SYT,
You say hands need to be extended....
Many IPA hands were extended to UPS. Just under 3000.
The Memorandum Understanding (MOU) was truly a choice to mitigate the downturn in the economy. The IPA accepted the business reality. IPA asked UPS how much they projected the cost of employment for the excess pilots.
UPS accepted. Many in management extended a hand in good faith as well. truly a partnership.
UPS was paid over $100 million from its small group of pilots in less than a year.
While this was happening, UPS volumes started to rebound. FedEx made bold business decisions, chased dormant and returning markets. Southern, Kalitta, Atlas all were showing increased yields and revenues.
UPS's bold move was internal. It cut off the extended hands. Both union and management limbs fell to the floor.
It was management by numbers. Poor metrics, no leadership, and really the most expensive decision ATL could possibly produce. Do they care? Not really, those responsible will be retired before the fruits of their poor management decisions fully impact our customers, shareholders, employees, and our future viability in the marketplace.
That is what really perplexes me about UPS. They treat employees poorly, OK, thats business, Arguably poor business. What is more enigmatic, they frequently treat our customers as poorly and often with little regard. That is not good business, and gives our competitors account executives great fodder to take our business.
I long for the company that hired me. One that was owned by the managers, and managed by the owners. That UPS is no longer. It is now a corporation that leaves customers shipments behind in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Guanghzhou, etc. 2-3+ cans a day. One watches as the loading supervisor yells at loaders for putting the "wrong" volume in the belly in Guangzhou.
Curiously, asked why? Not enough space, that volume just showed up and the other volume was already a day late and needed to get on the airplane. Clearly UPS plan to shrink airlift capability is not keeping up with a present revitalized market internationally.
One looks about the cargo ramp and sees our competitors filling up 747-400's ERF's, 777's. UPS? MD-11's, 757's, and 767's. We have only 10 747's flying. UPS seems to readily turn down volume because it fails to make 20+% yields. Other corporations gladly take the profitable business and use it to expand profitably, even at a lower yield. If UPS desired, they could clearly dominate the cargo market as well as capture even more express market share. That is not the business plan.
One can argue that the resentment on these forums are undeserved, but those who are most were the biggest supporters of UPS before the ax fell. UPS had alternatives to a furlough. UPS rejected the easiest money they could take from the IPA.
We watch our customers treated poorly. The independent UPS franchises have sued UPS. We watch UPS reject business opportunities in the marketplace. UPS refuses to manage the business with the managers on hand. Instead they lay them off too.
Used to be a manager (retired) that made sure we line pilots and all UPSers saw posters of rusted out REA package cars as a reminder that great companies could make fatal business decisions. They are no longer hanging on the walls. I wonder if 30 years from now, someone walking down the halls of our competitors will see pictures of rusted out UPS package cars?