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Took an unscientific survey the other night on a flight from SDF to ONT. There were just as many pax callsigns on the radio at 4AM as there were those from UPS/FDX/ABX, etc.

I've been in the UPS pool for almost a year now and if I were in your shoes, I'd go to Continental if they offer you a class date. Who knows how long the swim in the pool will be. Besides, you can also make your choice if and when UPS calls. Eventually, UPS is the place I would want to retire at. That's just me.

I know exactly what your going through. It's a very hard and permanent decision. I was hired in 1994 at UPS. And PAX carriers were then hiring 60 a month. I wanted to get out real bad. But my first interview offer wasn't until 1996 with NWA, and by then I was on the 75. So I decided to stay, and keep my two years of Seniority. Thank God. But the facts are, UPS disrepects the Air-side big time. They treat us like ****, but it is getting better. Slowly. The way to have a good life at UPS is either move to a domicle and bid reserve, which I didn't, or get senior in your seat. I'm still an FO and have been here over 11 years. And this has made the Job way better. Obviously. Plus I fly International, so your away on your own with your crew. And more than half of the flying is day time locally. So come to UPS and enjoy the security. And support your Union.

A word of advice for all of you in the UPS "pool" don't just sit there and wait, every couple of weeks call in to check your status, or better yet have whoever recommended you check for you..Perserverance pays off, just try to draw a line between being aggressive and bothering them!
Good Luck!

Hmmm...I'm not entirely sure I agree with that advice. I was in the pool for 3.5 years. In that time, I kept in touch with my recommendations and always said “hello” to the Brown crews at the hotel (in the cities where we stayed at the same hotel as UPS). All of those guys always told me calling HR was a big No-No. I was told sit tight and be patient. I took that advice and in the end it paid off.

Just to be clear, UPS was not hiring for about 3.3 of the 3.5 years I was swimming. But regardless, I did not want to annoy anyone in HR who could ultimately have a say in whether or not I'd have a future with the company.

I'm not saying don't call and check. I'm just letting you know how it went down for me.

EDPM

2 friends of mine were in the pool, as well as myself. In my case my friend found out I was still in the pool after he spoke to the HR guy who interviewed me, the HR guy was surprised I was still in the pool (after 6 weeks) One hour after my friend spoke to him I got the call.
This is what I did for my 2 friends, I called HR told them I spoke to my friend who was in the pool, "He didn't ask me to speak with You (HR) I'm doing this on my own, cause the poor guy is wondering what His status is, So How are his chances?" In both occasions the HR girl looked up his file and told me to tell him to stay optimistic, and be patient. In both cases I called my friends to tell them I checked up on their status, and In both cases they were hired within an hour!!! The trick is, the guy reccing you/friend ,is already a UPS pilot so they can hang out at HR and chat with the girls there, but I was very clear that my friend in the pool did not know I was asking about him, since "He doesn't want to bother You", "I'm just doing this as a concerned friend etc etc " "Happened to be in the building" Yada yada type thing! It worked for me and my 2 friends.
Good Luck to You all!!!

Vito

That's great and all and I'm happy for you and your friends, but that hasn't been the case for me and others waiting. I have a few contacts at UPS and they have talked to HR over the past few months and nothing has happend. I call every so often and have faxed updates to HR and I still sit in the pool. Who knows what it takes to get out. It's a mystery to me, but I still feel fortunate to be given a shot anyway.

To the people in the pool,

Every UPS pilot I have meet in the hotels tell me the same thing. Then don't know what the secret is to getting out of the pool other then when its your time. its your time. Its a mystery to everyone about how to get out. I have been in almost a year now. Lets hope that 2006 will be the year that we are ALL taken out of this pool.

this must be a different CAL than I fly for...