Message From The FedEx Watch Dogs Of The North

"We have been receiving a few comments recently why FedEx is doing these changes in the west. It’s because of how the economy is lately and that all these comments about management are unfair to them."

I'd like to respond to this. I'll take the blame for part of the animosity toward management. I have made comments in the past that can be considered "accusatory" or "divisive" such as 'us versus them' and 'greedy.'

In all fairness, there are some damn good managers in this company who are taking the heat for the actions of those who are, shall we say, not so good.

However, I'd also like to point out that there are some damn good employees here as well. Some of them have even made the conscious choice to put their jobs on the line for what they believe in. Day to day they fight to make this job better for each of us who punch the clock.

Having said those things, I'd like to ask what right any manager has to complain that he or she is being treated unfairly by the people who are under the management's boot heels. What has any manager done lately to advance the concerns of the men and women who hump the freight, drive the trucks, and keep the paperwork moving?

Management's move? Save money by taking away insurance, cutting hours, and terminating all contributions to the pensions we've earned.

So I ask everybody here: what gives them the right to plead with us to be "fair" to them!? All I and those fighting the good fight ask of everybody here is to be fair to themselves and their fellow workers.

These people had their chance and they chose more profit over more flexibility. Now we must choose security over trust. If they have their own way--anti-union propaganda, paycuts, layoffs (conveniently termed 'furloughs'), higher insurance premiums, and militaristic attendance-point programs--we'll lose everything many of us have spent years building.

Sorry, Andy, but this is business, and you got yours. Now we are going to get ours.

And by the way, a little note to those of you who are afraid that organizing during a recession/depression is an unwise move...this is precisely the time to organize. This company isn't going down; it will do what it has to do to keep making profit for the shareholders even if they have to work within the guidelines of a contract.

So stand tall and rock and roll, my union brothers and sisters!

P.S. Thank you Rudedog, Frankie, and those who stand with you.

February 1, 2009 9:39 PM