Great post, and your situation is similar to that of thousands of other FedEx employees who hired-on with a company that was a completely different place in years past. Your decision to stay is based on the economy, not the false impression that FedEx is a great place to work. It used to be, but those days are long gone. When the economy improves, many will be leaving and Fred will be stuck with the leftovers.
The one thing we need to keep in mind is that FedEx thinks everything is just fine in terms of our compensation and benefits. They have absolutely no intention of giving us a penny more if they can possibly avoid it. FedEx 2000 gets on here and says that management hasn't been directed to be anti-union, but in the meantime Fred has poured $21 million into his anti-union efforts. That seems like a logical disconnect to me, and it makes local management statements that they haven't been "instructed" suspect at best.
Fred isn't your buddy and neither are the Teamsters, but they are the one chance we have to finally have some bargaining power with FedEx. As of right now, we are totally at their mercy, with absolutely zero say in the actions FedEx takes, and it's been that way for way too long.
All Fred had to do was be fair and equitable. Unfortunately, neither of those words are in his vocabulary when it comes to hourly employees. We have one good option, and that is to vote-in a union and force Smith to change his tune. It's wrong when a 150% courier takes 20 years to top-out, especially at a company that's supposed to be all about merit. Paper Bravo Zulus, pizza parties and donuts aren't legitimate substitutes for a fatter paycheck and they never will be, but that's how FedEx has been recognizing superior effort for far too long. It's a complete joke. It's time to stick the pizzas and donuts straight-up where Fred will feel them most. Perhaps we should cancel all of those executive perks and bonuses and reward them with Costco BBQ's and Domino's too.
I agree with what you say, but to be honest I'd gladly take being topped out, and top-out bumped up a bit. I'm looking at it strictly from how long voting a union in will take and then even more time to negotiate. I'm on limited time, not looking at another 20+ years. I can certainly understand if younger workers want more, but for me if the company wants to keep a union out by offering us a better deal pretty quick I'll take it. If anyone says think of others, not just yourself, I'll just think of all those years in all those locations where I worked really hard and was openly resented by many coworkers for doing so. Alot of people want great pay without really earning it. I've earned it, and want better than I'm getting. I have to take personal responsibility too, I got frustrated and quit, should have hung in there. But I didn't expect the company to do what they've done, now asking them, for what good it'll do, to reconsider before it's too late and give us a better deal. A union may be our only option, but it doesn't have to be. Strictly up to FedEx at this point. I've said all I can say on the subject, from now on just going to do my job and hope for the best. Eventually I'll be gone, either because I reached 55, maybe later, or because the company, who knows who I am, will try to get rid of me for things I've pointed out here. But I have no more interest in fighting with them. Life is short, do what you must, but don't waste it. Vaya con dios, amigos!