour... Then after 3 to 5 years MAYBE become a cover driver...
 

BLACKBOX

Life is a Highway...
Don't quit. Take the money you make and start your own retirement plan. You're 55 yrs old, you might want to think twice about starting from the bottom in another company.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
IF you go to UPS with all of your postal training... Because it is union and things are done by senority... There is a 75% chance you will start out on preload working part time at $8.50 to $9.50 an hour... Then after 3 to 5 years MAYBE become a cover driver...


This is what stinks about UPS. You could be Stephen Hawking and they are going to pay 8.50 to start. They are obligated to do so contractualy.

Regardless of the pay 55 is a tough age to try and break into UPS:anxious:.

If you are looking for a job strictly to obtain benefits there might be something for you at a low wage. I beleive high value clerks and revenue audit personal are non-union and may offer the same health care benefits as an union employee.

I could be wrong but its worth checking in to.
 
Either I am misunderstanding Fnix or y'all are. I didn't get that he is already 55 yo, but that is the minimum retirement age with 30 years on the job.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I also don't think that the mail carrier is 55 yrs old--I think that he is stating that he has to have 30 yrs or has to be 55 yrs old before he can retire. My advice would be to stay where you are and to do all that you can to ensure that your retirement is set, which means looking in to long-term health care insurance, 401k, Roth or traditional IRA, or any other retirement vehicle. To leave the USPS and to begin a career with UPS at this point would mean a potential drastic cut in pay (initially) and change in the kind of work that you would be performing until such time that your seniority may allow you to become a driver, which, depending upon your location, could take longer than you may be thinking. It took me 11 months as a casual driver (hired off the street in 1989) to become a full-time seniority driver--it is now taking, on average, 4-5 yrs. Stay where you are, invest in your retirement and, if your present income is still not enough to meet your needs, look in to a home business or some other source of supplemental income.
 

tieguy

Banned
you really need to find some local upsers at whatever building you would apply at. Find out how long you would have to wait to go full time in that building. That would tell you what you really need to know.
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
Either I am misunderstanding Fnix or y'all are. I didn't get that he is already 55 yo, but that is the minimum retirement age with 30 years on the job.

Yeah, I agree, he needs to be more specific, how old is he now?? Is he part-time or full-time?? If he is young and is making that much after 2 years he is better off staying with the post office. I don't think the benefits and retirement are that bad in the postal business, please enlighten us on your so called sucky benefits and sucky retirement benefits.
 

FromBluetoBrown

Well-Known Member
My mom is a rural letter carrier and her medical benefits are nowhere near as good as ours. And they are still under going negotiations for a new contract with their union so she hasnt had a raise or a COLA increase in 3 years and from what she says the negotiations won't be settled anytime soon.
 

si_dan

Member
It would probably take you at least 5 years of working part time to land a
full time driving gig in metro NY. It might be worth it to go over the bridge to the
Secaucus hub where the progression is much faster. I'd think twice about it.
My mail guy lives the life of Riley. Thin letters and tiny parcels, hanging out at the donut shop with the neighborhood characters. Home by four o'clock. Wanna trade?
 

maybrown

is not a woman
I don't know why you like to quit the job where my tax dollar supports your business.
I want a second Post Office. I want you to pay license fees to operate your Mail vehicles like us!
 
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