CactusCrew

Your post says a lot about the current climate at UPS !

To the original poster ...

Do you want to work for FedEx (an airline) ?

Or do you want to work for a trucking company (UPS) ?

That pretty much sums up the differences ... that and the fact that FedEx is currently hiring, while UPS has 106 on furlough. As a 40-something junior FO at UPS, I don't expect to upgrade until my 60's ! That's if I stay employed for the next 10 years ...

KODI3

Thanks for the info.

I have about a yr to go for mil retirement and trying to gather as much info fm various companies. I have friends/fmr colleagues flying for all the majors, both pax and cargo. Over the yrs I have heard their reasons for focus on certain companies. Most of them chased the highest base pay. History has shown that has not been the best deciding factor because some ended up as car salesmen and carpenters in between furlough/rehire. That is why I was curious about company benefits to factor into the equation.

Look forward to more input fm the respective company pilots.

FXDX

Your options are greater with the security(?) of a military retirement. I would apply to everybody, and go to the first one that hires you. I would focus primarily on FedEx and SWA, but that is just me.

Treat every one as your primary objective and hopefully you will be fortunate to have to decide between two or more premier carriers. Remember that you may have to "settle" for one of your backup plan carriers, and it could be the best or worst luck of your life.

Thanks for your service and good luck.

McBoeingBus

You won't be able to make an informed decision until you get closer to retirement. UPS is hiring and has furloughed. I seriously doubt that UPS will work with the IPA as extensively when they decide to furlough again. Remember, UPS' furlough wasn't about loosing money, unlike traditional airline woes. FedEx may not be hiring when you are able to be employed. However, they have a history of attempting to not furlough. SWA should be hiring in the next as well as Delta. I'd try to get a copy of the seniority list or at least the retirement numbers to see where I would progress. Senority directly reflects your lifestyle. You only need to pass a checkride, you will need to get out of a merit based promotion and reward system. Just get on the esculator. Good luck with your decision. You may want to consider a contractor job at your base that you are retireing from.

MBB

Rocco

I am sure you can see the attitude most have about UPS

-2 weeks paid vacation up to 5 years service. It goes up 1 week every 5 years. It tops out at 6 weeks after 20+ years of service. 75 hours of sick time is earned per year. You can carry up to 148 or so hours now, anything over that the company pays you off at the end of the year.

-no fund matching 401k. we do have one but there is no match. 1% A plan. 12% B plan. (for now)

- 5% discount of company stock purchase. Used to be 10%.

- We do have a move package, but if you get furloughed, you are stuck! There are many people in Anchorage that this happened to. It is not a cheap place to live. The move package is similar to a PCS. It does have some parts that are better. The one way ticket is the REALLY bad part that no one considered when they moved to Alaska.

- NO education benefits for employees. Management I believe has some educational benefits (not sure)

- No travel benefits worth mentioning. No family on company aircraft.

- Who knows on this one. Our current most junior Captain is Anchorage based. January 1998 hire. So 13 years and living in Alaska. I don't see this changing unless something significant happens (NPRM??).

The company has really damaged their relationship with its employees (at least in the airline). UPS is ran by a Board of Directors that try to improve the companies bottom line while on watch. As they should. But we had some deals in place so the company did not have to furlough to save the money they wanted. They furloughed anyway.

Fred is IMPROVING his company. It is his after all. I believe he values his employees. He makes decisions based on long term growth and vision. UPS BOD are "temporary" employees looking for the best numbers to get the biggest gain. A problem we see all across corporate America!! There are many differences between the two companies. FedEx has EFB's, HUD's, Fire suppression systems, Stairs that are safe (just ask someone walking down the stairs from an MD or 74 on a crappy day in Anchorage!!) full face O2 masks, employee discounts on shipping ( I still cannot believe we don't get a discount to ship on UPS!!!) I am sure the list can go on.

UPS is a good place to work. It could be a great place to work, but not in its current state would I recommend someone apply here over FedEx. If you want to work Cargo. Long term FedEx is where it is at!

Good luck. Seems to be a good time to be getting out of the service. An AD retirement is ALWAYS nice to have!! Congrats and good luck!!

Shaggy1970

Everything Rooco said is spot on except sick is 71.5 hours a year if that matters.

I would add two things to his post:

1. There is no better union on this planet than the IPA.

2. My fellow brothers and sisters within the IPA are the best bunch of guys and gals to work with. I think as a whole 99.2% of our membership has abstained from picking up open-time, accepted junior assigned trips, or enhanced their line credit more than five hours. This is going on one year now, you show me another group that is willing to do that for their most junior?

DLax85

Excellent advice....top to bottom.

Jetjok

Rocco,

Reading your post, as well as the vast majority of the others here, I've come to the same conclusion that I reached back in 1989. UPS has much to offer in the way of pay and benefits, and I agree that the IPA fellowship in next to none. However, that said, I don't agree with your above statement. UPS is not now, nor has it ever been a "good place to work." All one need do is talk to virtually any UPS employee to find this out. The most common statement is "the pay is great." If that's what you're talking about, than I agree, otherwise, YGBSM.

JJ

7Arrows

There is a lot of good info here. I'm Purple and probably would be again, given the choice. One thing I have developed into is a "freight snob". It is more conducive to my needs and goals on many levels. Therefore, i would place P&B ahead of any "self-loading" freight carriers. I have a very high opinion of Brown, but I haven't worked there. I would look earnestly at living in Louisville vs Memphis if I planned to live in domicile. I would call that advantage Brown. Also, look at the commuting policy of both. Become familiar with the term "double dead-head" . Though commuting needs contractual work, it is a strength at Purple. Brown guys care to address?

Rocco

Thanks Shaggy. 5.5 (sick hours per pay period) x 13 (pay periods) = 71.5