Many of you already know this, so please bear with me as I explain to those who might not be aware. The "game" is that FedEx does everything possible to give the appearance of being an "airline", when it is, in fact, NOT an airline. FedEx is a systems integrator, with an aircraft component, just like UPS. The entire purpose of this charade is to preserve the RLA, the anti-union Kryptonite that basically makes unionization impossible at Express. Keeping you underpaid with lousy benefits saves FedEx hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Pilots and executives are lavishly compensated, and you get the
sandwich of forever top-out times, high insurance deductibles, and overall lousy treatment. Be aware that a topped-out UPS package car or feeder driver is at around $40 per hour, with excellent benefits and an actual PENSION. A career UPS driver is looking at about $5-6K per month in retirement pay. Don't believe me? Ask a UPS Teamster.
Here's how it goes. Airlines have stations, like LAX is a station for United Airlines or PHX is a station for Southwest. The vast majority of FedEx "stations" are simply terminals, or like UPS, "centers". But FedEx always gives a location a station identifier so they can make believe workers are employees of an airline, preserving the RLA. Many moons ago, when I first started at Express, my station was 40 miles from the airport where we actually got our freight via CTV. They used the airport identifier for an airport 15 miles away, which was a general aviation field with zero cargo. Later I transferred and the "station" used the airport identifier for a seaplane base 10 miles away, again with no cargo component whatsoever.
This is nothing new. Since it's inception, the old Federal Express had this all planned out. Early on, many "stations" actually saw an aircraft, but those days are long gone. The vast majority of FedEx employees never see an aircraft except in pictures or videos. They get their freight by TRUCK, and are simply a terminal, center, or sort facility. Aircraft might line haul part of their freight, but all of it arrives via truck, and a lot of it never sees an airplane. This is particularly true for the East Coast, where shorter distances allow a huge trucking component.
Towards the end of my sentence at Express, my "station" used the identifier of a long defunct general aviation airport, which was now a huge housing subdivision. Such a joke, but the game continues, and given the fact that Ground and Express are now a hybrid operation, the joke is getting really old. Management goes to great lengths to keep up the act, but doing little things like making the logo standardized and deleting the "Express"or "Ground" sub-lettering on vehicles tips their hand. It's one big integrated operation, and to pretend otherwise is not only dishonest, but illegal in terms of labor law purposes.
This is the main reason you have crappy airline benefits that are almost always worthless. To the best of my knowledge, real airlines still get a huge discount when they move freight via Express. In return, you get a discounted fare based on the highest possible rate, and do not have the "show ID and go" option that real airline employees have. The real payoff is for Memphis, because Raj can point to your crummy interline deal and say " See, we are an airline". All calculated to ensure it really isn't much of a benefit and that only a handful of employees will actually use interline.
It's time to call BS on FedEx and get unionized. New Teamster leadership is aggressive and interested in gaining membership, a quantum leap from the pathetic Hoffa era. Take advantage of having a Democratic majority and President and make a move now. Don't wait until the RTW anti-union GOP gets back in the driver's seat.
You are being played for suckers. Stop being dumb and playing Fred's almost 50 year-old game.
