Boys will be Joys

Today on FB, I saw a post by Not the Bee. The post referenced an article (link below) talking about the newly agreed-upon salary structure for UPS drivers. The author just seemed appalled that UPS drivers would make more money than him. He made it sound like these UPS employees are getting a huge salary, but in reality, the amount they stated included not only their salary, but their entire compensation package – health benefits, pension, etc…

Two sentences in this article bothered me. They are as follows:

“But since Adam Ford is getting my services for a fraction of what a UPS driver with a GED is making, I don’t have time to delve into a breakdown of that mess.“

and…

“Many of you are asking yourself a question right now: Why am I not making as much as a guy who only needed a driver’s license to be qualified for his job?”

A few things upset me today, and this was just the icing on the cake.

First of all, “UPS driver with a GED” – so many things wrong with this one.

Let’s start with the condescending tone that sentence was written in.

Then, let’s look at how the author assumed that the driver did not have a college degree. Just because it is not required, does not mean they do not have one or are not capable of attaining one.

Then, we skipped right past the high school diploma and landed on the GED. It was written as if having your GED is inferior.

I’m going to assume that the author, Commodore Vanderbilt, has a bachelor’s degree, possibly even an advanced degree, so he must have had the resources to pay for that degree. Since he had those resources, he must have had the luxury of graduating from a high school.

If someone has a GED, it’s not because they lack intelligence or drive. Quite the opposite. I see people daily that have experienced crisis, and are trying to improve their lives and their family’s lives. Before they can pursue any other form of education, they have to get their GED.

They have to seek out a GED program.

They have to pay for the GED program, books, and testing.

They have to make all the pieces in their life fit to even take the classes, study, and pass the test.

They usually have jobs, kids, and responsibilities. They have way more to deal with than a 17-year-old living in their parent’s house. But sure, let’s look down on those who get their GED instead of graduating from a traditional high school.

Now this sentence: “Many of you are asking yourself a question right now: Why am I not making as much as a guy who only needed a driver’s license to be qualified for his job.”

Well, Commodore Vanderbilt, let me tell you. It may be that you don’t work as hard as the guys (and gals) who drive the big brown trucks. Most full-time UPS employees work a minimum of 60 hours a week. They perform pre-trips and post-trips on their vehicles. Feeder drivers have to be able to lift a minimum of 75 pounds. Delivery drivers run, and lift, and carry all day long – in the heat, in the cold, no matter what. I think that deserves fair compensation, what do you think?

Then, the author calls a UPS driver “a guy who only needed a driver’s license to be qualified for his job“. There we go! Now, we assume there is no skill required. I would love to see the author try to drive a set of UPS doubles, better yet, back those trailers up to the loading dock.

I don’t care what part of UPS you work in, you’re going to work hard. The fact that Teamsters fought on behalf of the drivers is great. The fact that UPS recognizes their hard work and takes care of their people is a credit to them. I have known a lot of drivers over the past 15 years. They are all smart, capable men and women who work hard and take pride in what they do. Many of them have accomplished 30 years of safe driving. Most of us can’t even do that in our cars, let alone in delivery cars and semi-trucks.

I usually enjoy reading Not the Bee, but they missed the mark on this one. It was evident by the overwhelming support that the UPS drivers received in the comments. Most people do recognize hard work and are happy when people are compensated for it. Commodore Vanderbilt, don’t be surprised if a few of your packages “get lost” this Christmas season. Just sayin’.

You can read the whole article here: https://notthebee.com/article/ups-drivers-are-now-going-to-average-170000-a-year-and-the-memes-are-glorious?fbclid=IwAR1Xlsb4PuRGuC9yk76tbA4xTprBkyrvjf4BO5aWEmO772znHl8aA2RDJXM