2022 step increase

[59 Dano]

There’a quite a difference between what you’re saying and what FedEx does. Which is keep everyone in the dark until the light turns on and we’re all blinded by confusion. And ya I run a route. It’s not rocket science. I’m not doing surgery. But I’m the only product this company sells. So… uhh… I’m kind of important. Managers do not generate revenue. Ramp Agents generate nothing. Engineers, nope. Managing Directors? Nope. Chief Diversity Officers? Nope. Presidents & CEO’s… nope. This company generates revenue when I pick up a box and leave it on a porch. Nothing else makes a single dollar. That’s just reality.

And without the RTD, your outbound goes nowhere and your inbound never arrives.
And without the pilots, ditto.
And without the real estate people, you don't have stations to work out of.
And without the dispatchers, no one coordinates pickups with the couriers and there isn't any freight.
And without engineers, the equipment and processes in stations, ramps, and hubs would look like it was designed and operated by The Little Rascals.
I could go on all night naming people, that without them, you couldn't generate squat.

 

[59 Dano]

I'm not going to detail each person you think doesn't generate revenue. But, if you think couriers do it alone, you are hopeless

I was listening to the Movin' the Chains show Friday and Pat Kirwan was talking about negotiating contracts. Actually, he's talked about this plenty of times. Some agents are easier to deal with than others, some are better for the players they represent than others, some are better negotiators than others, and so on. The thing they all have in common is that they know the business of pro football. They understand the structure of contracts, they understand how decisions are made, they understand how players are evaluated - there's a lot to it. You can tell them things that you can't tell the players directly. They may not agree with it, but they know it's part of the process and know how to deal with it.

The worst contract negotiations were when players tried to negotiate their own contracts. They were the opposite of agents. It didn't matter how good they were on the field or how smart they were in the locker room or any of that. They were clueless about anything beyond X's and O's. The business side of football and contracts? Hopeless.

There's a lot of that in every industry and this one is no different.

 

[Cactus]

And without engineers, the equipment and processes in stations, ramps, and hubs would look like it was designed and operated by The Little Rascals.

If you’re talking about station engineers then that’s a laugh and a half. They’re the most needless of all. Things went a lot smoother before they were brought on board. Management kisses their butts to what boils down to guess work. Stare at a computer for 8 hours and not go out in the real world to get the same results Moe, Larry and Curly would have achieved.

 

[floridays]

And without the RTD, your outbound goes nowhere and your inbound never arrives.
And without the pilots, ditto.
And without the real estate people, you don't have stations to work out of.
And without the dispatchers, no one coordinates pickups with the couriers and there isn't any freight.
And without engineers, the equipment and processes in stations, ramps, and hubs would look like it was designed and operated by The Little Rascals.
I could go on all night naming people, that without them, you couldn't generate squat.

You are correct, in part.
Exactly why are the people that put their hands on boxes considered the expendable part of the equation?

 

[floridays]

I was listening to the Movin' the Chains show Friday and Pat Kirwan was talking about negotiating contracts. Actually, he's talked about this plenty of times. Some agents are easier to deal with than others, some are better for the players they represent than others, some are better negotiators than others, and so on. The thing they all have in common is that they know the business of pro football. They understand the structure of contracts, they understand how decisions are made, they understand how players are evaluated - there's a lot to it. You can tell them things that you can't tell the players directly. They may not agree with it, but they know it's part of the process and know how to deal with it.

The worst contract negotiations were when players tried to negotiate their own contracts. They were the opposite of agents. It didn't matter how good they were on the field or how smart they were in the locker room or any of that. They were clueless about anything beyond X's and O's. The business side of football and contracts? Hopeless.

There's a lot of that in every industry and this one is no different.

Fedex negotiates no contracts beyond pilots and higher management.

 

[floridays]

You’re correct, there aren’t secret meetings between higher ups and ops managers. The guy who said that is clueless. Ops managers about the last to know about changes.

Exactly, an ops manager is not included in discussions or planning. They are simply directed to 'work the plan."
I knew a station manager that said, "My job is a fertilizer salesman."
The man was former Army, combat vet, he knew all plans changed when the first shot was fired. Fedex upper management fails to recognize this truth.

This man still sells fertilizer for Fedex.

 

[floridays]

They've reached the point where they don't care about senior/topped out employees. Last year they told us all what a great job we did and they were going to give everyone BUT topped out employees a raise. In a pandemic. I think the only reason they tossed out a 2% bonus at the last minute was because there was a lot of talk about a sick out when the pay actions were supposed to start in Oct.

Since the market levels were consolidated in 2017 topped out employees have had two 2% raises. I get it, they don't want the step increases spreading out but they don't move people up a step every year so what does it matter? They can re-write the steps anytime they want since they aren't under contract. In the meantime, inflation is up 18-20% since 2017. We are sliding backwards at an alarming rate all while FedEx throws more money at new hires and contractors instead of paying the people who've stayed her and kept the ship running as best they can.

I don't want to be a jerk but what do you not understand about topped out?

It's top wage for your position.

If you want more bid on a higher position, push for a union (collective bargaining) or stfu. For too many years topped out have thrown the lessers under the bus, no complaints. I'm glad to see the topped out employees are feeling the same. Your type has made organizing more difficult.

My hope is you never see an increase until you retire. I know this will piss you off, so be it.

Topped out has never been concerned with the pay progression of those that have followed under less compensation.

Deal with it.

 

[floridays]

I'm also curious what they'll do with the stations that are getting the temporary premium pay. Right now I am getting one and it's equal to about 2 steps on the progression chart, but I can't see them making that permanent. But losing 30-50% of our drivers in October would be the alternative so...

What is starting pay at your station and what is the premium?

but I can't see them making that permanent

It is not permanent, if it was it would have been added to your base pay it would be your new base pay.
They will take it back someday.

As soon as they can.

 

[!Retired!]

I always find it funny how when Express drivers are talking to Ground drivers it’s always “Yeah, but we get benefits.”, but when talking to other Express drivers it’s always “Our benefits suck and get worse every year!”.

Sad and funny, but true....

I always find it funny when a ground driver says I do 250-300 stops a day but I'm done by 4.

You don't think it's possible? I've seen Ground trucks leaving the building when I was on my way to work at 0600, and when you can do 5-7 stops on 1 block, it goes fast.
During PEAK a few years back, I was doing 150-160 stops and was off the clock by 1400. The SM told dispatch I was not allowed to clear until 1500.

If you’re talking about station engineers then that’s a laugh and a half. They’re the most needless of all. Things went a lot smoother before they were brought on board. Management kisses their butts to what boils down to guess work. Stare at a computer for 8 hours and not go out in the real world to get the same results Moe, Larry and Curly would have achieved.

What do you think would happen if they left it up to the couriers to create borders/areas? It would not be pretty.

 

[Fred's Myth]

What do you think would happen if they left it up to the couriers to create borders/areas? It would not be pretty.

When it was a co-operative effort between the couriers and the ops manager, it worked much better.

 

[yadig]

What’s Raj up to? When is the merge gonna happen?

 

[MAKAVELI]

Sad and funny, but true....

You don't think it's possible? I've seen Ground trucks leaving the building when I was on my way to work at 0600, and when you can do 5-7 stops on 1 block, it goes fast.
During PEAK a few years back, I was doing 150-160 stops and was off the clock by 1400. The SM told dispatch I was not allowed to clear until 1500.

For one, they don't have that type of volume year round. Secondly most routes are not dense suburban areas. So for the most part that scenario isn't reality.

 

[zeev]

What’s Raj up to? When is the merge gonna happen?

Like boiling a frog slowly but gradually till they start closing Express stations for lack of volume.

 

[fedx]

From what I've gathered some people thinking they are going to get a market level adjustment pay bump is not going to happen (as we all pretty much knew). FedEx doesn't care that they are paying fast food wages. It's all going to bite them in the arse when people start dropping off like flies-even more so than currently. They can't even get people to apply at FedEx and they don't care. They just expect the remaining workers to make up the slack for their lack of staffing. This company is going downhill fast. The executives know they have an employee hire/retention problem, but they don't care and they aren't going to do anything about it. I'll really be surprised if this company is still in business 5 years from now.

 

[Cactus]

What do you think would happen if they left it up to the couriers to create borders/areas? It would not be pretty.

Oh you mean done by people that have actually been out there and knows what the areas are like?

 

[yadig]

From what I've gathered some people thinking they are going to get a market level adjustment pay bump is not going to happen (as we all pretty much knew). FedEx doesn't care that they are paying fast food wages. It's all going to bite them in the arse when people start dropping off like flies-even more so than currently. They can't even get people to apply at FedEx and they don't care. They just expect the remaining workers to make up the slack for their lack of staffing. This company is going downhill fast. The executives know they have an employee hire/retention problem, but they don't care and they aren't going to do anything about it. I'll really be surprised if this company is still in business 5 years

They don’t seem to know how to join ground and express without a lot of blow back. They got to go all the way either contractor model or employee. I don’t think mingling the two in the same building would be good for morale. It’s gonna get interesting

 

[Aquaman]

And without the RTD, your outbound goes nowhere and your inbound never arrives.
And without the pilots, ditto.
And without the real estate people, you don't have stations to work out of.
And without the dispatchers, no one coordinates pickups with the couriers and there isn't any freight.
And without engineers, the equipment and processes in stations, ramps, and hubs would look like it was designed and operated by The Little Rascals.
I could go on all night naming people, that without them, you couldn't generate squat.

You think I’m so dumb I don’t know it’s a group effort? But the fact remains, the drivers are the source. Nobody else is going on road. It’s the job that feeds the entire machine. And it’s undoubtably the most dangerous job in the company. All we want is consistency. This company hasn’t had a single year in the past decade that has justified 2%…

 

[Aquaman]

From what I've gathered some people thinking they are going to get a market level adjustment pay bump is not going to happen (as we all pretty much knew). FedEx doesn't care that they are paying fast food wages. It's all going to bite them in the arse when people start dropping off like flies-even more so than currently. They can't even get people to apply at FedEx and they don't care. They just expect the remaining workers to make up the slack for their lack of staffing. This company is going downhill fast. The executives know they have an employee hire/retention problem, but they don't care and they aren't going to do anything about it. I'll really be surprised if this company is still in business 5 years from now.

The “market level increase” is a retention tactic used by managers all throughout the country right now. So much so that it has to be a coordinated lie from the top. It’s everywhere. But make no mistake, this company will go belly up before market levels are adjusted. I wish managers would stop insulting our intelligence. Or at least be smart enough to know when they’re being lied to, and not to repeat it.

 

[Aquaman]

They don’t seem to know how to join ground and express without a lot of blow back. They got to go all the way either contractor model or employee. I don’t think mingling the two in the same building would be good for morale. It’s gonna get interesting

Ya putting miserable contractors in the same building as miserable employees with pensions, 401K match, benefits, & 5 weeks vacation will do wonders for morale. But this company doesn’t consider employees, nor do they care about morale… They ask about it every year, but they don’t care. They look at what makes sense on paper, and that’s it. The actual employee is not part of the equation here.

 

[Fred's Myth]

If retention isn’t even a consideration, why would the company give raises?

Open your eyes!