What "Brown" Means to Employees
ATLANTA, Nov. 21, 2002 - When Christine Virelli's husband was hurt in a car accident and unable to provide income or healthcare benefits for the family, Virelli, a stay-at-home mom for 16 years, knew she had to take matters into her own hands. She heard about part-time jobs at UPS that offered full healthcare coverage as well as a high starting wage, and jumped on the opportunity. Today, Virelli is a part-time supervisor overseeing 21 employees and is taking advantage of UPS's tuition assistance program-Earn & Learn-to further her education.
Virelli is just one of 431 part-time UPS employees who entered the "What Has BROWN Done For You?" employee essay contest. Fifty-seven winners will receive cash prizes and recognition from UPS senior management.
UPS held the contest in conjunction with the launch of its "What Can BROWN Do For You?" recruitment advertising campaign. The new ads extol the benefits of working at UPS and show how part-time employees are taking advantage of those benefits to reach their goals - having enough money to move into their own apartment, using tuition assistance to attend college or taking advantage of UPS's full medical coverage to manage their healthcare costs. The ads can be viewed at www.pressroom.ups.com.
"These essays tell the real UPS story," said Lea Soupata, senior vice president of human resources, who started her career with UPS in 1969 as a desk clerk. "They are very personal stories that demonstrate UPS's long-time commitment to helping employees achieve their professional and personal goals."
Part-time employees who submitted essays ranged from students benefiting from UPS's Earn & Learn tuition assistance program, to moms who love UPS's flexible hours, to retirees who are working at UPS to supplement their incomes. One of the most common themes throughout the essays was the generosity of UPS's healthcare coverage, which provides full medical, dental, and vision care for part-time employees and their families. In fact, many essays came from couples that decided to have or adopt children because of the healthcare benefits offered by UPS.
Highlights from UPS essay contest winners include:
- David Arvizu, part-time supervisor, Los Angeles - Arivzu was recently promoted to part-time international operations supervisor and is using UPS's tuition assistance program to pursue his degree at University of California, Long Beach. "BROWN believed in my ability to become a leader and this promotion has helped me gain a tremendous amount of knowledge in the management structure and environment. With this experience, I have been able to learn leadership skills, integrity, persistence and a vast array of qualities that hold true to BROWN and my daily life."
- Lea Olson, part-time supervisor, Redmond, Wash. - Olsen realized the importance of UPS's medical benefits after giving birth to her third child. "After a difficult pregnancy, I gave birth to my third child only to find out that he had a heart condition that would require surgery in order for him to live past two months of age. The heart condition would be a lifetime challenge for him, and it would have been a lifelong financial devastation for me had it not been for the OUTSTANDING medical benefits I receive as a UPS employee. My son will celebrate his fourth birthday this year! I count my blessings every day! So when asked the question 'What has BROWN done for you?'…I say it gave me a life with my son!"
- Dorothy E. Sturlaugson, customer counter/center clerk, Glendive, Mont. - After leaving her high stress, low paying job as a news director for a local television station, Sturlaugson came to UPS in attempt to realign her priorities. "My workday at UPS begins at 4 p.m. When our children were preschool age, we had all day long together. I felt so blessed to share their days. Once all three children were in school, my days were open to pursue personal goals. I found time to volunteer at school, which led to a position of yearbook advisor and a fascination with photography. I now own a photography business."
- Michael Druga, plant engineer, Orlando, Fla.- Since joining UPS in 1997, Druga has worked his way up from part-time unloader to a part-time supervisor position in UPS's plant engineering department. Using UPS's tuition assistance program, he is earning his degree in electrical engineering and aims to stay with the company after graduation. "When I first took a job at UPS I didn't even know that there was an engineering department and never imagined that I would still be employed here after five years. This job has always grown along with me, whether I needed some extra cash while enjoying a flexible schedule or a means of support that could turn into a full-time career."
- Amanda Lang, part-time corporate credit supervisor, Visalia, Calif. - Working in the corporate credit department, Lang is able to see first hand UPS's commitment to the ethical policies that have kept the company successful for nearly a century. "How comforting it is to belong to a company that truly lives by an ethical standard. Our policy book really is more than words. My management team studies a policy each month and analyzes how to apply it to the daily running of our business. UPS founder, Jim Casey, would be proud to see the course our company is maintaining."
A full summary of the employees and their compelling stories is located at www.pressroom.ups.com. For individuals seeking employment opportunities at UPS, visit www.upsjobs.com.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), the world's largest express carrier and package delivery company, operates in more than 200 countries and territories and employs 360,000 people worldwide. The company's commitment to its employees has been recognized by several notable organizations including Your Money magazine ("America's Best Part-Time Job") and Fortune magazine ("America's Best Companies for Minorities"). In 2001, UPS won the nation's only presidential award for corporate leadership, The Conference Board's Ron Brown Award for Corporate Citizenship, in recognition of its employee programs.
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For more information, contact:
- Paula Fulford
UPS
404-828-4242 - Sarah Suarez
Fleishman-Hillard
314-982-8622
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