Union busting: Could we be replaced?

qdg2

Well-Known Member
I posed this question to a few fellow workers. Generally....."I don't know' was the reply.

I've tried to think about how and what would happen based on the 97 strike and what has transpired since then.

Feeders would be the easiest to replace with contractors. I said easiest. Possible with the current trucker shortage? Well, I don't know.

See, if our business was to continue as it does now.......the service has to be rock solid reliable for our customers. Pickups and schedules are tightly controlled. They have to be. Would/do contractors put up with UPS mgt tactics?

Much has been made about making our system idiot proof and that anyone(now) could deliver/load(pre-load) etc.

That DIAD's and such are idiot proof......not so sure about that. Imagine a new off the street driver getting stuck on some screen or whatever out delivering. Who would help him? SPORH has to be followed closely or the system collapses.

As much as we are dismissed and disrespected by mgt........we absolutely make the whole system work....well.

Could we be replaced? You bet!

Now, what would be left(of UPS's reputation and business) and how long would that fully take?

Considering those questions.......how many millions is UPS willing to lose? Even the possibility has customers and the company having to plan their strategy.

My conclusion? It's hard for me to think(given record profit and all) that UPS wants to blow all that up.

It's also hard to imagine the Union wants to kill the golden goose......

Also hard to imagine a/c, 22.4's or anything else that the hot-head hard cores are spewing will go away or be implemented in any significant way. Or $40 per hour part-timers etc. Severely harming our company is a sharp, two edged sword.
 

Thebrownblob

Well-Known Member
I posed this question to a few fellow workers. Generally....."I don't know' was the reply.

I've tried to think about how and what would happen based on the 97 strike and what has transpired since then.

Feeders would be the easiest to replace with contractors. I said easiest. Possible with the current trucker shortage? Well, I don't know.

See, if our business was to continue as it does now.......the service has to be rock solid reliable for our customers. Pickups and schedules are tightly controlled. They have to be. Would/do contractors put up with UPS mgt tactics?

Much has been made about making our system idiot proof and that anyone(now) could deliver/load(pre-load) etc.

That DIAD's and such are idiot proof......not so sure about that. Imagine a new off the street driver getting stuck on some screen or whatever out delivering. Who would help him? SPORH has to be followed closely or the system collapses.

As much as we are dismissed and disrespected by mgt........we absolutely make the whole system work....well.

Could we be replaced? You bet!

Now, what would be left(of UPS's reputation and business) and how long would that fully take?

Considering those questions.......how many millions is UPS willing to lose? Even the possibility has customers and the company having to plan their strategy.

My conclusion? It's hard for me to think(given record profit and all) that UPS wants to blow all that up.

It's also hard to imagine the Union wants to kill the golden goose......

Also hard to imagine a/c, 22.4's or anything else that the hot-head hard cores are spewing will go away or be implemented in any significant way. Or $40 per hour part-timers etc. Severely harming our company is a sharp, two edged sword.
All the chest thumping on both sides is just that for now. When the actual negotiation start I think you’ll be surprised how willing UPS is to change some things and how an agreement can be reached that is beneficial to both sides.
 

No1 Special

Long time listener, first time caller.
I posed this question to a few fellow workers. Generally....."I don't know' was the reply.

I've tried to think about how and what would happen based on the 97 strike and what has transpired since then.

Feeders would be the easiest to replace with contractors. I said easiest. Possible with the current trucker shortage? Well, I don't know.

See, if our business was to continue as it does now.......the service has to be rock solid reliable for our customers. Pickups and schedules are tightly controlled. They have to be. Would/do contractors put up with UPS mgt tactics?

Much has been made about making our system idiot proof and that anyone(now) could deliver/load(pre-load) etc.

That DIAD's and such are idiot proof......not so sure about that. Imagine a new off the street driver getting stuck on some screen or whatever out delivering. Who would help him? SPORH has to be followed closely or the system collapses.

As much as we are dismissed and disrespected by mgt........we absolutely make the whole system work....well.

Could we be replaced? You bet!

Now, what would be left(of UPS's reputation and business) and how long would that fully take?

Considering those questions.......how many millions is UPS willing to lose? Even the possibility has customers and the company having to plan their strategy.

My conclusion? It's hard for me to think(given record profit and all) that UPS wants to blow all that up.

It's also hard to imagine the Union wants to kill the golden goose......

Also hard to imagine a/c, 22.4's or anything else that the hot-head hard cores are spewing will go away or be implemented in any significant way. Or $40 per hour part-timers etc. Severely harming our company is a sharp, two edged sword.
I don't think you can be replaced.
 

RetiredIE

Retirement is VASTLY underrated
I posed this question to a few fellow workers. Generally....."I don't know' was the reply.

I've tried to think about how and what would happen based on the 97 strike and what has transpired since then.

Feeders would be the easiest to replace with contractors. I said easiest. Possible with the current trucker shortage? Well, I don't know.

See, if our business was to continue as it does now.......the service has to be rock solid reliable for our customers. Pickups and schedules are tightly controlled. They have to be. Would/do contractors put up with UPS mgt tactics?

Much has been made about making our system idiot proof and that anyone(now) could deliver/load(pre-load) etc.

That DIAD's and such are idiot proof......not so sure about that. Imagine a new off the street driver getting stuck on some screen or whatever out delivering. Who would help him? SPORH has to be followed closely or the system collapses.

As much as we are dismissed and disrespected by mgt........we absolutely make the whole system work....well.

Could we be replaced? You bet!

Now, what would be left(of UPS's reputation and business) and how long would that fully take?

Considering those questions.......how many millions is UPS willing to lose? Even the possibility has customers and the company having to plan their strategy.

My conclusion? It's hard for me to think(given record profit and all) that UPS wants to blow all that up.

It's also hard to imagine the Union wants to kill the golden goose......

Also hard to imagine a/c, 22.4's or anything else that the hot-head hard cores are spewing will go away or be implemented in any significant way. Or $40 per hour part-timers etc. Severely harming our company is a sharp, two edged sword.

Being a competent UPS driver is HARD both physically and mentally. I think it would just about impossible to replace UPS drivers with contractors without going out of business, in which case nobody wins. I am hoping the company comes through with a very strong initial offer that quiets the whole issue down.
 

MostHelpNeeded

Well-Known Member
If we have the support of the pilots, nothing moves. They can try to replace us the best they want, but no, they would be foolish to even consider it. Simply put, we're just too big.
 

trickpony1

Well-Known Member
Being a competent UPS driver is HARD both physically and mentally. I think it would just about impossible to replace UPS drivers with contractors without going out of business, in which case nobody wins. I am hoping the company comes through with a very strong initial offer that quiets the whole issue down.
Initial offer is never the best.
It's a bait.
It's a "come on".
 

DriverNerd

Well-Known Member
Everyone at UPS is replaceable, but replacing hundreds of thousands at once with this low unemployment would be (I would think) impossible. And replacing UPS drivers with contractors is doable, but not with how full the trucks are now. Fedex can do it, but have you seen how empty their trucks are? They'd never get people to work for their wages if they went out for 12 hour days in bricked out trucks.

I can't see AC being a real issue unless it was a focus in southern supplements. 22.4's aren't needed and can easily be eliminated. They don't work inside anyway and the contracts can be rewritten to have the lowest seniority drivers moved to T-Sa schedules instead. I can see a bigger raise amount for part timers being instituted, but they're not getting $10 raises.
 

Thebrownblob

Well-Known Member
Automation is more of a threat.
You are correct and I do not think people realize how close we are to an automated society. Don’t misunderstand me as agreeing with it I think it will make life a living hell. Imagine dealing with the logic of Orion in every daily activity you do.
 

Wally

BrownCafe Innovator & King of Puns
You are correct and I do not think people realize how close we are to an automated society. Don’t misunderstand me as agreeing with it I think it will make life a living hell. Imagine dealing with the logic of Orion in every daily activity you do.
Don't we have an automated hub somewhere?
 

Thebrownblob

Well-Known Member
Don't we have an automated hub somewhere?
I’m in what’s considered an automated hub, somehow we need more employees than we did before it was not automated. Half of them stand around and watch packages it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. I saw one guy sitting on a load stand asleep.
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
I posed this question to a few fellow workers. Generally....."I don't know' was the reply.

I've tried to think about how and what would happen based on the 97 strike and what has transpired since then.

Feeders would be the easiest to replace with contractors. I said easiest. Possible with the current trucker shortage? Well, I don't know.

See, if our business was to continue as it does now.......the service has to be rock solid reliable for our customers. Pickups and schedules are tightly controlled. They have to be. Would/do contractors put up with UPS mgt tactics?

Much has been made about making our system idiot proof and that anyone(now) could deliver/load(pre-load) etc.

That DIAD's and such are idiot proof......not so sure about that. Imagine a new off the street driver getting stuck on some screen or whatever out delivering. Who would help him? SPORH has to be followed closely or the system collapses.

As much as we are dismissed and disrespected by mgt........we absolutely make the whole system work....well.

Could we be replaced? You bet!

Now, what would be left(of UPS's reputation and business) and how long would that fully take?

Considering those questions.......how many millions is UPS willing to lose? Even the possibility has customers and the company having to plan their strategy.

My conclusion? It's hard for me to think(given record profit and all) that UPS wants to blow all that up.

It's also hard to imagine the Union wants to kill the golden goose......

Also hard to imagine a/c, 22.4's or anything else that the hot-head hard cores are spewing will go away or be implemented in any significant way. Or $40 per hour part-timers etc. Severely harming our company is a sharp, two edged sword.

PVD’s are the answer
 

qdg2

Well-Known Member
Automation is more of a threat.
Well....

Define automation....

Trucks cannot be loaded without humans......the pkgs might get through the hub to a point....then human intervention is needed. Given the size and diversity in the shape of most pkgs.....simply can't be automated. Laughable were the perfectly same sized square boxes(all the same) in previous UPS commercials......just like the drone crap......unrealistic for the foreseeable future. Maybe for hundreds of years if ever......I'm talking about A.I. capable of independent autonomous thought.

Unless I'm unaware of some fantastic new process.......humans are needed to fly planes, drive pkg and feeder on and on.

Will be for YEARS to come.

Maybe for certain hub employees, auto. is a concern. For the vast majority....no worries.

Stealth(not really it's in broad daylight) contracting is our biggest threat. Of which the Union is absolutely responsible for......spare me about grievances.....

The biggest threat to hourlies at my hub? Part-time sups. Way more of those than employees. Absolutely. Often working and doing the same work as hourlies side by side.
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
Well....

Define automation....

Trucks cannot be loaded without humans......the pkgs might get through the hub to a point....then human intervention is needed. Given the size and diversity in the shape of most pkgs.....simply can't be automated. Laughable were the perfectly same sized square boxes(all the same) in previous UPS commercials......just like the drone crap......unrealistic for the foreseeable future. Maybe for hundreds of years if ever......I'm talking about A.I. capable of independent autonomous thought.

Unless I'm unaware of some fantastic new process.......humans are needed to fly planes, drive pkg and feeder on and on.

Will be for YEARS to come.

Maybe for certain hub employees, auto. is a concern. For the vast majority....no worries.

Stealth(not really it's in broad daylight) contracting is our biggest threat. Of which the Union is absolutely responsible for......spare me about grievances.....

The biggest threat to hourlies at my hub? Part-time sups. Way more of those than employees. Absolutely. Often working and doing the same work as hourlies side by side.

You bored
 

Wally

BrownCafe Innovator & King of Puns
Well....

Define automation....

Trucks cannot be loaded without humans......the pkgs might get through the hub to a point....then human intervention is needed. Given the size and diversity in the shape of most pkgs.....simply can't be automated. Laughable were the perfectly same sized square boxes(all the same) in previous UPS commercials......just like the drone crap......unrealistic for the foreseeable future. Maybe for hundreds of years if ever......I'm talking about A.I. capable of independent autonomous thought.

Unless I'm unaware of some fantastic new process.......humans are needed to fly planes, drive pkg and feeder on and on.

Will be for YEARS to come.

Maybe for certain hub employees, auto. is a concern. For the vast majority....no worries.

Stealth(not really it's in broad daylight) contracting is our biggest threat. Of which the Union is absolutely responsible for......spare me about grievances.....

The biggest threat to hourlies at my hub? Part-time sups. Way more of those than employees. Absolutely. Often working and doing the same work as hourlies side by side.
Robots unloading, scanning, sorting, loading.

 

DriverNerd

Well-Known Member
Don't we have an automated hub somewhere?
Our automated hubs still need loaders and unloaders, they just do all of the sorting by automation. No need for sorters or pickoffs, which isn't a small amount of people they're replacing. And of course they still have supervisors and people for breaking jams and hazmat responders and hazmat auditors and clerks and overgoods and....
 

qdg2

Well-Known Member
Our automated hubs still need loaders and unloaders, they just do all of the sorting by automation. No need for sorters or pickoffs, which isn't a small amount of people they're replacing. And of course they still have supervisors and people for breaking jams and hazmat responders and hazmat auditors and clerks and overgoods and....
I wouldn't call diverting pkgs along a belt...."automated hub". Sure, somewhat. See above^^^^^^

I mean the toilets are "automated" too.......faucets..hell the paper towels and soap when we have some....outbound......inbound....sorta....maybe....but ya gotta have that person to fix it. All the time.

See?
 
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