Tech workers react to UPS drivers landing a $170,000 a year package with a mixture of anger and admiration::Some tech workers questioned whether UPS drivers deserved high pay — others jumped in to note the importance of the jobs and harsh working conditions.
A UPS driving job is a hell of a lot more difficult and tiring than most tech jobs. It might take less skill, but tech workers don’t have to be out in the heat or freezing cold all day carrying heavy loads and dealing with angry people who blame them for a late package or, worse, get shot at for the crime of being in the neighborhood while black.
Driving quickly but safely with an oversized vehicle is a skill.
Preparing so you can survive on the road for an entire day, is a skill.
Delivering loads of items on a tight schedule, despite all the shit that life is going to throw at you (accidents, roadworks, dog attacks, etc) is a skill.
Can we stop with this “low skill” bullshit? Most white-collar workers wouldn’t last a week in one of these jobs. The low/high skill classification is just a way for the managerial classes to justify their outsized
profiteeringremuneration.This is true. Hence why garbage men are paid quite a lot. Low skill but a very difficult job.