HOW TO CHOOSE A SERVICE CENTER IN 10 DAYS OR LESS

The big question these days seems to be “are you going to Devore?”

And it seems that the only person right now that has an answer to this question is the current service center manager.

His bags are already packed and ready to go; while the estimated 300 employees are left unpacked without a clue. He knows what hours he has and what he is going to do. Do you?

Recently there were meetings held for the entire service center about the “changes that were to come in April and May. The only new “news” that we got out of it were the dates. Is it just me? Or did we all walk out of those meetings wondering how we are going to make the decision of staying in Fontana or going to Devore?

My question to management is this why all the secrecy? Does it really matter what choice we make? The fact of the matter is you have the last say in whatever choice we make. You already know who you want and don’t want at each center. Let’s be real here… there have always been “cliques” at Fontana . And certain jobs have been given to people because of who they know and not by their qualifications; this is clear by the way things are done.

This is why I believe a union is needed in both Fontana and now Devore. Clearly our questions would have had to been answered and we could have made a decision without all of the undue stress that is given to us now. And the unfair treatment by certain Operations managers would not be tolerated.

Our decision to stay or leave Fontana has to be made without any knowledge of what is in the future even though we may have families or other obligations and management does not seem to acknowledge this. We cannot make a haste decision like this with little information, but we are being forced to do so. We will now have to look over the job postings and do our bidding and then have to choose a service center in 10 days or less.

Are you going or staying?



Signed,



Total Madness

Tuesday's Drivers Meeting ...

Witnesses at this past driver meeting have reported a situation between Farrin the Fta Operations manager and a driver over the new procedure with the drivers VIR’s. The driver was trying to get a reasonable answer on why, this was being done now? With no real reason that made any sense to anyone at the meeting. (The Watchdogs know this is just another form of Union Busting! Ask any FedEx Express drivers what has been happening to their senior drivers at their Ontario facility. See video on the right side.) The O.M. just came out and said,” if you don’t like what has to be done? Reddaway is hiring drivers.”

Now why is it that management always says that we should present ourselves as professional at all times, especially with the public and most of all with our customers? But it’s ok to talk to their employees in a non professional way? Grant it, its no easy job being a manager with so many different personalities and attitudes. But if you, as a manager want respect? You should at least show some respect yourself.

Are you paying your boss's taxes?

Payroll taxes that companies ought to pay may be getting dumped on independent contractors, but a case involving FedEx gives workers new ammunition.

By Jeff Schnepper

Just before Christmas, package-delivery company FedEx was slammed with a $319 million tax bill. The Internal Revenue Service ruled the company had misclassified about 13,000 drivers as independent contractors when, the IRS said, they really were employees.

For FedEx, this could get a lot more expensive. The penalties and back taxes are just for 2002. The IRS is still auditing FedEx for 2004 through 2006 (the status of 2003 is unclear). The Teamsters union, which has been pushing this fight, thinks it could ultimately cost FedEx $1 billion.

Perhaps. But FedEx plans to fight this ruling for as long as it takes.

What got the IRS and FedEx into a tussle was the package company's assertion that drivers were contractors who operate their delivery routes as independent businesses, even though the drivers use FedEx equipment, wear FedEx uniforms and work under explicit FedEx rules.

This fight bears watching by employers and workers alike. Big money is at stake.

The government will argue that misclassification of workers deprives it of billions of dollars of tax revenue annually. The Government Accountability Office has estimated the amount at $4.7 billion a year.

The bosses will argue that the ruling upsets precedents in place since the 1990s.

Workers will argue that employers have gone too far in pushing taxes and payroll costs onto them, effectively forcing workers to subsidize their bosses. If the IRS wins, you can bet many more workers classified as independent contractors will try to change their classifications.

Companies save big on taxes

Why do companies like independents? Simple. It saves them a bundle of money.

If you're an independent contractor, the company doesn't pay state workers compensation or federal unemployment and disability taxes. It is released from matching your 7.65% Social Security and Medicare taxes; an independent contractor pays the full 15.3% load.

In addition, the employer is saved the burden and cost of income-tax withholding. The worker has to remit the appropriate payments.

Independent contractors don't qualify under minimum-wage laws and have no government rights to a safe work environment. And they can't qualify for employee benefits.

Microsoft (the publisher of MSN Money) suffered a stinging judicial slap several years ago when it misclassified employees as independent contractors and denied them benefits granted to other employees. It proved to be a $97 million lesson.

Before I could start writing tax columns for MSN Money, I had to sign a mountain of documents proving I was an independent contractor. I even had to get a Washington state business license as a contractor, even though I have never physically worked there.

Congratulation From The FedEx WachtDogs ...

Congratulation Russ Fleck on your new service center in Devore, San Bernardino !!