Tech workers react to UPS drivers landing a $170,000 a year package with a mixture of anger and admiration

The amount of shit a delivery driver puts up with? They certainly deserve it. Good on them, we should all be well paid, and thinking otherwise is Stockholm syndrome.

tech workers: i'm underpaid and everyone else should be too!

fucking unionize already. tired of this crabs-in-a-bucket mentality

Fuck off with this class war baiting bullshit

Ah. The anti-union propaganda has begun to stop the tech industry from unionizing, lol.

They are scared they will and with good reason. A strong union will level the playing field.

As a tech worker, I say good for them.

This is a little misleading. It's $170k in pay and benefits, not just salary. Still, UPS drivers deserve it and this will make everyone's experience with UPS so much better.

"This is disappointing, how is possible that a driver makes much more than average Engineer in R&D?"

Because the engineer is being exploited and refuses to unionize.

"To get a base salary of $170k you know you need to work hard as an Engineer, this sucks."

Bitch, UPS workers work harder than I ever did as an electronics engineer.

As one of the tech workers: fuck yeah, good for them for negotiating well, and getting what they're owed.

I have worked as a driver helper in the past. This pay makes sense. It's a demanding job mentally and physically. With the pay being good it also means people work really hard to get that job and really hard to keep it. Congratulations to them.

As a tech worker, good for them. Why would I be opposed to someone else getting paid more, especially if they're being paid by a private company whose services I enjoy?

Wow good for UPS workers. As a tech worker I can say I'm genuinely happy for them. They have a hard ass job. A win for labor is a win for labor, regardless of which type.

Pushing tens of pounds around in the heat everyday is hard, expecially inside a van without AC.

Let's just hope tech workers will be smart enough to unionize and organize like the UPS Chads did.

I see we are trying to sow some tension between working class people here eh?

I think many people are misreading the article. The package is 170k. That doesn’t mean the driver is making 170k.

Even if they did. Good for them.

I’m glad the new trucks will get AC. I thought they was insane they didn’t have it.

As a tech worker, I do almost jack shit and make deep into the six figures. Honestly, I'd be fine if UPS drivers made more than me, good on them.

Frankly, in terms of total compensation, pay them more.

I have a pro-driver pro-union UPS placard in my window and a "Unionize Amazon" sticker on my hoodie. I'm happy for UPS workers. They fought and won a much better contract. It's genuinely exciting that there's so much positive union activity in the USA right now.

Some tech workers on social media

This isn't fucking news! Enough of this dumb ragebait bullshit.

Omg you wouldn't believe, someone on the internet was an asshole!

Come on, business insider and "some tech workers"...

The idea is that unions can secure higher wages to show you it can be done. Now both union and non-union drivers can reference UPS for a salary "that reflects increasing industry averages".

Software techbros, if you think you're worth more than UPS drivers, tell your boss. If you think your boss is gonna dismiss you, then get all your co-workers who think you're worth more than 170k then get your boss to hear you out as a group. Did I hear, "you nyan eyes"?



We all do better when we all do better.

As someone who has only worked freight in an air-conditioned warehouse, moving boxes is not easy work and not many people will be able to do it their whole careers. I'm personally glad I argue with computers for my job now and I have much respect for those lifting things in the elements.

A UPS driving job is a hell of a lot more difficult and tiring than most tech jobs. It might take less skill, but tech workers don't have to be out in the heat or freezing cold all day carrying heavy loads and dealing with angry people who blame them for a late package or, worse, get shot at for the crime of being in the neighborhood while black.

The context is all wrong. It is less money for CEOs, not less for tech workers. Good job teamsters.

My UPS guy deserves every penny of it.

Complaining about this is dumb. Someone else’s gain isn’t your loss. Everyone outside the top tier earners should be paid more. Period. I’m happy a union had the national stage representing UPS workers and showed why unions are important.

Can we react more about trust fund managers and CxO salaries instead?

As someone in tech who also has a friend that works for UPS, this is amazing for them! Anything that can improve their lives is a win. UPS people who incredibly hard (regardless of how much shit I give my friend when UPS does something silly with my deliveries)

They earn every dollar because I would nope the fuck out of there so fast

I work in tech and have enjoyed good salaries, I wish everyone was so fortunate.

As for myself, it would actually be a huge relief to know that there are many career options for me that paid just as well, because sometimes I really want to do something else. If wages had grown fairly, then a lot more people would be making 100,000+.

TLDR article prob funded by big corporations wants general public to get triggered by unionized organizations.

Tech workers have no right to be angry. Unionize or shut up. (Excluding all the supportive tech workers, including those in the comments.) Source: am a tech worker

The drivers deserve the pay more than the C Suite.

I'm a tech executive... good for UPS workers. That's what unions are for, to balance out investors' demands and get people paid fairly.

I know someone in his 20s who makes $41 and some change per hour plus $150 per diem...

7 days on and 7 days off...

"Unskilled" coal mine work.

It's pretty damn insulting to be honest as someone who's been in the technology industry for over 25 years when I have to deal with companies and recruiters thinking that my labor is somehow worth less than that.

Hell, I made more than that 18 years ago (and I still do as an hourly without the per diem) but now I get dipshit recruiters emailing and calling me constantly thinking I should be willing to work for $25 an hour or even sometimes less.

It's like I'm living in fucking crazy world.

Fucking unionize then.

I've been in tech for 3 decades now...and I have nothing but applause for UPS drivers landing this package.

Why would tech workers have a problem with this? From my perspective, that's just one more industry I can consider hopping to if my employer doesn't start getting their shit together when it comes to compensation packages. The more choices available to tech workers, then less beholden they are to their own employers, so this is a win for tech workers also.

UPS drivers getting this deal is better for everyone, in every industry.

Did anyone read this article? The summary and title make it sound like a bad YouTube video in article form… “Tech workers react…”

Is there anything actually interesting inside?

This reminds me of what happened at my last job towards the end of the lockdown. Previously, you started at a certain wage and increased a specific amount every 500ish hours, up to a limit. The last "raise" was only like 4 cents, but you still had to work the extra 500ish hours to get it.

Well, the company decided that they weren't paying enough to be competitive, so they suddenly raised everyone to the top rate. This put people who just started their very first job at the same pay rate as the people who had been there for multiple years. Their "solution" was to give the long term employees a one off, taxed, check for $200. To say that people were angry would be an understatement.

Personally, I think they should have just increased everyone across the board, especially after previously bragging about making record profits multiple years in a row.

IMO, when someone else makes more, it gives me room to also argue for more. Otherwise, why not go to another company that will pay it? Getting angry at the guy with the raise won't give you one. Inflation will still happen.

Yea. Theres assholes with shitty opinions in all fields of life.

Who are these tech workers getting mad?

As a tech worker, fuck yeah! You earned it. Delivery people deal with so much shit. And I'm rooting for your success.

As a tech worker my only anger is that they're not getting paid more.

I think I share the sentiment with a majority of the responses from my fellow tech workers: fuck yeah, they deserve it. Those people are out in the elements (mind you during record breaking heat waves).

They deserve every dollar of that 170k and more as I sit in an air conditioned room pushing pixels

how is possible that a driver makes much more than average Engineer in R&D?

They don't...and if you aren't in that range with 2-5 years of experience, you should be exploring opportunities.

The other thing, it looks like their TOC is 170k, not their base pay. So that includes their health, time off, retirement, etc...

Any halfway competent engineer should be making that TOC.

Finally...good for them. If you're bitching about them making too much, I'm pretty sure they're hiring.

No anger at the UPS drivers, just my employer. But I can’t exactly stop working without risking my life collapsing around me so 🙃

As a Tech worker I think my job is more sophisticated, but much easier and less stressful than of an UPS driver, and I'm happy they can get a decent wage.

Why does this article exist? Who cares what tech workers think about someone else's pay rate?

Points from the article:

could get $170,000 in pay and benefits in five years' time in a new contract.

"This is disappointing, how is possible that a driver makes much more than average Engineer in R&D?" "This is disappointing, how is possible that an average Engineer in R&D makes much less than a driver?"

It is important to note that the $170,000 figure represents the entire value of the UPS package, including benefits and does not represent the base salary.

Despite some tech workers' resentment, many workers pointed out UPS drivers work under difficult conditions.

"I'd love for you to meet my dad who has delivered for UPS for over 35 years, hauls 100s of packages in the 105+ degree Texas heat, is literally Santa Claus in Dec, and does it for 9+ hours a day at 67 yo,"

Yeah but have you sat in a UPS truck even it's parked? It just beeps non stop.

The way this reads to me: “Some tech workers [who have never had a hard, physical job but also want their packages delivered in one day] questioned…”

Hmmm Dev bros, what we do now?

Hopefully, the mixture is 1% anger to 99% admiration. And that they are inspired to demand more for their labor as well.

As a union electrician that's not $170k on the check. They still making like $95k a year but have benifits paid into the package. Medical, pension, 401k, etc.

Oh... Cool... We get it - So you're saying fuck the bosses, right?

I was in that blind post and it was dumb. Why complain that someone else is getting more money. It's not a competition. Everyone deserves a good life

UPS drivers currently make an average of about $95,000 a year with an additional $50,000 in benefits. - That is news to me.

Headline should read "Corporate Magazine Attempts to Stoke Up Some Of That Old Anti-Labour Heat From The 80s."

Worked in Ed-Tech making less than teachers while at the same time seeing that when the network went down so did the majority of teachers' ability to teach. Didn't make me mad that the person with a Masters made more than the person with an A+. Also spoke to a former tech who, in six years, went from making less than I did in the same position to making over $300k a year.

If you want it, it's out there. You want UPS driver pay? You want to put yourself in one of the more dangerous jobs and do physical labor? You want CISO pay? You want to forego intimate relationships and free time? You want Ed-Tech Technician pay? You want to sit in an air conditioned office, answer printer and smart board tickets and goof off for half of every day?

The port workers in Vancouver BC also just landed a good deal after striking for a little bit.

I can imagine that UPS drivers would have a lot of leverage since UPS would suffer massively if they couldn't deliver packages.

Westjet union also struck a new deal recently. I think it was something like 30% increase, captains making in neighbourhood of 300k.

I'm definitely very interested in joining a labour union for my next job. Tech workers should be looking to unionize.

I'm not sure tech workers could do UPS jobs or UPS workers could do tech jobs. Different types of people. I think some of the frustration could come from the fact that one requires advanced education. Ideally we're all paid 'enough' and then some are paid more/less depending on skill. Tech workers on average might be better, but it's still not enough in high COLAs to live in comfortable apartment and raise a family without stressing about money.

BS

I think the weirdest thing is that UPS is still in business. The company has a zero percent success rate delivering to my building. Zero.

My theory is the driver parks, gets out, slaps the "nobody home" sticker on the door and drops it off at the depot. That's not delivery.