Posted on the fedxmx.com site today.
http://www.teamster.org/content/fedex-threatens-‘destroy’-members-congress
Excerpt:
FedEx CEO Fred S’s arrogant campaign of threats and intimidation continued this week when his top spokesman threatened to take down members of Congress who oppose FedEx’s position on a key piece of legislation.
When asked about FedEx’s multi-million dollar ad campaign against the legislation that is reported to launch on Tuesday, June 9, top FedEx flack Maury Lane told U.S. News and World Report in a story posted in The White House Bulletin, “I’m going to try to destroy them.”
End quote
(the "them" who are going to be destroyed are members of the Senate - their political careers...)
Looks like that "panic mode" is in full swing. If FedEx has their people that are in the public arena making quotes like this, they are DEFINATELY off their game plan. Making threats in private is one thing, making them public usually has the opposite effect (no one wants to seem to be pressured by a threat in public, carrys with it a loss of "face").
FedEx's reaction to the possibility of its RLA exemption getting pulled is beyond what one can call rational at this point. It is now in the realm of paranoia. Paranoid people (corporations) are unpredictable, dangerous and usually are their own worst enemy. When faced with an opponent such as this; it is usually best to keep on feeding them rope, and let them place their own head in a noose.
However, it does confirm to me the measures FedEx will go to in order to prevent a successful unionization. I've posted about the measures I've heard about to prevent a successful unionization. Also makes the changing of the 1% pay raise to a 2% raise in the aftermath of the SFA disaster make more sense too (spread some cash around to prevent a unionization).
I think FedEx has taken the internal line of union avoidance at ALL COSTS (no contingency plan of even having unions in some locations). This means that the dirty tricks are going to extend to the employees if the Senate does vote to pull the exemption (that "bulls-eye" I wrote about). This is why keeping a low profile right now is best IMO, to keep any retaliation possibility minimized. If the RLA is pulled (as it looks more and more like it will be) then will be the time to sign a card. Once one signs the card though, make sure you cross every "T" and dot every "i" on the job; since the bulls-sye will be present and the time period between signing a card and actually getting contract protection will be "perilous". The pressure from Memphis to get rid of employees that have signed a card through whatever disciplinary measures they can cook up will be intense (if they are "threatening" U.S. Senators, they can do a WHOLE lot more to mere employees).
Regardless on one's political leanings, arrogance such as displayed by FedEx must be confronted and punished. This simply cannot allowed to exist without some sort of attempt to create a sanction against FedEx (a union perhaps??...)
Looks like it will be a very hot summer (and a very cold winter...).