Possibly becoming P/T Sup SO MANY QUESTIONS!

[pissedoffmanager]

OK
I remember your thread now.

I apologize for the White Castle crack, but you can tell pretty quick from your posts that you hate UPS with a passion and discourage anyone from joining the ranks.
At least, you worked your way up the company ladder and have that on your resume. This young worker wants to see if this is the right job for him. He can tell pretty quick there is a lot of sucessful and broken people off the UPS ladder

I don't actually hate the company, UPS in a whole is a great company, and I have said that before, it was founded on great values by a great man! UPS has just lost it's focus over the past 20 or so years, and they have kept more "eyes" on their hourly employees than they have actually kept on what management is actually doing, and yes, I blame the union somewhat for this....feel free to disagree! I am very proud to say I worked for UPS, and I hope this young worker makes the right decision, whatever it may be in his case, and as you will see from my first post to him, I answered each of his questions, and the in the end gave him my opinion of management. Not every building is bad, but where I worked the road from p/t sup to friend/t sup or driver is very long and paved with obstacles.

 

[NYSUPERVISOR]

If your in the local sort id say go for it, its much more slower and easy than the preload. All the top management is gone by the time you come in. Your basically your own boss. Im a P/t sup and i run the whole sort alone at night. I mostly sit in my office and watch movies on the internet, i only work about 3 hours a day, i have mondays off because i run the sat airs which is eaaaaasssyy its not even work, feels like a three day weekend.

The stress from the preload was crazy as a p/t sup. When i came to the local sort... forget it, its like a vaction that you get paid for. I even turned down a full time position because i like the local sort so much, im never leaving, its cake. I get paid 30k to drive to a building at 7:00, watch movies, forcast trucks, do time cards and go home, no bosses, no bitching from anyone, im cool with all my workers and i communicate to my superiors through emails and voicemails. Havent seen my bosses in like two months. Im probably the only management guy in ups with a full beard.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Where exactly did you say you worked?

 

[upsgrunt]

It shouldn't be too hard to figure out your location, if you are on the up and up. That could be good or bad-----------bad for you; good for the rest of us who EARN our money.

 

[EamonKidUpser]

It shouldn't be too hard to figure out your location, if you are on the up and up. That could be good or bad-----------bad for you; good for the rest of us who EARN our money.

So it's looking like corporate has the money and is going to hire me. I think I am going to accept the position.

Not sure if you were asking me but, I work in the Lehigh Valley area of PA.

I have heard that my next step should be getting a union withdraw card. Does anyone know how I go about doing this?

It seems like everyone is really split 50/50 on the idea of going to P/T sup... for those of you who have done it and are pro on it, what advice would you give to stay on the ups?

Thanks again - Eamon

 

[upsgrunt]

I was talking to NYSUP

 

[intent to term]

UPS is a solid company. You don't see the major cuts other companies have had to make happening here because we tend to manage ourselves well. It is not for the weak though. You have pukes in mgmt and on the hourly side, but most employees do a good job. If you don't like hard work as a driver or manager (PT or FT) take your experience and use it to be successful with another company...just remember to ship brown.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

I really appreciate all of your answers. I am somewhat cautious to move to supervision. But, I am young (24) and I have come to the realization that I would like to stay with UPS and move my way up. I know management may not be the best way to do so. But, I seriously can not afford to continue making $200 a week on working preload and being exhausted constantly. I figure moving to local sort (as a p/t sup) I will be making a little more money, be gaining more responsibility and getting a promotion (last time I check a promotion is a promotion). I know I haven't even started yet but I plan on working hard to stay with the company... I may just be rambling but I hope I am making the right decision.

If I do stay with the company do all of my years as a loader / management / other positions I work count toward my 35 years?

To 20 year old youngins with little life experience, work experience and overall knoweldge it is a promotion and to some an ego boost. Otherwise it's a lateral move at best. Just IMO here.

The whole perspective also depends on the individuals work ethic and background. You sound like the type that just doesn't want to work hard physically and be seen as blue collar. (making $200 a week and constantly exhausted) THere are definitly those types in the P/T chain. Maybe P/T sup is for you?

 

[chester farmer]

First off stress takes away energy much faster then physical work and you cant eat or sleep to get rid of it. Drinking helps but wears off to fast. If your thinking easier , you are in trouble. You will study OJS's on your own time. You will lay awake and think. The qoute "I dont know how he sleeps at night" goes both ways. I was honest and turned my fellow sups in for robbing employees. Now I lay awake wondering how things are going to pan out and how far the blackballing will go. I may have the respect of the union guys who know but am hated by other sups. You will have some very tough choices to make if you dont wear blinders. It is 20 times harder then being a simple union employee. However I will always look back and know that I did the right thing. Someday life will repay me. In my opinion a pt sup can enjoy his job if he doesent care. If you give a hoot you are in trouble. None last long. Those that have been around for a long time hate there job or can be found drinking heavily. We picked vacation lately and senoirity wise the number 3 guy had been a pt-sup for 2 years. That is very low out of 35 sups.

 

[1989]

It is 20 times harder then being a simple union employee.

union employee = simple work

 

[chester farmer]

mentally. not physically. Of course union work is physically harder. but when you punch out you are done. Not true for a sup. pt or ft.

 

[CribEN]

EamonKidUpser,

If you are for real, you should NOT take a mgmt job (friend/T or P/T) based on responses from this forum. You need to talk to current P/T sups, face to face, to get their feelings. It is nearly impossible to return to hourly once you accept mgmt. There are two distinct paths for P/T mgmt, first is the path for a career, forever. The second is a path for a temporary position while going to college and/or looking for that career job. You can make a little more money on path 2 than you currently make, but there are NO jobs like the NY poster says where you can watch DVD's, work 3 hrs a day (or night). If you are interested in Path 2, which again is a "temporary" 3-5 yr plan, P/T mgmt ain't too bad. You slack off, or you take your instruction from this forum, you're gone! No Union Rep.
If you are looking for a career, get off this forum and talk to other current, human being P/T Sups, or friend/T sups, or managers. The older they are, the more tainted toward the good side they may be. Get a cross-section of mgmt folks.
UPS Drivers are among the hardest working people on the face of the earth, they earn a good living but they WORK for it. You will almost never (seen it happen VERY rarely) get to a friend/T driver position once you go mgmt. However...UPS Drivers are not mgmt. You need to get your honest advice from current UPS mgmt.