WalMart Ends PT Benefits, Fred Salivates

[MrFedEx]

WalMart announced today that they are ending medical benefits for PT employees because they "can't afford it". This has got to have Fred thinking along the same lines because, after all, we are the WalMart of the delivery industry. Plus, Fred is probably jealous that WalMart is known as the most anti-union company in America, when he wants that title for himself.

WalMart also jacked-up rates for FT employees. Any of this ring a bell? Since Fred is doing his best to make Express a part-time company, watch for an increasing push toward convincing us that we don't deserve our benefits and that FedEx "can't afford it" either. This is the kind of stuff that makes Tea Partiers have an orgasm, so all of Fred's political talent will soon be onboard with the idea.

We don't deserve you, Fred.

 

[SmithBarney]

Fred will lose lots of employees... many work only for the "discounted" benefits.. perhaps that is the goal.

 

[TUT]

I did not know Fedex was the Walmart of the delivery business. I look at Walmart as #1 in their field. Isn't Fedex #2? Oh I get it you just want to make the correlation because it's another negative slant towards Fedex, which that is all you seem to have. Ok.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

I did not know Fedex was the Walmart of the delivery business. I look at Walmart as #1 in their field. Isn't Fedex #2? Oh I get it you just want to make the correlation because it's another negative slant towards Fedex, which that is all you seem to have. Ok.

Fed-Ex is #1 in their field in so far as, "generally" NON-UNION delivery companies.

 

[vantexan]

I did not know Fedex was the Walmart of the delivery business. I look at Walmart as #1 in their field. Isn't Fedex #2? Oh I get it you just want to make the correlation because it's another negative slant towards Fedex, which that is all you seem to have. Ok.

FedEx is #1 in overnight delivery, #2 overall.

 

[klein]

I wouldn't even worry too much about the current US healthcare system. Rates went up by 9% this year, much inline with expectations.
So, at this rate, it will take 8 years for the current premiums to double.
IT's unsustainable, I can't see UPS or other companies forking out $3500-$4000 per month, per employee every month.

Walmart happens to be the first to leave, and all others will follow in this decade, yet.

 

[Catatonic]

I wouldn't even worry too much about the current US healthcare system. Rates went up by 9% this year, much inline with expectations.
So, at this rate, it will take 8 years for the current premiums to double.
IT's unsustainable, I can't see UPS or other companies forking out $3500-$4000 per month, per employee every month.

Walmart happens to be the first to leave, and all others will follow in this decade, yet.

Actually, most companies pass along the extra cost to the employees (non-union) and the Union employees insurance does not cover as much (in Georgia).
UPS pays a fixed amount defined in the contract to the Teamsters who then buys the best health plan for Teamsters they can.
I get the run around with health providers when I say I work for UPS until I explain I am not in the Union and my insurance will pay for it.
Either this gap of coverage will increase or the dividing of the compensation in the contract will have to compensate.

 

[MrFedEx]

I did not know Fedex was the Walmart of the delivery business. I look at Walmart as #1 in their field. Isn't Fedex #2? Oh I get it you just want to make the correlation because it's another negative slant towards Fedex, which that is all you seem to have. Ok.

Do you work for FedEx? I'm guessing not. If there were some positives about FedEx, I'd elaborate on them, but there aren't many. The one I can think of quickly is that we can transfer, unlike UPS. There. Happy? Now, go away.

 

[TUT]

Do you work for FedEx? I'm guessing not. If there were some positives about FedEx, I'd elaborate on them, but there aren't many. The one I can think of quickly is that we can transfer, unlike UPS. There. Happy? Now, go away.

No, industry observer.

Now go away? As if you own all opinion, lol. Cute.

All I see from you is venom on anything Fedex here. That is undeniable. And what is strange is this is a UPS site, did you take a wrong turn somewhere? Perhaps it's a indication of your overall views, left field.

Walmart does this bad thing and you take it straight to Fedex. Do you do that with every bad thing you see? "My drink spilled in my car, ya know Fedex trucks have stiff suspension on purpose to get back at the driver!"

As to rate hikes in medical, as we all go along, struggling, the medical field is still happily raising their prices like the world around them isn't happening. Face it, it cannot be fixed because after 25 years someone finally comes up with a plan (doesn't matter what plan) the other political side and medical lobbyists will sell fear to the public at historical levels to make us hate it. The medical industry doesn't want change. So we will get nervous about change, cancel that and stay with the status quo which we've known for decades is out of control medical costs. We were just mind-friend'd. So Walmart's premiums have gone up, most likely Fedex's to, most likely mosts will go up. Medical costs are insane. We lost millions of jobs to China over our medical costs alone. But fear wins again, fear on health is king.

I'm with you in many ways overall, overall meaning everything. Your focus is so much just Fedex, it's the way the corporate world is turning right now. Fedex won't take action because of Walmart, Fedex will take action based on corporate trends.

 

[MrFedEx]

No, industry observer.

Now go away? As if you own all opinion, lol. Cute.

All I see from you is venom on anything Fedex here. That is undeniable. And what is strange is this is a UPS site, did you take a wrong turn somewhere? Perhaps it's a indication of your overall views, left field.

Walmart does this bad thing and you take it straight to Fedex. Do you do that with every bad thing you see? "My drink spilled in my car, ya know Fedex trucks have stiff suspension on purpose to get back at the driver!"

As to rate hikes in medical, as we all go along, struggling, the medical field is still happily raising their prices like the world around them isn't happening. Face it, it cannot be fixed because after 25 years someone finally comes up with a plan (doesn't matter what plan) the other political side and medical lobbyists will sell fear to the public at historical levels to make us hate it. The medical industry doesn't want change. So we will get nervous about change, cancel that and stay with the status quo which we've known for decades is out of control medical costs. We were just mind-friend'd. So Walmart's premiums have gone up, most likely Fedex's to, most likely mosts will go up. Medical costs are insane. We lost millions of jobs to China over our medical costs alone. But fear wins again, fear on health is king.

I'm with you in many ways overall, overall meaning everything. Your focus is so much just Fedex, it's the way the corporate world is turning right now. Fedex won't take action because of Walmart, Fedex will take action based on corporate trends.

 

[DorkHead]

I did not know Fedex was the Walmart of the delivery business. I look at Walmart as #1 in their field. Isn't Fedex #2? Oh I get it you just want to make the correlation because it's another negative slant towards Fedex, which that is all you seem to have. Ok.

So TUT, do you personally, think that what Walmart is doing to their part timers is a good thing?

 

[TUT]

So TUT, do you personally, think that what Walmart is doing to their part timers is a good thing?

No. Not on point either.

 

[DorkHead]

Just wondering how you, personally, felt about Walmart making this decision.

 

[TUT]

Just wondering how you, personally, felt about Walmart making this decision.

That said it's not all them as well. Medical costs are out of control. It's been that way since the 80's. There was a reason we need medical reform, someone tries it and fear is sold.

 

[vantexan]

So TUT, do you personally, think that what Walmart is doing to their part timers is a good thing?

The whole point of Obamacare is to get to a single payer system, namely the gov't. How do they do that? Require insurance companies to cover anyone, including those with pre-existing conditions. That gets expensive and soon the insurance companies have to raise their rates to cover paying for cancer patients, etc. That cost is passed on to you. Sooner or later everyone bails because they can't afford their insurance. And if they aren't paying premiums the insurance companies go under. Who's left standing? The gov't. Now we get into a bureaucratic mess of telling doctors what they can charge, which leads to doctors bailing, and less students willing to go into medicine. Less doctors means rationed care and long lines. Happens everywhere this has been tried but Obama and Co. are the latest to think they can get it right and they've already thrown out long term care for seniors coverage. Turns out under their plan it's too expensive.

In 2007 the annual deficit, the amount paid out by our gov't more than the amount paid in, was $161 Billion Dollars. That was bad enough, but now it stands at $1.3 TRILLION DOLLARS, 8 times more. Call the Republicans in the House what you want, but they are the only people standing in the way of this idiocy. Left to their own devices these far left radicals would make Greece look like a lark. It's not hysteria, it's not a lie, it's a cold hard fact. And there are responsible Democrats who are so because they want to help the little guy. These extremists in the Obama administration are a different breed of Democrat. They want to tear it down and rebuild this nation into their vision of Utopia. It doesn't work, and all the wishful thinking won't make it work. We need to bet back to what does, and if Fred S, Warren Buffett, the Walton family et al get super wealthy in the bargain so be it. But lest you think I'm a boot licker, as long as we have most of the wealth concentrated into so few hands people will be radicalized and it can get ugly. Pay us fairly you greedy bastards, because 100's of millions of people died brutally in the last century due to the harshness of the systems that grew out of desperation. And it looks like the cycle has started again. God bless America and may people realize before too late what's at stake.

 

[MrFedEx]

Here's another something that could be coming down the pike. Some companies offer an additional 2 to 3 dollars per hour in lieu of medical benefits. Maybe a good deal if you can stay healthy, but a bad deal if you don't. A serious illness would wipe most people out. I can see FedEx attempting this angle in the future.

 

[MrFedEx]

No, industry observer.

Now go away? As if you own all opinion, lol. Cute.

All I see from you is venom on anything Fedex here. That is undeniable. And what is strange is this is a UPS site, did you take a wrong turn somewhere? Perhaps it's a indication of your overall views, left field.

Walmart does this bad thing and you take it straight to Fedex. Do you do that with every bad thing you see? "My drink spilled in my car, ya know Fedex trucks have stiff suspension on purpose to get back at the driver!"

As to rate hikes in medical, as we all go along, struggling, the medical field is still happily raising their prices like the world around them isn't happening. Face it, it cannot be fixed because after 25 years someone finally comes up with a plan (doesn't matter what plan) the other political side and medical lobbyists will sell fear to the public at historical levels to make us hate it. The medical industry doesn't want change. So we will get nervous about change, cancel that and stay with the status quo which we've known for decades is out of control medical costs. We were just mind-friend'd. So Walmart's premiums have gone up, most likely Fedex's to, most likely mosts will go up. Medical costs are insane. We lost millions of jobs to China over our medical costs alone. But fear wins again, fear on health is king.

I'm with you in many ways overall, overall meaning everything. Your focus is so much just Fedex, it's the way the corporate world is turning right now. Fedex won't take action because of Walmart, Fedex will take action based on corporate trends.

Unless you've actually worked for FedEx, you don't understand FedEx. As an "industry observer", you're not qualified to say what is positive about FedEx and what isn't. Sure, medical costs are rising, and FedEx is passing the costs along to employees, just like they do whenever the costs of anything go up.

Federal Express used to be a premier company to work for, mainly because they treated their employees with respect. At FedEx, unless you're a pilot or manager, that isn't the case today. Here are just a few of the benefits and policies they've stripped away over the years, mainly because Fred S has a special deal that allows him to keep hourlies non-union. He commands, and we jump, with no recourse.
* Profit-sharing....long gone
* Jumpseat...gone since 9-11, except for business.
* Retirement Plan...the PPP doesn't even qualify as "retirement". It's a puny annuity.
* Regular Raises
* 2 years to top wage...try 22 years now. What other company requires 22+ years of service to reach top wage? Nobody.
* P-S-P...it used to mean something. Now, it's simply meaningless.
* FT work =FT status. Now, part-timers can be worked full-time hours indefinitely without ever being upgraded to FT status.

And so much more. FedEx will take always take action to maximize it's profit, regardless of ethical or moral considerations. Profit-Profit-Profit. No People and no Service.

Like I said, you don't "get" FedEx.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Here's another something that could be coming down the pike. Some companies offer an additional 2 to 3 dollars per hour in lieu of medical benefits. Maybe a good deal if you can stay healthy, but a bad deal if you don't. A serious illness would wipe most people out. I can see FedEx attempting this angle in the future.

This is something that I have always thought UPS should offer to their PT employees.

 

[klein]

The whole point of Obamacare is to get to a single payer system, namely the gov't. How do they do that? Require insurance companies to cover anyone, including those with pre-existing conditions. That gets expensive and soon the insurance companies have to raise their rates to cover paying for cancer patients, etc. That cost is passed on to you. Sooner or later everyone bails because they can't afford their insurance. And if they aren't paying premiums the insurance companies go under. Who's left standing? The gov't. Now we get into a bureaucratic mess of telling doctors what they can charge, which leads to doctors bailing, and less students willing to go into medicine. Less doctors means rationed care and long lines. Happens everywhere this has been tried .

Have you ever thought about keeping the status quo, and how that's going to effect Doctors ?
Well, just as with Fedex and other companies offering health insurance mostly with higher deductables, or like Walmart no coverage at all, how will this effect the pockets of those Physicians ?

Easy to figure that one out : They will have fewer patients, more and more coveraged people will try to get back to health just waiting it out and suffering thru their illness.
They know a doctors visit will cost them anywhere from $200-$300, and if they just work p/t - that's a lot of money (a whole weekly check), plus money for any medication they may need.

Maybe your newly educated doctors may have to move to another country to earn a living ?

 

[vantexan]

Have you ever thought about keeping the status quo, and how that's going to effect Doctors ?
Well, just as with Fedex and other companies offering health insurance mostly with higher deductables, or like Walmart no coverage at all, how will this effect the pockets of those Physicians ?

Easy to figure that one out : They will have fewer patients, more and more coveraged people will try to get back to health just waiting it out and suffering thru their illness.
They know a doctors visit will cost them anywhere from $200-$300, and if they just work p/t - that's a lot of money (a whole weekly check), plus money for any medication they may need.

Maybe your newly educated doctors may have to move to another country to earn a living ?

Our system certainly has it's problems. Forcing people into a rigid gov't controlled system won't solve them. The price increases we're seeing now are due to gov't meddling. But they were too high already compared to many other countries. But our biggest problem lies in our society getting too fat, too lazy. And with new medications too old. Certainly I want people to have long healthy lives. But we have a large group of diabetics, heart patients, and others who's lives are being extended with all their complications by modern medicine. This is a system that removes people's accumulated wealth in exchange for longer life. That's why it has gotten so expensive and unwieldy and if you are poor with no insurance you are on the outside looking in. I don't have the answers to what will work, but giving the gov't complete control over a huge portion of our lives and telling us we have to pay X amount annually whether we like it or not isn't the answer.