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WILMINGTON, Mass., Nov. 17. FedEx Home Delivery drivers at two locations in Wilmington, Massachusetts, voted 24-8 to overwhelmingly choose Teamsters Local 25 in Boston as their bargaining representative, as ballots they cast a month ago were counted today by the National Labor Relations Board.
The workers are the first units in the FedEx Home Delivery system, a subsidiary of FedEx Ground, to win Teamster representation. Since 1988, the NLRB has ruled seven times that FedEx Ground and Home Delivery drivers are not independent contractors as the company alleges, giving them the right as employees to form a union.
"This is a great day for these workers," said Sean O'Brien, President of Teamsters Local 25. "Their voice was finally heard despite every effort by FedEx to silence them. I look forward to securing a first contract for these drivers that will ensure they are treated like the employees both we and the company know they are."
FedEx Ground employed stall tactics during the past month in an attempt to deny the drivers their federally protected right to join a union. Its final attempt was quashed when the NLRB refused to reconsider its ruling that ordered the October 20 representation election, paving the way for today's vote count.
"This vote sends one clear and simple message to FedEx -- the free ride is over," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "These workers and this union will not stand idly by while FedEx rakes in profits and avoids its responsibilities to the workers and their communities by exploiting this phony independent contractor model."
The workers are the first units in the FedEx Home Delivery system, a subsidiary of FedEx Ground, to win Teamster representation. Since 1988, the NLRB has ruled seven times that FedEx Ground and Home Delivery drivers are not independent contractors as the company alleges, giving them the right as employees to form a union.
"This is a great day for these workers," said Sean O'Brien, President of Teamsters Local 25. "Their voice was finally heard despite every effort by FedEx to silence them. I look forward to securing a first contract for these drivers that will ensure they are treated like the employees both we and the company know they are."
FedEx Ground employed stall tactics during the past month in an attempt to deny the drivers their federally protected right to join a union. Its final attempt was quashed when the NLRB refused to reconsider its ruling that ordered the October 20 representation election, paving the way for today's vote count.
"This vote sends one clear and simple message to FedEx -- the free ride is over," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "These workers and this union will not stand idly by while FedEx rakes in profits and avoids its responsibilities to the workers and their communities by exploiting this phony independent contractor model."