Apparently Fedex is spreading rumors.

[OptimusPrime]

Haven't encountered it myself, was from a fellow driver walking into the center this morning. Two business stops asked him about our contract negotiations in regards to a strike. Apparently the Fedex guy was giving them a heads up that we were going to strike. (Odd that he took the time out of his run and gun poor service schedule, but still.) One of the stops had said they were already setting up a backup account with Fedex.

Anyone else encountered this? Is this coming top down from Fedex management? And if I do encounter this, what should be my reaction? Let the sales division know? Not some "Hoo-Rah" type driver, but at the same time don't want to be losing business on lies.

 

[Anonymous 10]

They do this every contract. Just tell your customers we will never go on strike again.

 

[Cementups]

Pretty sure that now as a publicly held company, UPS will never allow us to strike again.

 

[DS]

Pretty sure that now as a publicly held company, UPS will never allow us to strike again.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say.
I've given the teamsters about $15,000 in dues since I started here.
ups has to listen,or anything could happen.

 

[Anonymous 10]

hall is a bad ass mother fuc@er and will dominate this before a strike could ever happen. It won't happen this contract.

 

[MrFedEx]

Haven't encountered it myself, was from a fellow driver walking into the center this morning. Two business stops asked him about our contract negotiations in regards to a strike. Apparently the Fedex guy was giving them a heads up that we were going to strike. (Odd that he took the time out of his run and gun poor service schedule, but still.) One of the stops had said they were already setting up a backup account with Fedex.

Anyone else encountered this? Is this coming top down from Fedex management? And if I do encounter this, what should be my reaction? Let the sales division know? Not some "Hoo-Rah" type driver, but at the same time don't want to be losing business on lies.

FedEx will do everything possible to float ideas that UPS is going to strike. The problem is, if you strike, FedEx simply cannot handle the volume. For NDA, Express is a cluster right now and can't even handle what it has. For everything else, Ground can't handle it either. That's probably what customers need to know.

Along the same lines, UPS needs to stop ignoring Ground. You could have stomped them a long time ago, and now they are a legitimate threat. The average Ground driver makes around $12-$14 per hour with zero benefits. Think UPS management might hold that over your heads during negotiations? The answer is yes.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

This seems like a very basic play out of a business playbook. What is the big deal?

 

[MrFedEx]

This seems like a very basic play out of a business playbook. What is the big deal?

UPS needs to put a boot on Ground's neck. Next contract, they'll still be making the same crap money, and UPS will have even more leverage over you.

 

[brown_trousers]

Pretty sure that now as a publicly held company, UPS will never allow us to strike again.

Good.. There's really only one way to absolutely prevent a strike... Give us what we want!

 

[barnyard]

Good.. There's really only one way to absolutely prevent a strike... Give us what we want!

Our negotiators know that it is as bad for the union as it is for the company if we were to strike. The union may talk big about a strike, but they will work as hard to avoid it as the company will.

 

[MrFedEx]

Our negotiators know that it is as bad for the union as it is for the company if we were to strike. The union may talk big about a strike, but they will work as hard to avoid it as the company will.

If you do strike, Ground will get a defacto bump in business, which might actually work in your favor. As I've said, Ground couldn't handle the additional volume, so FedEx might get a black eye from disgruntled customers. I remember the last strike, and all of the shippers who swore they'd never use UPS again. They all came back.

The truth about FedEx Ground is that UPS will never be able to beat them on price. Service is another matter. Most Ground drivers are either on the $12-$14 per hour plan, but some are flat-rated with a salary of $450-$650 per week. You can imagine the quality of worker you get for that kind of money...not very good. However, their willingness to work for nothing means FedEx can always undercut UPS on rates and still make huge profits.

This is why UPS and the Teamsters need to attack Ground legislatively, and prove that Ground drivers are actually employees. This would force FedEx to pay both higher wages and provide benefits, which would eat substantially into their unfair advantage. UPS stands by and does nothing...I don't get it.

 

[Brownslave688]

Our negotiators know that it is as bad for the union as it is for the company if we were to strike. The union may talk big about a strike, but they will work as hard to avoid it as the company will.

If you do strike, Ground will get a defacto bump in business, which might actually work in your favor. As I've said, Ground couldn't handle the additional volume, so FedEx might get a black eye from disgruntled customers. I remember the last strike, and all of the shippers who swore they'd never use UPS again. They all came back.

The truth about FedEx Ground is that UPS will never be able to beat them on price. Service is another matter. Most Ground drivers are either on the $12-$14 per hour plan, but some are flat-rated with a salary of $450-$650 per week. You can imagine the quality of worker you get for that kind of money...not very good. However, their willingness to work for nothing means FedEx can always undercut UPS on rates and still make huge profits.

This is why UPS and the Teamsters need to attack Ground legislatively, and prove that Ground drivers are actually employees. This would force FedEx to pay both higher wages and provide benefits, which would eat substantially into their unfair advantage. UPS stands by and does nothing...I don't get it.

Done nothing?!?!? They have spent millions trying to get them reclassified.

 

[MrFedEx]

Done nothing?!?!? They have spent millions trying to get them reclassified.

I think you're confusing Ground with Express, which UPS has been trying to get reclassified for years. Whatever they've been doing, it isn't working. The Ground model is contractors who hire non-employees who actually are employees. Express has real employees.

 

[barnyard]

I think you're confusing Ground with Express, which UPS has been trying to get reclassified for years. Whatever they've been doing, it isn't working. The Ground model is contractors who hire non-employees who actually are employees. Express has real employees.

No he/she is not.

UPS was criticized years ago (at least 12 years ago) for allowing it's lawyers to work with state district attorneys to write briefs in order to classify ground workers as employees. I thought UPS was accused of actually writing the argument for Ohio lawyers. Could have been California, but I thought it was Ohio. There was quite a stink about it in business circles for a good 6 months.

 

[CAFAL]

If you do strike, Ground will get a defacto bump in business, which might actually work in your favor. As I've said, Ground couldn't handle the additional volume, so FedEx might get a black eye from disgruntled customers. I remember the last strike, and all of the shippers who swore they'd never use UPS again. They all came back.

The truth about FedEx Ground is that UPS will never be able to beat them on price. Service is another matter. Most Ground drivers are either on the $12-$14 per hour plan, but some are flat-rated with a salary of $450-$650 per week. You can imagine the quality of worker you get for that kind of money...not very good. However, their willingness to work for nothing means FedEx can always undercut UPS on rates and still make huge profits.

This is why UPS and the Teamsters need to attack Ground legislatively, and prove that Ground drivers are actually employees. This would force FedEx to pay both higher wages and provide benefits, which would eat substantially into their unfair advantage. UPS stands by and does nothing...I don't get it.

They stopped pushing because of the republican held congress. In simple terms. Republicans are for the most part anti union.

 

[TearsInRain]

a strike would hurt the Teamsters far more than it would hurt the company

just look at how your work conditions have gone down the ****ter since the last one

 

[rrunner]

UPS needs to put a boot on Ground's neck. Next contract, they'll still be making the same crap money, and UPS will have even more leverage over you.

A vote for willard will ensure that!

 

[UnconTROLLed]

a strike would hurt the Teamsters far more than it would hurt the company

just look at how your work conditions have gone down the ****ter since the last one

The work conditions can only get so bad before OSHA and other legal entities get involved. They're at their worst ever, now, surely. I'm not worried about it.

 

[sortaisle]

I'll never understand the union position of vote Democrat because they're union friendly...irrespective of other beliefs. I don't like having my vote held hostage because of money. I'm pro union. I'm pro make my own choice. I don't care to follow a party line. I can't wait to get rid of partisan politics. I have no idea why we have to vote for the shiniest of two turds. Either way, every contract year FedEx goes out and tosses propaganda. And the reason why UPS isn't making as much of a stink anymore about reclassifying FedEx is because they're quietly stewing over how they didn't think of running that business model first. UPS is jealous IMO. You know they would if they could.

 

[MrFedEx]

I'll never understand the union position of vote Democrat because they're union friendly...irrespective of other beliefs. I don't like having my vote held hostage because of money. I'm pro union. I'm pro make my own choice. I don't care to follow a party line. I can't wait to get rid of partisan politics. I have no idea why we have to vote for the shiniest of two turds. Either way, every contract year FedEx goes out and tosses propaganda. And the reason why UPS isn't making as much of a stink anymore about reclassifying FedEx is because they're quietly stewing over how they didn't think of running that business model first. UPS is jealous IMO. You know they would if they could.

I think Obama shines brighter than Romney, but I do love the turd analogy...so true.