We..the UPS Teamsters Need to Organize FedEx ......

[InsideUPS]

As the title states "We the UPS Teamsters Need to Organize FedEx" ..

Individuals on the FedEx forum of BrownCafe are pleading for help in organizing as outlined below. I believe that each and every Teamster Local should be VERY active in attempting to reach out to FedEx hourly employees. I often wonder how many Locals actually make a continued effort to organize FedEx. Complacency, laziness, and apathy are counterproductive to strong representation.

The time to act is now Mr. Hoffa. You have a highly motivated majority of FedEx Express employees who have seen the dark side of Frederick W. Smith. We call your offices, and we get nothing but the runaround. Your reps won't talk to us and they won't provide literature we can use to inform and rally the uninformed.

You say you want to grow the Teamsters in a time when belonging to a union has become a "crime" and membership has dropped to the lowest levels since 1932. Perhaps you need to dust-off your history book and see that 1932 was the time when oppressed workers took the power back from their corporate plantation masters. Maybe you need to remember your Dad, and that he didn't take crap from anyone, especially a preppy rich Southern brat who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth and has a nasty penchant for using his money to get his way.

Fred S is the antithesis of what America should be. He buys and sells politicians like apples at the grocery store, and then has them do his bidding while honest, hard-working FedEx employees have their careers stripped-away so he can make even more money. We've lost our pension and profit-sharing and watched our healthcare costs shoot through the ceiling just because Mr. Smith wines and dines the right people aboard his corporate jets. He is killing the middle-class, which was largely created through the unions. You should probably know that.

If you want a strong IBT, now is the time to actually do something about it. If you and the IBT continue to stand-by and do nothing, eventually Smith is going to take down UPS. He already has his sites on the Post Office, and he's got the GOP working for him in Congress to bring them down too.

Soon, he'll be too powerful to fight. That means doing something now instead of just talking about it.

Read more: http://www.browncafe.com/forum/f50/mr-hoffa-get-off-your-ass-right-now-348860/#ixzz2O68Z7jaf

 

[scratch]

I have been saying this for years, I encourage all of my fellow UPS employees to talk to the Fedex employees that we come in contact with. I've been hearing the talk from the union about organizing them for 30 years, the Fedex people I talk to have never seen any attempt at organizing them. I know my Local has had workshops and has tried, but I haven't seen any successes. Fedex uses intimidation on their employees and is very good at it. Ultimately, it will be up to enough Fedexers getting tired of it to get together and do something about it.

 

[curiousbrain]

The building where I am employed is ... maybe, a quarter of a mile from another labor intensive work site, that is represented by the same local, and obviously are Teamsters, as well.

Two years ago (or so), they went on strike because the company they work for locked them out, and was basically trying to break the union. They failed, but that's not really the relevant part.

The relevant part, is that not a single UPS Teamster employee - not even the guys with 20 years who beat the drum endlessly about ... everything - stood there for a second with them.

When the Teamsters solve that problem, I'll take seriously any attempt to unionize FedEx.

 

[steelbed1]

Spoken to share holders of ups and they would love this. It would devastated FedEx

 

[Brownslave688]

The building where I am employed is ... maybe, a quarter of a mile from another labor intensive work site, that is represented by the same local, and obviously are Teamsters, as well.

Two years ago (or so), they went on strike because the company they work for locked them out, and was basically trying to break the union. They failed, but that's not really the relevant part.

The relevant part, is that not a single UPS Teamster employee - not even the guys with 20 years who beat the drum endlessly about ... everything - stood there for a second with them.

When the Teamsters solve that problem, I'll take seriously any attempt to unionize FedEx.

What are u saying? I seriously don't understand this post. Do u want us to strike every time another teamster company strikes.

 

[bbsam]

Now THIS is getting interesting...

 

[curiousbrain]

What are u saying? I seriously don't understand this post. Do u want us to strike every time another teamster company strikes.

No, not at all. I was observing (in a poor way, perhaps) that unionizing FedEx is a grand goal; however, when individual Teamsters can't (or won't, etc) even stand next to other Teamsters (not strike their own company, but just stand there in a show of solidarity, at the very least) who are striking, that that is a fundamental obstacle to unionizing a huge company like FedEx.

I understand there are subtleties and obstacles, obviously. Just thinking out loud.

 

[Bubblehead]

What are u saying? I seriously don't understand this post. Do u want us to strike every time another teamster company strikes.

He's saying that while these guys were on strike, he never saw any of us supporting them on their picket line.
If I am correct in my interpretation, I would have to agree.
I would have been proud to go by on my way in or home and walk the picket line with them, IN MY UNIFORM to show support.

 

[Brownslave688]

I don't understand the fear really for FedEx employees? I mean if we are to believe express drivers they are in a dead end job now anyway and ground drivers..... There's lots of jobs out there making what they make. I see the reward to be far more than the risk.

 

[Brownslave688]

What are u saying? I seriously don't understand this post. Do u want us to strike every time another teamster company strikes.

He's saying that while these guys were on strike, he never saw any of us supporting them on their picket line.
If I am correct in my interpretation, I would have to agree.
I would have been proud to go by on my way in or home and walk the picket line with them, IN MY UNIFORM to show support.

You get off before dark though. Lol

It would of never even crossed my mind. Maybe we should blame the teamsters in general. I had no idea that would be expected of fellow teamsters. I don't expect anyone to be out there on the line with us in August if it does happen.

I would honk and give them a thumbs up. Would never consider crossing the line to deliver. I just didn't know we were expected to support other teamster by picketing with them.

 

[oldupsman]

We had enough trouble trying to man the pickett lines in the strike of 97 much less show up at somebody else's
workplace. Oh sure it was great fun the first week but going into week 2 all of the sudden guys had other stuff to do.
Like work at another job they picked up while we were on strike. Because they were broke. Wasn't so much fun anymore.

 

[stink219]

We tried organizing FedEx locally. Got enough cards signed, but it fell apart with the vote. Maybe people were afraid. But we tried.
As for strike support, I used to drive by Verizon pocket lines and drop of cases of water to them. 5 cases of water for 20 bucks. Chump change. They were grateful. I just said, "Just remember is when we are out on the line!"

 

[thedownhillEXPRESS]

Express workers will more then willingly admit that Fedex has outsourced their jobs to the sham Ground contractor model.
It's destroyed our careers and yes it will be you next.
You would think that this would be something that even the Teamsters and UPS would agree on.
Get this snowball rolling!

 

[bbsam]

I will suggest it again here. Anyone think UPS would pony up $60,000,000 to move this along? Mr. Downhill is right. It's probably in your best interest.

 

[over9five]

What you need is a couple Fedex drivers with some cojones at each facility. Without that to start with, it aint gonna happen.
And I don't think you'll find that. Ol' Fred got them beaten down so bad, most are like those dogs you see with their tail between their legs.

 

[East coast navy]

The problem is FedEx express can't unionize because they are a airliner and employees can't unions under the railroad act. The ground, home and fright can because they don't use plains.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

As the title states "We the UPS Teamsters Need to Organize FedEx" ..

Individuals on the FedEx forum of BrownCafe are pleading for help in organizing as outlined below. I believe that each and every Teamster Local should be VERY active in attempting to reach out to FedEx hourly employees. I often wonder how many Locals actually make a continued effort to organize FedEx. Complacency, laziness, and apathy are counterproductive to strong representation.





Read more: http://www.browncafe.com/forum/f50/mr-hoffa-get-off-your-ass-right-now-348860/#ixzz2O68Z7jaf

I agree wholeheartedly. If the couriers can at least gain traction and show some solid measure of support - especially in the face of FedEx continuing their onslaught against the FedEx courier - then we should be supporting them. Organizing under the RLA will be immensely difficult, but if the couriers can begin grassroots level organizing and gain some momentum while using social media and/or a central and independent website (as R1a has suggested in other posts) then maybe they can get something going.

It would be a privilege to lend them a hand if they can take that first step.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

The problem is FedEx express can't unionize because they are a airliner and employees can't unions under the railroad act. The ground, home and fright can because they don't use plains.

They absolutely can unionize - however, under the RLA, they would have to hold a single massive nationwide vote rather than unionize station-by-station as they would under the NLRA. Facility-by-facility is already a tough road to go but much more feasible - in a nationwide election, FedEx has many more dirty tricks to pull out of the bag. Mass hiring to dilute the voting pool, etc.

FedEx Ground is a different story. The sorting facilities fall under NLRA guidelines but their drivers are 1099 Independent Contractors - who are the only rank-and-file hourly employees in the FedEx system that cannot unionize.. for now.

 

[Operational needs]

I don't understand the fear really for FedEx employees? I mean if we are to believe express drivers they are in a dead end job now anyway and ground drivers..... There's lots of jobs out there making what they make. I see the reward to be far more than the risk.

Put yourself in my shoes. Twenty-five+ years at FedEx, single mom, one paycheck away from being homeless. I have worked here most of my adult life. Getting fired is not an option for me, dead end job or not. The jobs making what we make want skills or more education, or you have to work there for years to get the same pay. I realize that isn't the situation everyone is in, but that is MY situation, and that is why I stay.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

What are u saying? I seriously don't understand this post. Do u want us to strike every time another teamster company strikes.

No...he is saying that we should show some solidarity by standing on the picket line with them on our own time.