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<blockquote data-quote="Ricochet1a" data-source="post: 733106" data-attributes="member: 22880"><p>Part-timers can unionize. However, when there are part and full time employees in the same craft, they are considered to be a single group for union certification purposes.</p><p> </p><p>The next part is more complicated. Ideally, all Ground terminals would need to be equipped with caster decking to handle air cargo containers. However, there is a short term work around to this. Handlers at the ramps can transload air cargo containers into bulk trailers. In two hours time, five handlers can transload the contents of about 12 AMJs into two bulk trailers. That is 10 man-hours of labor to transload approximately 3000 or so pieces - assuming the typical AMJ piece count of 250 pcs. For Express, that works out to about $160 in labor expense to reconfigure 3000 pcs of volume, or somewhere around 5 cents a piece. If the need arises quickly, they'll do this - they are already paying a good sum for rental vehicles now in DGO, paying 5 cents a piece to transload is an acceptable cost in a short term situation. </p><p> </p><p>With freight transloaded into bulk trailers, it can easily be transported to Ground terminals and unloaded with the existing facilities present. So the issue of freight being in air cargo containers presents no problem for Express in shifting volume to Ground. Once Ground terminals have caster decking, this small expense can be eliminated. </p><p> </p><p>I do believe that the software already exists for the tracking devices that Ground uses to have a software upgrade to be able to accept Express barcodes. The only potential issue is the coding of the delivery address in Express ROADS. I do believe that the ROADS coding is directly transferrable to Ground software though. This means that the Ground routing software can easily take Express address information and convert that into Ground route numbers and stop order determinations. So no issues there for FedEx. </p><p> </p><p>The last thing would be how quickly could Ground expand to take non-overnight volume from Express. This is a wildcard. If the need was pressing enough, FedEx would cover the financing/lending for contractors to purchase new equipment. FedEx knows it cannot press contractors to purchase a large quantity of new equipment on short notice. There is nothing preventing FedEx from purchasing the equipment themselves, then "leasing" it to the contractors until they get the funds to outright purchase the additional trucks. </p><p> </p><p>So the question then is how long would it take from Express announcing it was going to shift the delivery of non-overnight volume to Ground, to actually being able to do it? How fast can FedEx acquire enough trucks for the Ground contractors to use? I'd say 6 to 8 weeks from the point of public announcement to being able to perform the conversion. All of those vehicles that Express is leasing today can just as easily be leased by Ground contractors tomorrow...</p><p> </p><p>Remember, the plan has been in the works for quite sometime. It is all a matter of execution. FedEx knows damn good and well that the moment they announce something like this, that Express Couriers will be lining up to sign union cards - even the Kool Aid consumers. There won't be any announcement on Frontline telling us about the "wonderful changes that are coming to Express", there will be a manager's meeting announcing that delivery of volume is being shifted to Ground, and there won't be much notice. </p><p> </p><p>It takes far longer than 6 to 8 weeks to go from a situation where virtually no employees have signed union cards, to a certification vote, to actual certification, to start talks on a contract, to going through the steps needed for the employees to legally be able to walk out on strike. Fred can move much faster than the employees. </p><p> </p><p>That is why if you want to preserve your job at FedEx (as a wage employee) you need to sign the union card NOW. For those that think that if they don't sign a union card, that maybe Fred will not do what he can to minimize his costs, you need to put down the Kool Aid pitcher and get a reality check. You can read that article out of the Commercial Appeal that states that Ground has a $1.25 cost advantage over UPS per piece delivered. Fred wants the same cost advantage to apply to as many Express packages as possible. Paying Express employees what he is right now, he won't get that cost advantage, forget about it if he has to pay Express employees union wages. Getting a union is the only way wage employees have to assure they have a job with Express that Fred can't 'reorganize' at his whim, down to part-time status. </p><p> </p><p>If Fred does indeed transfer volume to Ground, all Express will need is part-time employees in DGO. Part-timers in the AM to deliver overnight volume, part-timers in the PM to pickup all Express volume. Part-timers are far cheaper than full-timers, can be dumped if they get injured and can be made to work more hours without incurring overtime expense.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ricochet1a, post: 733106, member: 22880"] Part-timers can unionize. However, when there are part and full time employees in the same craft, they are considered to be a single group for union certification purposes. The next part is more complicated. Ideally, all Ground terminals would need to be equipped with caster decking to handle air cargo containers. However, there is a short term work around to this. Handlers at the ramps can transload air cargo containers into bulk trailers. In two hours time, five handlers can transload the contents of about 12 AMJs into two bulk trailers. That is 10 man-hours of labor to transload approximately 3000 or so pieces - assuming the typical AMJ piece count of 250 pcs. For Express, that works out to about $160 in labor expense to reconfigure 3000 pcs of volume, or somewhere around 5 cents a piece. If the need arises quickly, they'll do this - they are already paying a good sum for rental vehicles now in DGO, paying 5 cents a piece to transload is an acceptable cost in a short term situation. With freight transloaded into bulk trailers, it can easily be transported to Ground terminals and unloaded with the existing facilities present. So the issue of freight being in air cargo containers presents no problem for Express in shifting volume to Ground. Once Ground terminals have caster decking, this small expense can be eliminated. I do believe that the software already exists for the tracking devices that Ground uses to have a software upgrade to be able to accept Express barcodes. The only potential issue is the coding of the delivery address in Express ROADS. I do believe that the ROADS coding is directly transferrable to Ground software though. This means that the Ground routing software can easily take Express address information and convert that into Ground route numbers and stop order determinations. So no issues there for FedEx. The last thing would be how quickly could Ground expand to take non-overnight volume from Express. This is a wildcard. If the need was pressing enough, FedEx would cover the financing/lending for contractors to purchase new equipment. FedEx knows it cannot press contractors to purchase a large quantity of new equipment on short notice. There is nothing preventing FedEx from purchasing the equipment themselves, then "leasing" it to the contractors until they get the funds to outright purchase the additional trucks. So the question then is how long would it take from Express announcing it was going to shift the delivery of non-overnight volume to Ground, to actually being able to do it? How fast can FedEx acquire enough trucks for the Ground contractors to use? I'd say 6 to 8 weeks from the point of public announcement to being able to perform the conversion. All of those vehicles that Express is leasing today can just as easily be leased by Ground contractors tomorrow... Remember, the plan has been in the works for quite sometime. It is all a matter of execution. FedEx knows damn good and well that the moment they announce something like this, that Express Couriers will be lining up to sign union cards - even the Kool Aid consumers. There won't be any announcement on Frontline telling us about the "wonderful changes that are coming to Express", there will be a manager's meeting announcing that delivery of volume is being shifted to Ground, and there won't be much notice. It takes far longer than 6 to 8 weeks to go from a situation where virtually no employees have signed union cards, to a certification vote, to actual certification, to start talks on a contract, to going through the steps needed for the employees to legally be able to walk out on strike. Fred can move much faster than the employees. That is why if you want to preserve your job at FedEx (as a wage employee) you need to sign the union card NOW. For those that think that if they don't sign a union card, that maybe Fred will not do what he can to minimize his costs, you need to put down the Kool Aid pitcher and get a reality check. You can read that article out of the Commercial Appeal that states that Ground has a $1.25 cost advantage over UPS per piece delivered. Fred wants the same cost advantage to apply to as many Express packages as possible. Paying Express employees what he is right now, he won't get that cost advantage, forget about it if he has to pay Express employees union wages. Getting a union is the only way wage employees have to assure they have a job with Express that Fred can't 'reorganize' at his whim, down to part-time status. If Fred does indeed transfer volume to Ground, all Express will need is part-time employees in DGO. Part-timers in the AM to deliver overnight volume, part-timers in the PM to pickup all Express volume. Part-timers are far cheaper than full-timers, can be dumped if they get injured and can be made to work more hours without incurring overtime expense. [/QUOTE]
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