Another Year of "Top 100" Deception

[MrFedEx]

Once again, and quite inexplicably, FedEx Express has been listed as one of "America's Top 100 Places To Work". Kudos to the FedEx PR machine for pulling another rabbit out of the hat this year. The corporation is already crowing about it and there are constant reminders about "how lucky" we are to be employed here. Good job Maury!!(VP of FedEx Misinformation).

BS!!!!!!!!If you were actually went around the country and interviewed actual employees instead of reading about how "wonderful" FedEx is, a very different picture of the company would emerge. While some workers still love FedEx, most do not, and many share the sentiment that if FedEx is actually one of the best 100 employers, that there must be some pretty awful jobs out there.

It's interesting that nobody ever mentions the low pay relative to UPS, the ridiculously long top-out times, or the fact that Fred S just reduced our pension benefits by approximately 75%. Why aren't these facts part of the equation? Instead, FedEx is praised because they gave a puny merit raise and didn't lay any hourlies off. Aren't reduced hours, slashing retirement plans, outsourcing of work, and 20 years to reach top wage defacto methods of reducing costs that are largely equivalent to layoffs?

Yes, it's great to still have a job, but that job has been decontented, gutted from the inside-out so it's just an empty shell of it's former self. Envision the body of a Ferrari mounted on the chassis of a Kia and you've got a mental picture of the "new" FedEx. Amazingly, the press still thinks this is the same top-notch, innovative company that first came on the scene in the 1970's and revolutionized the way management viewed employees. It isn't.

Sorry, but those days are long gone, and it's about time that the media got a clue about what FedEx is really like.

 

[over9five]

Excellent! So how you gonna give the media the clue?

 

[purplesky]

I just wish the media would start calling out the idiots that have pulled the trigger over the past 25 years for sending jobs out of this country. List all the wealthy people who have benefited in the short term and hurt this country for the long haul. Mr. FDX the deception is all across the board for most workers in this country. Things are so bad now that a UPS or FDX driver are better off than alot of college grads. I GUESS BY 2010 living standards FDX EXPRESS is not a bad job. Thats how bad things are now in this great nation of ours. I remember back in the high flying 90s how busy you guys were.

 

[northeast swing driver]

The only employees in this company that think they are so lucky to work here are the asskissers who walk around work everyday terrified of mgmt. They are very easy to pick out. In my sta they are the ten or twelve employees who go running into the mgrs office b4 they even punch in to greet mgmt with a big smile and a hearty good morning. SUCKERS.

 

[northeast swing driver]

On the 29th i receive my 200 dollar purple promise payout and in march i get my 36 cent raise. I cant wait. What a great company.

 

[MrFedEx]

Excellent! So how you gonna give the media the clue?

I wish I knew. The FedEx PR machine runs so well, is so well-financed, and has so many politicians in it's pocket that it's going to be hard to stop.

 

[Washu234]

We really need to come up with an idea of where everyone works.

People I've met in the South and the Midwest love Fedex - but the pay is actually pretty high for the region. People in the Northeast feel dicked by FedEx, but $16/hr in NY or New England over $12/hr Florida isn't enough of a differential.

What I'm trying to say is - in Florida this job is nice. You can buy a nice house for $200k and pull in $40k /year from FedEx. Not Bad. But in say New York you can make $65k /year but you can't get a house that you like for anything less then $400k.

Add that to the miserable weather, the early sunsets, the crappy work ethic, and the talk-back no respect for peers attitude of the Northeast and you get the 'I'm a sucker' feeling that many people in my region feel.

I've met plenty of people who aren't ass wipes who like this company. Sure it can suck - but so does everything else.

Beside - FedEx was recognized this year for its management of curbing the effects of the financial situation on its people. Regardless of if you believe it or not the truth is you have a job while thousands of layoffs have occurred at UPS to remain profitable. FedEx should be realized because out of 290,000 jobs how many did we lose!? 0.3% layoffs. Good job FedEx.

And while you bitch about your 2% raise please let me say one thing. I've mentioned on here before I'm a student and one of the classes I just completed was HR and Labor Management. You know what the global average of Salary Increase is this year? 2% to 3% Crazy weird how FedEx chose 2.2%.

http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/compensation/Articles/Pages/SalaryBudgets.aspx

My ONLY major gripe about our compensation is the hikes in healthcare costs (which are still low but growing fast).

I will say this once. We are semi-skilled labor. We require no special background other then a high school degree. While unionized labor is paid more in our industry - just like other industry over priced union labor can bring the company down (just look at the auto industry). Fortunately for the Teamsters and UPS they seem to be allowing some give to allow UPS to still make money and keep drivers employed (BUT HOLY **** ARE THEY OVERWORKED!).

You know as well as I do that you can have a great route or a crap route. Your job can be super easy or super hard. To bitch and say FedEx is an awful company is short sighted but to say it does no harm is also ludicrous.

Last thing - when you bitch about Smith's pay - please remember the empire he's created in 35 years. $4.42 million in total compensation (2008) for the world's largest cargo airline doesn't seem so big. American Airlines CEO made $3.34 million in 2008 and their airline doesn't make the profits FedEx does. Smith unlike us is HIGHLY skilled.

If you want to be compensated better go to school and become skilled labor - but hold up you don't have to at FedEx. I know you're going to say its selling out but you can even make good money by climbing the latter at FedEx without a degree. My station manager did not go to college and he makes 100k+ a year.

Perhaps its awful for you, but there is only so much FedEx can spin. Our volume is down from what it used to be years ago and so is our revenue and thus compensation. As messed up and backwards as some things at FedEx are - the company does many things for its employees it does not have to including our '****ty' 1% bonus.

Yeah I know it sounds like a bunch of purple coolaid but as much as FedEx sucks there are much worse places for semi-skilled workers.

 

[MrFedEx]

We really need to come up with an idea of where everyone works.

People I've met in the South and the Midwest love Fedex - but the pay is actually pretty high for the region. People in the Northeast feel dicked by FedEx, but $16/hr in NY or New England over $12/hr Florida isn't enough of a differential.

What I'm trying to say is - in Florida this job is nice. You can buy a nice house for $200k and pull in $40k /year from FedEx. Not Bad. But in say New York you can make $65k /year but you can't get a house that you like for anything less then $400k.

Add that to the miserable weather, the early sunsets, the crappy work ethic, and the talk-back no respect for peers attitude of the Northeast and you get the 'I'm a sucker' feeling that many people in my region feel.

I've met plenty of people who aren't ass wipes who like this company. Sure it can suck - but so does everything else.

Beside - FedEx was recognized this year for its management of curbing the effects of the financial situation on its people. Regardless of if you believe it or not the truth is you have a job while thousands of layoffs have occurred at UPS to remain profitable. FedEx should be realized because out of 290,000 jobs how many did we lose!? 0.3% layoffs. Good job FedEx.

And while you bitch about your 2% raise please let me say one thing. I've mentioned on here before I'm a student and one of the classes I just completed was HR and Labor Management. You know what the global average of Salary Increase is this year? 2% to 3% Crazy weird how FedEx chose 2.2%.

http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/compensation/Articles/Pages/SalaryBudgets.aspx

My ONLY major gripe about our compensation is the hikes in healthcare costs (which are still low but growing fast).

I will say this once. We are semi-skilled labor. We require no special background other then a high school degree. While unionized labor is paid more in our industry - just like other industry over priced union labor can bring the company down (just look at the auto industry). Fortunately for the Teamsters and UPS they seem to be allowing some give to allow UPS to still make money and keep drivers employed (BUT HOLY **** ARE THEY OVERWORKED!).

You know as well as I do that you can have a great route or a crap route. Your job can be super easy or super hard. To bitch and say FedEx is an awful company is short sighted but to say it does no harm is also ludicrous.

Last thing - when you bitch about Smith's pay - please remember the empire he's created in 35 years. $4.42 million in total compensation (2008) for the world's largest cargo airline doesn't seem so big. American Airlines CEO made $3.34 million in 2008 and their airline doesn't make the profits FedEx does. Smith unlike us is HIGHLY skilled.

If you want to be compensated better go to school and become skilled labor - but hold up you don't have to at FedEx. I know you're going to say its selling out but you can even make good money by climbing the latter at FedEx without a degree. My station manager did not go to college and he makes 100k+ a year.

Perhaps its awful for you, but there is only so much FedEx can spin. Our volume is down from what it used to be years ago and so is our revenue and thus compensation. As messed up and backwards as some things at FedEx are - the company does many things for its employees it does not have to including our '****ty' 1% bonus.

Yeah I know it sounds like a bunch of purple coolaid but as much as FedEx sucks there are much worse places for semi-skilled workers.

You'd be very surprised if you knew how much education I have. I won't sell-out my ethics for a few extra bucks, so you get to put up with me here ripping Smith a new one as long as I have to work here. I don't want to have to become a professional liar (manager) and have to try and sleep at night knowing that I was willingly a part of Fred's plans.

You might be interested to know that Fred's real income this year is in the hundreds of millions....the figure you quote is what he'd like us to think he makes. Did you know, for example, that Smith had $26 million in his pension plan as of last year? And he's definitely highly skilled....at raking-in cash by skimming it off of us. The Smith who started FedEx isn't the same Smith who runs the company now. He looks at front-line employees very differently than he did back in the early days. We are nothing...less than zero.

Semi-skilled or not, the fact remains that we are severely underpaid based on the revenue we generate for the company. Management? Sure, I can start out in the mid 60's or so depending on market level and forget about my wife and kids if I want to move-up. It takes them quite awhile to get to 100k by the way. And their retirement plan sucks too.

How about our pilots? Nobody ever wants to talk about them, but I will. They were smart enough to beat Fred at his own game, and enjoy industry-leading compensation and a great retirement plan. They even got a bonus to sign their last contract. And how does poor old FedEx pay for this? By screwing us at every opportunity and taking what used to be our retirement plan and shifting it over to the crews. You see, they figured out Fred a long time ago, and even after they tried to compromise with him by forming an in-house union, he kept right on playing games with them. So they called his bluff, joined ALPA, and lived happily ever after knowing that they had done the right thing for their future(s). Unfortunately, we're not smart enough to do the same thing. Fred S is a bum that would sell his mother if it netted him an extra penny in profit. He's neither a good man or an honest man, and I hope to high heaven that there is Karma, Hell, or some sort of cosmic payback for this piece of crap in the afterlife or whatever you'd prefer to call it.

 

[northeast swing driver]

We really need to come up with an idea of where everyone works.

People I've met in the South and the Midwest love Fedex - but the pay is actually pretty high for the region. People in the Northeast feel dicked by FedEx, but $16/hr in NY or New England over $12/hr Florida isn't enough of a differential.

What I'm trying to say is - in Florida this job is nice. You can buy a nice house for $200k and pull in $40k /year from FedEx. Not Bad. But in say New York you can make $65k /year but you can't get a house that you like for anything less then $400k.

Add that to the miserable weather, the early sunsets, the crappy work ethic, and the talk-back no respect for peers attitude of the Northeast and you get the 'I'm a sucker' feeling that many people in my region feel.

I've met plenty of people who aren't ass wipes who like this company. Sure it can suck - but so does everything else.

Beside - FedEx was recognized this year for its management of curbing the effects of the financial situation on its people. Regardless of if you believe it or not the truth is you have a job while thousands of layoffs have occurred at UPS to remain profitable. FedEx should be realized because out of 290,000 jobs how many did we lose!? 0.3% layoffs. Good job FedEx.

And while you bitch about your 2% raise please let me say one thing. I've mentioned on here before I'm a student and one of the classes I just completed was HR and Labor Management. You know what the global average of Salary Increase is this year? 2% to 3% Crazy weird how FedEx chose 2.2%.

http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/compensation/Articles/Pages/SalaryBudgets.aspx

My ONLY major gripe about our compensation is the hikes in healthcare costs (which are still low but growing fast).

I will say this once. We are semi-skilled labor. We require no special background other then a high school degree. While unionized labor is paid more in our industry - just like other industry over priced union labor can bring the company down (just look at the auto industry). Fortunately for the Teamsters and UPS they seem to be allowing some give to allow UPS to still make money and keep drivers employed (BUT HOLY **** ARE THEY OVERWORKED!).

You know as well as I do that you can have a great route or a crap route. Your job can be super easy or super hard. To bitch and say FedEx is an awful company is short sighted but to say it does no harm is also ludicrous.

Last thing - when you bitch about Smith's pay - please remember the empire he's created in 35 years. $4.42 million in total compensation (2008) for the world's largest cargo airline doesn't seem so big. American Airlines CEO made $3.34 million in 2008 and their airline doesn't make the profits FedEx does. Smith unlike us is HIGHLY skilled.

If you want to be compensated better go to school and become skilled labor - but hold up you don't have to at FedEx. I know you're going to say its selling out but you can even make good money by climbing the latter at FedEx without a degree. My station manager did not go to college and he makes 100k+ a year.

Perhaps its awful for you, but there is only so much FedEx can spin. Our volume is down from what it used to be years ago and so is our revenue and thus compensation. As messed up and backwards as some things at FedEx are - the company does many things for its employees it does not have to including our '****ty' 1% bonus.

Yeah I know it sounds like a bunch of purple coolaid but as much as FedEx sucks there are much worse places for semi-skilled workers.

 

[northeast swing driver]

Where did you hear new york drivers make 65k a year? I make the same crappy 45k in the tri state area that you make in florida.

 

[quadro]

You'd be very surprised if you knew how much education I have. I won't sell-out my ethics for a few extra bucks, so you get to put up with me here ripping Smith a new one as long as I have to work here. I don't want to have to become a professional liar (manager) and have to try and sleep at night knowing that I was willingly a part of Fred's plans.

And why do you "have to work here"? By your own admission, you are overly qualified for your job and yet your career path appears to not include FedEx. Given that and your clear disdain for FedEx one would naturally surmise that there is nothing better out there for you at this time. Things that make you go "hmmmm".

You might be interested to know that Fred's real income this year is in the hundreds of millions

I am interested. Source?

The Smith who started FedEx isn't the same Smith who runs the company now.

And the world isn't the same as it was 35 years ago.

Semi-skilled or not, the fact remains that we are severely underpaid based on the revenue we generate for the company.

Interesting viewpoint. Just how much revenue do Express couriers generate? Some turn in several sales leads which generate revenue, some don't. Most however really don't generate any revenue and until we are paid commission like sales people, we are really paid based on our level of responsibility.

How about our pilots? Nobody ever wants to talk about them, but I will. They were smart enough to beat Fred at his own game, and enjoy industry-leading compensation and a great retirement plan.

Level of responsibility and skill.

They even got a bonus to sign their last contract.

I think you'll find that they received no raise (and maybe bonus) for a few years while the contract was negotiated. If you look at their raise and factor in those years, the % raise wasn't as big as it seemed.

 

[Washu234]

You'd be very surprised if you knew how much education I have.

Mr. FedEx you've already said you have plans in the works for a better job. I don't doubt you have a great education. I'm just saying you and I are in a job which requires no education so why be compensated for something that we have but don't use.

As FedEx matures the job gets easier. The powerpad practically does everything now (we don't even stock service guides for couriers at my station cause of the ESG). FedEx isn't for everyone but for young and old adults with only high school degrees - FedEx is a great career path.

I personally would really like to get into either auditing or flight planning and operation at FedEx - both are non management salary positions that actually pay well - because they require skill. I have a friend in my station who's going to pilot school and who hopes to one day fly for FedEx (after enlisting as an AirForce officer after college).

Where did you hear new york drivers make 65k a year? I make the same crappy 45k in the tri state area that you make in florida.

I'm not in Florida but I do have a buddy who's a courier down there who started $4/hr less then me because of the 'pay differential' in the New England district I'm in. He thinks his pay is awesome - then again he can buy a lot more for his pay also he doesn't get snow in his boots... or ever have to wear boots.

 

[SmithBarney]

Mr. FedEx you've already said you have plans in the works for a better job. I don't doubt you have a great education. I'm just saying you and I are in a job which requires no education so why be compensated for something that we have but don't use.

Education is used daily, sure its not rocket science, but what happens to the morons we hire? most don't make it.

I'm not compensated for my responsibilities as a DG Specialist.. the materials I approve or bump daily can bring down a flight in no time if not handled properly and responsibly by me! where is my compensation?(or the hundreds of other DG spec.)

At the end of the day the top gets heavier, and the bottom gets lighter. Old timers reminisce about times when Fred
had profit sharing, and wow how it made them feel good to work for the company. They talk of times when Management
and Hourly worked together for common goals, but now it seems they (management) are off on another planet, with no
idea what happens on the road... 3 years and 200,000 employees later 2007 to 2010 Employee Turnover is the highest its ever been
and FedEx loves it, cause they never have to give a raise to all those people who quit, never have to pay out on the 401k that some may
have started.

Top Rate I believe is good for my area, unfortunately even with my perfect review score it'll still take me 12-14 years to make it to today's top rate(who knows where it'll be in 12 years)
Other areas have spoken and need adjustment. But unfortunately FedEx believes that it costs the same to live in some rural areas as it does in some metro areas... not sure where they get
the data.

 

[quadro]

I'm not compensated for my responsibilities as a DG Specialist.. the materials I approve or bump daily can bring down a flight in no time if not handled properly and responsibly by me! where is my compensation?(or the hundreds of other DG spec.)

I completely understand where you are coming from. In terms of responsibility, you absolutely have a huge responsibility. I think the issue becomes how much of your job is that responsibility. I don't think there's a way to pay extra just for the 30-60 minutes (for example) that you perform those duties. If there is then I think it needs to be done. If there isn't then the problem becomes you get paid the higher rate of pay even though the majority of your job is no different than the person next to you.

never have to pay out on the 401k that some may have started.

401K money is yours. FedEx cannot take it away.

 

[Fedex Driver]

Since I have worked for both UPS and Fedex I can honestly say that i have some good insight regarding treatment of employees.Pay aside,Fedex treats their employees very differently than the way that UPS does. Fedex may be half the pay of UPS,but it is also half the work and half the stress.

 

[Washu234]

DG Specialists do get paid more. The only problem is they're considered a special handler so your courier pay is greater then the DG pay so FedEx thinks its doing you a favor by paying you courier pay for the time you're in-station doing 'special' handling.

DG Specialists are extremely important but at the end of the day its an A + B = C job that FedEx paid to train you on.

 

[SmithBarney]

Disregarding the DG issues

Like I said, Top Rate is reasonable, getting there in 15 years is not.
I think in 5 years a person can prove to the company their abilities and whether or not they
are worth it to the company to go top rate.

 

[Washu234]

Disregarding the DG issues

Like I said, Top Rate is reasonable, getting there in 15 years is not.
I think in 5 years a person can prove to the company their abilities and whether or not they
are worth it to the company to go top rate.

I don't think anyone can disagree with this. Its appalling how long you have to work for FedEx before reaching reasonable wage.

I get that they want you to be able to 'receive a raise' year to year but seriously? $0.50/hr/yr doesn't make you feel like you're doing a good job.