United Way Donations - not through UPS

[Bagger Brown]

I've been in management for many years and I use to bleed brown...now I just bleed. All I hear about is how we can't replace people, do more with less, get poor raises even though high marks. It seems that a good way to save UPS money is to donate less to United Way. I have been a Leadership Giver for over 15 years but this year, I am giving only a token amount. I'll donate the same amout but not through UPS...seems a shame to miss the match but the message has to get up to the Board and Management committee that their actions have consequences.
Any thoughts?

 

[trickpony1]

I've been in management for many years and I use to bleed brown...now I just bleed. All I hear about is how we can't replace people, do more with less, get poor raises even though high marks. It seems that a good way to save UPS money is to donate less to United Way. I have been a Leadership Giver for over 15 years but this year, I am giving only a token amount. I'll donate the same amout but not through UPS...seems a shame to miss the match but the message has to get up to the Board and Management committee that their actions have consequences.
Any thoughts?

Am I seeing an insurrection by elements of management?
In a discussion article on the home page of BC (Brown Cafe) a "software engineer", apparently frustrated with his situation, walked the picket line of an informational picket and then abruptly quit when approached by the "Gestapo".
I think it's great that non-union employees are starting to express their discontent for all the world to see.
My question to Bagger Brown is:
when you are called into the office and issued inert threats such as:
".....it's your career";
".....don't you like your job? and;
".....all your fellow management are giving their quota.", are you going to succumb and stay with the status quo?

 

[Bagger Brown]

I'm a rat on the treadmill just like you! Got quite a few more than the 10 years the developer did. And if I don't work until 55, I lose 60% plus of my pension. With that said, I think you can answer your own question

 

[sendagain]

They can approach you all they want, but they can't do a thing to you if you haven't done anything wrong. They won't be nearly as bad as coming home to the wife and telling her you just quit your job. DUFUS!

 

[trickpony1]

They can approach you all they want, but they can't do a thing to you if you haven't done anything wrong.
They won't be nearly as bad as coming home to the wife and telling her you just quit your job. DUFUS!

"....but they can't do a thing to you......."
oh, really?
I just guessing you haven't been around long enough to see how management treats their own that stray from the pack. They will make life so miserable for that dissident manager that he will want to quit.

".....and telling her you just quit your job.".
Maybe the dissident manager already had a real job working with real people lined up and his last great act of defiance was the frosting on the cake.

PS- I don't know about the "DUFUS" comment

Bagger Brown- I agree with you and understand your opinion and feelings

 

[705red]

Ups started their united way campaign this week in chicago. Not the best timing from the company.... they offered us 15cents every 6 months in raises.... i dont think anyone in chicago will be donating this year.

 

[happyboy]

I hate the United way campaign I have thought about sending an email off to united way and tell them about the arm twisting Ups puts us through. I doubt they would even care, but what if they got several hundreed emails from upsers????

 

[tieguy]

I'm a rat on the treadmill just like you! Got quite a few more than the 10 years the developer did. And if I don't work until 55, I lose 60% plus of my pension. With that said, I think you can answer your own question

You're clearly unhappy at UPS. time for you to go. Don't discredit yourself
and your reputation by sticking around and acting like a disgruntled employee. Leave with a good reputation as a hard worker who cared and you will do more then hanging around pissing and moaning.

As for the united way my philosophy is simple. If you're not giving to it because you sincerely want to help your community then don't give to it. Don't short change some disadvantaged kid because you're pissed at your boss.

I give to the muscular dystrophy association thru the united way because I had the displeasure of seeing someone close to me die of ALS. I could not imagine doing any less to eradicate this disease simply because I am pissed at the boss or think the company makes bad decisions.

If your not sure go down to the muscular dystrophy association and look some kid in a wheel chair in the eye and tell him you're going to do less for him this year because you don't like how ups treats you.

What a pot of crap.

 

[haydendavid380]

Ups started their united way campaign this week in chicago. Not the best timing from the company.... they offered us 15cents every 6 months in raises.... i dont think anyone in chicago will be donating this year.

They gave us the speech Friday morning. I can think of two or three that gave.

 

[Bagger Brown]

Thanks for the feedback Tieguy. It was the purpose of my post to get honest feedback. I have been a Leadership giver for over 15 years and volunteered to be the United Way coordinator three times over the years. I am really torn over not continuing as a Leadership giver...I have given over $20,000 to United Way over the years and help with vounteer work 2 or 3 times a year.
After a night's sleep and reflection, I'll be a Leadership giver again this year (by the way, in the form of UPS Stock with a cost basis of less than $1).
By the way, I still love my job but UPS is going the wrong way to become just like every other big corporation. We use to have a special culture and "the partnership" meant something...now we're not special and there is no partnership, unless you are a level 20 or higher.

 

[Mike Hawk]

If you don't approve of UPS's tactics, donate to the charity separately from UPS's united way drive, you can send your message to UPS and donate to charity, win win right? You even get more bang for your buck, since UPS will make up what you didn't donate to meet the quota.

 

[pretzel_man]

Thanks for the feedback Tieguy. It was the purpose of my post to get honest feedback. I have been a Leadership giver for over 15 years and volunteered to be the United Way coordinator three times over the years. I am really torn over not continuing as a Leadership giver...I have given over $20,000 to United Way over the years and help with vounteer work 2 or 3 times a year.
After a night's sleep and reflection, I'll be a Leadership giver again this year (by the way, in the form of UPS Stock with a cost basis of less than $1).
By the way, I still love my job but UPS is going the wrong way to become just like every other big corporation. We use to have a special culture and "the partnership" meant something...now we're not special and there is no partnership, unless you are a level 20 or higher.

I've been with UPS for over 30 years. I've worked multiple districts, regions, and had a few corporate assignments. I think its fair to say that I've seen a lot, probably more than most.

There is no question that times at UPS are harder today than at any point in my career. I think you are putting the cause and blame in the wrong place however.

We are now the dominant player in the small package business. In the old days, we were hungry and taking packages from others. We were growing. Now the competition is stiff and taking packages from us.

We used to have a cost advantage. Read Casey's writings about our cost structure and how it enabled us to pull packages from the USPS.

We used to get by with a cookie cutter approach. We could write a manual on how to operate, and since we were growing, success meant just completing tasks.

Today, the customer has choices and in order to get business we have to provide special services that we didn't do before. This places additional burdens on front line operators.

The final straw of course is that stock has been flat (and declined as of late). In the old days, we worked our a** off, but at the end of the year, the growth in stock made it all worthwhile.

So, you get mad at the CEO, management committee and UPS. You've got to understand that WE are UPS. Read Casey's writings from the 40's and 50's. Things were tough then too.

By the way, grade 18's, 20's and above have a large part of their compensation in stock. When stock doesn't grow, they are greatly impacted. Things are not easy for them either.

As far as United Way goes, I believe in it. For me, its a great way to give back to the community. I find it an efficient organization and a large % of my donation goes to services instead of overhead. As with you, I've been a leadership giver for a very long time. I will continue to do so because it right.

Anyway, this is my take. The information can be used as one peases.

P-Man

 

[farmerbrown]

Bagger I think that Tie may be right (oh God what is the world coming to?). I have been on the receiving end of the charities that United way supports and I can STILL BE PISSED AT MY BOSS while doling out $20.00 per week. I pick the charities and UPS picks up the admin costs. This is one thing that UPS does right.

If you are beginning to feel morally compromised then again, Tie is right. My feeling is that you are probably a good boss and will do fine outside of Brown just like my last three Sups have. The money ain't worth it Bro. Good luck.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

...By the way, grade 18's, 20's and above have a large part of their compensation in stock. When stock doesn't grow, they are greatly impacted. Things are not easy for them either.P-Man

Eating domestic caviar has got to suck.

 

[pretzel_man]

Eating domestic caviar has got to suck.

I wasn't complaining, but don't make them out to be raking it all in while everyone else suffers.

At those levels, you're told what the expected compensation of options and incentive would be. Of course, those numbers are based on a stock growth of 11% per year.

They've changed the plan over time to make more of it assured, but the compensation is still based on 11% stock growth.

Again, while they have no right to complain its unfair to characterize them as the only ones in a partnership as the original post said.

P-Man

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I am fairly confident that their individual stock portfolios are not limited to UPS Preferred A.

 

[tieguy]

Thanks for the feedback Tieguy. It was the purpose of my post to get honest feedback. I have been a Leadership giver for over 15 years and volunteered to be the United Way coordinator three times over the years. I am really torn over not continuing as a Leadership giver...I have given over $20,000 to United Way over the years and help with vounteer work 2 or 3 times a year.
After a night's sleep and reflection, I'll be a Leadership giver again this year (by the way, in the form of UPS Stock with a cost basis of less than $1).
By the way, I still love my job but UPS is going the wrong way to become just like every other big corporation. We use to have a special culture and "the partnership" meant something...now we're not special and there is no partnership, unless you are a level 20 or higher.

We all have those feelings from time to time. Try to take your part of the world and make it that special culture you knew.

 

[pretzel_man]

I am fairly confident that their individual stock portfolios are not limited to UPS Preferred A.

If you're talking about their incentive, its held in A shares for 5 years. Its If they leave before then, they are worth nothing.

Again, no one needs to cry for them, but when stock stays flat (or goes down) that incentive is reduced.

P-Man

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I take it sarcasm is a lost art with the P-man.

 

[gladtobeemployeed]

Ups started their united way campaign this week in chicago. Not the best timing from the company.... they offered us 15cents every 6 months in raises.... i dont think anyone in chicago will be donating this year.

The 705 guy speaks volumes about what ailes us as a society.... me,me,me..... The highest wage earners in the industry and they take out their mis-placed frustration on those less fortunate people in our society... The class of the Teamsters will always stand out when times get tough.