olivia said:
Perhaps this has been discussed already but a friend of mine is asking,
can you retire at age 55 years and have travel benefits??
Or how many years do you need to work in order to get lifetime travel benefits?
Also, how is the new contract with the teamsters coming along?
We will be very interested in questions regarding salary, vacation, health coverage and trading privileges. Also any word if they will keep the INT office open....
Thanks for your help. Looking forward to working with all of you.
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Olivia--I'm pretty sure you can retire at 55. I think the years of service are 10 but not really sure.
Yes to travel benefits.
As for the teamsters thing--I'm not really happy about the feedback we're getting--actually NONE. Reports from the meetings are posted a month after the meeting and seems the group aren't talking to any of the agents. We're pretty upset about that and some are talking that if we have another vote. Not to vote in any union because we trust Doug to do right by us.
Salary is the pits right now, but it has been told to us--from the horses mouth--that we should be raised up to U rates. Not the other way around. Of course our bennies are much better--free short and long term disability--with a chance to buy up on long term disability. Free vision. United Health with a decent rate of insurance--but we all know United Health starts out good then gets higher but the powers that be really try and look for good health benefits for us. Vacation is pretty much 10 days a year, also 10 sick days a year paid at 100% of salary on day one. 2 floating holidays. Swap privilidges are great. Pretty much the same as I remember them.
I must stress to you all that working at HP is so much less stressful. Our managers and sups are the best in the world.
We also have a "club" called the Cactus Club. We give $1.00 a pay check and then we do things together--sups and managers too. For instance a group went to the comedy hour at the Hilton last week--one of the sups was the MC. On August 13 a group of us are going for dinner--steak and lobster--and Smoky Joe's Cafe show at the Eldorado. We only pay--the employee and cactus club member-$9.71 for the food and show. Cactus Club picks up the rest. It's fun and gets us all to hang out together and get to know each other outside of work. Plus it's fun
Last week we had root beer floats to raise money for a cancer fund. Next week we are having Bar B Q at work for the same fund. We do things all the time together.
The Phoenix office does things like football games, baseball games and such.
A group of us went to the price is right in June. We had agents from both offices there and friends. Yes, one of the "friends" got to contestant row but didn't get out.
We have pictures of family, pets, and just pretty pictures at cubes. We don't do cross stitch but can read and talk when not busy or play cards, scrabble or work crossword puzzles. It's a very relaxed atmosphere.
If we're having a bad day and things are backed up the sups bring us candy to cheer us up.
I could go on and on--but I'll let others add to this. PM me if you want more.
Better off with union representation ? well let me see several huge pay cuts loss of some bennies closure of call centers outsorcing to manila yep sounds swell to have that protection. I guess if you are in manilla its good. sign me up (when i am dead ). Tell me one thing they have done for the res center in the last 2 yrs
