Re: Is This Too Much?

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

@NYCLatinaMe wrote:
@SilleeMee wrote:
And where does this leave people on fixed incomes? Rising pay scales only drives the wedge deeper between classes of society.

@Kachina624 You are not describing the terms of the porposed contract correctly. And no @SilleeMee, I don't think this contract will make UPS drivers join the 1%.

The proposed contract provides that by THE END of the 5 year contract, full-time UPS delivery drivers will make an average of $49 per hour, which works out to nearly $102,000 per year, assuming a 40-hour workweek, 52 weeks a year. Those employees are guaranteed an eight-hour workday. The additional $50,000 in benefits includes health, welfare and pension contributions, payroll taxes and the like. I don't know how this adds up to $170,000, maybe they are assuming overtime, as this $170,000 is called average compensation.

It is estimated their pay IN FIVE YEARS will be similar to that of physician assistants.

Part-time union employees that are already working at UPS, by the end of this contract IN FIVE YEARS, will be making at least $25.75 per hour plus health care and pension benefits.

All this seems very reasonable to me.

Benefits like health insurance, vacation, sick time etc make up usually about a third of your total compensation.

moonandthestars · ‎03-11-2010

I thought the main point of the potential strike was that UPS did not provide proper climate controls for the trucks - front and back - so the workers were fighting for the health/comfort of the drivers. That's quite the raise, consumers will be paying that. Hope no one will complain about higher shipping prices - qvc and other companies will need to pass their higher costs along to us. I wonder who is eligible for the $75 /hour. That's pretty lucrative! Especially for a part time job - and it includes benefits and a pension. Is it for a driving/delivery job? Warehouse job? The benefit of being full time would just be working more hours?

bikerbabe · ‎03-09-2010

Part timers aren’t making the $75 an hour.

The strike was also about a 2-tier wage system that grossly punished new hires.

Hospitals have also tried that garbage with nurses.

Working as a UPS driver is brutal and absolutely high stress.

And all we do as customers is COMPLAIN when they can’t complete their ridiculous delivery load every day.

Rockycoast · ‎03-02-2016

Good for them! Whatever they can negotiate for their betterment is great. It is a hard, stressful job to do. Nurses, teachers, etc. have unions that can negotiate their terms also. More power to them.
If memory serves me, if wages had kept up with productivity. $22 per hour would be the norm for full timers. So it is not so off the mark.

ThinkingOutLoud · ‎05-01-2020

@Meowingkitty wrote:
@ninjawife wrote:
@Trinity11 wrote:
They said pay and benefits. Are they adjusting the salary by putting a price on the benefits, including the value of the benefits in the $170,000.00? At that pay scale, we will have kids not bothering with college.😳
@Trinity11 Not everyone is cut out to go to college. That doesn't mean they shouldn't make a comfortable living for a hard day's work.
If I had to deliver packages every day in July when it was over 110 -120 degrees with no a/c I would want and feel I deserve that money. College is not for most people. Any more it's just a waste of time unless you go for a very specific career path like doctors or lawyers or engineers. College should not be 4 years either. To much wasted time taking wasted classes that cost to much money. You should already have those skills (Math, English etc) coming out of high school. You shouldn't have to take them over again and pay for them for decades.

I see your point and it would apply in a lot of cases. However, I know someone who at one point in college was on a team that had to write a paper. One person on the team couldn't put a paragraph together at all and it was a drag on the others. It seemed that they knew what career they wanted and only bothered to remember the skills/knowledge they thought they would need for it and ignored/dismissed the rest. It may have really hurt them in the workforce so having to take 'the basics' in college is sometimes very prudent.

Snowpuppy · ‎03-09-2010

@deepwaterdotter wrote:

Questions without answers that have popped into my head:

Is it realistic to boycott UPS if one disagree's with their business model?

Should the service UPS provides be viewed as 'essential', and their pay scale regulated by a government agency?

I don't think gov't needs to regulate a profitable company. They did enough damage to the post office.

For sure, some of the posters who complain about the price of a single first class stamp will "boycott" UPS.

LorelaiGilmore · ‎04-18-2010

@Meowingkitty wrote:
@ninjawife wrote:
@Trinity11 wrote:
They said pay and benefits. Are they adjusting the salary by putting a price on the benefits, including the value of the benefits in the $170,000.00? At that pay scale, we will have kids not bothering with college.😳
@Trinity11 Not everyone is cut out to go to college. That doesn't mean they shouldn't make a comfortable living for a hard day's work.
If I had to deliver packages every day in July when it was over 110 -120 degrees with no a/c I would want and feel I deserve that money. College is not for most people. Any more it's just a waste of time unless you go for a very specific career path like doctors or lawyers or engineers. College should not be 4 years either. To much wasted time taking wasted classes that cost to much money. You should already have those skills (Math, English etc) coming out of high school. You shouldn't have to take them over again and pay for them for decades.

On the topic of college, being well-educated is not just about finding a lucrative job. I believe that not all are cut out for college and that education in the trades is important, but I certainly don't believe that "college is not for most people"! I am also troubled by the increased trend of negativity regarding higher education. I have a master's degree, and my time in college and grad school was invaluable not only professionally, but in shaping who I am today. I would not trade that for anything. I can't imagine how narrow my perspective would be without having had those experiences. High school, depending on the classes you take, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to education. I am so grateful that my parents, neither of whom attended college, encouraged me to go.

“…nevertheless, she persisted.”

jackiejenny · ‎10-23-2011

@LorelaiGilmore wrote:
@Meowingkitty wrote:
@ninjawife wrote:
@Trinity11 wrote:
They said pay and benefits. Are they adjusting the salary by putting a price on the benefits, including the value of the benefits in the $170,000.00? At that pay scale, we will have kids not bothering with college.😳
@Trinity11 Not everyone is cut out to go to college. That doesn't mean they shouldn't make a comfortable living for a hard day's work.
If I had to deliver packages every day in July when it was over 110 -120 degrees with no a/c I would want and feel I deserve that money. College is not for most people. Any more it's just a waste of time unless you go for a very specific career path like doctors or lawyers or engineers. College should not be 4 years either. To much wasted time taking wasted classes that cost to much money. You should already have those skills (Math, English etc) coming out of high school. You shouldn't have to take them over again and pay for them for decades.
On the topic of college, being well-educated is not just about finding a lucrative job. I believe that not all are cut out for college and that education in the trades is important, but I certainly don't believe that "college is not for most people"! I am also troubled by the increased trend of negativity regarding higher education. I have a master's degree, and my time in college and grad school was invaluable not only professionally, but in shaping who I am today. I would not trade that for anything. I can't imagine how narrow my perspective would be without having had those experiences. High school, depending on the classes you take, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to education. I am so grateful that my parents, neither of whom attended college, encouraged me to go.

I feel the exact same way. Never negate a higher education.

Danky2 · ‎08-15-2022

But why don't they start education in elementary school ? Where are history, geography,

cursive writing, etc ?

Did you know that a tiny apt in NYC is over $5000 ? I think the salary is fine !

DSD2 · ‎01-09-2016

I have mixed emotions...

This is a very difficult, high pressured job...I'm happy part timers will receive a decent salary and benefits.

Our local supermarket is offering $15 an hour. Staff work hard for a fairly thankless job overall. It is quite a disparity from a $170,00 per year job.

I just hope that pay becomes more equitable for other jobs, as most of them frankly do not provide a living wage. Something also has to be done about rents so families don't have to skimp on food, medicine and other necessities just to have a roof over their heads.