Thursday, January 31, 2008

Office Meetings In Fontana ...

There was a meeting held with the office personnel about the Devore terminal. They were told that if you were not qualified for a position in Devore, someone else with less seniority who is, well get the transfer even if you have more seniority over them!
Just another reason for us to Organize and get Recognized!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Whittier Management At It Again ...

Dockworkers at the Whittier Service center have reported to the FedEx Watch Dogs that John Leyva has had captive meetings with the AM break-bulk employees. He has told them that “if the Union comes to this company that they would lose their seniority”. Well John, you are wrong! One of the reasons you would want to organize is to make management enforce the seniority rules and get rid of favoritism! Just more company lies to scare employees from doing the right thing.
Besides John, the Union is already here.
Get to an organizing meeting and get the facts yourself. Better yet, ask John or any other manager to put what they say in writing and sign it. I bet you they won’t!


"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."
- Adolf Hitler

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Union Buster Alert ...

Attention FedEx Freight West employees.
There is a FedEx freight LTL driver from the Mira Loma,Ca. terminal who is spreading lies that the campaign in So.Cal. has come to an end.He is saying the reason we have stopped is because the company has given us what we asked for.
If you run into this individual please get his name and let us know.

Thank You
The FedEx Watch Dogs.

"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."
- Adolf Hitler

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

UPS Freight Workers in Oakland and Seattle Sign Cards to Become Teamsters

An Overwhelming Majority of Workers Sign Cards To Join Locals 70, 174

January 22, 2008

(Washington, D.C.) – An overwhelming majority of workers at the UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) terminals in the Oakland, California and Seattle, Washington areas have signed authorization cards to become Teamsters. About 300 drivers and dockworkers are employed at the terminals, bringing the total number of UPS Freight workers who have submitted cards to more than 1,100 since last week, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced.

“Now more than 1,100 workers at UPS Freight have taken the step to a more secure future,” Hoffa said. “The momentum is moving this campaign forward fast.”

Read the complete article at Teamster.org

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Pension Review Part Two ...

Now let’s go deeper in a Teamster pension, we know if
we negotiate $ 5 an hr on average 40hrs equal $9600 a
year that FedEx pays, and not coming from your pocket.
Now if you times it by 32 years of service x $9600 =
$307,200.00 that goes into the western pension fund ,
let’s say this is an employee that started at the age
of 18 years, by then he would be 50 years old and
could retire
Now you add 50 years of age plus 32 years of service
equals golden 82, which means that he could retire
now, now this is an example only.
This individual will now receive $3200 a month from
the western pension fund , now this is the formula, he
gets $100 per year and you times it by 32 years which
equal $3200 a month and don’t forget he will also get
another pension from social security when he turns 65
years old, and mean while he could get another job for
another 15 years and accrued another pension from
somewhere else that have a Teamster union.
Now when I mean this is an example is because, the $5
an hr will go up 3% to 6% because of the cost of living
goes up, by the time we negotiate a new contract
agreement.
The $100 per year will also go up on an average of 3%
to 6% per new contract, which means that your $3200
will rise up by the time we retired.
My name is Joe Nuno, this is my example I’ve worked
20years with Viking/FedEx, the Teamsters will give me
2 years for 1 year of service with company up to
5years only, which equal 10years in the western
pension fund, plus I work another 5 years to be
vested=15years.
Now by then I will be 50 years old, which mean I’ve
got 15 more years to work to retire which equals 30
years in the Teamsters pension, now do the math how
much will I get plus social security vs. a 401k plan
and a frozen pension from FedEx?

Friday, January 18, 2008

California Trial Judge Said RPS-IRS 1995 Agreement “Not Worth the Paper It Is Written On”

FedEx managers regularly point to the RPS-IRS 1995 Agreement in defending its contractor model. RPS is the predecessor company to FedEx Ground. With the IRS in 2007 preliminarily determining that FedEx Ground and Home Delivery drivers are employees and not contractors, FedEx still clings to the decade old agreement as critical to affirming the company’s position. But in the Estrada class action lawsuit in California, the trial judge reviewed the probative value of including the RPS-IRS 1995 Agreement into evidence and the judge concluded, “If one actually reads the letter, it is not terribly convincing I quote, ‘This letter does not preclude any owner-operator from filing an SS-8 to request an employment status determination of the relationship with RPS. The determination of employment status by the Service will be based upon an analysis of the facts as presented by the worker and RPS’ In effect, what you have here is an opinion based upon the representations and statements made by the lawyers for RPS The fact the IRS believed such status was not static is based upon the next to last paragraph which I read into the record. As such I believe the letter is relevant only to show that RPS received this letter and it therefore goes to the beliefs of the parties. But as an opinion in and of itself, I think it is really not worth the paper it is written on.”

Read full RPS-IRS 1995 Closing Agreement and the rest of the Judge's statements on it here.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

FEDXMX said...

WE NOW HAVE AN OFFICE

WE NOW HAVE OUR NEW OFFICE LOCATED IN MEMPHIS OFF OF AIRWAYS. THANKS TO OUR TEAMSTER LOCALS AND TEAMSTER INTERNATIONAL.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CLEANING UP AND GETTING IT IN ORDER. THIS IS LOCATED CLOSE TO WORK WHERE ANYONE WHO NEEDS CARDS OR INFORMATION AND DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE AT WORK TALKING ABOUT IT AND SUPPORT THE DRIVE CAN COME THERE AND GET ANY INFORMATION THEY NEED.
WE ARE GETTING THE PHONES SET UP AND RUNNING AND I WILL POST THE ADDRESS AND OTHER INFO WHEN WE ARE ALL SET UP.

“Fair Treatment?”

The FedEx Watch Dogs have received information that favoritism is alive and well around FedEx’s service centers in the Southern California Region.
It seems that our Combo drivers have a problem with getting fair treatment of runs across the board. Roger in Fontana and Dave at Whittier are known to be saving and hiding runs for drivers who they favor. In Fontana FLC have a couple of hostlers who spy on Combo drivers while in the yard and are reporting back to FLC on what they are up to.
Why is this being done by a company who insist that “we do not need a union here”? Is this what they call “fair treatment?”
Seems like FedEx thinks of these Combo Drivers as “bottom of the bucket” employees!
And we know this is wrong. Right X-man?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

The FedEx Watch Dogs ...

“We Don’t Have Any Secrets …”

This weekend Whittier employees were invited to an “Open House Tour” of the new Devore terminal. Employees are to arrive at the Fontana terminal then bused to Devore. Upper management have said in past meetings, that they don’t keep or have any secrets
So why weren’t any Fontana employees told that theses tours were taking place? And that we will have a day of touring in the near future?
What are they hiding?

Bonus (VPEP) Update …

That great payout at the end of the fiscal year (June) most likely will not be occurring, according to sources. What a Surprise! The company is saying it has been a slow year. Hey! Mike Z., where is that formula that calculates the new payout for vpep, we were told was going to be available to us?
Also X-Man will Mr. Smith and his V.P’s not be receiving any bonuses this year? Maybe he and the rest of upper management should be rated on a performance scale before they receive any bonuses.
Since profits were down, so was their performance!

The FedEx Watch Dogs
BE WISE AND ORGANIZE!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The Fellowship of the Free Trade

Leaders of Freight Local Unions Overwhelmingly Endorse Tentative Agreement

Contract Delivers Solid Economic Gains for Members

January 8, 2008

Leaders of freight local unions from across the country overwhelmingly endorsed the tentative National Master Freight Agreement on Tuesday, January 8 in Washington, D.C., paving the way for members to vote on the contract later this month. About 300 leaders were in attendance, and all but one voted to recommend ratification.

Ballots will be mailed out to members on January 14 and 15, and members must return their postmarked ballots by Friday, February 8 in order for their votes to count. The current contract expires March 31, 2008.

“While the long-haul trucking industry is operating in a difficult economic environment, this tentative agreement protects existing jobs, maintains a strong wage and benefit package and provides new language allowing growth at the largest carriers,” said Tyson Johnson, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division and lead negotiator.


The solid economic gains in the five-year agreement include a record $5 per hour increase in health, welfare and pension contributions, wages increases of $2.20 per hour and 5.5 cents per mile over the life of the agreement, retaining the COLA, and improved sick leave.

Local unions will be hosting membership meetings this weekend to inform members about the agreement.



Review the tentative National Master Freight Agreement and Supplements



Original Post On Teamsters Website www.teamster.org/

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Organizing Workshop, Start The New Years Right ...

Organizing Workshop

Jan. 13 2008

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Location: Teamsters Local 952 140 South Marks Way Orange, CA 92868

Details:

Contact: Gary Smith: 714-740-6213 Jeff Sweet: 714-740-6230

THE TIME TO ORGANIZE IS NOW !

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people. "
-Lee Iacocca

FedEx To Meet IRS Audit Team On Classification Of FedEx Contractors - Update

Thursday, January 03, 2008; Posted: 06:58 PM

(RTTNews) - Thursday, transportation and business service provider, FedEx. Corp. (FDX | charts | news | PowerRating), said it was preparing to meet Internal Revenue Service audit officials in the spring of 2008 to review a tentative assessment on owner-operators classification of owner-operators at FedEx Ground. The company said it would provide an initial response related to the issue. The Internal Revenue Service on December 20, 2007 had made a tentative assessment on the classification of owner-operators at FedEx Ground.

Read Full Article At TradingMarkets.com

Friday, January 4, 2008

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.

King Whitney Jr.