Goodbye and farewell...

Ricochet1a

Well-Known Member
Final posting – some material previously sent in PM to other BC posters…

Well, it’s time for me to bring my posing on BC to an end. Back in February, when the pay actions were ‘delayed’, I thought giving things one more try was worth the effort. I did learn that the Express wage employees desired union representation (I figured that if an election were to be held, at least half would vote to certify), BUT those very same wage employees weren’t willing to do the work themselves to get that union election held.

It has been almost three years since I got out, and it is time for me to put Express behind me for good and not look back. I did what I could here, while protecting those who wouldn't risk their employment by getting information out themselves. That same fear among the people that I've corresponded to and spoken with over the years is even MORE present among the wage employees that post and lurk here - they refuse to face any risk to their employment and do something to change the deteriorating situation. So it’s over...

The wage employees of Express are finally catching on to the fact that Express is a sinking ship (for them at least) and in the end, that is all that really matters. The people that Fred is getting in to replace the former caliber of Courier just aren't cutting it - and Express is using fear and intimidation in order to force compliance with policies that are increasingly insane.

The revolving door is spinning faster than ever before. From the employee numbers being issued, it looks like employee # 1,000,000 will be issued sometime early or in the middle of next year - simply amazing to me. The bottom third of the company is lasting about a year on average - in some locations the average new hire will last less than 6 months before they hit the door. Memphis KNOWS they can't retain people, and they don't see it as a problem.

The contact I have in HR is VERY worried that the experience base is eroding away so rapidly, that in 5 years, there won't be ANY wage employees with more than 10 years in - and they will be but a handful that are stuck in Express due to their inability to find other employment. He finally admitted that Memphis wants the 'experience base' to be confined to a handful of operations managers who follow dictates - and the wage force will be made up whatever people that are desperate enough to put up with the hellish conditions of Express. The whole 'Purple Promise' is an illusion that is created by Express - all to link to the past glory of Federal Express while attempting to convince those who still remember that time, that it somehow still exists. Meanwhile, Express continues to act as if it is in ‘crisis mode’ – while its wage employees are experiencing the true crisis.

FedEx Corporation tried this experiment called FedEx Ground and it worked WONDERFULLY for them (THIS is the reason all of this is happening in Express). FedEx proved to itself that it could get packages moved AND make double digit profits while doing so. The whole founding philosophy of Federal Express was turned on its head as a result of this 'experiment'. No longer were fairly compensated, independent thinking individuals required to perform a service to make a profit for FedEx. To the contrary, FedEx saw these individuals as INHIBITING the ability of the company to get the profit it really wants.

It is all a variation of outsourcing of jobs. In this case, they are service jobs that can't be outsourced overseas - BUT, they can be outsourced to an individual who works with the RELIANCE of technology as is done within FedEx Ground. This is why DRA is a 'do or die' situation for Express and it has NO OPTION but to get that system perfected. Express KNOWS they won't have the caliber of Courier that can work 'old school' with what they are offering for compensation for many more years - so DRA MUST work or the entire restructuring of Express will have to be undone. Since both UPS and Ground use virtually identical systems, I have no doubt that they will eventually succeed - but I do see the shifting of the delivery of non-overnight volume over to Ground as being an inevitable part of the restructuring to make it all work – despite the delays in implementing that so far.

Express Couriers will become the functional equivalent of UPS's 'Air Drivers' (without a labor contract) - UPS has these dedicated drivers that handle air shipments almost EXCLUSIVELY. The Express Couriers don't recognize that UPS has already made the 'split' - it is just done within UPS as a single company rather than a formal shifting of volume to a separate opco. It is all a shell game - as long as the letter of the law is followed - the results will be the same.

FedEx is the brand now (not Express, not Ground, not Office), most people in Express COMPLETELY MISS THIS. Express will pickup and move the 'air freight', then the overnight stuff will be delivered by the 'air drivers' (Express Couriers), while the non-overnight stuff will be delivered by 'other FedEx drivers' (Ground contractors). FedEx will accept a lower profit margin on the air shipments - all in order to keep market share and make its 'bank' on the non-overnight volume. It’s so painfully obvious that it is laughable.

The ONLY thing that can halt this trend are unions - and FedEx even came up with a way to make it nearly impossible for that to happen in each operating company - Fred won there.

Another poster recently put up his compensation back in 1986 and compared it to current compensation. If compensation levels held constant to 1986 norms, Express Couriers would top out in 4 years, receive gross compensation of approximately $75,000 annually (2013 dollars) at top out (4 years), have a pension which is really a pension and health insurance which would be among the best offered to non-union wage employees. Express Couriers currently have compensation after 4 years of working for Express in the ball park of $35,000, a pension that is a pension in name only and health insurance which will very soon become a catastrophic plan only. You as an Express Courier are making HALF of what you should after 4 years of employment (and half of what you would’ve made back in 1986 as a topped out Courier) – and you still fear losing that lousy job more than you want to be equitably compensated for your labor.

And Express still states it is in ‘crisis’. The only people in Express in crisis are the wage employees.

I walk away from posting here knowing I did what I could, for what turned out to be a lost cause. I'm glad I did it- I have no regrets. I'm just disappointed that the Couriers fear Fred more than they LOATHE him.

I won’t return to post here, this is ‘it’ for me. I’m officially putting all things FedEx behind me at this point and putting my energies to other things.

So… there will no longer be any postings under “Ricochet1a” – if you do see a future post under that ID, it is NOT I.

I wish you all well and hope you can make plans to get out of Express as soon as you can. I don’t see any realistic chance of halting the reorganization of Express, so for the wage employees, the only real option is the only one they’ve had all along – and that is to get out as soon as they can.

Sincerely, R1a
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
In all reality Express topped out couriers should make $75k in certain markets and around $55k in the lowest payscale markets. It's not realistic to expect across the board parity per UPS...run the numbers. And midrange employees should certainly top out faster and most would be content with 10 years. Obviously 4 would be better. Asking people to risk their livelihood in this economy when they have serious obligations is a bit much. They'll take the hit so that others might prosper? At any rate if people are understandably unhappy then they need to find a way out. There won't be some major adjustment to pay that current topped out employees enjoy due to a union scare. That's the reality and wishful thinking for a union or FedEx to finally come through won't get you anywhere.
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
R1A you've made some excellent points over the years and I for one certainly appreciate them. However your attitude has always been like that of a bully that grabs somone by the hair so he can rub their nose into the manure.

I did try to get my cronies interested in signing cards back in 2009/10 and was in contact with the IBT until they dropped all communication like a hot coal in their hand. Interest from my co-workers was mediocre at best as too many were still drinking the Kool-Aid. After that I pretty much decided to look for another job at which I'm still doing.
I'm over 50 so the cards are stacked against me there but for me it's a more probable solution.

Safe to say all of us here want a union but you've tried to put us on the edge of a cliff with no legal protection and expected us to jump off. To get a union going here maybe we just need a helping hand however small. Maybe the IBT is not the answer but that's just my opinion.

Anyway best of luck to 'ya R1A. You have written many excellent posts.
 

purplesky

Well-Known Member
Final posting – some material previously sent in PM to other BC posters…

Well, it’s time for me to bring my posing on BC to an end. Back in February, when the pay actions were ‘delayed’, I thought giving things one more try was worth the effort. I did learn that the Express wage employees desired union representation (I figured that if an election were to be held, at least half would vote to certify), BUT those very same wage employees weren’t willing to do the work themselves to get that union election held.

It has been almost three years since I got out, and it is time for me to put Express behind me for good and not look back. I did what I could here, while protecting those who wouldn't risk their employment by getting information out themselves. That same fear among the people that I've corresponded to and spoken with over the years is even MORE present among the wage employees that post and lurk here - they refuse to face any risk to their employment and do something to change the deteriorating situation. So it’s over...

The wage employees of Express are finally catching on to the fact that Express is a sinking ship (for them at least) and in the end, that is all that really matters. The people that Fred is getting in to replace the former caliber of Courier just aren't cutting it - and Express is using fear and intimidation in order to force compliance with policies that are increasingly insane.

The revolving door is spinning faster than ever before. From the employee numbers being issued, it looks like employee # 1,000,000 will be issued sometime early or in the middle of next year - simply amazing to me. The bottom third of the company is lasting about a year on average - in some locations the average new hire will last less than 6 months before they hit the door. Memphis KNOWS they can't retain people, and they don't see it as a problem.

The contact I have in HR is VERY worried that the experience base is eroding away so rapidly, that in 5 years, there won't be ANY wage employees with more than 10 years in - and they will be but a handful that are stuck in Express due to their inability to find other employment. He finally admitted that Memphis wants the 'experience base' to be confined to a handful of operations managers who follow dictates - and the wage force will be made up whatever people that are desperate enough to put up with the hellish conditions of Express. The whole 'Purple Promise' is an illusion that is created by Express - all to link to the past glory of Federal Express while attempting to convince those who still remember that time, that it somehow still exists. Meanwhile, Express continues to act as if it is in ‘crisis mode’ – while its wage employees are experiencing the true crisis.

FedEx Corporation tried this experiment called FedEx Ground and it worked WONDERFULLY for them (THIS is the reason all of this is happening in Express). FedEx proved to itself that it could get packages moved AND make double digit profits while doing so. The whole founding philosophy of Federal Express was turned on its head as a result of this 'experiment'. No longer were fairly compensated, independent thinking individuals required to perform a service to make a profit for FedEx. To the contrary, FedEx saw these individuals as INHIBITING the ability of the company to get the profit it really wants.

It is all a variation of outsourcing of jobs. In this case, they are service jobs that can't be outsourced overseas - BUT, they can be outsourced to an individual who works with the RELIANCE of technology as is done within FedEx Ground. This is why DRA is a 'do or die' situation for Express and it has NO OPTION but to get that system perfected. Express KNOWS they won't have the caliber of Courier that can work 'old school' with what they are offering for compensation for many more years - so DRA MUST work or the entire restructuring of Express will have to be undone. Since both UPS and Ground use virtually identical systems, I have no doubt that they will eventually succeed - but I do see the shifting of the delivery of non-overnight volume over to Ground as being an inevitable part of the restructuring to make it all work – despite the delays in implementing that so far.

Express Couriers will become the functional equivalent of UPS's 'Air Drivers' (without a labor contract) - UPS has these dedicated drivers that handle air shipments almost EXCLUSIVELY. The Express Couriers don't recognize that UPS has already made the 'split' - it is just done within UPS as a single company rather than a formal shifting of volume to a separate opco. It is all a shell game - as long as the letter of the law is followed - the results will be the same.

FedEx is the brand now (not Express, not Ground, not Office), most people in Express COMPLETELY MISS THIS. Express will pickup and move the 'air freight', then the overnight stuff will be delivered by the 'air drivers' (Express Couriers), while the non-overnight stuff will be delivered by 'other FedEx drivers' (Ground contractors). FedEx will accept a lower profit margin on the air shipments - all in order to keep market share and make its 'bank' on the non-overnight volume. It’s so painfully obvious that it is laughable.

The ONLY thing that can halt this trend are unions - and FedEx even came up with a way to make it nearly impossible for that to happen in each operating company - Fred won there.

Another poster recently put up his compensation back in 1986 and compared it to current compensation. If compensation levels held constant to 1986 norms, Express Couriers would top out in 4 years, receive gross compensation of approximately $75,000 annually (2013 dollars) at top out (4 years), have a pension which is really a pension and health insurance which would be among the best offered to non-union wage employees. Express Couriers currently have compensation after 4 years of working for Express in the ball park of $35,000, a pension that is a pension in name only and health insurance which will very soon become a catastrophic plan only. You as an Express Courier are making HALF of what you should after 4 years of employment (and half of what you would’ve made back in 1986 as a topped out Courier) – and you still fear losing that lousy job more than you want to be equitably compensated for your labor.

And Express still states it is in ‘crisis’. The only people in Express in crisis are the wage employees.

I walk away from posting here knowing I did what I could, for what turned out to be a lost cause. I'm glad I did it- I have no regrets. I'm just disappointed that the Couriers fear Fred more than they LOATHE him.

I won’t return to post here, this is ‘it’ for me. I’m officially putting all things FedEx behind me at this point and putting my energies to other things.

So… there will no longer be any postings under “Ricochet1a” – if you do see a future post under that ID, it is NOT I.

I wish you all well and hope you can make plans to get out of Express as soon as you can. I don’t see any realistic chance of halting the reorganization of Express, so for the wage employees, the only real option is the only one they’ve had all along – and that is to get out as soon as they can.

Sincerely, R1a

I am just amazed how quickly the American standard of living has dropped in past 20 years.

$75k is on the low end of middle class and $35k is broke if you are raising a family.

And today in America we have fast food workers across the nation protesting their low wages AS THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS SUBSIDIZE THESE LOW WAGE WORKERS AND THESE BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATIONS LIKE WALMART,FDX GROUND,MCDONALDS,TACOBELL,etc,.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Fred demands that you work harder than ever
...for less. By the time you add-up all the takeaways, you are making far less than you used to. Do nothing for Mr. Smith, because he is robbing you blind.
 

PiedmontSteward

RTW-4-Less
R1A you've made some excellent points over the years and I for one certainly appreciate them. However your attitude has always been like that of a bully that grabs somone by the hair so he can rub their nose into the manure.

I did try to get my cronies interested in signing cards back in 2009/10 and was in contact with the IBT until they dropped all communication like a hot coal in their hand. Interest from my co-workers was mediocre at best as too many were still drinking the Kool-Aid. After that I pretty much decided to look for another job at which I'm still doing.
I'm over 50 so the cards are stacked against me there but for me it's a more probable solution.

Safe to say all of us here want a union but you've tried to put us on the edge of a cliff with no legal protection and expected us to jump off. To get a union going here maybe we just need a helping hand however small. Maybe the IBT is not the answer but that's just my opinion.

Anyway best of luck to 'ya R1A. You have written many excellent posts.

Honestly, R1A was just keeping it real. IBT was never going to stick their neck out unless the scenario he earlier described came to fruition. No other union would even consider touching FedEx other than the IBT and they wouldn't get involved unless they were handed a near-certain victory. He's cashing out because the last straw that might have united all of the various couriers against the company never broke the camel's back. Fred S has done a helluva job of keeping you guys divided.

One of my parents' neighbors (in the neighborhood I grew up in) was a FedEx courier until they started cutting his knees out from under him. He saw the writing on the wall and started his own lawn care business before going back to being part-time. The way they're treating the courier now is ****ing criminal, but it's all part of Wall Street's dismantling of the middle class.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
I am just amazed how quickly the American standard of living has dropped in past 20 years.

$75k is on the low end of middle class and $35k is broke if you are raising a family.

And today in America we have fast food workers across the nation protesting their low wages AS THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS SUBSIDIZE THESE LOW WAGE WORKERS AND THESE BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATIONS LIKE WALMART,FDX GROUND,MCDONALDS,TACOBELL,etc,.

Depends on where you live. $75k plus a spouse's income is decent pay. Very good pay in many areas. I'm all for better pay but do the math on how much FedEx has in profit divided by the number of employees. It's just not feasible to suggest all employees, or even just couriers, should be making $75k a year. They can certainly do better, but drumming into employees numbers like $75k by R1a and others is just a ploy to push a union. Not feasible, and they know it.
 

DontThrowPackages

Well-Known Member
I don't see a union happening at express until most of the topped out have retired/fired/quit. Maybe that's 15 years from now, who knows. But those left will have so little to lose that taking a risk to unionize will be no risk at all really. The company wants to squeeze out the people who can't afford to take a risk and replace them with people who can.
 

chargerlou

Well-Known Member
I don't see a union happening at express until most of the topped out have retired/fired/quit. Maybe that's 15 years from now, who knows. But those left will have so little to lose that taking a risk to unionize will be no risk at all really. The company wants to squeeze out the people who can't afford to take a risk and replace them with people who can.
I see express taking the Walmarr approach once they get DRA going they will make pkg delivery a minimum wage job! Mark my words!
 

DontThrowPackages

Well-Known Member
I see express taking the Walmarr approach once they get DRA going they will make pkg delivery a minimum wage job! Mark my words!
The problem with that is you'll get minimum wage mentalities. Those types of people could steal you blind. For the small wage they'll be paid, its worth the risk to steal to them. Oranges computers, Gone. Epads, Gone, Efones Gone. Account Gone.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
The problem with that is you'll get minimum wage mentalities. Those types of people could steal you blind. For the small wage they'll be paid, its worth the risk to steal to them. Oranges computers, Gone. Epads, Gone, Efones Gone. Account Gone.

Not to mention no one will work this hard for minimum wage when there are much easier minimum wage jobs out there.
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
The problem with that is you'll get minimum wage mentalities. Those types of people could steal you blind. For the small wage they'll be paid, its worth the risk to steal to them. Oranges computers, Gone. Epads, Gone, Efones Gone. Account Gone.
Good point. All that Smith sees is dollar signs and short term dollar signs at that. It's only gonna be mediocre service at best.
 
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