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5th Union Petition Filed at Fedex Freight
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<blockquote data-quote="chrisgumm" data-source="post: 1404110" data-attributes="member: 49640"><p>They are up to 8 petitions with several more to be filed nationally.</p><p></p><p>From today's Indy Star:</p><p></p><p><strong>Teamsters aim to organize FedEx’s Indy drivers</strong></p><p></p><p>Jeff Swiatek, <em>2:50 p.m. EDT September 10, 2014</em></p><p></p><p>Teamsters want to organize FedEx drivers in Indianapolis. (Photo: Star Photo/Charlie Nye )</p><p></p><p>The Teamsters union is trying to whip up pro-union sentiment among 250 local FedEx drivers as it lays the groundwork for a possible unionization vote.</p><p></p><p>An organizing campaign that began in January “is going absolutely great,” and an election could be coming for the drivers to vote on unionizing, said Jeff Combs, an organizer for Teamsters Local 135 in Indianapolis.</p><p></p><p>“Hopefully we will be filing for an election in the next 60 to 90 days with the National Labor Relations Board,” Combs said.</p><p></p><p>FedEx’s drivers have never been unionized. The package delivery company has consistently fought efforts to unionize its drivers, saying they are independent contractors and have no right to unionize under federal law.</p><p></p><p>Combs said the union has won the support of at least 30 percent of FedEx’s local drivers and is aiming for 50 percent support before it files to hold an election.</p><p></p><p>The Indianapolis organizing drive is part of a broader push by the Teamsters to organize FedEx drivers nationally. The Teamsters already have filed with the NLRB to hold secret ballot union elections for FedEx workers in eight cities, including Nashville, Tenn.; Newark, N.J.; and Richmond, Va.</p><p></p><p>Combs said the union’s campaign is feeding on anger among FedEx drivers over small raises in pay, rising health insurance premiums and a company job-performance rating called Scorecard that FedEx began using locally last year.</p><p></p><p>“You reach a certain number on this Scorecard and they automatically fire you,” Combs said. He called Scorecard “a way to weed out your old workers because they earn more.”</p><p></p><p>FedEx stopped using Scorecard about a month ago. Combs credited the organizing efforts for the company’s decision to drop Scorecard.</p><p></p><p>FedEx local spokesperson Paula Bosler denied Combs’ contention that the company stopped using Scorecard because of the union’s criticism. “Changing our approach to driver safety reviews has nothing to do with the Teamsters. We have been reviewing and addressing these issues long before the current union activity.”</p><p></p><p>She said the company doesn’t think unionization would benefit its drivers.</p><p></p><p>“FedEx believes the majority of our employees would oppose the Teamsters’ plan to unionize in our service centers. Our thriving, competitive work environment provides a more flexible, team-oriented, and customer-focused work model than the union offers.”</p><p></p><p>Bosler said healthcare costs are rising only minimally for FedEx workers, by no more than $10 a month this year, while wages for drivers rank among the best in the delivery industry. Drivers can expect a raise in October, she said.</p><p></p><p>Combs, an assistant to Local 135 President Danny Barton, said FedEx managers are opposing the organization effort by giving anti-union information to drivers in one-on-one and group meetings.</p><p></p><p>Local 135 is one of the largest union locals in the state, with 14,500 members. About a third of its members are flight attendants at Republic Airways and workers for FedEx rival UPS.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="chrisgumm, post: 1404110, member: 49640"] They are up to 8 petitions with several more to be filed nationally. From today's Indy Star: [B]Teamsters aim to organize FedEx’s Indy drivers[/B] Jeff Swiatek, [I]2:50 p.m. EDT September 10, 2014[/I] Teamsters want to organize FedEx drivers in Indianapolis. (Photo: Star Photo/Charlie Nye ) The Teamsters union is trying to whip up pro-union sentiment among 250 local FedEx drivers as it lays the groundwork for a possible unionization vote. An organizing campaign that began in January “is going absolutely great,” and an election could be coming for the drivers to vote on unionizing, said Jeff Combs, an organizer for Teamsters Local 135 in Indianapolis. “Hopefully we will be filing for an election in the next 60 to 90 days with the National Labor Relations Board,” Combs said. FedEx’s drivers have never been unionized. The package delivery company has consistently fought efforts to unionize its drivers, saying they are independent contractors and have no right to unionize under federal law. Combs said the union has won the support of at least 30 percent of FedEx’s local drivers and is aiming for 50 percent support before it files to hold an election. The Indianapolis organizing drive is part of a broader push by the Teamsters to organize FedEx drivers nationally. The Teamsters already have filed with the NLRB to hold secret ballot union elections for FedEx workers in eight cities, including Nashville, Tenn.; Newark, N.J.; and Richmond, Va. Combs said the union’s campaign is feeding on anger among FedEx drivers over small raises in pay, rising health insurance premiums and a company job-performance rating called Scorecard that FedEx began using locally last year. “You reach a certain number on this Scorecard and they automatically fire you,” Combs said. He called Scorecard “a way to weed out your old workers because they earn more.” FedEx stopped using Scorecard about a month ago. Combs credited the organizing efforts for the company’s decision to drop Scorecard. FedEx local spokesperson Paula Bosler denied Combs’ contention that the company stopped using Scorecard because of the union’s criticism. “Changing our approach to driver safety reviews has nothing to do with the Teamsters. We have been reviewing and addressing these issues long before the current union activity.” She said the company doesn’t think unionization would benefit its drivers. “FedEx believes the majority of our employees would oppose the Teamsters’ plan to unionize in our service centers. Our thriving, competitive work environment provides a more flexible, team-oriented, and customer-focused work model than the union offers.” Bosler said healthcare costs are rising only minimally for FedEx workers, by no more than $10 a month this year, while wages for drivers rank among the best in the delivery industry. Drivers can expect a raise in October, she said. Combs, an assistant to Local 135 President Danny Barton, said FedEx managers are opposing the organization effort by giving anti-union information to drivers in one-on-one and group meetings. Local 135 is one of the largest union locals in the state, with 14,500 members. About a third of its members are flight attendants at Republic Airways and workers for FedEx rival UPS. [/QUOTE]
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