Package Handler making more than Driver?

[anonymous4]

Curious question. I've been told at my hub the wait for a driver position is 7-10 years. First off, how accurate is that? Usually dead-on or less time? The main inquiry: I was just hired, and told the starting wage was $8.50. If you take the position test you are bumped up to $9.50 right off if you pass. 90 days later, you get the dollar raise putting you at $10.50. From what I was told, we are in year 3 out of 5 of the union contract stating a yearly raise of $1.00. Assuming this continues, within 5 years you would be making $15.50, correct? If this stays the same ($1.00 annually), and it took 10 years to get a driver position, would you really be making $20.50 as a package handler? If so, would that go down as a first year driver? I am assuming there is some type of cap on it, but just a hypothetical.

 

[brett636]

To help clarify, no you would not be making more than a driver. A top rate package car driver makes somewhere close to $30/hr. Also the raises are not $1.00 a year and will not be for you since you are a new hire. Your raises will be .50 yr. for the first 3 years then .75 for the fourth, but by then you may fall into whatever category the new contract puts you in. Even those of us not in the new hire progession wage schedule get $1.00 a yr. Only the year five raise gets close and that is .95. As far as the wait time to go driving you were probably told what is true for your area. Every area is different with some waiting longer, and some shorter. Here the wait is currently 8-10 years, but they are telling new hires the wait is much shorter because we have a lot of drivers on the very edge of retiring, and that is mostly true. Seniority is everything and you must wait your turn.

 

[smokey711]

Welcome to UPS.

After ten years, I was in the $18-19 range. Your raises will be different (different contracts and all), but that may give you a ballpark range... If you were to go driving and you already make more than the starting rate for driver (currently around $16) then you continue to make your current wage until the driver progression would pay you more than that. So, to put it simply, your wage would not go down as a first-year driver.

Ask around your hub with questions. Get to know the "old-timers," union stewards, and your local union's business agents. You should find these people to be a great resource.

 

[UPSGUY72]

If you guys are going to give out information atleast try to make it believable. What contract do you guys fall under??? You need to Read Article 22 Section 5 of the national agreement. The highest paid Union employees are FT emloyees weather it be Drivers or Preloader as in my building. After the first couple of years for PT you get the same rasie that everyone else gets PT or FT.

Onwardwego in cases where PT making more that starting driver pay they keep the higher rate untill the driver rate they would get becomes higher. Without doing any math it would be about 10 yr at the current starting pay. However in ten years the starting driver pay could go up.

 

[theoneone]

where are you guys getting 1.00 raises from? i guess it is different where everyone works. we are getting split raises. 30 something cents then six months later another 30 something cents.

 

[Loufan]

When I first started i made a dollar raise after 90 days then a dollar raise my first year and now I get a 33 cent raise twice a year. There is no way in hell you will make 15 bucks after 5 years unless they change the contract or something. I will make something like 12.65 or 12.99 after 5 years. Which is actually pretty damn sad I'll only be making 3 dollars more than someone who has been here for 90 days.

 

[JonFrum]

New Hire part-timers fall under Article 22, Section 5 (b) of the National Master Agreement available here:
http://www.teamster.org/sites/teamsters.prometheuslabor.com/files/03%2006%2009%20Final%20UPS%20Master%20Agreemnt%202008-2013.pdf

Throughout your fifth year, you will make $12.87 per hour, assuming you are on the Preloader/Sorter scale and entitled to the "extra dollar" per hour.

A new Contract may override this progression in August of 2013, but no one can say what will be in that new Contract.

Normally, after you finish your 5-year progression, you get the same general wage increases every year as most others get. Currently 75 cents.

Part of your regional Supplement may be here:
http://tdu.org/node/1617