My question is why aren't the couriers in traditionally strong union areas not signing cards?
How do you know they are not?
Everyone by now knows the hoops the RLA presents for labor wishing to organize. The battle to get that changed was lost. So if you want to organize as an Express employee, you have to do it under the provisions of the RLA.
If the IBT had documented proof of a majority of employees in these stations signing cards they could get the word out through a very sympathetic media and maybe wake up the rest of us.
The IBT isn't going to release documented "proof" of anything until they have enough signed union cards in hand to petition the NLRB for an election. There isn't going to be the IBT version of the "national debt clock" (in their case, total number of signed union cards by craft, for all to see, including FedEx). There are politics in play there (way above organizing a single company's employees). The media isn't too sympathetic (reference the election in the Ground terminal in MA).
As far as "waking up" the employees of Express.... the employees of Express that want a chance to save their career are going to have to do that the old fashioned way - grassroots organizing.
Don't expect the IBT to "swoop down to the rescue" - they won't. The wage employees of Express are going to have to take it on themselves to start grassroots organizing, send in those cards all in hope that enough will arrive and the IBT decides that it would have more to gain in asking the NLRB for an election, than losing in political prestige in risking a no vote.
In case you're wondering how much in resources the IBT is committing to Express right now, try pulling up FedExwatch dot com.... As an Express employee, you are on your own in your fight against Fred. YOU are going to have to move the ball down court, set it up and basically hand it to the IBT to do the final dunk (and they'll take credit for it after it is all done).
Otherwise without the IBT it would be very difficult to organize much of anything.
It would be difficult, but not impossible. Why do you think the shills and stooges are coming out of the woodwork lately? In correspondence to some here, I've often stated that, "nothing happens by coincidence when it comes to FedEx". In the coming months, you will see more and more attempts by status quo FedEx supporters doing everything they can to put a giant "smiley face" on what is going on in FedEx. I think I may have already publically made this statement (on list) - I know I have in correspondence.
Nothing's going to happen until 50% of couriers sign up but what hope do we have if couriers in Gary, IN or New York City aren't overwhelmingly signing up?
Its called social media, and why you have to work at organizing those you know, then try to get the word out to someone in a station that is "on the fence", to start doing the same where they are.
For success to even have a chance to be realized, there will have to be a separate "blog" established for Express Couriers and RTDs, no other way around it.
Pull up Kevin Osiowy's old "FedUp" blog from the late 90's - that is what is needed. I've been sorely tempted to start one up like it, but the time committment would be too much for me. The financials aren't all that bad - it actually isn't too expensive to get a site and server space. It is the time in not only gathering information (which I already do), but in the actual administration of a site that is the killer.
Since you seem to have time on your hands.. Why not start up a blog for Express Couriers and RTDs?, Keep it focused like a laser beam on the issues faced by these employees. Don't have a forum where the shills and stooges can muddy the waters, but have a private, invite only forum where information is gathered, "scrubbed" and presented in a blog format by the administrator? If you become good at it, start putting ads up, pull in some revenue. If you become really good, you may just have your own money machine for retirement.
No real sense in letting others put money in their pocket when they aren't too sympathetic to the cause of organizing Express, now is there???