Drivers at two Mass. FedEx sites vote to unionize

1980

Well-Known Member
Will be great for us. They have a strong influence on what we will get for our total compensation package. The better paid they are , they better paid we will be
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
Outstanding news. Win/Win for everyone at UPS IMO. I knew FedEx would challenge the vote so this isn't settled by any means but it could also begin to effect the other FedEx sites. If these drivers prevail and become unionized, look for a cascade effect across the board.

If these guys do prevail, they will need all our support in getting a contract and they need to know that. Also, would send a clear message to all the other FedExers. You can bet FredEx will pull every stunt in the book and I truly believe Fred will make our management team look like union lovers at the end of the day. I've always said even though I've disagreed will some decisions that UPS management is better because they know how to make a profit even in a union environment. I don't believe FredEx has that same ability!

JMO.
 

Keepingthemhonest

Bring'n sexy back
I bet they try to close the centers and move the work, but I am just being pessimistic...how can contractors unionize...isn't the jury still out on them being considered "employees"?

anyway it was a nice thing to talk about with my brothers @ work and a step in the right direction !IN SOLIDARITY!
 

djbeckett

Member
I bet they try to close the centers and move the work, but I am just being pessimistic...how can contractors unionize...isn't the jury still out on them being considered "employees"?

anyway it was a nice thing to talk about with my brothers @ work and a step in the right direction !IN SOLIDARITY!

No, the jury is not still out. NLRB ruled the "independent contractors" as Fedex employees. Read all about it at: FedEx Watch - Welcome
 

FEDEX FAN

monte carlo 11 and 12
I am going to take a shot in the dark and say Fedex Corp will close the doors at the two Home Delivery facilities and redirect the package volume over to the nearby Express and Ground divisions. I wouldnt be surprised if it happened before peak this year. I think the 35 employees/contactors that took part in the vote will be out of a job. Fedex Corp could say they closed the two Home Delivery facilities to save money and unfortunately had to let a few of there (employees) go just before the Christmas season. I think Fedex is going to make an example of them. Will be interesting to see how it pans out and I wish them the best.
 

Hawk780

No One in Particular
Will be great for us. They have a strong influence on what we will get for our total compensation package. The better paid they are , they better paid we will be

This could be a very interesting time to be working for Big Brown. Think about all the costs associated with unionizing FredEx if it catches on. They are going to have to purchase all the trucks that were originally owned/operated/maintained by the "contractors". Not to mention the possibility of lawsuits for back wages and/or benefits.

On top of that, UPS spends a significant amount of $$ strictly on labor relations (labor manager in all districts) and FredEx will have to put some kind of infrastructure in place to handle that.

And they won't be able to undercut our sales force prices moving forward, which will mean winning back a decent chunk of the market share...just food for thought. Any other opinions???

-Hawk
 
B

BIGB

Guest
Hawk I got a little food for thought. UPS is set to implode soon since they have been living in the land of milk and honey for years. The management at the top is 90% at fault for being so clueless. What other company has such a clear advantage due to volume alone, if you have 5 packages and I have 1 that is pure profit. You can say service and great drivers but who are you comparing these to? In the LTL world there are a ton of options. If I want a new car there are options everywhere. I need a cell phone service, could you imagine one choice. If you set up shop in 1980 and wanted to ship ground packages from Florida to Washington there was not a real option besides UPS. I hope FedEx puts the smack down on this quickly and the Free Market wins lets all live in the US and enjoy!!!
 
B

BigB

Guest
Exactly.... Microsoft... UPS is a good company but the upper crust thinks they are pretty smart and it will end up hurting the company. UPS needs outside help and they are way to proud to know it.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Outstanding news. Win/Win for everyone at UPS IMO. I knew FedEx would challenge the vote so this isn't settled by any means but it could also begin to effect the other FedEx sites. If these drivers prevail and become unionized, look for a cascade effect across the board.

If these guys do prevail, they will need all our support in getting a contract and they need to know that. Also, would send a clear message to all the other FedExers. You can bet FredEx will pull every stunt in the book and I truly believe Fred will make our management team look like union lovers at the end of the day. I've always said even though I've disagreed will some decisions that UPS management is better because they know how to make a profit even in a union environment. I don't believe FredEx has that same ability!

JMO.
this would affect their ground product, but would mean likely nothing to their overnight product. fedex express becoming unionized is like russia joining nato.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Why?
I would think that if their ground drivers unionized, then the air drivers would soon follow.
no way. fedex express employees are way too satisfied with their job, the working environment, and corporate culture to want to ruin their employment with a union. their managers care about them, their equipment and facilities are modern (200 000 miles is considered to be a beater), they're empowered to do whatever it takes to make clients happy, they get good benefits on top of cheap flights and shipping. that's just off the top of my head. employees there are happy to be there, they're not just there for the paycheque. and i still maintain my view that FX express going unionized is not gonna happen. the teamsters tried that two decades ago (likely funded by their UPS members) and failed horribly.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
Fed-Ex drivers have it pretty good (Power steering, cool-looking uniforms, health insurance, empty trucks, almost no over 70's, and a good wage), why would they want to unionize? So they can deal with the bull us UPS drivers deal with? UPS needs to squeeze us for every last drop of blood to keep profit margins at a satisfactory level. If I were with Fed-Ex, I would vote a big NO!
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
Fed-Ex drivers have it pretty good (Power steering, cool-looking uniforms, health insurance, empty trucks, almost no over 70's, and a good wage), why would they want to unionize? So they can deal with the bull us UPS drivers deal with? UPS needs to squeeze us for every last drop of blood to keep profit margins at a satisfactory level. If I were with Fed-Ex, I would vote a big NO!
Fred S's was quoted as saying that if you pay and treat your employees well, everything else will take care of itself. Just that one-liner shows how dramatic of a difference FedEx's corporate culture is from UPS.
 
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