MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Recently, one of our newer members reminded us we are "unskilled labor". Really? That sounds exactly like something MEM scripted to keep us down and fully aware that we are severely overpaid by Mr. Smith already. So, let's examine "unskilled labor".
Driving a truck down the road tossing-out packages at random addresses is unskilled, as in Ground driver level of competence. But, a competent Express courier who can do full SPH, get all their pickups, and is versed in HAZMAT, International, Genesis or additional FedEx skills isn't exactly roadkill. It does take skill to do this job correctly, and as we have seen, many people cannot do it even remotely right.
I applied for a county job a few weeks ago that required the following experience:
Class A CDL
Cement finishing experience, including building forms and using rebar correctly
Front-end loader and backhoe experience
...and a lot more. Yet this job was considered unskilled labor, and paid accordingly. Excuse me, but since when is the ability to drive a semi, be a certificated equipment operator (operating engineer), and cement worker unskilled?
Fred & Friends get a lot of mileage out of constantly reminding us that the local McDonald's employee can replace us in a heartbeat. I've heard variations of the "unskilled" theme for years at FedEx, and am convinced it is organizationally derived. Please remember, that back in the 1980's, couriers were "pink" collar workers, who fell somewhere in-between white collar and blue collar jobs because there was a definite skillset involved, decision-making skills were critical, and technology was a big component of the job.
If anything, those "skills' are still needed, and arguably, to an even greater degree than they were 25 years ago.
Unskilled? Only if you believe Der Fuhrer. Remember, "Arbeit Macht Frei". If you don't "get" the reference, be assured that it is not a compliment to our Dear Leader.
Driving a truck down the road tossing-out packages at random addresses is unskilled, as in Ground driver level of competence. But, a competent Express courier who can do full SPH, get all their pickups, and is versed in HAZMAT, International, Genesis or additional FedEx skills isn't exactly roadkill. It does take skill to do this job correctly, and as we have seen, many people cannot do it even remotely right.
I applied for a county job a few weeks ago that required the following experience:
Class A CDL
Cement finishing experience, including building forms and using rebar correctly
Front-end loader and backhoe experience
...and a lot more. Yet this job was considered unskilled labor, and paid accordingly. Excuse me, but since when is the ability to drive a semi, be a certificated equipment operator (operating engineer), and cement worker unskilled?
Fred & Friends get a lot of mileage out of constantly reminding us that the local McDonald's employee can replace us in a heartbeat. I've heard variations of the "unskilled" theme for years at FedEx, and am convinced it is organizationally derived. Please remember, that back in the 1980's, couriers were "pink" collar workers, who fell somewhere in-between white collar and blue collar jobs because there was a definite skillset involved, decision-making skills were critical, and technology was a big component of the job.
If anything, those "skills' are still needed, and arguably, to an even greater degree than they were 25 years ago.
Unskilled? Only if you believe Der Fuhrer. Remember, "Arbeit Macht Frei". If you don't "get" the reference, be assured that it is not a compliment to our Dear Leader.