How about some rampant speculation?

[Ricochet1a]

The problem I have with all of this is the intent seems not to be a good Samaritan and warn others of impending betrayal but rather smacks of trying to hurt the company by trying to influence others to quit. As one who did quit in '97, I know what kind of financial stress that can result in. People get angry and all worked up and in the end are much worse off. If someone wants to quit more power to them, good luck. But do it with a solid job offer, not because you listened to someone else.

If someone up and quits a job without something else lined up based on what they read on the internet - they need to seek professional help.

If someone is made aware of impending business plans of their employer and makes plans to protect themselves and their future livelihoods based off of what they've read on the internet, then they are better informed to make a rational decision for themselves.

Not everyone is like you with their feet stuck firmly in the middle of the road waiting for the impending impact of FedEx running them down. Many are in their 20s and early 30s, thinking about making Express a career, but not knowing what is coming around the corner. Those past the age of 45 only have few options. They can continue their education (I completed grad school and am now working in a professional capacity) or find another career path before they are faced with the prospect of being turned into a part-time employee or a full time employee lucky to get 40 hours a week. Even the salaried employees of Express took a hammering when they were hit (along with the wage employees) with the gutting of the traditional pension plan along with reduction in compensation.

If you still see Express as your best or only option, then stick with it. For others, knowing that change is coming and if they want to improve their standard of living they had better get the heck out of Express in the near future - is the best advice I can give.

The "financial stress" you experienced was solely of your doing. You quit when the economy was doing very well (I remember the late 90's really well, made a boat load of money myself back then), whatever you went into didn't work out and you went back to Express. That merely illustrates that you made a bad decision and paid a price for it.

People need to get "angry and all worked up" when they are being dumped on. A good kick in the arse is often needed to get people to realize that they had better get moving in their lives or be prepared to pay a price. In the past, Express employees could be comfortable that they had a middle class career and retirement. That is gone. If you don't realize that now, then nothing I or others say will. Just read what has happened to others in this forum. If you are of the mindset of "it can't happen to me", then you are just waiting for that impact to happen.

Many in Express are complacent about their future - and getting them to get out there and look for a solid job offer is what they need. Just because you are going to get run down by Express doesn't mean that I shouldn't try to encourage others to either organize (which is more or less gone now) or to get over their complacency and start looking for something better.

 

[bbsam]

Sad part is, unless you get hired on at UPS, what are the greener pastures out there? Even education these days guarantees nothing and that price tag can in itself be daunting.

 

[Ricochet1a]

Sad part is, unless you get hired on at UPS, what are the greener pastures out there? Even education these days guarantees nothing and that price tag can in itself be daunting.

For those who can't further their education, there may not be greener pastures, but the Express pasture is getting less green every year. If the only options someone have are to either stay in place and experience a slide in their standard of living, or get a different job where they can at least maintain their current (or not so distant past) standard of living - the choice is a no-brainer.

The Express pasture is rapidly turning sour. There are other opportunities out there if someone looks hard enough. May not get paid more (in most cases one would be paid more), but they'd prevent the slide in their standard of living.

Knowing that change is coming should be enough to get people to start looking. If they choose not to, then they only have themselves to blame. Can't blame everyone else in the world about their problems when they had knowledge that change was pending and chose to ignore it.

Using an analogy from another string, even rats recognize rising water in a ship is a bad thing - best to go overboard and start swimming rather than take a ride to the bottom.

 

[MrFedEx]

For those who can't further their education, there may not be greener pastures, but the Express pasture is getting less green every year. If the only options someone have are to either stay in place and experience a slide in their standard of living, or get a different job where they can at least maintain their current (or not so distant past) standard of living - the choice is a no-brainer.

The Express pasture is rapidly turning sour. There are other opportunities out there if someone looks hard enough. May not get paid more (in most cases one would be paid more), but they'd prevent the slide in their standard of living.

Knowing that change is coming should be enough to get people to start looking. If they choose not to, then they only have themselves to blame. Can't blame everyone else in the world about their problems when they had knowledge that change was pending and chose to ignore it.

Using an analogy from another string, even rats recognize rising water in a ship is a bad thing - best to go overboard and start swimming rather than take a ride to the bottom.

Yep, FedEx is in the toilet and swirling downward fast. Jump off the turd now!!

 

[vantexan]

Sad part is, unless you get hired on at UPS, what are the greener pastures out there? Even education these days guarantees nothing and that price tag can in itself be daunting.

Exactly. I quit after 4+ years of no raises. But if one quits now because he got all ginned up by someone with an axe to grind he's much more likely to end up bankrupt. Quit or bend over aren't the only options, just the ones being suggested to hurt the company.

 

[Ricochet1a]

Exactly. I quit after 4+ years of no raises. But if one quits now because he got all ginned up by someone with an axe to grind he's much more likely to end up bankrupt. Quit or bend over aren't the only options, just the ones being suggested to hurt the company.

Please tell us about this "third option" you have as an Express employee who is choosing not to do anything. You no longer have the option to organize (for all intent and purposes).

You've gotten on here and lamented about how you've been lied to, deceived and tricked by the company you work for. You've shaken your fist at the powers to be about how you've been "wronged" and how Fred lacks basic Christian decency in his treatment of wage employees.

And now you are all worried about "hurting the company" which you happen to still work for and from your posts, will be the last company you ever will work for?

Most people aren't like you, chowing down on the sandwich, thankful they will still have a job for the next year or two. Most people have a future in mind for themselves and chowing down on the sandwich isn't want they want the rest of their working life to consist of.

So what is it, have you been wronged, undercompensated, lied to, tricked, deceived, intimidated and insulted by your employer - or are you just thankful for the sandwich you got served up and hope to be able to stomach it till you can finally retire to where ever it is a few years from now?

 

[MrFedEx]

Please tell us about this "third option" you have as an Express employee who is choosing not to do anything. You no longer have the option to organize (for all intent and purposes).

You've gotten on here and lamented about how you've been lied to, deceived and tricked by the company you work for. You've shaken your fist at the powers to be about how you've been "wronged" and how Fred lacks basic Christian decency in his treatment of wage employees.

And now you are all worried about "hurting the company" which you happen to still work for and from your posts, will be the last company you ever will work for?

Most people aren't like you, chowing down on the sandwich, thankful they will still have a job for the next year or two. Most people have a future in mind for themselves and chowing down on the sandwich isn't want they want the rest of their working life to consist of.

So what is it, have you been wronged, undercompensated, lied to, tricked, deceived, intimidated and insulted by your employer - or are you just thankful for the sandwich you got served up and hope to be able to stomach it till you can finally retire to where ever it is a few years from now?

As snackdad pointed out recently, it's a lot easier to see how effed-up FedEx is once you have left. While you're still "in", it's harder to see the Big Picture (pun intended) clearly. You can "ride the turd" all the way until the end and down the sewer, or you can jump-off and try to save yourself. i think you're right that the Express of the future is even worse than it is now, which is hard to imagine. If you are in your 40's, it's harder to leave because you just don't have the same options as someone younger and more attractive to the job market.


I think that if are still young enough to be marketable, by all means leave as quickly as you can and find work with an employer that offers a future.

 

[vantexan]

Please tell us about this "third option" you have as...

Yes, I've done all of that. I was very angry for a long time. Got a plugged up artery letting it get to me too. So now let people learn from my mistakes. This is a tough economy to be out of work. If one can find something better go for it. Something just as good? Worth losing your accrued vacation time(as in working 5 years to finally get 3 weeks, 10 to get 4)? Worth starting over? Worth giving up a higher % going into your portable pension plan, which many companies now have instead of a traditional pension? Has everything that would be given up been considered? If FedEx takes 3 more years to implement this plan, or longer, and you are getting say 7% put into your cash balance plan, you'll have that much more to live on if you quit. Meanwhile you could get your finances in order while you are still here. Or you could grab a transfer to an area where you would most likely not be affected nearly as much, still full-time. You could become a RTD. You could decide a part-time job would be fine and look for another PT job. But whatever you do have a solid plan. And just because someone says it's a foregone conclusion doesn't make it so. It could very well be that the company is just trying to meet the demands of a changing marketplace, and while streamlining Express they may have no intent to do what's being speculated on. Someone saying they have seen internal documents may have an agenda to hurt FedEx for blocking a union. They may not have ever even been an employee for all we know. I'm not saying FedEx is a wonderful company with our best interests at heart. I'm saying utilize every option available to you and make the most of it.

And Ricochet1a, is there one station in this entire country where senior couriers haven't told newhires what a rip-off the job has become? And even the most enthusiastic newhires will soon realize that they're being ripped off. I'm just not going to be one that throws alot of stats and reports of internal memos at them to get them worried sick and make rash decisions.

 

[olcc]

Many in Express are complacent about their future

I am consistently amazed about how many people still believe we have a traditional pension plan. So few people understand how the portable pension is calculated and how it is a pension in name only. This fact alone makes me pessimistic. If someone doesn't bother to research something as critical as retirement options, how could he ever be convinced of the changes we need? Combine this subset of people with the appeased minority of topped-out and near top-of-range kool aid drinkers and there is very little hope for those of us with only a handful of years to ever achieve any sort of meaningful change.

If you really think the Ground scenario sounds implausible, just look at all the takeaways over the years and tell me who you think Express is looking out for. There is no future here.

 

[MrFedEx]

Absolutely correct. Most people are clueless about retirement, which doesn't say much for the brain power of a lot of employees.

 

[DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS]

Absolutely correct. Most people are clueless about retirement, which doesn't say much for the brain power of a lot of employees.

I resemble this remark. I grew up hearing about how great all American companies are when it came to taking care of employees. My great-uncle retired from Lockheed, he was there when it was still General Dynamics, after 47 YEARS doing the SAME JOB.

In 32 years, I know that I won't be at FedEx because Fred will have run all of the fulltime couriers off and re[;aced us all with "automatons" like Mr. Data on Star Trek Next Generation...if they are available, just to avoid paying pensions.

I heard all my life how all large companies took care of the employees. I honestly am glad that my grandfather doesn't have to see the screw job that I am employed by. He would probably think it was run by Nazi's or Communists.

 

[MrFedEx]

I resemble this remark. I grew up hearing about how great all American companies are when it came to taking care of employees. My great-uncle retired from Lockheed, he was there when it was still General Dynamics, after 47 YEARS doing the SAME JOB.

In 32 years, I know that I won't be at FedEx because Fred will have run all of the fulltime couriers off and re[;aced us all with "automatons" like Mr. Data on Star Trek Next Generation...if they are available, just to avoid paying pensions.

I heard all my life how all large companies took care of the employees. I honestly am glad that my grandfather doesn't have to see the screw job that I am employed by. He would probably think it was run by Nazi's or Communists.

If this were WWII, Fred would be the equivalent of a Krupp. When government is controlled largely by corporations, it's called fascism, so the Nazi analogy isn't that far-fetched. Fred even has a Minister of Propaganda.

 

[Mr. 7]

Absolutely correct. Most people are clueless about retirement, which doesn't say much for the brain power of a lot of employees.

A whole lotta FDX Ex peeps need to sit down with an "Edward Jones" or similar money company and have them run your earnings through their program. That's a big wake-up call.

 

[MrFedEx]

A whole lotta FDX Ex peeps need to sit down with an "Edward Jones" or similar money company and have them run your earnings through their program. That's a big wake-up call.

That's when they find out there isn't anything left over to invest.

 

[Mr. 7]

That's when you find out you have to work for X until you're about 75 to have any decent amt. of retirement.

 

[Mr. 7]

I'm going to have to get more info on this, it looks like Cheetah is an established company, whereas I was told about a program called Cheetah. I'm wondering if there is a coincidence somewhere, or if FedEx is looking at making another buyout of an existing company (like FedEx always does when it wants to expand into an existing niche).

You hit the nail on the head.
I confirmed with my FXO contact that they are using this "cheetah" delivery system.
Right now, it is being pilot tested in 3 states. My contact also mentioned that the customer would have to have the pkg. at FXO sometime before 1200 and the del would be sometime by 1600. Contact also mentioned that the lone dispatcher would cover an entire state. My contact, the mgr. at the FXO, was not happy about how this plan will affect their store.

 

[Mr. 7]

Oh, I forgot to mention.
There is a new, flat rate box in the works according to my contact at FXO.
Not sure if this if for Ground or, Ex. But, there are 3 sizes, small, med., and large.

 

[Ricochet1a]

You hit the nail on the head.
I confirmed with my FXO contact that they are using this "cheetah" delivery system.
Right now, it is being pilot tested in 3 states. My contact also mentioned that the customer would have to have the pkg. at FXO sometime before 1200 and the del would be sometime by 1600. Contact also mentioned that the lone dispatcher would cover an entire state. My contact, the mgr. at the FXO, was not happy about how this plan will affect their store.

Thank you...

 

[Ricochet1a]

Oh, I forgot to mention.
There is a new, flat rate box in the works according to my contact at FXO.
Not sure if this if for Ground or, Ex. But, there are 3 sizes, small, med., and large.

This has been in the works for awhile. It is in response to the USPS flat rate Priority Boxes.

One of the "plans" kicked about is to make the FedEx boxes like the Envelope when it comes to shipping charges - flat rate each size box.

Just as the FedEx Envelope is flat rated at half a pound, each FedEx box will be flat rated at a certain weight and that will be charged regardless of actual weight of the box.

This eliminates the need for customers to weigh each box, the need for CSAs or Office counter help to weigh each box or for REXs for FedEx boxes that have a Powership label that states "1 Pound" when one ends up using their bicep to lift the damn thing.

Some of what I've heard is that the boxes will be flat rated according to their DIM weight, while other plans have a 1,2,3 progression (small box flat rated at 1 lb, medium box at 2 lb, etc.)

This isn't anything major and a move in the right direction for both business customers and Express employees. Business customers would know exactly what they are going to be charged for a shipment using a FDX box - and not get surprised with a REX re-weigh and an increased charge. Express employees won't have to spend time guessing if the stated weight on the AB or Powership label is close to correct, or if they should take time to reweigh the package.

For business type customers who don't have an account, it would make it easier for them to use a form of payment other than credit card (check or money order) and ship a box knowing exactly what the charges were to be at the moment of shipment and not have to worry about Express coming back at them for additional charges due to REXs.

 

[MrFedEx]

Oh, I forgot to mention.
There is a new, flat rate box in the works according to my contact at FXO.
Not sure if this if for Ground or, Ex. But, there are 3 sizes, small, med., and large.

This will be wonderful when shippers cram 70 lbs of metal into a Courier Pak Box sized package.