New here and need to vent

[KathiJo59]

Hello all! My name is Kathi and I am new to this board. My husband is a full-time driver for the last almost 22 years. I have a complaint and am wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue.

Why is is that UPS drivers, who work their butts off every single day of the year no matter the weather, or obstacles they face, can not receive their safety awards with a small ceremony to recognize a job well done. My husband had to take his 20 year safe driving award off the shelf himself because the supervisors say they don't have the time in the morning to recognize each and every person. Are you kidding me? These guys should be congratulated on a job well done, considering they spend 12 hours a day driving a large brown truck in snow, ice, rain, not to consider the traffic especially here in Philadelphia where navigating the streets is like being in the Indy 500. Come on UPS, maybe if you treated your employees a little better they wouldn't go home at the end of the day feeling disgusted and defeated.

 

[raceanoncr]

Hello all! My name is Kathi and I am new to this board. My husband is a full-time driver for the last almost 22 years. I have a complaint and am wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue.

Why is is that UPS drivers, who work their butts off every single day of the year no matter the weather, or obstacles they face, can not receive their safety awards with a small ceremony to recognize a job well done. My husband had to take his 20 year safe driving award off the shelf himself because the supervisors say they don't have the time in the morning to recognize each and every person. Are you kidding me? These guys should be congratulated on a job well done, considering they spend 12 hours a day driving a large brown truck in snow, ice, rain, not to consider the traffic especially here in Philadelphia where navigating the streets is like being in the Indy 500. Come on UPS, maybe if you treated your employees a little better they wouldn't go home at the end of the day feeling disgusted and defeated.

Well, Kathi, welcome to the board. If you stay here long enough, you'll probably find that you and your husband are not alone in your frustrations.

Locally, we have gone round and round about this for yrs. Nothing's changed, even with negative results on the illustrious ERI survey.

At my 20-yr driving anni, the FDR manager ran after me in the parking lot to hand it to me. Oh, yeah, he did shake my hand. Nothing was ever mentioned about the 20-yr SERVICE.

25-yrs? About the same thing. I thot I might have accomplished something in being employed for 25 and no crashes in 25. Evidently not so!

Almost every yr before or inbetween has been what your husband experienced...grab it yerself and run.

Ask him about the PCMs that are either read to or posted where it tells the managers and supes to personally greet the employees each day and tell them thanks for having a safe day. HAH! We can't even get our manager to acknowledge we even EXIST when walking thru the break room.

A lot of our drivers are so disgusted with this system that they are refusing these "awards". Well, the way I feel about this is, that I don't make enough as it is, so anything else I can get is deserved. Exam: For 25-yr something (don't remember if it was driving or service) I got 27-in TV. Well, big deal, say some. I, or you, probably don't need another TV but I took it anyway. SOMEBODY had to pay for this! Not me! Yellow Freight delivered it to my door! You know what inside freight delivery cost today? I didn't pay!

Good luck, Kathi, but my advice to your husband is to take the loot and run!

 

[retired2000]

that is not just going on where your husband works. here upstate ny it has been going on for years. not only do we not get our safe driving awards presented to us, when it comes time to retiree they just about boot you out the door. no hand shake or cake even. your lucky if you get your 30 year award. it use to be that on your last day you would come in and say good bye and if you were in deliveries they would let you take an empty car out on your route to say good bye to your customers. not anymore they send you out with your regular run and hope you get in at a decent hour. boy how things have changed

 

[KathiJo59]

Well, thanks guys for letting me know we're not alone. My husband did not worry about taking the box the award was in, although he does collect the pins, which I don't blame him. We ordered our prize on-line over a month ago and have been using it that long. As for his last day, he is definitely leaving after his 25 is done. I don't think at this point he will care if they do anything at all for him, he knows his family will. But at almost 22 years, he has too short of a time left to leave.

I just can't believe a company so large can be so uncaring. I work for a small(wealthy) church, and I have to say it is one of the nicest, most caring jobs I've ever had. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for UPS.

 

[Harry Manback]

Congratulations to your husband on his accolade. 22 years of safe driving is indeed deserving of recognition, unfortunately management has more important things going on such as, hiding in the center manager's office, conference calls, cutting desperately needed runs and the like. It's the same way here, I had to rummage mine out from underneath a mountain of unclaimed uniform boxes. Seems like the only time a driver can wrestle any attention is when he/she is showing up on paperwork that makes management look bad.

 

[Sammie]

that is not just going on where your husband works. here upstate ny it has been going on for years. not only do we not get our safe driving awards presented to us, when it comes time to retiree they just about boot you out the door. no hand shake or cake even. your lucky if you get your 30 year award. it use to be that on your last day you would come in and say good bye and if you were in deliveries they would let you take an empty car out on your route to say good bye to your customers. not anymore they send you out with your regular run and hope you get in at a decent hour. boy how things have changed

On one's last day at UPS I find this latest touch kinda special.

Two people from security escort the person out of the complex as if they're on death row.

(Quite a change from the little get togethers people used to receive in days of old.)

What a great way to thank people for their many years of loyal service.....

 

[swing_drv]

That does'nt happen at our center.

 

[wakyzachy]

Hey congrats. I know the feeling. The sups are sitting on their ass and talking all day on the phone is hard work. I wish I could shove a stick up their ass and say thats going to be hard getting it out. Now there is some work for you. By the way which hub does he work at, PHL, Oragan Ave., or Lawnside. Im over in Lawnside, NJ just 15 min away. Nice to meet somebody in here form the area.

 

[woodenfoot]

i worked for ups for 33 years retired now when the place was small when i started in 73 only 13 road drivers when a dr award came up it was abig deal the only time now you may get a pat on the but is 25 years circle of honer dinner but even that has come to be a bosses party i had 32 yrs safe driving worst yet is when i pulled the plug they said cake and drink would be brought in 2 times i walked into the building and no one ordered it the third time i was called at home and asker or told to come in for cake 1 month after i left i said sure thing love you boss i never went in 2 months later a box came with a going away plack the box went right in to my recikle garbage the pay check is all that has to come and enjoy it it does not get any better than that you are just a number in the system from woodenfoot

 

[Channahon]

On one's last day at UPS I find this latest touch kinda special.

Two people from security escort the person out of the complex as if they're on death row.

What part of the country did you work in?

I've never witnessed this in my 27 years at UPS and when I left in January 2006 - Security did not walk me out the door.

 

[area43]

We'll your husband gets great pay and benefits every week he works. Thats how mgt thinks he s rewarded. If your ctr has a 100 drivers and it takes 2 min to present his award thats 2 min of over time per driver Plus the cost of the award.

 

[Harry Manback]

We'll your husband gets great pay and benefits every week he works. Thats how mgt thinks he s rewarded. If your ctr has a 100 drivers and it takes 2 min to present his award thats 2 min of over time per driver Plus the cost of the award.

Gee, I never thought of it that way... We're (hourly employees) are just a financial burden for UPS. We aren't the legs they stand on. We don't make them any money. $46 Billion just falls out of the sky, I guess. Are you a dispatcher? If you aren't, you've missed you're true calling. Crunching numbers like that is a true talent.

 

[ImpactedTSG]

My grandfather once told me that a regular paycheck is a reward in itself and be happy to be working and putting food on the table.

 

[SmithBarney]

My last day I spent 14hrs on road, with a 50% over dispatch..(more like 100% over dispatch, but I was able to bring it
down slightly, 110stops on a "recommended" 65 stop route @ 300miles)
oh yea also had to wait for a tow truck in the freezing cold.. I got in at 11:30PM
no fan fare, no cake.. but then again, I wasn't retiring either.. just moving on.

All of our retirees were given going away parties, cake, fruit, whatever, all of our
safe drivers get recognition during PCM. And of course we all get reemed out a
new one, if ONE person messes up. I do agree that the company management
lacks the interpersonal skills to boost morale(remember happy employees are productive employees..)

Security escort eh? haha, not here, fully open parking lot, generally one garage(overhead)
door open all day, doors unlocked, package cars with keys left in lot(sometimes even with
packages in them at night until reload is done) Pitch black parking lot = ample opportunity
for would be thiefs to take a chance in the back of a package car(open doors, with packages in them)

 

[swampy1]

I always considered that I was looking for a job when I came to UPS and I might be looking for one when I leave. The only time of the month I owe UPs anything is after the 26th to the 1st. They have already paid me for that. My ex used to complain about my job too, all the while spending it at Sax and the other mall stores. So here is the bottom line for me. I treat my people well. UPS doesn't have a department of social services, I am that person. I make sure my people are recognized for safety, length of service, service performance. I am at the top of my game, with no future of promotion, pay increases are less than hourly get but I like what I do, do it well, and make sure my employees have a positive outlook on there jobs too. I have had to career council some former employees. It was their choice, and they realized it at the end. So enjoy your rewards, the pay, and the pitiful pension while complaining all the way to the bank!

 

[Leftinbuilding]

Guess I might be the exception here. For my 30th anniversary they brought in raviolis, spagetti etc for everyone in my work area. Very nice. Also gave me a few odds and ends from the UPS catalog.

 

[Griff]

The real joke is that management spends every waking moment pushing safety and preaching no accidents to us. This sort of stuff is common place in Metro Philly and probably nationwide. It's clear to everyone on the inside that the entire safety program at UPS is a massive facade.

 

[over9five]

Here the management team does a great job presenting safe driving awards. It's announced in the PCM, and everyone applauds.

"Two people from security escort the person out of the complex as if they're on death row."

Christ, I hope that's not true.

 

[disneyworld]

On one's last day at UPS I find this latest touch kinda special.

Two people from security escort the person out of the complex as if they're on death row.

(Quite a change from the little get togethers people used to receive in days of old.)

What a great way to thank people for their many years of loyal service.....

I'm going to take my truck out for a nice leisurely drive on my last day and not a single pkg will get delivered.

 

[grami72]

Sammy: I'd really like to know what that building security escorted a retiree out of. If it happened, may be a little more to the story than that!