Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

And that is why I feel the post is a mix up. Strictly a guess on my part. The contract can be amended as needed when the company and union both agree. Probably wouldn’t do it for new hire teams because then it would apply to all in progression. If I were you I would hope they paid full rate to hire new teams because you would immediately get a huge raise. When I hired in we received full rate day one when we ran a single mileage run. We got progression rate when running a sleeper. Then one day we had a greedy sleeper driver file a grievance because he was in progression. The company won the grievance and they cut the mileage runs to progression pay. At the time I was in my final year progression, but it cost me $300 bucks a week for about 6 months because I was on a mileage bid. The company had been paying full rate because they wanted to, not because they had to.

 

I kinda feel the opposite. #### it, let the street hires work for peanuts for as long as they can (sorry you guys that were street hires). I put my time in on the sort isle, package car, used two weeks vacation to get my CDL...it's paying dues. It's what that company was built on. But that being said they are getting away/have gotten away from everything they were built on hence why I decided to bow out when I had made the money I needed to. It's kinda funny now that I work at coke there are two other ex UPS drivers, my DM is a ex ups center manager, his boss is a ex ups building manager lol. It was real comfortable since day one for me since we were all kind of on the same page from being 20 year ups guys lol.

 

I am kind of mixed feelings on it. We had many guys who looked at us Street Hires as the enemy. Some acted as if they were born at UPS. Everyone was a street hire at one point as I never met anyone with UPS tattooed on their ### when they popped out of the womb. It didn’t matter to them, that most of us had been Teamsters for as many years as they had, but at other companies. My personal opinion is that you should only be in progression while on probation. Maybe a year max, then either pay them full wages or fire them. Having people work for 5 years to top out is ridiculous in my opinion. But you know what they say about opinions and I have no dog in that fight anymore.

 

Yes that's a very valid point. While nobody was born there there were/are plenty of guys like me that started there as a kid and had to work out way up just to see some dude walk in and get handed the gravy kinda sucks. I like the no dog in that fight you said because that's me too.

 

Well I talked to some people, and they were already looking into it. I really am the last person to find out about anything. Haha

 

Dayton is one of the only non-union companies I would consider working for. I have talked to their drivers over the years, and they seem ridiculously happy.

 

I'm non union now and love my job. Never thought I would but I do. It's awesome working with a bunch of ex upsers as drivers and management because the company let's us bring the good from UPS there and leave the wasting forests of trees a day for sups to walk around with pointless reports behind. It's nice.

 

I have found regarding UPS that it is all about the terminal you work out of. Our guys are very happy for the most part, but I have talked to drivers at other terminals who are actively job searching.

 

All i can say is we all pay our dues at some point in life. We all start with a low paying gig. Sometimes working two jobs to make ends meet etc etc.
As we get older we take that experience and upgrade to that ‘primo’ position. I thought id retire from the manufacturing union gig i resigned from 5 years ago. Life changes and #### happens. Since the time i left that company it split into two, and in the news again about the spin off company is going through negotiations to get bought out.
That experience as well as others before it got me into flat bed, being out all week barely home on the weekends. There was a real sacrifice there. After those dues were paid after two years it became time to upgrade.

Ill save my thoughts on the union ‘lifer’ culture for another day.

Street hires still pay their dues. Slow freight weeks and no pay? Yeah, that was just last week. Covering vacation at an extended center and be gone from home all week? Ill be checking that box twice. Would have been a 3rd check but the last time it came up they had someone cover in house. Progression pay? Meh its not to bad.

Just because some didn't pay entry level UPS dues doesn't mean jack squat. The opportunity was there for everyone to upgrade in house. No sympathy here.

 

Not looking for sympathy. It's just not the way it EVER was. Key word was lol. That tells you a lot about a company when they can't hold on to 20 year guys at $40ish/hr anymore like @LtlAnonymous said. That's why there are the street hires now like never before. I guess it's a company culture thing you can't understand if you weren't there for it. How long you been on board now? How ya liking it?