The UPS ERI survey has been suspended due to the economic crisis.
When it comes back, it will be called EOS, and it is stated that it is going to help management to improve workplace atmosphere and teamwork in your local plant.
Others consider the ERI survey to be an instrument of control and manipulation. Especially the circumstances under which ERI is taking place, the PCMs and informal talks that go with it and the subsequent ERI-meetings are widely criticised.
Therefore we (a network of rank and file UPSers and trade unionists not only from Germany) are offering an alternative ERI for the third time now, despite the crisis.
Our survey will end on December 12th. The results will be published here soon after.
You may add your comments and your location at the end of the survey. We are grateful for any comments, suggestions or criticisms. Thank you for participating and have fun completing the survey.
Alternative ERI – The slightly different survey on UPS´employee relations.
The “Low Information” Union Member
As stewards we watch how these people never get involved, bad mouth the union as a bunch of crooks, until they do something that gets them terminated. Suddenly they are the Union’s best buddy. The hypocrisy of these people is obvious when, upon the resolution of their case, they return to being the “low information” Union member they were before.
Somehow they have come to the conclusion that it is the steward’s and the union’s obligation to baby them. The steward somehow is obligated to see to it that the company stays off their ass. Of course the minute they disagree with anything, (usually without any information), they think they have the right to confront and belittle the steward and/or the union.
It’s amazing to me that the most anti-union members, are also down right stupid when it comes to where their livelihood comes from and what their dues pay for. They are also the people that are the most likely to be fired, I feel, because they are basically dishonest and are generally to stupid to know when something is wrong. I feel it’s because they think they are owed a living, and that everyone else was put on this earth to take care of them.
I have watched from a political standpoint as well. These same selfish bastards are the first ones on welfare, the first ones on unemployment, the first ones on medicare, the first ones to demand their pension, and the most vocal about how bad their “Union job” is. They continually bite the hand that feeds them. They bad mouth the organizations that fight the corporations, that keep them from becoming slave labor, without health care, without retirement, without pensions, etc.
It’s obvious they think with another part of their anatomy, not with their brain!
“Low Information” Union Member= Self Serving Hypocrite.
Unions Must Attract the Young and Hip—or Become Obsolete
Our mental images of labor seem so out of date.
More to the point, they might actually hurt efforts at union growth. When forced to conjure up an image of workers, the average American thinks of burly, middle-aged blue-collar workers: auto, mine or longshore workers circa 1950.
But today’s typical union member is more educated, more female and less white than at any time in American history. This diversity is a strength we should celebrate and make known.
As David Moberg detailed in a recent study by the Center for Labor and Policy Research reported that today white men make up only 38% of union members. The report went on to say that
Union workers, like the rest of the workforce, are now almost half women, older, more educated, and more racially and ethnically diverse….In the next decade, the rise of women to majority status in the labor movement and the likely continued influx of racial and ethnic minorities into unions are likely to be among the most important developments for organized labor.
The crucial question is, how will organized labor deal with these demographic changes?
One change that is important and missing from current discussions about the fate of organized labor movement is age. The union movement in America is aging fast, and not bringing new, younger members into the fold in sufficient numbers to rejuvenate itself.
Are we only a few years away from a union movemen that looks like an AARP meeting?
More importantly, support for unions has been declining in the public. Many young people do not see the value of unions, thinking of them as quaint but ineffective relics of the liberal past. Unions need to find ways to reach out to young Americans and connect with them if the movement is going to have a real chance at surviving into the 21st century.
There are many critical issues labor needs to deal with, but getting support from the youth of America must not be ignored. In recent years, business has learned the value of culture, hiring consultants to use social media and develop a cultural brand.
President Obama’s election shows the power of mobilize twenty-somethings around an idea or brand. Imagine if organized labor could tap into youth culture, making unions hip the same way Obama’s handlers made him hip! Well, a man can dream.
Richard Greenwald
Which One of You is the Steward of the Future?
The push for nine-five language was pushed by today’s steward. The optional holiday was pushed by today’s stewards. The eight hour request was pushed by today’s stewards.
Today’s stewards rose to the occasion because of the injustices of yesterday. Twelve hour days were the norm. No days off without calling in sick and being disciplined for any reason. No chance to attend family functions, or be a part of your kids lives. None of these languages were a part of the contract in the 70’s.
The company didn’t provide these things out of the goodness of their heart. Your Teamster steward stood up at the many meetings over the years and demanded they be negotiated into the contract.
The company has a long history of forcing it’s employees to sell their soul, and give up their home life for the benefit of the bottom line. That push goes on today. Our discussion of the bottom line continues.
The issue is many of those fighting stewards will be gone in the coming years between now and the next contract.
Which one of you younger drivers will take the gauntlet and run?
Which one of you will overcome your fears of dealing with management and become the next “Teamster Steward”? Which one of you will be instrumental in shaping the future of the drivers yet to be? Which one of you will shape your lives in the new technologies yet to be introduced inside of this huge corporation? Which of you will make the best decisions for your members when the politics of the time are such that you will be under attack from outside the union?
The life we live inside of big brown has been shaped by the men and women of the past. The future will be shaped by those of you with guts enough to rise to the occasion today. Yes, we old timers “got ours”. We “got ours”, because we fought for it tooth and nail. We rose to the occasion. We took an interest in the function of our local union. We took on the company in their office every morning. We stood up at the Union meeting and demanded the representation we paid for in our Union dues. We insisted that our Union represent our needs in contract negotiations.
Now it’s your turn. The old timers have shaped today.
You young guys and girls get to shape tomorrow.
Rise to the occasion!
Telematics is Lurking in the Background
The company slowed down throwing Telematics in our faces on a daily basis. It’s best you don’t forget it’s there though. On any
Your center manager receives daily e-mails from IE telling him of any discrepancies. Usually the center manager will look at the WOR to see if you ran decent for the day. If you did, he/she will usually go on to some other problem child. If not you can bet they will be throwing it in your face.
Remember the goal is to have a reason to harass you. Even if you have a good excuse for any discrepancy, they will still treat you as if you are a lying, cheating thief. Their comment will always be, “sure, you always have an excuse for everything”.
It doesn’t matter if the pre-load sucked that day. It doesn’t matter if traffic was bad. It doesn’t matter if they gave you some BS split. If you ran bad, they will pick the fly-crap out of the pepper, and that will be the reason you are a dirt bag.
Get used to it. The first rule is to have you union steward by your side every time you talk to them. Don’t think they are looking the other way. We have had 3 fireballs fired because of Telematics discrepancies. One even was a scab during the strike, so you get the idea that they are not taking any prisoners.
Do the job right. They must directly observe you, and you must have the intent to be dishonest for them to discipline you. Of course harassment is discipline to most people, but you will have a long career of that so get used to it.
UPS Looking for Volume Growth in 2010
United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) is looking for volume growth in 2010, and will hike shipping rates in 2010 as well, according to a Reuters report.
CEO Scott Davis told Reuters that he thinks the company will see “positive volumes next year, as the economy improves.”
Earlier in the day, Davis had told a gathering of business leaders in Singapore, that he believes the recovery is real and sustainable, but vulnerable.
Rival FedEx has already hiked rates for next year, and UPS said it will announce the amount of its hike later this month.
MarketNewsVideo.com
Is UPS the Problem?
What is wrong here?
This article just appeared on that left-wing rag, Common Dreams.
- “Forget the rumored financial crisis, layoffs and foreclosures: The three biggest Wall Street banks to get bailed out are set to pay record bonuses of almost $30 billion, up 60 percent from last year. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase will hand out $29.7 billion, paying each lucky employee almost five times the U.S. median household income.”
Am I crazy or is that just not right.
The problem with America today is Corporate Power. This not a government of the people, by the people, for the people, it’s a government for the corporations. Money buys the ear of every politician in Washington and the corporations have all the money. It’s not rocket science to figure out who runs the country.
But what about UPS? I know they don’t pay outlandish salaries or bonuses. (Thank God. I’d be embarrassed to be an hourly employee at Goldman Sachs.) Still, UPS operates in the same league as Morgan Stanley and the others. Their lobbying money goes into Congressional pockets and bills and amendments are written to their liking. Our government for the people becomes a government for the corporation.
I know UPS has provided me the opportunity to make a good living, but I just feel like I’m in the belly of the beast sometimes, pointing out at JP Morgan and yelling, “They’re the problem.”
Fired UPS driver’s suit claims he wouldn’t deliver pot
A former UPS delivery man from Clarkston says he was told to deliver a package “even if it contained illicit drugs” and was eventually fired after he opened the package and found marijuana.
A lawyer for Steven Mojica tells the Detroit News his client refused to deliver a suspicious 4-pound next-day package to a house on Murphy Street. As a result, his UPS supervisors then accused him of theft, reported him to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and fired him in early August.
Mojica is suing the delivery company for reinstatement of his job, lost wages and damages resulting from mental and emotional distress.
Mojica claims he was about to contact police when he received another message instructing him to call a supervisor, who allegedly told Mojica “he should have delivered the package, even if it contained illicit drugs.”
At that point, Mojica claimed he opened the package and found it contained large sealed bags of what appeared to be marijuana. He continued his route for another two hours before he turned it over to a Loss Prevention employee.
A UPS spokeswoman tells the News they haven’t seen the lawsuit, but said there are reporting procedures in place for suspicious packages.
“It’s nice to know UPS can guarantee delivery to drug dealers and fire employees that refuse to deliver their drugs,” said Mark Porter, Mojica’s attorney.
In an unrelated case, authorities last month arrested the manager of a UPS store in Atlanta for allegedly stealing a package that contained marijuana, selling it and lying to authorities.
But lest you think UPS is the delivery service of choice for dealers, an informal and unscientific poll on marijuana.com shows senders prefer the U.S. Postal Service.
They Just Don’t Get It
The current pile of politicians just don’t get it. It’s not about a Republican agenda, or a Democratic agenda.
It’s about the people stupid!
The current crop of politicians on all sides still don’t understand that the people are saying, “give us back our country”. “Take our country out of the big corporations hands. They are destroying the American way of life!”
Until that happens we are going to play politician ping-pong!
National Association of Undertakers Backs GOP Health Plan
WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans received key backing today for their health care plan, picking up support from the National Association of Undertakers.
The funeral directors’ group, which represents undertakers, embalmers and hearse drivers across the country, gave the GOP plan a big thumbs up, saying in a press release, “Finally, a health care plan that works for us.”
The endorsement from the undertakers’ association was the second major endorsement in two days for the GOP plan, which yesterday picked up support from the National Association of Viruses and Bacteria.
The Borowitz Report