Today, I made my second attempt to get a tour of the UPS facility in Commerce City, where they are purportedly hiring package handlers. (My first attempt yesterday was thwarted by my own lack of knowledge of the area, and I ended up getting hopelessly lost as darkness fell.)

After successfully navigating my way to the place, I found the large parking lot packed with cars, but eventually did find a place. I thought I might be slightly early, since the tour for prospective employees was to begin at 17:00, and I was there at 16:40. Better to be early than get lost again and end up missing it.

Outside the entrance, there was a sizable crowd of people gathered. All waiting for the same tour of package handling jobs? Yep.

I approached the entrance, where the clerk instructed me to put my name on the signup sheet. I did so, and proceeded to wait. I was somewhat surprised by the size of the crowd that had come to take the tour. At least 3 dozen people.

The crowd stood outside waiting, until someone came out to lead the tour.

The speech he gave before the tour began was most amusing. It almost seemed as if he were trying to turn people off to the idea of the job by listing all its disadvantages. The only positions they are hiring for are part time, and highly unlikely to expand to full time until employees work there several years. They are looking for at least a six month commitment. No temporary work. Full-time positions are based on seniority. The pays is $8.50/hour, which would result in slightly over $100 of take home pay per week. (Try paying rent anywhere in this city on that.)

The job would involve lots of heavy lifting of boxes up to 70 pounds. "...and the inside of those trucks can get cold in the winter, and hot in the summer. On a 100 degree day, the inside can be 130."

When that wasn't enough to turn anybody away, he said he could only take the first 15 names on the list for the tour, which would also including filling out an application and interviewing. He read off the first 15 names, which ended up amounting to a small fraction of those in attendance, and told everybody else they could come back another day. The crowd dispersed.

20 minutes had not been early enough. He didn't get to my name.

After witnessing a scene like that, I really have to wonder if it is time to just throw in the towel and forget about employment.

Who me? No, I'm not giving up.

Anyone who says there is a labor shortage, in the tech sector or elsewhere, is smoking some serious crack. There is more than plenty of labor, and they know it.

Tomorrow, we will find out whether the talk about Taco Bell and McDonalds "always hiring" is true or not. I'm not holding my breath, but I shall find out, and report my findings here.

I hope UPN turns on their transmitter to broadcast Buffy tonight, cause missing it last week sucked. I might not have a tv much longer, but I intend to use this one while it's here.

This concludes today's unemployment report.