Coming to work for UP I was so thankful. I thought to myself; finally a CAREER not just a job. A career with amazing pay and even better benefits. Being of construction background, that was a blessing for me and my family. I was so appreciative for all the things I had been afforded with this new job. The excitement to join my first union and feel some financial security. To be able to sustain a middle class life and plan for the future. Never once did I realize the hell I'd put on my psychological wellbeing. I have watched our unions fall to shambles. I have watched our contracts go from descent to absolutely laughable. I have watched to company go from "caring about the employees" to trying to find any way around employing them. I understand that a lot of the employees bring it upon themselves. But the ones that are here for the right reasons pay the price. Not sure I quite understood that in the beginning. I think most of us can agree that this company was very mismanaged 5/6 years ago and further back. I think we can all agree that if we owned this company there were cuts that we would make. I'm sure we'd all even want more return on our investment. What I can't wrap my head around is the obvious greed and discontent for the employee that they have show us this last year or so. Depending on your state, some of these jobs are VERY lucrative! They are the difference between some families barely getting by and some not being able to. Nobody was getting rich here and here alone. Unless you were in Corporate management, I.E. C.O.O. or higher. The have said "nothing personal it's just business". To me thats very understandable when the company is in the tank or even not being profitable. But for them to be making RECORD PROFITS quarter after quarter and STILL laying people off at alarming rates is absolutely disgusting! How much greed is in that board room? what kind of human beings are running this company? All I know is that the men and women that are being sent home (some valuable to their department, so not) have families at home or that rely on them. They have become accustomed to a certain way of life and it's being torn away from them. Think about how many families will be directly affected by these layoffs and no longer be able to show their spouses/children the way of life that they are so accustomed to. Why did you lose your job mom/dad? Was it because you didnt do a good job? Was the company going bankrupt? No, they just wanted more money for themselves. Wow...just wow. I sure wish these unions could do something to insure this never happens again. Otherwise they are going to see the continual downfall of them. The faith in unions is at an all time low and for good reason. I'm not saying this is their fault, but I am saying there is a hell of a lot more that they can do! As members if they dont do what we want what can we do? We may not be able to strike at work, but we can all stop paying dues and strike that way. Until they listen to our wants and concerns and address the people paying the money, not just the Company. Sorry for the long rant, just trying to figure out how I'm gonna tell my kids that life is about to change.
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The work still has to get done. So, more outside vendors will be hired, and the company will spend more money for lower quality work. These vendors, be they design consulting engineers; construction contractors; or maintenance contractors will have fewer UP employees to check their work and so quality will suffer. The analysts on Wall Street will be pleased as head count goes down, while real head count, which should look at outside vendors, stays the same or goes up...as do real costs.
I write this here because while working for UP, I never met anyone who was lazy. Sure, I met normal American men and women who tried their best and sometimes needed to take it slower. These men and women are not machines, and I don't expect them to perform as such. We, as a people, have to stop expecting everyone to be a highly efficient, highly motivated, on the go, 100% of the time employee. When judging UP's unionized workforce, judge it by comparing it to what it could realistically be...and it can't be much better. As a "management" employee, who has worked in other fields, I could not stand the "lazy union" bashing. Really, they're lazy, or obstinate, some of them? So find me a replacement worker who is better; take a drive out in America and find me men and women who are that much better? For that matter, get on an airplane, go overseas, and round up these workers that are better than what we got?
You will find, as I did, that your average UP employee is significantly above average compared to your average US citizen and your average workers in the world. I personally found that on my end, your average contractor, consultant, or outside vendor was categorically not better than hiring a UP employee with the added benefit that the UP employee is your brother, an asset to the team and most importantly, you're not paying into another company's profit margin.
Aaaaawe sorry sister I have to call bs. I’ve been here 17 yrs and heard the same bullchit before. My union waits until the majority of unions settle before they even try to put up a fight and then say oh well sorry guys that’s the best we can do because it’s alre set in stone. All bullchit to me. Has nothing to do with Trump. Has everything thing to do with the corporate leadership. So after all the tax cuts implemented to get the economy rolling again it was his fault /decision to do what with the 5.4 billion this company benefited from? Lots of other companies gave $1000 bonuses to there employees. What the hell does this have to do with the man? Despite all his stupid tweets and rookie mistakes he has made historical progress in creating the lowest unemployment rates in many demographic.
I don’t know about you but I don’t think open borders and a flood of cheap labor helps us at all. Besides that at this point as Hillary would say “what does that really matter anyway?” Lol member that one?
I'm going to try and limit the political essence of this reply and hope this doesn't turn into a huge political debate or hate replies.
During the last presidential election, I met many UP brethren while at training classes in Omaha. There were numerous people I've talked to who were very pro-Trump, and when asked why, most answers were "i just hate Clinton", or "she'll raise are taxes. My response was always "but she's pro-unions and the working class, why would a billionaire give a sh-- about us?" Most replies were "no politician gives a sh-- about unions", ro which I would say: Maybe, maybe not. But Id rather have her whom which is union backed.
Now that we've had rhis president, its been discussed as the worst contracts ever and the unions screwed us. What people fail to remember or keep in mind is these contractual disputes went all the way to arbitration, where, mind you, that the panel were mostly made up of Trump appointees. It's not the unions fault, theyve fought the fight, but lost in a prejudged arbitration hearing.
Had most of us set our feelings aside and voted the other way, maybe we wouldnt be in this predicament right now.
Just so ya know we can strike and the ones who could take a few for the team and go away and do some "white collar" time would be the heads of all our unions. But of course that will never happen
To the original poster, I felt the same way when I started working at UP. I'm sorry you've lost your job and hope you get back on your feet soon.
I’m not blaming unions for not being able to stop the layoffs or getting a better contract. Maybe nobody could have secured a better contract or saved these jobs. But it does beg the question, what are we paying dues for? Someone to represent us in appeals boards? That’s not nothing, but it is easy to see why our unions don’t command the same respect nowadays that they once did.
Everyone knows you sell your soul when you work for up, and that results in mental damage. But, if you thought the union was going to insulate you, you thought wrong
Lots of people feeling the same way you are very unfortunate. My union at the local level does an excellent job! The BLE at the national level not good at all!