Enough Sport Sponsorship

STFXG

Well-Known Member
Word of mouth will always be the most effective form of advertising and that will never change. Couple that with sites like Google reviews and yelp.com and so on and you have far better advertising that costs you nothing so long as you provide superior service.

A sponsorship has never gave me the urge to spend money anywhere. Neither has being bombarded by the same commercial twenty times in the span of an hour.

It's not for the urge to use a service or buy a product. It's to flood the marketplace with the name for branding purposes and to keep the name in the forefront of your mind. When you think ship they're wanting you to think FedEx. That's the advantage they're looking for with all the advertising...
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
It's not for the urge to use a service or buy a product. It's to flood the marketplace with the name for branding purposes and to keep the name in the forefront of your mind. When you think ship they're wanting you to think FedEx. That's the advantage they're looking for with all the advertising...

OK,that must be why I only ship USPS or UPS.
 

Ricochet1a

Well-Known Member
But volume is dropping, so is that due to a "shifting marketplace" or is it due to poorly allocated advertsing dollars? FedEx got a lot more mileage out of it's formerly excellent (and humorous) TV commercials than it seems to from NASCAR, golf, etc. In October, my best guess is that UPS will be the first brand consumers think of when they consider expedited shipping.

Here is the fundamental "miss" of those who look at things from an "Express" persepective, instead of a FedEx perspective - and I've constantly stated, the brand is no longer Federal Express, or Express - the brand that is being sold is FedEx now and will continue to be in the future (if you don't believe me, look at the website for FedEx, everything is integrated - the customers see only "FedEx").

Volumes for FedEx are increasing. Volumes for Express are falling, but are more than being made up by Ground.

Absolute margin for a piece moved through Ground is higher than if the same piece were to move through Express. This is why FedEx is shifting customers away from Express and to Ground if they decide they don't need rapid service.

This is also why the wage employees of Express are being pushed under the bus - they cost FedEx more than the step-children of FedEx cost (Ground contractors).

This is why Express is starting its downsizing (rightsizing) and Ground is growing by leaps and bounds.

This is why Ground is pulling Express employees over to it, and even offering to let the former Express employees keep their seniority (original hire date with Express) when they become "Ground-ed".

And what are the Couriers that post here doing about it? Bitching and moaning about the slow but undeniable demise of their careers.

Why don't you all do something that may, just may have an impact on saving your job - start signing those damn cards?

All that is going on, is the dog is going round and round in circles, chasing its tail - with nothing ever being accomplished.

Meanwhile, Fred sends his shills and stooges to kick sand in your face trying to get you to quit out of sheer frustration.

Don't play Fred's game (debating his shills and stooges) - play the game he fears most - the game of signing as many representation cards as possible.

That will get HIM running in a circle, chasing his tail, instead of laughing his butt off while you run in a circle never getting anywhere.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Here is the fundamental "miss" of those who look at things from an "Express" persepective, instead of a FedEx perspective - and I've constantly stated, the brand is no longer Federal Express, or Express - the brand that is being sold is FedEx now and will continue to be in the future (if you don't believe me, look at the website for FedEx, everything is integrated - the customers see only "FedEx").

Volumes for FedEx are increasing. Volumes for Express are falling, but are more than being made up by Ground.

Absolute margin for a piece moved through Ground is higher than if the same piece were to move through Express. This is why FedEx is shifting customers away from Express and to Ground if they decide they don't need rapid service.

This is also why the wage employees of Express are being pushed under the bus - they cost FedEx more than the step-children of FedEx cost (Ground contractors).

This is why Express is starting its downsizing (rightsizing) and Ground is growing by leaps and bounds.

This is why Ground is pulling Express employees over to it, and even offering to let the former Express employees keep their seniority (original hire date with Express) when they become "Ground-ed".

And what are the Couriers that post here doing about it? Bitching and moaning about the slow but undeniable demise of their careers.

Why don't you all do something that may, just may have an impact on saving your job - start signing those damn cards?

All that is going on, is the dog is going round and round in circles, chasing its tail - with nothing ever being accomplished.

Meanwhile, Fred sends his shills and stooges to kick sand in your face trying to get you to quit out of sheer frustration.

Don't play Fred's game (debating his shills and stooges) - play the game he fears most - the game of signing as many representation cards as possible.

That will get HIM running in a circle, chasing his tail, instead of laughing his butt off while you run in a circle never getting anywhere.

I'm in a very anti-union area. Just moved from the same. My question is why aren't the couriers in traditionally strong union areas not signing cards? 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. Otherwise without the IBT it would be very difficult to organize much of anything. 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?
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
I'm in a very anti-union area. Just moved from the same. My question is why aren't the couriers in traditionally strong union areas not signing cards? 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. Otherwise without the IBT it would be very difficult to organize much of anything. 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?
You speak as one who has the luxury or time on your side. I think you are mistaken.
 

Ricochet1a

Well-Known Member
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???
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
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.



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).



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.



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???

OK, if the IBT isn't going to do anything until they have enough signed up then obviously employees in pro union heavily populated areas aren't signing cards. There should be enough employees in the Northeast, Rust Belt, and California along with employees elsewhere who sign to get very close to 50%. But what I'm suggesting is the IBT get major media outlets to report on FedEx employees trying to overcome the obstacles placed against them to try to get a union in. Quote an anonymous courier who says something to the effect that we're trying to get the message out to all the stations. The IBT only has to pull strings behind the scenes to get the ball rolling. Enough press might work.

On the blog, I think a person with inside connections in Memphis would be much better suited to running a successful blog that would get attention. My blog would be : "Day One, FedEx unfair". Day Two: variation of Day One. This forum is a much better vehicle.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
You speak as one who has the luxury or time on your side. I think you are mistaken.

I think you are right. Just wondering why those who live in historically pro union areas aren't going full steam towards signing up everyone they can. We get criticized for just taking it, but if those particular employees aren't signing, then there's little hope in pro-business, anti union areas.
 

Ricochet1a

Well-Known Member
On the blog, I think a person with inside connections in Memphis would be much better suited to running a successful blog that would get attention. My blog would be : "Day One, FedEx unfair". Day Two: variation of Day One. This forum is a much better vehicle.

I would recommend a course (or two) in Organizational Communication. Getting one's message out (and getting action), requires a different approach than having public debate. Debate isn't all it is held up to be (in trying to get things done). There is a time for debate and a time for action. The time for debate ended years ago.

As far as getting the IBT having outlets to report favorable events... That costs money. They aren't even maintaining FedExwatch anymore. That ought to tell you what they think the odds are of any successful organizing going on within Express. The Express employees are going to have to HAND the IBT 15,000+ signed rep cards from Couriers for anything to happen. For those who don't want to look for another career, they'd had better start organizing on their own - or they'll be forced to look for another career when they are placed on part-time hours.

Things are only going to get worse - they won't EVER get better for the Express wage employees.

You'd all better start either making plans to eventually get out, or become grassroots union organizers real quick.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
I would recommend a course (or two) in Organizational Communication. Getting one's message out (and getting action), requires a different approach than having public debate. Debate isn't all it is held up to be (in trying to get things done). There is a time for debate and a time for action. The time for debate ended years ago.

As far as getting the IBT having outlets to report favorable events... That costs money. They aren't even maintaining FedExwatch anymore. That ought to tell you what they think the odds are of any successful organizing going on within Express. The Express employees are going to have to HAND the IBT 15,000+ signed rep cards from Couriers for anything to happen. For those who don't want to look for another career, they'd had better start organizing on their own - or they'll be forced to look for another career when they are placed on part-time hours.

Things are only going to get worse - they won't EVER get better for the Express wage employees.

You'd all better start either making plans to eventually get out, or become grassroots union organizers real quick.

Let's face it, they have us by Goldilock's cojones and we're just going to have to live with it.
 

jmeti000

Well-Known Member
In case you have all forgotten, FedEx did not re-up the sponsorship of the Orange Bowl last year. As for FedEx Field, FedEx Cup, Nascar, etc...it's called a contract. The FedEx Field naming rights was a 20 year contract if I remember correctly.....usually there are major financial penalties for terminating a contract early. More benefit to ride out the rest of the contract than to pay a penalty in most cases. For example, do you wait another year for your cell phone contract to expire before switching, or do you pay the $200 or so to get out now and switch carriers? Most ride it out and switch after it expires.

Depends on how much you pay per month. If im paying the $65 dollars a month it makes more financial sense to take the hit and switch early. However if Im paying $20 or less a month then it makes more sense to stay...but I cant think of any cell phone carrier that offers even the lowest plan at $20 or less per month.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
It's not for the urge to use a service or buy a product. It's to flood the marketplace with the name for branding purposes and to keep the name in the forefront of your mind. When you think ship they're wanting you to think FedEx. That's the advantage they're looking for with all the advertising...

OK,that must be why I only ship USPS or UPS.
And because I don't like celery, no one else does either.
 
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