Illegal Anti-Union Meetings

[New Englander]

This is very much the case with FedEx. Having worked for many corporations and having been in the military, I can say FedEx has a culture of secrecy and misinformation when it comes to its hourly employees. Most employees in major corporations have a clear view of what that corporation does on a nationwide basis. They have regular communication with fellow employees in different operating locations and are able to get a decent picture of how the corporation operates, along with a picture of how competing corporations operate (it is in employees best interest to know this, since opportunity usually presents itself from a competitor). FedEx hourly employees don't know how their nearby stations are managed, or how different operating divisions are run (witness FDX4Life not knowing what an FDR is). FedEx is a collection of almost 1000 operating locations across the US (ramps, stations and hubs), with the hourly employees that haven't transferred having not a clue as to how those other 1000 locations operate. Their only sources of information are what corporate decides to tell them (Frontline ) or what their managers decide to tell them. Since corporate is actively trying to deceive employees, FedEx hourly employees don't really have a clue as to how bad they are getting it.

With FedEx, there is absolutely no opportunity for employees to jump ship. A Courier can't prepare a resume and try to work for another company doing the same line of work and get paid better. They would go to the bottom of the seniority listing, and have to work their way back up. In other words, not an option. This is what keeps most FedEx employees trapped within FedEx, there is no other viable option to change jobs without having to go to the bottom of "seniority". In white collar jobs, employees are constantly updating their resume, sending it out whenever an opportunity makes itself known. If a better offer comes along, they jump ship to greener pastures. This means that white collar employees tend to be paid higher than blue collar employees of comparable levels of responsibility. The employers have to compete on the basis of salary all the time, lest they lose their workforce.

There is only one option available to blue collar employees to ensure they have some bargaining position when it comes to their compensation. They can't send out resumes and attempt to get better terms of employment with another company doing the same line of work, the "system" isn't geared that way. They have to form an union and engage in collective bargaining to ensure they have the same levels of compensation as a white collar employee would have that possesses comparable levels of responsibility in their work. This is the ONLY option employees have that operate in a company (or career) that uses seniority as a method of ranking employees that perform identical job functions. This is why that old FedEx mantra of "there's the door, if you don't like your job, walk through it", is a red herring. There is no option for an employee that has made a career with FedEx. Once they made that choice, they're stuck. The option is to have a leveled playing field with FedEx, and taking away the RLA status from FedEx for non-aircraft related employees.

What are you talking about? I was a FedEx courier who left and joined UPS.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

I think the only thing that is illegal is the fact that UPS is forcing its employees to write letters to their congressman. This is a lot lower than a company trying to educate their employees by holding meeting about the RLA. Any company that demands their employees to do something without educating them on the facts should suffer the consenquences. Fedex has asked all its employees to look at the facts and make a decision for themselves unlike UPS which has brainwashed their people into beliving what they wna them to and not allowing them to think for themselves

This is all well and good, but the flyers that have been available at UPS are quite explicitly factual. To say anyone is being "forced" to write a letter is a flat out lie. Surely, there are probably a few management snakes that will ATTEMPT to coerce people into writing them but by far and away 99% are ASKING employees to write letters. And the employees, to my knowledge and that I have seen, are more than happy to!

If anything, since you "bit" into this so called UPS forcing employees to write letters idea, you are guilty of being brainwashed and running with it!

Ironic, ain't it?

 

[SmithBarney]

FedEx is advertising on its internal website that the new RLA language will not be included in the bill passed to senate...

(check out the new sig)

 

[FedEx courier]

FedEx is advertising on its internal website that the new RLA language will not be included in the bill passed to senate...

(check out the new sig)

I've also heard this. I have read that even if this is the case the House and Senate will have to meet together to pass the final version of this bill.

 

[Ricochet1a]

What are you talking about? I was a FedEx courier who left and joined UPS.

Then can you tell me (and about 10,000 other FedEx Couriers) how we can leave FedEx and start working with UPS as drivers on day one of our employment? I'm not looking to go back to "the bottom" and work as a handler for a few years. I'm a DOT qualified driver that is experienced in both delivery and pickup of time sensitive shipments. Please tell me how I can transfer and start work as a driver on day one with UPS.

The fact is we can't transfer to another company and perform the job function for which we are experienced in. This job category has a seniority system which requires all new hires to go to the bottom of seniority, which means in UPS starting as a handler and working that for a few years on average until a position opens up as a driver - no thanks.

If I was working a white collar job as say a human resources manager, or a loan officer, I could apply to another potential employer and start working in that job function IMMEDIATELY upon hire. I wouldn't have to spend a few years working the mail room or being a receptionist. In blue collar employment, seniority rules exist to prevent new hires from jumping ahead of the pool of potential employees for a "coveted" position. I'm definately more qualified than ANY handler to operate a deliver truck, but because of the seniority system, I'd go to the bottom of the pool.

This is why the "choice" to change employers is a false choice for seniority based occupations. The choice it to collectively bargain. In a white collar occupation, I could get my resumes out to as many potential employers as possible, and select the best offer I receive and starting working in that function immediately. Can't do that in a seniority based occupation.

Even commercial pilots are trapped right now. There are commercial pilots with 10,000 hours of flight time on furlough right now. They are definately more experienced that some young kid coming into a regional airline to work with less than 1,000 total hours (and none in turbine aircraft). If they were to accept a position with a regional carrier, they'd go to the bottom of the seniority listing and take a pay rate at the bottom (not based on their experience at doing the job but based solely upon their seniority with the company). In addition, practically all commercial airlines require a pilot to forfeit their seniority with their previous employer as a basis for hiring (they don't want them to bolt once the furlough is lifted). This is why experienced pilots are on furlough and inexperienced pilots are starting with the regional carriers.

Whatever caused you to make the choice to switch to UPS in the past was based solely on personal preferences. I choose NOT to become a handler for a few years. I shouldn't have to make that false choice. I choose to force my current employer to engage in collective bargaining with me and potentially thousands if not tens of thousands of fellow employees for a better compensation package. If UPS would hire me as a package car driver from day one I'd make the jump in a heartbeat. That isn't going to happen, so I choose to act in an alternative manner.

 

[FedEX 4 Life]

Then can you tell me (and about 10,000 other FedEx Couriers) how we can leave FedEx and start working with UPS as drivers on day one of our employment? I'm not looking to go back to "the bottom" and work as a handler for a few years. I'm a DOT qualified driver that is experienced in both delivery and pickup of time sensitive shipments. Please tell me how I can transfer and start work as a driver on day one with UPS.

The fact is we can't transfer to another company and perform the job function for which we are experienced in. This job category has a seniority system which requires all new hires to go to the bottom of seniority, which means in UPS starting as a handler and working that for a few years on average until a position opens up as a driver - no thanks.

If I was working a white collar job as say a human resources manager, or a loan officer, I could apply to another potential employer and start working in that job function IMMEDIATELY upon hire. I wouldn't have to spend a few years working the mail room or being a receptionist. In blue collar employment, seniority rules exist to prevent new hires from jumping ahead of the pool of potential employees for a "coveted" position. I'm definately more qualified than ANY handler to operate a deliver truck, but because of the seniority system, I'd go to the bottom of the pool.

This is why the "choice" to change employers is a false choice for seniority based occupations. The choice it to collectively bargain. In a white collar occupation, I could get my resumes out to as many potential employers as possible, and select the best offer I receive and starting working in that function immediately. Can't do that in a seniority based occupation.

Even commercial pilots are trapped right now. There are commercial pilots with 10,000 hours of flight time on furlough right now. They are definately more experienced that some young kid coming into a regional airline to work with less than 1,000 total hours (and none in turbine aircraft). If they were to accept a position with a regional carrier, they'd go to the bottom of the seniority listing and take a pay rate at the bottom (not based on their experience at doing the job but based solely upon their seniority with the company). In addition, practically all commercial airlines require a pilot to forfeit their seniority with their previous employer as a basis for hiring (they don't want them to bolt once the furlough is lifted). This is why experienced pilots are on furlough and inexperienced pilots are starting with the regional carriers.

Whatever caused you to make the choice to switch to UPS in the past was based solely on personal preferences. I choose NOT to become a handler for a few years. I shouldn't have to make that false choice. I choose to force my current employer to engage in collective bargaining with me and potentially thousands if not tens of thousands of fellow employees for a better compensation package. If UPS would hire me as a package car driver from day one I'd make the jump in a heartbeat. That isn't going to happen, so I choose to act in an alternative manner.

This might be the dumbest post I've ever read.You are upset that you cannot quit your job and be transfered to another job at the same pay and senority?******************.If you quit a job and re-apply somewhere else,guess what,you have to start from the bottom.Thats not holding you hostage.Thats life.You need to wake up from your fantasy world.

 

[MrFedEx]

This might be the dumbest post I've ever read.You are upset that you cannot quit your job and be transfered to another job at the same pay and senority?Wow what a maroon you are.If you quit a job and re-apply somewhere else,guess what,you have to start from the bottom.Thats not holding you hostage.Thats life.You need to wake up from your fantasy world.

Dumbest post? Richochet1, myself, and many other FedEx employees have invested many years into this company. This was based on the long-term premise(and promise) that FedEx had made a commitment to it's employees to deal with them fairly. We made a decision to make FedEx a career based on this premise. If you had worked for this company back in 1982 or so, that would have seemed like a good choice.

Fred decided sometime ago that he would take a different path, and started to chisel away most of the postive aspects of FedEx so he could make more profit. This occurred slowly enough that many didn't notice what was really happening. Most of us thought that the take-aways would eventually be returned, because, after all, FedEx is all about PSP and putting the employee first. Right? Ever hear the analogy of the frog being slowly boiled in the pot?

If you have 10-15 years of experience with a company and then try to transfer that skill set to another employer, you're going to lose big time. Seniority, vacation bidding, and on and on. Fred knows this, and knows that a 40-50 year old employee is unlikely to leave, even if they are getting screwed, because it isn't that easy to start over, especially in a severe recession.

The net result is a lot of senior employees just putting in their time until retirement or waiting for unionization so they might get some of their pension back. That would allow some of us to actually retire someday.

You're not too bright, so I'm guessing you have not ever considered how you're going to retire someday. Do you actually think the PPP will fund an adequate retirement? Maybe you have rich relatives or are expecting to win the lottery. Most of us depend on our pensions, and guess what? We don't have one any longer. Keep on believing, OK?

 

[FedEX 4 Life]

Dumbest post? Richochet1, myself, and many other FedEx employees have invested many years into this company. This was based on the long-term premise(and promise) that FedEx had made a commitment to it's employees to deal with them fairly. We made a decision to make FedEx a career based on this premise. If you had worked for this company back in 1982 or so, that would have seemed like a good choice.

Fred decided sometime ago that he would take a different path, and started to chisel away most of the postive aspects of FedEx so he could make more profit. This occurred slowly enough that many didn't notice what was really happening. Most of us thought that the take-aways would eventually be returned, because, after all, FedEx is all about PSP and putting the employee first. Right? Ever hear the analogy of the frog being slowly boiled in the pot?

If you have 10-15 years of experience with a company and then try to transfer that skill set to another employer, you're going to lose big time. Seniority, vacation bidding, and on and on. Fred knows this, and knows that a 40-50 year old employee is unlikely to leave, even if they are getting screwed, because it isn't that easy to start over, especially in a severe recession.

The net result is a lot of senior employees just putting in their time until retirement or waiting for unionization so they might get some of their pension back. That would allow some of us to actually retire someday.

You're not too bright, so I'm guessing you have not ever considered how you're going to retire someday. Do you actually think the PPP will fund an adequate retirement? Maybe you have rich relatives or are expecting to win the lottery. Most of us depend on our pensions, and guess what? We don't have one any longer. Keep on believing, OK?

I dont really even read your posts anymore but im pretty sure all you need is a highschool diploma to get a job delivering packages.If you wanted some big job where you can quit and get a new job with the same pay then maybe you should have thought about going to college.We all knew what we were getting into when we applied so dont give me that crap about Fred holding us hostage.I dont think you would last one week at UPS.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Dumbest post? Richochet1, myself, and many other FedEx employees have invested many years into this company. This was based on the long-term premise(and promise) that FedEx had made a commitment to it's employees to deal with them fairly. We made a decision to make FedEx a career based on this premise. If you had worked for this company back in 1982 or so, that would have seemed like a good choice.

Fred decided sometime ago that he would take a different path, and started to chisel away most of the postive aspects of FedEx so he could make more profit. This occurred slowly enough that many didn't notice what was really happening. Most of us thought that the take-aways would eventually be returned, because, after all, FedEx is all about PSP and putting the employee first. Right? Ever hear the analogy of the frog being slowly boiled in the pot?

If you have 10-15 years of experience with a company and then try to transfer that skill set to another employer, you're going to lose big time. Seniority, vacation bidding, and on and on. Fred knows this, and knows that a 40-50 year old employee is unlikely to leave, even if they are getting screwed, because it isn't that easy to start over, especially in a severe recession.

The net result is a lot of senior employees just putting in their time until retirement or waiting for unionization so they might get some of their pension back. That would allow some of us to actually retire someday.

You're not too bright, so I'm guessing you have not ever considered how you're going to retire someday. Do you actually think the PPP will fund an adequate retirement? Maybe you have rich relatives or are expecting to win the lottery. Most of us depend on our pensions, and guess what? We don't have one any longer. Keep on believing, OK?

See what happens when you incite the troll? We all know what the facts are by now. FedEx screwed its " employees " , without a doubt, with PPA. The troll will never admit such a thing because they do not know what the hell even happened at the time. Why is that? Because the troll does not work for FedEx. I do enjoy reading about FedEx in this part of the forum but it is not necessary to keep inciting the same maroon who has no part in what you are saying or doing. You will feel much better when you can just ignore the troll and let them drop out of here mysteriously rather than keep them coming back because they feel as though they make you more miserable.

 

[uniformchoice]

This individual has obviously no idea whats really going on and when the purple wears off they will suffer the same as you an I.I recently recieved my ppa statement and I accrued for a year less than what the traditional pension would have payed for 1 month.I have over 20 years and make 3 times what most drivers make,trust me, were all XXXXXX.If medical is 800$ a month for retiree plus spouse,what do you think it will be in 20 years?30 years?We all will continue to be professional and service our customers the best we can ,but trust me, were all XXXXXX,the math is right there.Just get ready because none of us are gonna retire were going all the way now.My advice to the superheros out there,keep doing your thing but do not ignore whats going on here.The people before you built this brand,and these voices you hear are concerns for their futures.Good luck to all and start saving.

 

[BrownBearGrl23]

What's funny is that UPS is holding similar meetings with Specialists, P/T Sups, and Admins trying to scare everyone about unions... interesting

 

[BrownBearGrl23]

So it's okay for Fedex to use the UPS union status as a way to steal customers, but not okay for us to support legislation that would squelch practices such as that? I think the saddest thing about this political fight is that we really are turning into enemies and I don't think any of us ever wanted that!

 

[MrFedEx]

So it's okay for Fedex to use the UPS union status as a way to steal customers, but not okay for us to support legislation that would squelch practices such as that? I think the saddest thing about this political fight is that we really are turning into enemies and I don't think any of us ever wanted that!

I'm sure UPS top management isn't very happy with Mr Smith these days but I don't think the battle really extends out into the streets. We're just pawns in a bigger battle. I still have lunch with the UPS drivers in my area every week and I suspect most of us still get along just fine.

 

[FedEX 4 Life]

I still have lunch with the UPS drivers in my area every.

That explains alot right there.I can see you right now stuffing your face infront of some UPS guys spouting how much fedex sucks.The UPS guys keep you around because you are entertainment to them or they feel bad for you.With your personality I bet they try and avoid you at all cost.
Thie're sitting down getting ready to eat thier lunch then all of a sudden,"dammit,here comes that annoying,complaining weird looking Fedex guy".

 

[UnconTROLLed]

That explains alot right there.I can see you right now stuffing your face infront of some UPS guys spouting how much fedex sucks.The UPS guys keep you around because you are entertainment to them or they feel bad for you.With your personality I bet they try and avoid you at all cost.
Thie're sitting down getting ready to eat thier lunch then all of a sudden,"dammit,here comes that annoying,complaining weird looking Fedex guy".

You have it backwards. I'm pretty sure the UPS drivers are more than happy to have lunch with a worker who does the same job they do but doesn't get the h/w/ pension pay or respect they deserve for doing the same job.

 

[MrFedEx]

That explains alot right there.I can see you right now stuffing your face infront of some UPS guys spouting how much fedex sucks.The UPS guys keep you around because you are entertainment to them or they feel bad for you.With your personality I bet they try and avoid you at all cost.
Thie're sitting down getting ready to eat thier lunch then all of a sudden,"dammit,here comes that annoying,complaining weird looking Fedex guy".

I've always wondered what you look like...now I know. When I have lunch with the UPs guys we usually talk about sports, politics, women etc...work issues are fairly uncommon. I'm actually popular, consider myself decent looking and have a great wife and kids.

I like how you resort to personal attacks when you're unable to intelligently discuss the issues. That's the sign of a great debater...

 

[FedEX 4 Life]

i'm actually popular...

best post of the year!!!!


Hahahahahahahahahaha!

 

[MrFedEx]

best post of the year!!!!


Hahahahahahahahahaha!

I imagined you as looking more like Cartman.

 

[FedEX 4 Life]

I'm actually popular, consider myself decent looking ...

If you post a pic of yourself I will leave this site and never post again.

 

[olcc]

That explains alot right there.I can see you right now stuffing your face infront of some UPS guys spouting how much fedex sucks.The UPS guys keep you around because you are entertainment to them or they feel bad for you.With your personality I bet they try and avoid you at all cost.
Thie're sitting down getting ready to eat thier lunch then all of a sudden,"dammit,here comes that annoying,complaining weird looking Fedex guy".

How many times are we going to have to put you in check? You are unwilling to provide any proof that you even work for FedEx. You add nothing to the dialog and you clog these boards with insults and nonsense.

You have nothing constructive to say in any of your posts. Leave the discussion to people who actually want to make FedEx a better place to work and get lost. You are totally irrelevant.