Ups Essay Research Paper At 1201 am

Ups Essay, Research Paper

At 12:01 a.m. August 04,1997, 185,000 members of the International Brotherhood of

Teamsters, one of the largest and historically most powerful unions in the U.S., struck

against the United Parcel Service, the company which ships 80 percent of all packages in

the country. It was the first nationwide strike in the 90-year history of UPS, and involves

more workers than any strike in this decade. “It’s Our Contract, We’ll Fight for It” said

Teamster signs. It’s more than just a contract dispute, and what’s needed is a fight to win

this key labor battle. “We’re striking for every worker in America,” said a picketing UPS

driver in Atlanta. He’s right, and then some. All working people, minorities, immigrants

and every other oppressed sector in this country have a stake in this struggle. We must

prepare now to come out and defend the UPS strikers against the blows that the bosses

and their government are already preparing.

A 21-year UPS driver picketing outside the UPS Metro facility at 43rd Street in

Manhattan told The Internationalist: “this is a standoff between labor and

management–here it’s UPS, but it’s almost everywhere. The management at UPS looks at

us with contempt.” Deep-seated resentment against the highhanded UPS bosses and the

sheer power of the unionized work force make this a chance to turn the tide of the more

than two decades of defeats that the unions have suffered.

UPS was founded in 1907 by a 19-year-old Seattle teenager who employed a team

of boys to deliver luggage, parcels, and store purchases, UPS matched company growth

with innovation. The company pioneered the idea of “consolidated delivery,” which

streamlines performance by combining packages addressed to the same neighborhoods.

UPS introduced its service to the general public after World War II, and had its national

network in place by 1975. Its international network was set up soon after. In 1988, UPS

received approval to operate as an independent airline, and it is currently the nation’s

ninth-largest, even offering weekend charter flights.

Package delivery for retail stores became the company’s focus, and in 1913 Jim

merged with a competitor, Evert (”Mac”) McCabe, and the American Messenger

Company changed its name to Merchants Parcel Delivery. Charles W. (”Charlie”)

Soderstrom joined the firm and helped manage the company’s growing fleet of delivery

vehicles. During this period, the company also pioneered the concept of consolidated

delivery, combining packages addressed to a certain neighborhood onto one delivery

vehicle.

The company extended operations to Oakland, California, and later to Los

Angeles. In 1919, the name United Parcel Service was adopted. “United” because

shipments were consolidated, and “Service” because, as Charlie Soderstrom observed,

“Service is all we have to offer.” In 1929, the company opened United Air Express,

offering package delivery via airplane to major West Coast cities and as far inland as El

Paso, Texas. All UPS vehicles were painted the now-familiar Pullman railroad brown

color. By the 1930s, UPS provided delivery services in all major West Coast cities, with a

consolidated delivery service in the New York City area. The first mechanical system for

package sorting was developed, and a 180-foot-long conveyor belt was installed in Los

Angeles.

By the early 1950s it was clear that contract service to retail stores was limited and

UPS managers began looking for new opportunities. They decided to expand their

services by acquiring “common carrier” rights to deliver packages between all addresses,

for any customer, private or commercial. This decision placed UPS in direct competition

with the U.S. Postal Service.

In 1953, UPS resumed air service, offering two-day service to major cities on the

East and West coasts. The service, called UPS Blue Label Air, grew and in 1978 the

service was available in every state, including Alaska and Hawaii. To ensure dependability

during the time of federal deregulation of airlines, UPS began to assemble its own jet

cargo fleet, the largest in the industry. With growing demand for faster service, UPS

entered the overnight air delivery business, and, by 1985, UPS Next Day Air service was

available in 48 states and Puerto Rico. Alaska and Hawaii were added later. UPS entered a

new era with international air package and document service, linking the U.S. and six

European nations.

In 1988 UPS received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA) to operate its own aircraft, thus officially becoming an airline. UPS Airlines was the

fastest-growing airline in FAA history, formed in little more than one year with all the

necessary technology and support systems. In 1990, UPS introduced scheduled service to

Asia and Mexico with expanded air express service by jet, feeder or contract airlift to

more than 200 countries

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