RLA PETITION

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
lol. FedEx operative. No. Not a "sick out". A bold "in your face" attention getter with news coverage and everything. You've always wanted national attention for the cause, haven't you? If you can't get a small scale flare up, a national movement is dead in the water.

Remember when Spock was in the shuttle craft and illogically burned the remaining fuel to signal the Enterprise?

As far as me being a mod, what in the FedEx boards have I ever modded to benefit FedEx in any way, shape or form?

Spock logically burned the fuel because he had calculated that it was the only way the crew of the shuttlecraft could be saved...the proverbial "Hail Mary". A "flare" is not going to do anything to change the course of the USS FedEx. However, if the "crew" of the starship all decides to be sick on the same day, Kirk, Spock, and Scotty are going to have a difficult time running the ship by themselves.

See the difference?
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Spock logically burned the fuel because he had calculated that it was the only way the crew of the shuttlecraft could be saved...the proverbial "Hail Mary". A "flare" is not going to do anything to change the course of the USS FedEx. However, if the "crew" of the starship all decides to be sick on the same day, Kirk, Spock, and Scotty are going to have a difficult time running the ship by themselves.

See the difference?
That doesn't get the media involved. Letters to Dateline do nothing. And have there ever been "sick outs" of any degree at Express? I guess the answer is no. If the answer is yes, I would say it had absolutely no lasting effect. Might as well do it out in front for all to see and dare Fred to massacre the workforce. You aren't still holding out hope that any real change will be a "bloodless" revolution, are you?
 

hypo hanna

Well-Known Member
The petition benchmark just means the administration has to respond, even if it means they'll just say to go pound sand.
True, but you fail to see the value of having your issue addressed by the bully pulpit of the POTUS. Probably 2% of the population knows what the RLA is and what it does. Increasing that number would only help our goals.
 

Serf

Well-Known Member
Ok. I'll bite. I don't know whether you wrote that or copied it from sonewhere, but it contains a lot of blanket statements and compares apples to oranges, ie. other industries and unions and delivery companies and IBT.

1. I agree with this to a point. Unions DID help the cause of the American workers and also create problems, such as bad teachers in NYC not being able to be fired. But I don't feel that unions are ALL bad.

2. Apples to oranges. FedEx Express has highest prices, non union. UPS, union, prices close to fedex. USPS, union, cheaper prices. FedEx Ground, non union, cheapest prices.

3. Again, apples to oranges. People in India, China, etc can't dlvr packages here. Irrelevant

4. We dlvr packages from point A to point B. As long as you don't steal or falsify, it's pretty hard to get fired at FedEx too. Less proficient workers are protected from firing here because as long as they show up, they are good.

5. Apples to oranges.

6. Who curries more favor in Washington than Fred S?

7. Apples to oranges. Plenty of non union people at FedEx.

8. Any company, union or non union has plenty of lazy people. With the onroad goals expected by both FEdEx and UPS this is a moot point. If anything, the newer couriers know they will never reach top pay, so why rush?

9. We already have an innate distrust of mgmt in a lot of cases. We used to work for a common goal. Now it's us against them.

10. That's why members pay their dues.

11. This is one point I agree with you on. People should be able to choose whether they want to be in a union or not, however, if they choose not to, they shouldn't be able to reap the benefits of union representation. "Substantial dues" though? Don't believe the hype Fedex fed us for so long. Dues aren't substantial.

12. Apples and oranges again. We don't get to negotiate ANYTHING. It is what it is.

13. Probably still true. Lol.

14. Seems to me, considering how cash rich UPS is, they're having no problems getting investors.

I respect your stance. And actually commend you for at least trying to taking a stab at it. You analyzed talking points. Had verifiable counter points. But I feel like the "apples to oranges" comparison just does not carry enough weight to make a strong enough argument against the essence of unionization. Unions laid the foundations for the the labor laws we have now. But it does not simply mean they are the law of the land and without them the middle class dies. I believe it's a much larger problem then that. Major corporations and banks control the country and world. So much so that they can even hold the Government hostage. So why on God's Earth would the majority of companies let the workers gain leverage on them and dictate terms? How much have technological advances contributed to income inequality? Globalization and off-shoring? The necessity of having a college education to land a decent-paying job? The decline of labor unions?
Also, being somewhat younger then most here. I would add White-collar professionals tend to appreciate what unions did for their parents. But do not view janitors or nurse’s aides in the same way. Instead, they tend to focus on the many things that are wrong with unions, exemplified these days by the pensions of public service employees that are breaking the backs of many cities and states.
 

Serf

Well-Known Member
Unions are great the more you make the more we take called fairness we all share in the profits . Company's making billions off of back of workers . You better believe I will have a say in how they treat me and compensate me for my hard working efforts. I brath the same air as they do this is a democracy .

Unemployment is high. A strength of a union is that members make up the workforce of a business. If the business cannot replace those workers then the union has a significant tool to bring the company to their knees. If unemployment is high there is a chance that those workers could be more easily replaced, thus weakening the primary advantage the union possesses. When business is booming you are not going to get much support to try to break a union. No one is going to want to pick a fight with the workers. But if you are faced with poor revenues or especially bankruptcy the argument against the union gains momentum.

And actually this is not a democracy. The US is actually a Republic. It is governed by rule of law. The elected is supposed to be bound by oath to the written governing limits (constitution) yet vote "together" and create laws to address concerns of the represented in a democratic way.

Present day we have the Chairman Obama. Democracy as an individual and any group of individuals composing a minority, have no protection against the unlimited power of the majority. It is a case of Majority-over-Man. Google Greek Democracy if you need pointers.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
Of course they have a lot more to lose, sometimes the job someone hates with a passion isn't so bad when they are about to lose it or try to find another comparable in pay.

People will say, "This job sucks. It's not worth it for the money we get." You tell them, "You've been saying that for five years. Why haven't you quit yet?"

"I can't find another job that pays better." Ten minutes later, "This is the worst place to work."

It always cracks me up.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
I respect your stance. And actually commend you for at least trying to taking a stab at it. You analyzed talking points. Had verifiable counter points.


While I once agreed with your stance on unions, after having benefit after benefit taken away and being majorly screwed by this company, I now believe that a union at FedEx could only improve our situation. Especially after having a UPS driver tell me yesterday that his retirement will be $7500 a month as compared to my $1800 (made me physically nauseous).


I appreciate the fact that even though you disagree that you don't use a personal attack to do so, as so many here do. It's unnecessary and really gets old.
 

Route 66

Slapped Upside-da-Head Member
Especially after having a UPS driver tell me yesterday that his retirement will be $7500 a month as compared to my $1800
Yes, but just THINK of all those substantial union dues you never had to pay out. Had you invested that money wisely instead of squandering it away like the silly squanderer you undoubtedly are, you would've financially come out way ahead of the UPS driver at the end of your satisfying and rewarding career, thanks entirely to the benevolent and charitable Frederick W. Smith of Mamfuss Tan-na-say

The preceding chastisement was endorsed by Dano59
 

hypo hanna

Well-Known Member
People will say, "This job sucks. It's not worth it for the money we get." You tell them, "You've been saying that for five years. Why haven't you quit yet?"

"I can't find another job that pays better." Ten minutes later, "This is the worst place to work."

It always cracks me up.

Management will say, "These employess have such bad attitudes, why cant they be happy with the cuts in benefits, the micromanaging of their jobs, the totally random work hours? why isnt the company entitled to higher and higher profits while it abuses the workforce? Why cant we exploit the populace with the very jobs shortage we created? It's not fair that these ungrateful workers wont smile, bow and scrape when we visit? those cold icy stares and the horrible things they say about us on websites like brown cafe isn't worth the money we get. We have to give ourselves larger and larger bonuses to salve our delicate egos."
You tell them, "You've been saying that for 20 years. Youtell the world you are the most amazing executives to ever run a company. Why can't you manage a company that benefits everyone involved? Management, investors, customers AND employees?

"It's too difficult and I'm not nearly the skilled manager I claimed to be. Plus how many jobs are out there where I can set my own bonus regardless of performance? "

Ten minutes later, "These hourly employees are so ungrateful, rude, lazy etc."

It always cracks me up.[/quote]
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
While I once agreed with your stance on unions, after having benefit after benefit taken away and being majorly screwed by this company, I now believe that a union at FedEx could only improve our situation. Especially after having a UPS driver tell me yesterday that his retirement will be $7500 a month as compared to my $1800 (made me physically nauseous).


I appreciate the fact that even though you disagree that you don't use a personal attack to do so, as so many here do. It's unnecessary and really gets old.

I've stated before, here we have to co pay for our benefits. For me and my family, we pay roughly about $100/month for benefits we barely use because we're lucky enough to have good health. We can't get rid of them in case something happens but we're paying $1200/year to have piece of mind. Over at UPS, they don't have to co pay for benefits but they have union dues. The one UPS guy on my route says he pays anywhere from $86-$92/month. So, essentially, I'd be further ahead if I were paying union dues rather than benefits co-pay. On top of that, I have to pay into the company group RRSP which serves as my pension, something else UPS doesn't have to pay for.

Going union is the only way for FedEx employees to finally start getting a fair shake.
 

Route 66

Slapped Upside-da-Head Member
Going union is the only way for FedEx employees to finally start getting a fair shake.
Say whaaat!?!?...and potentially have to shell out $86 to $92 a month!!!!. That's just pure craziness and thuggery in action right thar.

Fred and his goons .... I mean associates, have been telling us so for years.
 

Serf

Well-Known Member
While I once agreed with your stance on unions, after having benefit after benefit taken away and being majorly screwed by this company, I now believe that a union at FedEx could only improve our situation. Especially after having a UPS driver tell me yesterday that his retirement will be $7500 a month as compared to my $1800 (made me physically nauseous).


I appreciate the fact that even though you disagree that you don't use a personal attack to do so, as so many here do. It's unnecessary and really gets old.
No problem. No use in attacks. I am undoubtedly in the minority in this forum of employees who sit on the right side of the fence, instead of the left. And even though I admittedly have conservative values. I feel like the culture of America isn't so much a left vs. right but more a 1) Government, 2) Corporation 3) Worker.
 

STFXG

Well-Known Member
No problem. No use in attacks. I am undoubtedly in the minority in this forum of employees who sit on the right side of the fence, instead of the left. And even though I admittedly have conservative values. I feel like the culture of America isn't so much a left vs. right but more a 1) Government, 2) Corporation 3) Worker.
4) mooch


Sent using BrownCafe App
 

Cactus

Just telling it like it is
People will say, "This job sucks. It's not worth it for the money we get." You tell them, "You've been saying that for five years. Why haven't you quit yet?"

"I can't find another job that pays better." Ten minutes later, "This is the worst place to work."

It always cracks me up.
Try being a micromanaged underpaid courier for a couple of years, then let us know what you think.

Oh that's right, you're Fred & MT3's boy. Better get on the stick and get their shoes shined for tomorrow.
 

DONE

Member
While I once agreed with your stance on unions, after having benefit after benefit taken away and being majorly screwed by this company, I now believe that a union at FedEx could only improve our situation. Especially after having a UPS driver tell me yesterday that his retirement will be $7500 a month as compared to my $1800 (made me physically nauseous).


I appreciate the fact that even though you disagree that you don't use a personal attack to do so, as so many here do. It's unnecessary and really gets old.
7500 a month??? You sure about that?
 
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