I had the unfortunate development of a head cold and sore throat after this weekend. I missed yesterday and I’m still not at 100 percent, so today’s post is a short one. Hope to be back to normal by end of the week.
One of my uncles drove truck for BASF for 21 years after starting as a technical illustrator. He made more money driving a rig than he did drawing, but I’ll bet even he wouldn’t believe the amount of money that UPS drivers are now making.
After the Teamsters union secured a win guaranteeing that UPS delivery drivers would make $170,000 in salary and benefits by the end of a 5-year period, people in tech and other white-collar workers had a lot to say about it. As the wife of a UPS driver, so do I.
Let’s start with the facts. The $170,000 is not a base salary — it takes into consideration healthcare and pension benefits. But that’s not even what bothers me most about people’s reactions, which range from wondering why drivers would make that much money to calling them overpaid and undeserving.
I really want people to think about why they believe UPS workers don’t deserve to be fairly compensated. It seems like a lot of it has to do with the snobbery white-collar workers feel toward blue-collar workers. I’m a hairdresser so I see it in my work, too. Some people just feel like they’re better than us and that we don’t deserve nice things or stability.
What’s remarkable is that this UPS driver’s wife goes on and on to justify his salary and benefits, criticizing white collar workers, CEOs and capitalism. None of her reasons truly “justify” that salary and benefits package. It just “is” and good for them.
It would behoove people who are blessed with such material wealth to be thankful for it and stay quiet.
But that’s just me.