Engineers Union?

[George Huston]

Rick Lutzinger wrote:
>
> >Date:         Thu, 31 Jul 1997 13:58:22 -0700
> >Reply-To: Chris Trask <ctrask at PRIMENET.COM>
> >Sender: Heathkit Owners and Collectors List <HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV>
> >From: Chris Trask <ctrask at PRIMENET.COM>
> >Subject:      Re: UPS strike
> >Comments: To: "Kelley, Dave" <Dave_Kelley at TEMPE.GOV>
> >To: HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
> >
> >On Thu, 31 Jul 1997, Kelley, Dave wrote:
> >
> >> I thought I'd put in a good word here for the USPS.  If you haven't
> >> checked lately, the Post Office has noticed the competition and is doing
> >> a great job (notice I didn't say 'bang up job') on their deliveries.
> >> It's nothing like the old days at all.  FedEx is probably better, but
> >> you may pay more for shipping than the contents is worth.  For $3-$8 at
> >> the USPS you can have just about anything sent anywhere in about 3 days.
> >>
> >        I'd like to add my $0.02's worth here.  I recently tried shipping
> >a small package, which contained a screened cover for a Heathkit HP23
> >power supply, to a fellow in Maryland.  Not only did UPS open the pack-
> >age to see if I had packed it properly, but they wanted to charge me more
> >than $6!! I went to the post office, and they took the package, charging
> >me $3.75.  For another $0.25 it could have gone by air.  For heavier
> >parcels, the rates are in favour of UPS.
> >
> >        If you call up UPS to ask about rates, they ask you all sorts of
> >questions about what's in the package, as though it mattered.  Call the
> >post office, and you get an answer.
> >
> >        For small packages and service, my money's with the post office.
> >As far as unions are concerned, I'll say this:  Workers will not organ-
> >ize if they are treated fairly and have good work conditions.  Unions
> >are not, by nature, instruments of worker greed, but are for the pro-
> >tection of labour against inept/corrupt/incompetent/abusive management.
> >
> >        I know that this is off-topic, but I've worked in a lot of
> >places where I wished to God there was a union.  Ever try to organize
> >engineers?  Last time I saw teamwork was on the side of a can of Boraxo.
> >Prior to that it was while flying transports in the Air Force.  Too bad
> >I grew up in the US Army, or I could be just like everyone else. :{^
> >
> >        I'm taking the postal exam in August.  Got the paperwork today.
> >
> >        I'm memorizing the "International".
> >
> >        I gotta go.
> >
> >                                          Regards,
> >
> >                                          Chris
> >
> >     ,----------------------.       Circuit Design for the
> >    / If you understand it,  \            RF Impaired
> >   /   then it's obsolete!   /
> >   \  _______,--------------'        Chris Trask / N7ZWY
> >  _ |/                               Principal Engineer
> > oo\                                 ATG Design Services
> >(__)\       _                          P.O. Box 25240
> >  \  \    .'  `.                  Tempe, Arizona 85285-5240
> >   \  \  /      \
> >    \  '"        \                     Technical Editor,
> >     .       (  ) \                      QRP Quarterly
> >      '-| )__| :.  \                     QRP ARCI 9464
> >        | |  | | \  '.
> >       c__; c__;  '-..'>.__      Email:  ctrask at primenet.com
> >
> >                    Graphics by Loek Frederiks
> >
> >
>
> The last thing any good, self-thinking engineer would want is a union
> running his day, his design, his life for him!
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Rick Lutzinger KD6ZR                            email (work): rickl at lathropeng.com
> 647 Choctaw Drive                               email (home): rjlutz at home.com
> Fremont, CA 94539
> _______________________________________________________________________

In the interest of fairness to all sides, my experience with USPS has
been consistently poor. Same package from Minnesota to Texas cost $2 more
via USPS than UPS, and USPS doesn't have tracking numbers. On top of
that, the postal employee consistently acts like he is being bothered
that you would actually bring in a package for USPS to mail. Same problem
when I buy stamps at the post office. They almost throw the change at you
and never thank you for their business. I wish UPS was in the mail
handling business. I bet the rates would drop over time and service
would improve. I could also tell the story about the carrier that
couldn't ever seem to remember to close the lid on the street-side
mailbox......