fedex ground teamster vote this friday

Coldworld

60 months and counting
so can someone tell me what happends if the majority of fedex drivers want to join the teamsters. Does fedex have to allow this? Im sure ups corporate are licking their chops right now because if this one group gets the teamsters to represent them, them other terminals will for sure follow. It will be harder for fedex to compete with ups if thousands of their drivers are union. This means paid vacations, gas expense, not paying for uniforms, etc, etc. Actually these things are basics that their drivers should have anyway, just like the express unit.
 
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who cares

Guest
I am a former contractor with fedex ground and now here at ups. I am so glad I sold out when I did. Every contractor is under contract, I always figured if the contractors organized with union rep. they... fedex, would not renew the contractor's at the end of the term. Happy to be gone but miss my old long time customers.
 
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AnonymousCynic

Guest
so can someone tell me what happends if the majority of fedex drivers want to join the teamsters. Does fedex have to allow this? Im sure ups corporate are licking their chops right now because if this one group gets the teamsters to represent them, them other terminals will for sure follow. It will be harder for fedex to compete with ups if thousands of their drivers are union. This means paid vacations, gas expense, not paying for uniforms, etc, etc. Actually these things are basics that their drivers should have anyway, just like the express unit.

If they go Teamsters, then that will be the end of the FedEx Ground division as it is. Ground will probably be incorporated into the Express division and they'll have a company wide reorganization. That will be the end of driver owned vehicles. So, Fedex will be forced to either buy the truck and hire the driver as an employee or just terminate the whole Ground division and restart that service with the Express employees. It won't be pretty and it will severely harm their abilty to compete. Who knows, maybe DHL will end up putting UPS and FedEx out of business.
 

Coldworld

60 months and counting
if the fedex ground wants to be union is there anything legally that fedex corporation can do to stop it? Would it be something that could be tied up in courts for years or would fedex just have to suck it up and like someone else said, combine the ground and express units. Yes, this would put a big damper on fedex for sure.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
I believe it is the Fedex "Home Delivery" drivers that are voting Friday, and just one location in Wilmington, MA.

But, man, it is a start! Let's hope it spreads like a virus!
 
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BROWN OBSERVER

Guest
So What If Ground Wins This Vote. Fedex Could Lock Them Out The Next Day, They Have No Ties Or Agreement With The Union. I Don't See Fedex Letting This Happen Without A Fight.
 
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Anon

Guest
if the fedex ground wants to be union is there anything legally that fedex corporation can do to stop it? Would it be something that could be tied up in courts for years or would fedex just have to suck it up and like someone else said, combine the ground and express units. Yes, this would put a big damper on fedex for sure.
I would think that if one Fed-Ex ground hub became union Fred could just close that hub and open one somewhere else right?
 

sendagain

Well-Known Member
I spoke with a Fed Ex ground driver in California just last week, and he sounds like he is all for unionization. That would certainly level the playing field a great deal.
 
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lskdirgpi

Guest
I spoke with a Fed Ex ground driver in California just last week, and he sounds like he is all for unionization. That would certainly level the playing field a great deal.

That’s great.

Around here (southern CA) FedEx Ground contracts with various trucking companies.

They can unionize if they want but they aren’t employees of FedEx Ground. They’re employees of Rojas Trucking (or whatever).

Even if they unionize they’re not employees of FedEx – they’re unionized employees of Rojas Trucking.

FedEx also has a contract with those companies.

They’ll award it to another entity if the current (newly unionized – let’s imagine) company can’t continue to produce for the right price.

That’s how Teamsters get pushed out of small package ground. Textbook case.

That wasn’t the case as recently as three years or so ago.

They used to contract with individual drivers. They don’t anymore. There’s a reason for that. Sit back and watch.
 
As a former supervisor with fedex ground, I know alot of the supplementals (drivers who work for a contractor but do not own the route) are hopeful for unionization. They generally work very long hours, and some, average about 11 dollars per hour when you work out how many hours they put in. They also in many cases do not receive benefits, as they are responsible for this at their own expense. Many contractors treat their supplemental drivers very well, paying them bonuses and providing some sort of insurance, but for as many as there are that fit this category, there are many who don't. There was one contractor in the terminal I worked in who went through a different driver about once every month to two months. As for tyhe contractors, many of them want nothing to do with the union, especially those contractors who own more than one route. It will be interesting to see how fedex ground will handle this situation, particularely when they start to play contactors against their supplemental drivers. From what I have seen, mostly through intra-company emails, is that supervisors and management must promote the independent contractor model whenever possible, and this has come with a proliferation of anti-union literature and posters appearing in the terminals. This vote in Mass, and the coming struggle with unionizing ground, will provide for a very interesting case study.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
why is everyone so hopeful for fedex to unionize? how the hell can you unionize contractors?

and to people who are excited that fedex express drivers may unionize: don't hold your breath, because it ain't gonna happen. fx employees are happy and they realize what unionized shops are like and how horrible their work environment will become if it becomes unionized.
 

DS

Fenderbender
If they go Teamsters, then that will be the end of the FedEx Ground division as it is. Ground will probably be incorporated into the Express division and they'll have a company wide reorganization. That will be the end of driver owned vehicles. So, Fedex will be forced to either buy the truck and hire the driver as an employee or just terminate the whole Ground division and restart that service with the Express employees. It won't be pretty and it will severely harm their abilty to compete. quote]

I would love to see this happen.The fedex guy in my area would be pulling his hair out doing what I`ve been doing for years.
 

hoser

Industrial Slob
If they go Teamsters, then that will be the end of the FedEx Ground division as it is. Ground will probably be incorporated into the Express division and they'll have a company wide reorganization. That will be the end of driver owned vehicles. So, Fedex will be forced to either buy the truck and hire the driver as an employee or just terminate the whole Ground division and restart that service with the Express employees. It won't be pretty and it will severely harm their abilty to compete. Who knows, maybe DHL will end up putting UPS and FedEx out of business.
I have high doubts ground would be consolodated into express' operations. Express is literally firewalled; they are under different payrolls, operating companies, and express drivers never touch ground packages. All the FX Express stations are built to handle aircraft and air cans. Not feeder trucks and 53'ers.

If FX express had to handle ground, you'd see those employees worked into the ground, and wanting a union. Then you will see FX corporate culture collapse.
 
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