TSG in trouble??????

[NotSoBrown]

Hello everyone out here in browncafe.com. Are their any TSG technicians or management on here that is feeling a lot of pressure lately? I know in the Florida district that our work load has been cut down. Anyone know what is going on TSG? Anyone know of any major changes going on that Atlanta has planned? Any plans of out sourcing? More management changes ahead? I would have to lose those stock options.1 1 1 1

 

[nerrollus]

Hello everyone out here in browncafe.com. Are their any TSG technicians or management on here that is feeling a lot of pressure lately? I know in the Florida district that our work load has been cut down. Anyone know what is going on TSG? Anyone know of any major changes going on that Atlanta has planned? Any plans of out sourcing? More management changes ahead? I would have to lose those stock options.1 1 1 1

Pretty sure it's the same everwhere. In our district they've completely done away with all the maintenence work we used to do to keep the systems from crashing. Most of our techs will have to plan their day with only 1 log because they've made it so there's nothing for us to do. Ironically enough, then they turn around and bitch because were not doing anything... Theory is they're doing this so they can lay more of us off and get their phat bonus checks.

.... We hate "them"

 

[UPSBOI]

Yes I would say so try this post.

http://www.browncafe.com/community/threads/ups-laying-off-technical-hourly-employees.2739/

Only 758 replies you will be up late reading this one!

 

[tieguy]

Pretty sure it's the same everwhere. In our district they've completely done away with all the maintenence work we used to do to keep the systems from crashing. Most of our techs will have to plan their day with only 1 log because they've made it so there's nothing for us to do. Ironically enough, then they turn around and bitch because were not doing anything... Theory is they're doing this so they can lay more of us off and get their phat bonus checks.

.... We hate "them"

could you spend some of that time training all the computer illiterate people we have at UPS. I'm getting tired of being that guy.

 

[Deeohem]

We would LOVE the chance to train all the computer illiterate people. For at least two reasons. 1) the more computer literate the end user, the easier to talk with when there ARE problems 2) We need the work.

BUT... current corporate management for TSG have tied our hands big time. We HAVE to have Service Orders. No SO, we don't have the numbers to justify our jobs to the short-sighted who run our department. Not only that, we get hammered for doing anything without logs nowadays.

All it takes is either a self-generated SO or a call to the help desk saying "I'd like to schedule a time when my local tech can train me on TLA"

 

[GIve it up]

We would LOVE the chance to train all the computer illiterate people. For at least two reasons. 1) the more computer literate the end user, the easier to talk with when there ARE problems 2) We need the work.

BUT... current corporate management for TSG have tied our hands big time. We HAVE to have Service Orders. No SO, we don't have the numbers to justify our jobs to the short-sighted who run our department. Not only that, we get hammered for doing anything without logs nowadays.

All it takes is either a self-generated SO or a call to the help desk saying "I'd like to schedule a time when my local tech can train me on TLA"

Face it, your days are numbered. If you can't see that, then you are blind. Go find a consulting company, and maybe you can get back into UPS as a consultant when they outsource.

 

[ncrtscisme]

Yes, it is happening all over...I was let go from the North Central Region TSC last year but I've been in touch with the techs who stayed in TSG, and they are all expecting more cuts or something bad to happen. You may want to start throwing your resume around a little so that you aren't stuck without a job and still looking for one. Good luck to everybody in TSG!!

 

[nerrollus]

could you spend some of that time training all the computer illiterate people we have at UPS. I'm getting tired of being that guy.

As started before, no log no work ... We're not supposed to open logs ourselves, so we have to rely on people using the self service order website or the TSC to send us work. I've see you say before that you call TSG and if the tech is "worth his salt" you'll open a log. Tie, what you've got to understand is to TSG those logs are our life. If you need something done, pick up the phone and call in a log. I've sure any of the techs there would be glad to clock an hour or two teaching you a few things.

This isn't directed straight at you Tie, but god dang I'm so sick of these moe managers that think they're too high and mighty to call the help desk when they need something. That's COMPANY procedure and everyone should have to follow it reguardless of how big your britches are.

In our district one of our guys spends all day long fielding direct calls from the managers that could have their problems resolved by the desk, but they're too important to call the desk. He ends up wasting a good portion of his day generating self service orders for himself (even though he's not supposed to) so he gets credit for all those calls.

I'd like to know what these guys are going to do when all their techs are layed off because no one would call in a log for them.

 

[NotSoBrown]

Is any local management creating PMT projects? In our district they have everyone putting in status entries for work. I heard another possible sevrence package will be offered come 3rd qtr. It should be very interesting to see what happens.

 

[nerrollus]

Is any local management creating PMT projects? In our district they have everyone putting in status entries for work. I heard another possible sevrence package will be offered come 3rd qtr. It should be very interesting to see what happens.

They used to create PMT logs for us when something like a UDC workstation needed to be rebuilt. I think they still do it, although my supervisor hasn't been doing it for some reason. They did take away the remained of our RTL's so it's just getting harder to make those numbers.

 

[DeadEnd]

Has anyone heard about Dell getting some our equipment to support this year? I was told by person in Florida that Dell could possibly be getting some UPS hardware in the contract? The only thing I can think of is Laptops?

 

[TSG_Lets_Unionize]

They used to create PMT logs for us when something like a UDC workstation needed to be rebuilt. I think they still do it, although my supervisor hasn't been doing it for some reason. They did take away the remained of our RTL's so it's just getting harder to make those numbers.

Ok here is how corporate is planning to justify finishing us off. They took away PMT as a BSC element. This shifts local management focus off of PMT. Meanwhile we have lost RTLs, and in our district, they are debating whether it is kosher to create logs for us. The directive for now is to "just create status entries". Corporate is going to look only at the total HDFS hours per district. A quick look at the new TSG district realignments gives the impression that they combined districts in a way that makes it impossible to ever hit 80% HDFS time (just genuine desk or self-service generated S/Os) with the current staffing levels. So if a combined district now has 30 techs, the requirement to maintain current staffing levels would be 960 HDFS hours per week. Our district as running at about 720 hrs per week or 60% HDFS time. This would mean corporate would expect us to drop from 30 techs down to 22 techs. Other districts are generating strikingly similar numbers.

The rub is that even if you pretend like "tech-jacking" doesn't occur, we are still expected to perform the same daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly tasks which we previously received credit for through PMT. Not only that, but we had several projects (non-RTL) mysteriously close themselves in PMT before they were complete. Of course they still need work done on them, some need weeks worth of work, again with no way to get credit for them. Local management has now lost the ability to reopen these project, or create new ones to create the missing ones, and they don't care about them any more because PMT no longer matters to them.

Think about this, if each district is currently overstaffed by 20% on paper (using the bogus HDFS completed time numbers) what is it going to look like in a few months when the desk has enough knowledge to actually close the occasional log here or there without dispatching TSG?

 

[nerrollus]

Ok here is how corporate is planning to justify finishing us off. They took away PMT as a BSC element. This shifts local management focus off of PMT. Meanwhile we have lost RTLs, and in our district, they are debating whether it is kosher to create logs for us. The directive for now is to "just create status entries". Corporate is going to look only at the total HDFS hours per district. A quick look at the new TSG district realignments gives the impression that they combined districts in a way that makes it impossible to ever hit 80% HDFS time (just genuine desk or self-service generated S/Os) with the current staffing levels. So if a combined district now has 30 techs, the requirement to maintain current staffing levels would be 960 HDFS hours per week. Our district as running at about 720 hrs per week or 60% HDFS time. This would mean corporate would expect us to drop from 30 techs down to 22 techs. Other districts are generating strikingly similar numbers.

The rub is that even if you pretend like "tech-jacking" doesn't occur, we are still expected to perform the same daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly tasks which we previously received credit for through PMT. Not only that, but we had several projects (non-RTL) mysteriously close themselves in PMT before they were complete. Of course they still need work done on them, some need weeks worth of work, again with no way to get credit for them. Local management has now lost the ability to reopen these project, or create new ones to create the missing ones, and they don't care about them any more because PMT no longer matters to them.

Think about this, if each district is currently overstaffed by 20% on paper (using the bogus HDFS completed time numbers) what is it going to look like in a few months when the desk has enough knowledge to actually close the occasional log here or there without dispatching TSG?

I have no doubt in my mind that this is pretty close to reality. We're a dying department...

 

[ncrtscisme]

So now the question is: are they going to do a hiring freeze in other departments so that technicians are at least given the opportunity to move to another job if they so choose? Or are they going to just screw everyone out of a job like they did with the TSC desks last year? (Oh, they gave some of us a choice: "Move to that building far far away and work the graveyard shift if you want to stay for another year before that job gets cut") That to me was a sign of how the "UPS way" has died.

To all TSGers...I would highly recommend looking at other jobs soon so that when the time comes you aren't stuck with nothing. Of course, try to stay long enough to get a severance pay (IF one is offered this time).

Too bad we didn't unionize when we should have.

 

[brown_is_an_ugly_color]

Call me strange, but I have actually wanted to go into managemement for a very long time. Maybe not TSG management but IE, HR, Security, even operations. Everytime I mentioned it I was given the thing I needed a degree so I went back to school, got a degree, graduated with a 4.0 Then they said I need to pass the inbox test. I got put off forever before I could take it. Finally took it and passed it. Now they say I really need to drive for a few years before I can get a management job while at the same time they hire at least one person per month off the street to do a job I could be doing.

I just really feel like TSG is an unwanted dept with little future in it and the people in are just hanging around til the jobs are gone.

As a side note, they know I would never take a driving job. I have been around a while so I make pretty good money in TSG where as an off the street driving hire doesn't make much in this area. A center manager and I figured it up and working a 9 hour day as an off the street driver I would take about a 20k a year pay cut. Now if I stayed driving for a few years then I would no doubt make more than I'm making now. Also, if I have a wreak in the first 30 days I go from having a full time TSG job to being unemployed.

Think my days here are almost done. I feel as though I'm stuck in quicksand with no chance at all for any advancement.

 

[Outta there]

I posted this in another section, but it seems to be more appropriate here.

If there are no more layoffs, I would be shocked. I have been out for almost a year and have had a rude awakening to the real tech world. Every day TSG gets "dumber" because they are not allowed to use technology.

Think UPS TSG will look good on a resume? Yes.

Think I swapped printers and imaged machines with a CD from corporate is going to cut it in an interview? Nope.

I have been working in schools and there are middle school kids with more skills than most TSG people I know. Just think about it. Every kid coming out of school has had a PC most of their life and can do all the basics like PC setup, OS installs, web design, and MS Access and Excel stuff. Eventually the majority of full and part time sups will be fairly computer competent, at least competent enough to swap out a PC and call it in to Louisville, or do basic troubleshooting and call Vegas if need be. Once that happens in a few years, why should they even have TSG? The Sups will just swap hardware, call corporate and they will handle everything remotely with no need for a TSG tech. I don't mean to paint a grim picture, but being in the real tech world, I can easily see it happening.

 

[trickpony1]

Brown is an ugly color-

My guess is the person they hired off the street to "do the job I could be doing" had some friends high up in management.
Also, "....I really need to drive for a few years..." is crap. At my hub I have seen several degreed persons spend 4-6 weeks in pkg cars, if that long, before being promoted. Sure, I can understand the company wanting their managerial persons to know the basics of pkg cars, which is the foundation of "our" company, but for "....a few years"?
Maybe you should take the hint and forget about FT management. Be careful what you ask for.

Don't cast your pearls before swine.

 

[tastes like chicken]

Call me strange, but I have actually wanted to go into managemement for a very long time.

Yes I would call that starnge

I just really feel like TSG is an unwanted dept with little future in it and the people in are just hanging around til the jobs are gone.

Gee, you think??

A center manager and I figured it up and working a 9 hour day as an off the street driver I would take about a 20k a year pay cut.

They would never lower your pay

Think my days here are almost done. I feel as though I'm stuck in quicksand with no chance at all for any advancement.

So you are in the same boat as the rest of TSG

 

[Super Awesome]

Those who state people should look for other jobs before their current jobs disappear scare me. Wouldn't you all be looking for a better job anyway? Is not TSG a joke?

Any self-respecting network admin would get out ASAP. I also don't understand the people saying they have nothing to do. I have way too much to do, all the time. When division managers call, I simply don't answer the phone. I simply don't have the time.

I don't need the threat of my job being eliminated to motivate me to look for another job. I'm motivated enough by my disgust.

 

[ouchlessbandadges]

Those who state people should look for other jobs before their current jobs disappear scare me. Wouldn't you all be looking for a better job anyway? Is not TSG a joke?

Any self-respecting network admin would get out ASAP. I also don't understand the people saying they have nothing to do. I have way too much to do, all the time. When division managers call, I simply don't answer the phone. I simply don't have the time.

I don't need the threat of my job being eliminated to motivate me to look for another job. I'm motivated enough by my disgust.

Anybody got updates for your area. Mine is about the same when this thread was created.