The information campaign

[UnconTROLLed]

Before Express sends over volume to Ground, there will be a 20% or so expansion of Ground capacity. FedEx will "open routes" which divide up areas served by MVCs into slightly smaller areas. Details are sketchy, but presumably ICs will be able to "purchase" those additional routes to accomodate the additional volume which would be entering the Ground delivery system. So if news regarding any "sudden" expansion of Ground routes pops up, the reason is anticipation of Express volume being transferred.

Another poster put forth the claim that if FedEx were to do this, why not do it now. Right now, FedEx is steadfastly holding onto the claim that every Express employee is an "airline employee". I personally haven't seen a FedEx jet in quite some time, can't jumpseat for travel, and cannot even go onto a ramp or hub secured area since my security "clearance" has lapsed to the "silver" sticker instead of the "gold" sticker - FedEx employees know what this means.

By keeping the volume within Express right now, FedEx has another "fact" to claim that all Express employees are "airline" employees. This completely ignores the fact that Express divides its US operation into two halves, AGFS and DGO, one of which is legitimately an airline under FAA definitions and the other is a package delivery service. If doomsday happens for Fred and Express loses its RLA status, look for a quickfire sequence of events regarding the structure of Express and the delivery of its volume within months. This is why Express employees that intend on staying need to really get the unionization ball rolling RIGHT NOW, to be able to fight this.

It is looking more and more like the Senate wants to break up the FAA bill into separate pieces of legislation. They want parts of it to go under Homeland Security, parts under DOT funding (airport expansion) and yet other parts under labor legislation. Right now it looks like HR 915 is firmly stuck in Washington politics and not moving anytime soon if at all. The language regarding FedEx's classification is a very low priority for Senate leaders right now (Fred's hand is in there I suspect). Another poster stated this may take months to finally get resolved and it does in fact look like he/she was right. A continuing resolution for the funding issues may be created so no interruption of operations occurrs for the FAA.

As long as Express maintains its RLA status, the transformation will occur slowly. Right now Fred doesn't want to give any ammo to his opposition regarding Express not being entirely an airline, but rather two distinguishable "companies" (AGFS/DGO). As long as the question of Express' RLA status is still in question, no major moves will happen regarding the structure of Express. If Express loses its RLA classification, look for Ground to undergo a massive expansion within months if not weeks of that change.

This is why Express employees can't wait for Congress to pull the RLA classification. The groundwork is already done within FedEx to accomodate a change in classification should that happen. Express isn't going to stand by and let NLRB rules allow union votes in stations without changing their "rules of the game". It would take months if not a year to organize signing of union cards and holding of elections in enough stations to make a dent into the Courier craft. By that time, non-overnight volume will be in the hands of Ground and the couriers voting to unionize will be faced with the prospect of becoming part-time employees. Fred will have won yet again.

Back in May I cautioned readers to wait to sign union cards until AFTER the RLA status was withdrawn. Now, I think it is necessary for those that intend on staying with Express to sign union cards NOW. It is beyond a long shot, but the employees are going to have to take a risk now to get what they want. It would take 50%+1 to get a nationwide vote for union certification. It is a long shot, but I really think this is about the only chance Express employees have of keeping their career and getting back their pension and compensation equity. If the employees wait for a change in labor classification, FedEx will jump the gun and transfer volume to Ground and there won't be anything left to negotiate. Express employees are going to have to do this under RLA rules and that won't be easy by a long shot.

This is where the Teamsters MUST step in and begin some organizing activity on the local level. If they wait for Congress, there won't be anything left to organize save some part-time Couriers (which would be "let go" the instant they try to bargain).

Very insightful post. Not sure of how accurate it is (I think even you know it's speculative, but insightful.

 

[Slobberman]

Now, I think it is necessary for those that intend on staying with Express to sign union cards NOW. It is beyond a long shot, but the employees are going to have to take a risk now to get what they want. It would take 50%+1 to get a nationwide vote for union certification. It is a long shot, but I really think this is about the only chance Express employees have of keeping their career and getting back their pension and compensation equity. If the employees wait for a change in labor classification, FedEx will jump the gun and transfer volume to Ground and there won't be anything left to negotiate. Express employees are going to have to do this under RLA rules and that won't be easy by a long shot.

This is where the Teamsters MUST step in and begin some organizing activity on the local level. If they wait for Congress, there won't be anything left to organize save some part-time Couriers (which would be "let go" the instant they try to bargain).

I agree however i dont see this happening.Majority of Fedex workers say they are happy only because they are brainwashed by the company they work for.

 

[greyking]

I have been at Fed Ex for 12 years. I only make $19 per hour. You do not reach top pay for a long time if you are lucky perhaps maybe closer to 20 years or so.

Don't feed the troll. Don't feed the troll. Don't feed the troll.

Air driver top pay as of Aug 1st is around $23.69/hr and takes two (2) years of progression. That is for full-time air drivers, either inside-outside combo or FT 8 hour air drivers.

Part-time air driver (3+ hour) is $21.69/hr and also takes (2) years of wage progression.

Keep in mind FT air drivers pay far less out of pocket, as described above, for health/dental etc. Only the union dues which avg 60-80/mo for full-time and 40-50/mo part-time.

argh too late

 

[bbsam]

I agree however i dont see this happening.Majority of Fedex workers say they are happy only because they are brainwashed by the company they work for.

As long as they say they are happy, why should it matter?

 

[MrFedEx]

As long as they say they are happy, why should it matter?

That would be a lie. Most are quite unhappy, despite what the "Maury Lane Show" says.

 

[FedEx courier]

If FedEx employees were happy then FedEx wouldn't be fighting the the RLA classification change to the NLRA jurisdiction for Express employees. It will always be that simple. There would be no reason whatsoever for them to fight it because they know their employees would not seek union representation.This is obviously not the case and the execs at FedEx know this. If there was anyway that they could back up what they said besides some survey that would be it.It is obvious that they can't and they know that segments of FedEx would become unionized if this classification changed very quickly.


The FedEx circular logic becomes more comical as time goes by because of this simple point of deductive reasoning.If FedEx follows through and starts putting "brownbailout" commercials on television and attracts enough attention it seems the circular logic that eats it's own tail will eat that tail in the public's eye it confronted by opposition. The only thing that FedEx has going for it in this campaign is misinforming people about it and people not really knowing what is going on. Some people are just hearing the word "bailout" and going against this by that words association. If the truth comes to light and FedEx's anti-union campaign is exposed and proven not to be a "bailout" in any sense then this misinformation campaign will ultimately hurt FedEx.

 

[vantexan]

All the pro Fedex folks on this site are wrong when they say the battle is over.This battle is far from over and it looks like we're gaining some momentum. Keep calling and writing your elected officials and letting them know how important it is to get the express carrier protection act included in the final Faa bill. From what I'm being told, we're in a really good spot right now and we need to keep the pressure coming.

@MrFedEx

 

[MassWineGuy]

Can you please give me the precise name and number of the proposed legislation?

 

[vantexan]

Can you please give me the precise name and number of the proposed legislation?

The "Express Carrier Protection Act" was a provision placed in a FAA funding bill in 2009. It would've allowed FedEx employees to be moved from the Railroad Labor Act to the National Labor Relations Act which would've permitted them to organize and vote for a union locally instead of a very difficult to achieve national vote. The bill kept being tabled by the Democrats after FedEx lobbyists contributed $32 million in campaign contributions towards the 2010 midterm election. The Republicans won control of the House in 2010, effectively killing our chances. They passed the FAA bill in 2011 with that provision removed.

 

[Nolimitz]

The "Express Carrier Protection Act" was a provision placed in a FAA funding bill in 2009. It would've allowed FedEx employees to be moved from the Railroad Labor Act to the National Labor Relations Act which would've permitted them to organize and vote for a union locally instead of a very difficult to achieve national vote. The bill kept being tabled by the Democrats after FedEx lobbyists contributed $32 million in campaign contributions towards the 2010 midterm election. The Republicans won control of the House in 2010, effectively killing our chances. They passed the FAA bill in 2011 with that provision removed.

get a friend-iing life move on 2009 was 11 yrs ago

 

[vantexan]

get a friend-iing life move on 2009 was 11 yrs ago

Tell MrFedEx the same thing. Tell Bacha and others. Oh, wait a minute, they tell you what you want to hear. And the only comments out of you seem to be attacking others.

 

[Nolimitz]

You are the one dredging S* up from 12 yrs ago. move on. FedEx is not going Union whether you or I want it to. Nothing to see here or argue about. Move along

 

[falcon back]

You are the one dredging S* up from 12 yrs ago. move on. FedEx is not going Union whether you or I want it to. Nothing to see here or argue about. Move along

Tex will talk about a manager that in 1989 made him leave his area to make a pu in another zipcode.

 

[floridays]

You are the one dredging S* up from 12 yrs ago. move on. FedEx is not going Union whether you or I want it to. Nothing to see here or argue about. Move along

@vantexan is simply making the point that democrats had the opportunity to carry fedex express employees to the promised land, and went down with three straight strikes across the middle of the plate. They didn't even take the bat off their shoulder.

He is addressing claims that some have made that a new democrat regime will carry express to the purple promised land.

He made his point they had their golden opportunity if they truly were in labors corner, they weren't.

Just another democrat lie.

 

[dezguy]

Tex will talk about a manager that in 1989 made him leave his area to make a pu in another zipcode.

And you'll worry about where van sleeps tonight.

Pot, meet kettle.

 

[floridays]

Tex will talk about a manager that in 1989 made him leave his area to make a pu in another zipcode.

You are tiresome, I wish you didn't blow your ex-wife's scratch off bonanza.

 

[vantexan]

Tex will talk about a manager that in 1989 made him leave his area to make a pu in another zipcode.

I know, right? Bastard.

 

[bacha29]

@vantexan is simply making the point that democrats had the opportunity to carry fedex express employees to the promised land, and went down with three straight strikes across the middle of the plate. They didn't even take the bat off their shoulder.

He is addressing claims that some have made that a new democrat regime will carry express to the purple promised land.

He made his point they had their golden opportunity if they truly were in labors corner, they weren't.

Just another democrat lie.

And once again failing to acknowledge the fact that the very same piece of legislation was introduced in both the Republican controlled 108th and 109th Congress by Democrats and both times the bill died in GOP controlled committee.

At that point just exactly what duty and obligation did the Democrats in Congress have to do anymore in regard to the matter? It's not a question of what the Democrats failed to do once but what the Republicans failed to do twice.

 

[floridays]

And once again failing to acknowledge the fact that the very same piece of legislation was introduced in both the Republican controlled 108th and 109th Congress by Democrats and both times the bill died in GOP controlled committee.

At that point just exactly what duty and obligation did the Democrats in Congress have to do anymore in regard to the matter? It's not a question of what the Democrats failed to do once but what the Republicans failed to do twice.

No Sir.

The democrats claim boldly to be the pro-union, blue- collar, working mans party in their campaign literature and verbal proclamations, the republicans make no such claim.

They have no duty now for express workers, nothing is on the table.
They struck out in their plate appearance, striking out and striking down the opportunity for express workers to organize locally.

You're like a wife that makes excuses for her wife-beating husband.

 

[vantexan]

And once again failing to acknowledge the fact that the very same piece of legislation was introduced in both the Republican controlled 108th and 109th Congress by Democrats and both times the bill died in GOP controlled committee.

At that point just exactly what duty and obligation did the Democrats in Congress have to do anymore in regard to the matter? It's not a question of what the Democrats failed to do once but what the Republicans failed to do twice.

For one Jim Oberstar, D-Minn, had fought hard to get that provision through. He really made Fred angry questioning him in a hearing. And then there was both UPS and the Teamsters pushing for it. I'm surprised that you are making excuses when this is a major thing you've pushed for all of these years. Which comes first for you, employees, or your political party? I thought political parties were supposed to serve their constituents, not the other way around.