SaltyDog

You say "That money comes from UPS and I need the company to do well".
Actually, that money doesn't come from UPS or the IPA, it comes from our customers. And yes, we all want and need UPS to do well.
Obviously, money is derived from me and every other UPSer providing a service to OUR customers. It isn't charity, and certainly nothing is given without a long drawn out negotiation. It is business. Expect it. We all do.
Point your frustration at UPS management. Why?

UPS has good management and lousy leadership.
Anyone can manage but few management teams lead well or creatively in a tough business environment. Here is an opportunity for the company to lead yet they will only manage. A furlough is one answer, but a distinctively disruptive and IMO counterproductive response.
The IPA offered the requested savings, UPS says not sufficient, they contest the numbers blah, blah, but voluntary leaves of absences are real savings as opposed to forced leaves. Many airlines routinely use voluntary leave before furlough. CAL and Skywest come to mind.
So remember, everyone on the property wants UPS to succeed better than anyone else in the business. You earn what you bring to the company. They haven't hired anyone because of charity. We earn our customers money by moving packages. The best in UPS management cannot figure out how to move that package except by an airplane if it goes by air. We beat everyone at that metric. So if it goes, it is because it makes money and serves our customers expectations.

Roberto

How many employees does UPS have in the USA and worldwide? What is the cost of their plant and equipment? This is relevant because it puts the net profit in context. For instance, if you were an employer/owner of a company with 20 employees and a capital requirement for plant and equipment of some substance, what would you expect to take out of that company per year? Would $50,000 be enough? $100,000? $200,000? $500.000? What would that be per employee? Compare your answer to what UPS makes per employee, and consider the cost of the UPS plant and equipment that makes this possible.

Roberto

We don't have to wait until UPS gets rid of the last DC8. We already have about 300 pilots manning a fleet that has 8 airframes in the working inventory...

SaltyDog

Roberto,
Just remember, DOD is releasing billions in contracts this week for DOD air charters, and UPS could put all those airframes and aircrews to work profitably if they were interested. We will see.

UPSFO4LIFE

Roberto, we all understand the fact that we are a bit fat right now. The union even understands this point. That's why mil leave, personal leave, job share seem to be logical solution to the problem. I also have a HUGE problem with trying to save 54 million while increasing pay for some over 700%. I also have a big problem with the company turning down DOD charters(heard it from someone in the union) when we have sooooo much extra lift and pilots. As someone has stated before, UPS has mastered tripping over a dollar to pick up a dime.

Happy Easter!!

UPS1856

Hmm... Interesting how the DOD contracts and the furlough decision are the SAME week.

If we nail a bunch of contracts and jobs are saved, Eric Gerdes deserves a whole BUNCH of beers from the <300.

SLPII

They're probably not interested in DOD because they know they will need those airframes for our lifts that's picking up!

they won't furlough a single person!

FR8TFLYER

Salty-


I know you have worked hard on getting the info out re. DOD contracts, do you know if UPS will be making a bid for some of this flying?

SaltyDog

They will bid, they always have. It is the magnitude of the opportunity that is unknown. Like a FedEx team value of 1.4 billion and UPS team goes in the 190 million range this year. No reason UPS couldn't go for hundreds of millions more in contracts. The IPA certainly gave the company the ability.....
and somewhat on topic,<g>, UPS could definitely sell the 747's volume on daily DOD business and use the 11's to do same as well as fly DOD full time. Everything else flows up to backfill.

Rottweiler

C'mon, Obama! Throw some of that stimulus money Brown's way!