Illegal Anti-Union Meetings

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

They shop at WalMart because it's non-union, and they won't buy an American car because UAW workers made it. On their routes, they're usually the worst couriers, but because they ********* so well, management lets them slide. Other more competent drivers take up the slack, and when they complain, the label of "bad attitude" is immediately applied. Instead of doing their job, they talk politics with the receptionist or try to play salesperson and gin-up worthless leads...again, to kiss ass.

That type of bitter, pointless nonsense is why there's never any honest debate in this forum.

Oh well...

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

Your comments about "free flights" have already established you as a fake. Go troll somewhere else. Part-timers are limited to 30 hrs a week and are lucky if they even get close. If you're new, and part-time, you'd be lucky to make 24k a year...another lie on your part. Keep trying...want to go for 3?

Part-timers are limited to 30 hrs/week in theory only. I'm speaking as a PT courier who is scheduled for more than 30 every week (as are my PT courier coworkers), and as someone who is offered additional hours each week on top of that.

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

Legally, FedEx is supposed to be "unbiased" and cannot use company meetings to bash the unions. That's why they are being called "information sessions" and not "anti-union meetings". They cannot say anything they want.

They most certainly can hold meetings and say whatever they want about unions... so long as the employees are properly compensated for attending.

Seriously, where do you get these odd ideas?

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by Ricochet1a

I get Ground packages all the time in drop boxes. They get taken in and the CSA perform a scan on them at the station. The boxes all state "Ground packages not accepted...". I wish we could just toss those suckers, and NOT really accept them.

I've never been able to scan a Ground pkg with a PPad in the 2 years I've used one.

Anyhow, I agree about getting them in dropboxes. They're just something else in the way, something else to give the CSA who already has enough to do as it is.

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

Far be it from me to tell you or anyone how to do their job, but wouldn't it simply be much easier to simply accept the pkg(s) and either bring them back to your center (station/depot/barn?) or drop them off at an authorized FedEx outlet, if available, or leave them at a business that you know has a FedEx ground pickup? Customers don't know or care whether you are Express, Ground, Freight or Home Delivery as long as their pkg gets from Point A to Point B.

Getting those Ground pups doesn't benefit Express any. It's money that's spent on the PUP that that doesn't generate any Express revenue. We don't have the time or money to waste performing charity Ground PUPs.

The last thing I want to do is to condition customers to call Express for a Ground PUP. I may or may not pick it up the first time it happens, but after that, no. If they want Express couriers, they can use the Express service and pay the Express price.

I have several drop boxes on my area and it is not uncommon to get pkgs for FedEx or the PO because people basically can't read. If it is a USPS pkg, I will simply put them in the nearest mailbox or will leave them at the MBE. If it is a FedEx pkg, I will either leave them at the MBE or will drop them off at their station, which is on the way back to our center. The look on their faces when I walk in and hand them one of their pkgs if priceless. Why penalize the customer simply because they can't read?

If the person who's shipping the pkg doesn't care enough about it to do it right, then I certainly don't, either.

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

It doesn't have to be overt action anyway. There are lots of things you can do to throw a wrench in the gears, from mass sick-calls to locking the keys in your truck by "accident" at 5:15 pm. Most employees are smart enough to be able to get away with covert activities that will disrupt operations.

We've got a couple like that at our station. They're really popular among the rest of us who bust our butts and take pride in our work. Nothing thrills us more than some dumb malcontent who's doing something stupid because he's got sand in his crack and is trying to make an immature statement.

Thankfully, they're on the brink of losing their jobs now.

[bbsam]

a little respect please, 59 dano. we at ground are taking no charity at all from you at express. in fact, we seem to be the only segment of the company making a profit. and if anyone has time to waste it is the express courrier

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by bbsam

a little respect please, 59 dano. we at ground are taking no charity at all from you at express. in fact, we seem to be the only segment of the company making a profit. and if anyone has time to waste it is the express courrier

Eh, it wasn't the best choice of words on my part and wasn't posted with a derogatory connotation. I call them "charity" PUPS because there's no reason for an Express courier to go out of his way to keep Ground expenses down.

And the opposite is equally true.

[bbsam]

all is forgiven

[Ricochet1a]

Originally Posted by Testicular Fortitude

i will not accept any fedex ground or fedex home pkgs from any of my customers.i politely explain to my customers that the ground and home divisions are totally different companies.they must call the 1 800 number and schedule a pick up through the ground or home division.when one of your customers complain about the inferior service provided by ground or home tell them to call the toll free number for fedex and complain,also tell your customers to tell their shippers or recipients not to use fedex ground or home.as far as drop boxes are concerned leave the pkgs in there or return them to the shipper and explain the situation to them.the other option is after 3 days in the dropbox take pkgs and give to the ground or home route in your area.stand up for yourself and do whats right to preserve our jobs.

I didn't say I accepted them from the customers. I DON'T. They all look at me funny and say, "Well, you're FedEx aren't you?' I respond with a 20 second speech that in essence states that I'm Express, not Ground. I tell them about the 1-800 number and carry on with my job. With the dropboxes, it is another story. What am I to do, shove them into the UPS box (wish I could). I do place USPS and UPS pieces in my box into the correct boxes. I've even taken people's mail to the PO that they had placed in my boxes when there wasn't a mail box around.

I had customers deliberately NOT call in for a Ground pick-up, since the service was lousy. They'd want me to pick up their stuff as part of the regular Express pick-up. They learned real quick that they are separate operating companies. I get a lot of Express Saver volume now, since they want service, but don't want to pay an arm and a leg for shipping. Even now, I still get requests to pick up onesies and twosies with Express pickup. They get left behind. I'm not going to slit the throats of my fellow employees by giving service for Ground, when the revenue goes to Ground and not Express.

[Ricochet1a]

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

Far be it from me to tell you or anyone how to do their job, but wouldn't it simply be much easier to simply accept the pkg(s) and either bring them back to your center (station/depot/barn?) or drop them off at an authorized FedEx outlet, if available, or leave them at a business that you know has a FedEx ground pickup? Customers don't know or care whether you are Express, Ground, Freight or Home Delivery as long as their pkg gets from Point A to Point B. The time will come (sooner than you may think) when you will all be on the same team; in fact, you may be on the bench while your ground co-workers are in the starting lineup, handling work that used to be yours.

I have several drop boxes on my area and it is not uncommon to get pkgs for FedEx or the PO because people basically can't read. If it is a USPS pkg, I will simply put them in the nearest mailbox or will leave them at the MBE. If it is a FedEx pkg, I will either leave them at the MBE or will drop them off at their station, which is on the way back to our center. The look on their faces when I walk in and hand them one of their pkgs if priceless. Why penalize the customer simply because they can't read?

This is the point exactly for Express employees. Ground is a separate operating company. As part of protecting our jobs, customers MUST be educated that they are indeed separate operating companies. Fred wants everyone to think it is all "FedEx", it isn't. I'm an Express employee, NOT a Ground helper. It is the customer confusion that Fred is counting on. He gets his cake and eats it too.

If UPS divided up shipments based on the mode of movement from point A to B, and had separate operating companies delivering those pieces, with VASTLY different work rules and procedures, would you want to subsidize the operation that was competing with the company that was paying you? The money all comes out of the same pot at the top, but HOW that money is distributed is VASTLY different.

I won't help Ground "helpers", since their existence is a direct threat to the employees of Express. I have no problem with UPS drivers, since we perform the same work, just have different employers (different pot of money at the top). Ground exists as a direct threat to Express employees, as bbsam as aptly posted.

[MrFedEx]

Originally Posted by 59 Dano

Part-timers are limited to 30 hrs/week in theory only. I'm speaking as a PT courier who is scheduled for more than 30 every week (as are my PT courier coworkers), and as someone who is offered additional hours each week on top of that.

Your location is an anomaly. There are many parts of the country where PT couriers are lucky to get 25 hours and the 30 hr rule is strictly enforced. If our PT people even get close to 30 they are sent home and our CSA's are at 22 hrs per week.

[MrFedEx]

Originally Posted by 59 Dano

That type of bitter, pointless nonsense is why there's never any honest debate in this forum.

Oh well...

You don't have employees like this at your station? I've been at 7 stations during my career and there were always at least several people who fit this description perfectly. They LOVE FedEx and don't think management can do any wrong. I'll "honestly debate" you about the Kool-Aid crowd all day long. Their lack of backbone and willingness to sell-out the rest of us help keep the ship of fools afloat and full steam ahead.

[UpstateNYUPSer]

I have to admit that I have learned quite a bit from you as to how FedEx and all of its components operate and it is so different from my experiences here at UPS. I have also learned a lot about the contractor side of the equation from bbsam and I would like to thank you both for the crash course in FedEx 101.

I have also learned that you have disgruntled employees there as well (Mr FedEX) and those who appear to be brainwashed (Fed Ex All The Way). I have learned little of importance from either of them and could go on living if I never read another post from either of them.

Ricochet1a and bbsam, I look forward to more posts from you on this subject. It is unfortunate that success for one of you may indeed result in failure for the other and, from where I sit, I do think it is the Ground component that will come out on top after the dust settles.

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

Your location is an anomaly. There are many parts of the country where PT couriers are lucky to get 25 hours and the 30 hr rule is strictly enforced. If our PT people even get close to 30 they are sent home and our CSA's are at 22 hrs per week.

There are many areas where 30+ hours is the status quo, which is why it's absurd to make blanket statements such as, "Part-timers are limited to 30 hrs a week and are lucky if they even get close."

It depends on the station.

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

You don't have employees like this at your station? I've been at 7 stations during my career and there were always at least several people who fit this description perfectly. They LOVE FedEx and don't think management can do any wrong. I'll "honestly debate" you about the Kool-Aid crowd all day long. Their lack of backbone and willingness to sell-out the rest of us help keep the ship of fools afloat and full steam ahead.

And I'll argue that your type of bitter misery is every bit as damaging --if not moreso-- to the organization than all the pie-in-the-sky hoopla could ever be. They aren't continually looking for things to gripe about, or calling HR each time someone looks at them the wrong way, or moping about whatever the latest drama-queen issue is.

I've got nothing to go by other than the content your posts here, but it looks as though nothing will ever satisfy you. Speaking as someone who has been as miserable and unhappy at a place of employment as you are now, my advice is to quit and go to work somewhere else. It was the best decision I've ever made.

[MrFedEx]

Originally Posted by 59 Dano

They most certainly can hold meetings and say whatever they want about unions... so long as the employees are properly compensated for attending.

Seriously, where do you get these odd ideas?

Both the RLA and NLRA forbid management from holding anti-union meetings. It doesn't matter whether you are paid or not. Why do you think they used such specific language and gave the same speech all over the country? They're skirting the edges of the law and they know it.

[MrFedEx]

Originally Posted by 59 Dano

We've got a couple like that at our station. They're really popular among the rest of us who bust our butts and take pride in our work. Nothing thrills us more than some dumb malcontent who's doing something stupid because he's got sand in his crack and is trying to make an immature statement.

Thankfully, they're on the brink of losing their jobs now.

You say you "bust your butt and take pride in your work". That's great, but exactly where has that gotten you....nowhere. As long as you continue to play upper managements game, you'll always lose.

I don't know how long you've been with FedEx, but there's a consistent pattern to their actions. First, anything you get will be matched with a take-away to balance costs. For example, when you get a raise, you'll see your hours cut or start times rolled-back. Second, even when the economy was at it's height, FedEx was still taking-away, eliminating the traditional pension plan, raising health care contributions etc. It all comes off your bottom line, not theirs.

You are exactly the kind of courier they love. You work hard and you accept everything they say and do like a good little sheep soldier. If you want to bend over and take it the rest of your career have at it...you've got plenty of peers.

Maybe the rest of us would like our retirement plan back, some respect, and a return to at least some of the policies that used to make FedEx a great place to work.

[MrFedEx]

Originally Posted by 59 Dano

There are many areas where 30+ hours is the status quo, which is why it's absurd to make blanket statements such as, "Part-timers are limited to 30 hrs a week and are lucky if they even get close."

It depends on the station.

Stated policy is a 30 hour max for Part-timers. At my location, and many others, nobody who is PT gets 30. It does depend on the station, but I'll bet most of them are adhering to the 30 rule. I keep in touch with employees from all over the country, and most of them are getting less than 40 FT and way less than 30 PT.

[MrFedEx]

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

I have to admit that I have learned quite a bit from you as to how FedEx and all of its components operate and it is so different from my experiences here at UPS. I have also learned a lot about the contractor side of the equation from bbsam and I would like to thank you both for the crash course in FedEx 101.

I have also learned that you have disgruntled employees there as well (Mr FedEX) and those who appear to be brainwashed (Fed Ex All The Way). I have learned little of importance from either of them and could go on living if I never read another post from either of them.

Ricochet1a and bbsam, I look forward to more posts from you on this subject. It is unfortunate that success for one of you may indeed result in failure for the other and, from where I sit, I do think it is the Ground component that will come out on top after the dust settles.

You may write me off as irrelevant becasue I'm "disgruntled", but here's a small list of take-aways that create unhappy employees. Please tell me if losing any of these would get anyone at UPS upset. Maybe even you? FedExAllThe Way isn't even an employee...her husband is. Other posters on this site are either managers posing as hourlies or brownbailout.com synchophants who don't even understand FedEx. I agree with you that bbsam and Ricochet1 are both informative posters.
Takeaways:
1. Elimination of the retirement plan.

2. Elimination of Profit-Sharing

3. Stretching wage top-out times to 10-12 years, coupled with miniscule raises that don't keep pace with inflation.

4. Reduction of health care benefits coupled with a significant rise in employee contributions.

5. Draconian injury and sick leave policies. Get hurt on the job? If you can't get back in 89 days you are displaced and good as gone. You will also become a major target for FedEx Legal, who will do their best to make sure you have to get a lawyer and try to fight them. Every sick day is counted against your review score, regardless of reason. Another way to keep people from topping-out in wages.

I could go on and on. If UPS took away your pension wouldn't you be pissed too? Disgruntled? You bet...and for good reason. You don't know how good you've got it at Brown.

[mungrin]

I dont know how you Fedex clowns survive on that wimpy salarly.Might as well work at McDonalds.

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

Both the RLA and NLRA forbid management from holding anti-union meetings. It doesn't matter whether you are paid or not. Why do you think they used such specific language and gave the same speech all over the country? They're skirting the edges of the law and they know it.

I don't know, nor do I care, why they use the language they use -- the meetings are legal. You can look it up.

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

You say you "bust your butt and take pride in your work". That's great, but exactly where has that gotten you....nowhere. As long as you continue to play upper managements game, you'll always lose.

Excuse me, but what the hell do you know about me?

I'm treated well. From the sound of things, I'm treated MUCH better than you, and I'd go so far to say that I deserve much better treatment than you given your pathetic attitude.

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

You are exactly the kind of courier they love. You work hard and you accept everything they say and do like a good little sheep soldier. If you want to bend over and take it the rest of your career have at it...you've got plenty of peers.

I guess there are only two classifications of employees: Those like you, and those who "bend over and take it."

As I said, when your only answer is a hammer...

[59 Dano]

Originally Posted by MrFedEx

Stated policy is a 30 hour max for Part-timers. At my location, and many others, nobody who is PT gets 30. It does depend on the station, but I'll bet most of them are adhering to the 30 rule. I keep in touch with employees from all over the country, and most of them are getting less than 40 FT and way less than 30 PT.

That's nice. Most of the people you are in touch with don't get 30, and most of the ones I'm in touch with get more than 30. Now, what that actually means to anyone reading is a mystery (my guess: it means jack), but by all means, let's make a federal case out of that, too!

It just dawned on me -- picking battles isn't your strong point and I won't get into your execution of them.

[mungrin]

dont feed 59Dano the troll.