I truly thought FedEx wouldn't go after older, better paid couriers but I may be wrong. Was told yesterday that one of our senior couriers was sent home last Friday with a decision day for not hitting his numbers. Courier who told me that might not be the most reliable source, said another courier told him. Anyways the courier who was sent home hasn't been in this week and his schedule just says "not scheduled" instead of vacation. Source told me courier was told that he won't be the only one and I've heard a number of older, topped out couriers complaining they've been called into office and gotten after for not hitting their numbers. Mgr mentioned in meeting this morning that things are getting very serious and we're going to have to do better. Made the comment that if we lose anyone they probably won't be replaced before Peak, if at all. One might argue they're prepping us for major changes but I guess it's wait and see. Should know more about this particular courier's situation next week.
Guess I Was Wrong
- Thread starter vantexan
- Start date
I am a handler for Express, and we are very short on employees, which isn't TOO bad at this time of year, but things do pick up once a month with Coach when they have sales, which makes things go crazy. My mangr told us in a preshift meeting yesterday, that he put in for new hires, and they came back denied and we are not aloud to hire anyone at this time(This includes that people that are fixing to quit. Still, we will not be able to hire anyone). And, with that, we are not sure when we are going to be able to hire new handlers. Therefore, we are just keeping our fingers crossed, and hoping that we can get some help sometime soon.
I know a former courier who's part of an age discrimination suit against FedEx. He got on it about 4 years ago and almost nothing has been done. Considering all the lawsuits over the years they must be confident legally to do stuff like this.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
There is a former courier named that I used to talk with on FedExaminer (I think vantexan knows him too) who made it to the Supreme Court, where they found that his age discrimination case could be heard. FedEx had claimed it hadn't been filed in a timely manner or some other BS...and lost. That's pretty significant given that the SCOTUS has a conservative bias. I have not heard anything more about it since, so I don't know if they bought him out or if FedEx is just stretching it out by playing legal games.
They have always targeted senior topped-out employees, and their "confidence" might be mis-placed if it generates more lawsuits. As I've said many times before, FedEx is a company without ethics or conscience when it comes to employees. This is why the PR Machine is so important to Fred, because FedEx can point to all of the wonderful things it does and what a "great" place it is to work. Juries lap this up, not knowing the reality of working for FedEx.
The PR machine is why they'll always be on top. Most couriers are male, and it's hard to find a televised sporting event where the FedEx brand isn't displayed. Keeps the newhires coming in. And of course the juries never know about the revolving door of newhires leaving. We may know how things really are, but we're fighting a losing battle against a public perception that we're highly paid doing easy work. At this point just want to get a few more years in and not think about this company any more.
SmithBarney
Well-Known Member
oh yeah most people mistake us for UPS when we walk in... they also think we make as much as UPS drivers... after benefits(which are included at UPS) I make about $10/hr yawn... oh well I guess I'm thankful, but is the stress of worrying over your job daily worth it? Not sure, but at this point I need the medical for my sick wife. We just brought in a bunch of transfers FT and PT... and now people are being sent home.. we have too many people, some people work 3hrs(get 4 guaranteed) and others are pushed over 11.... STA is poorly scheduled...
Cactus
Just telling it like it is
Sooner or later most likely a judge will rule that FedEx is gonna have to fish or cut bait.
That courier was hit with a decision day. He's back at work, said he'll have to make his rt
goals from now on. Said part of the problem was waiting at Target warehouse and not reporting that to mgr. Haven't heard if anyone else has gotten a decision day yet but mgr told this guy there will be others. people-service-PROFIT
goals from now on. Said part of the problem was waiting at Target warehouse and not reporting that to mgr. Haven't heard if anyone else has gotten a decision day yet but mgr told this guy there will be others. people-service-PROFIT
DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS
Well-Known Member
This is something I am all too familiar with. Since we had another local station close and combine with ours, we have more people than work. It's fun being FT, having your manager forget and then realize (after his chewing from the senior..)that you've been getting 10-15 hours of guarantee pay, then they have to scramble to find you hours...and there are PT's getting 50 hours a week. Where's the justice in that?
Now I just show up, there's no point in asking questions, you never get an answer anyway.
We have that issue here, too. We have part timers schedule for 6 days, but they are paying full timers minimums in some cases. Everyone is walking on eggshells because they don't want a target on their back. No questions here either. It's a wait and see game. Now, this new September memo gets thrown in to the mix.
starglacier
Well-Known Member
True mgmt had a belt meeting last week. Starting in sept. you don't make your numbers you will be fired!!!
LTFedExer
Well-Known Member
I know you don't think if you don't hit your numbers ONCE, you'll be fired.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Dude, they are looking for anything to ding you these days. What do you suppose the motivation for that might be? Perhaps the elimination of as many of us as possible? The "September Surprise" still has not been fully disclosed IMO.
Cactus
Just telling it like it is
If they fire couriers for not making their numbers (the numbers pulled out of a hat by clueless engineers) 1. Their unemployment claims and unemployment insurance costs will soar. 2. Whoever the new hire is that replaces them will not be able to hit those numbers without at least 6 months of experience. 3. I see lawsuits on the horizon because Fred is trying to push couriers to drive faster and unsafely. 4. Lost business due to crappier service (if you want to call it that.)
Good points. I'm sure they've got people looking at every angle and deciding whether the benefit is worth the risk. I think we can now say, rather than speculate, that something is actually happening, and is nationwide. Are they trying to trim the fat, so to speak, or is this the first step in a series leading to major changes in how Express operates? Will we see positive pay changes? Or will any pay improvements be offset by reductions in hours? Is all this overblown, or will Express be totally different in 12 months? Alot of questions, would be nice if they would clarify soon exactly what we can expect. If they wait until after Peak have to wonder if it's really negative news. Telling us before Peak might lose a few people. Come on FedEx, what's our future looking like?
DS
Fenderbender
Man, does this sound familiar.When ups went public,they went from"we want to be a more customer oriented company",to a "how can we cut costs" company in just a few years.Things change fast,and it is not impossible that some new,cheaper,customer friendly company could emerge at any time,and make mincemeat out of the both of us.The money hungry shareholders at the top think they own the road,but it would not take much to dissuade the masses if a viable alternative was available.Anyone can deliver packages,but doing it in a way that only one attempt is necessary,may be the one factor that combines customer satisfaction with production.The technology is available to do this,but hey I'm going off topic here.
Fred is wasting millions having 2 companies doing one job.
UPS is air and ground at once,but high wages prohibit excessive overtime,which is inevitable when cutting routes.
vantexan,I hear you,and it scares me to think that ups/fedex, may end up studebakers.
In a land of Audi's.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
You're speaking as if FedEx has already made announcements as to future operating plans - they haven't. Express is just now in the process of announcing that there will no longer be a performance review. Has Express announced ANYTHING else??? No, they have kept completely silent. Express won't make any public announcement of ANYTHING until it suits their needs.
And anyone that thinks that their station management will know of anything in the "wings" is sadly mistaken. Station management didn't get the email regarding the change to the review process till late Tuesday/early Wednesday of last week. Unless they had someone outside normal channels of communication telling them, they were caught completely flatfooted.
There is another thing which people still in FedEx are starting to ask about. FedEx is OBSESSIVE about merit compensation. Everything in FedEx culture has compensation directly linked to MERIT. Now, whether that measurment of merit is directly associated with ACTUAL job performance is a separate issue. So...
The $64,000 question is: "What has changed within Express to make individual merit no longer relevant towards determining pay increases for wage employees?"
So far, no one I know has been able to adequately address this question. FedEx obsesses with measurement of everything, from stops per hour, to stem times, to scan compliance - you name it, they measure it. Not only do they measure it, but they then link the performance parameters with compensation increases - till September 1, 2011. This all goes away...
There is something else going on.
You ask: "Is this the first step in a series leading to major changes...".
I think you've answered your own question. In FedEx's history, can anyone think of a time where compensation for hourly (or even most salaried) employees wasn't tied to some sort of "merit" measurement?
The only places where individual merit isn't worried about are places where the employees are deemed easily trained and replacable. In union shops, there is no individual performance review, since the labor contract more or less prohibits measuring employees separate from their workgroup. They either meet standard or they don't.
So why has Express done an "about face" and done away with "individual merit" when it comes to pay progression? All other non-wage employees are still definately under a "merit" system, why the change? There is definately something going on here - and the implications for the wage workforce aren't pretty.
CharleyHustle
Well-Known Member
I think Fred has for the forsee-able future staved off any possible unionization. Any moves or reorganizations could be tied to the biggest date on the calender August 1st 2013. If a UPS strike seems likely then FedEx will need to combine and reorganize well before that date in order to handle the excess volume and unlike '97 not turn any away. If no strike is in the cards, then he waits until UPS is locked into another long term unsustainable contract to then reorganize with part timers delivering high income overnight pkgs and low wage full timers delivering the rest.
