Now what I want to know from a Teamsters point of view, since RTD'S work for AGFS and not DGO, does this put us in a different wage class for organizing? If it does Fred just pissed off the group that can really put a hurt on his operation.
The one way we can fight back now is to get this out in the social media. Make a status post on your FaceBook page, let the world know that FedEx is taking this money away from you, tell your friends that maybe when they ship that package that they should think about whether or not the company they are shipping with pays their hourly employees fairly or not.
RTDs are considered a separate "craft" from Couriers in DGO. The fact that one is in AGFS or DGO is irrelevant for RLA purposes - it is the craft which is looked at for organizing within the company. Express is the only opco within FedEx Corporation which is covered under RLA rules - the other opcos are covered under NLRA rules. The other opco which is a prime target for organizing is Freight - the drivers.
The pilots of Express (the employee pilots, NOT the contracted feeder pilots) are indeed a craft of their own and have organized under RLA rules.
There are 4 primary crafts within Express which are "prime" goals for organizing.
1) Mechanics
2) Couriers
3) RTDs
4) Ramp Agents
All other crafts have either high turnover, or have too few employees spread out across the country to be cost effective for a union to organize.
The IBT has been trying for years to get the mechanics to organize. Express has managed to stay one step ahead of the IBT by keeping mechanic compensation competitive with other airlines and (for the non airframe/powerplant) competitive with market norms. Talk to a mechanic and find out about all the special "pay" they receive. This keeps their base pay a bit lower than the market average - but their other pay brings them up in actual compensation.
The big prize for organizing Express are the Couriers - they are by far the largest craft within Express and if organized, would naturally lead other crafts into wanting labor contract protection.
Each craft organizes as a separate "unit". So if the Couriers somehow managed to organize, the contract (assuming no lockout) they negotiate WOULDN'T apply to any of the other labor crafts within Express. Look in your employee handbook, you'll see a disclaimer that the contents of the handbook DON'T apply to employee covered by a labor agreement. Well, the only employees of Express which are covered by a labor agreement are the pilots... They had sense enough to not trust Fred and organized.
I haven't got any feedback on this change yet, but it does appear to be the first direct consequence of the FAA reauthorization bill finally being passed 6 weeks ago and Express securing a change in the requirements for petitions for a certification election - a change that requires 50% of craft to sign representation cards to have an election, NOT the previous 35%. In essence, the drive to get representation cards signed has turned into a de facto election. This change has made it impractical if not outright impossible to ever get organized labor into Express. The IBT won't lift a finger until and unless Express is either removed from RLA rules or the requirements for a certification election get drastically reduced - to say about 20% of craft signing cards. Neither of those possibiliites will ever happen in the forseeable future - if ever.
Express knows that there is no way in hell that half of employees in any craft will ever sign representation cards - there are just too damn many halfwits and KoolAid drinkers out there.
While it is true that the RTDs tend to have a lot of years under their belts with Express - that may start to change. No doubt, this change will cost the average RTD between $500 and $1000 a year - but not many are willing to either leave Express and start over at another company or start signing representation cards.
Social media...
They don't care.
The truth has been out about Ground for years - no one cares about the drivers being paid peanuts for what they do.
The overwhelming majority of people out there think Express is absolutely sterling. FedEx has paid big bucks over the years to build this reputation and having a few employees complain that their compensation was cut during a "bad economy" will fall on deaf ears. In 2009, when there was a slim possibility of Express losing its RLA status, the employees of Express didn't speak up (as a collective whole), they sat on their hands, waiting for change to come. Fred pulled out his checkbook, the cash flowed and he kept his treasured special exemption.
Now the employees of Express are going to pay the price.