NLRB Levels Unfair Labor Practice Complaints Against FedEx Home Delivery
05 April 2007 - 7:41AM
PR Newswire (US)
Board Finds Merit in Claims of Intimidation, Retaliation Against
Drivers Seeking Union WORCESTER, Mass., April 5
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Labor Relations Board
Region 1 has issued complaints on multiple unfair labor practice
charges against FedEx Corp.'s [NYSE:FDX] FedEx Home Delivery for
its actions against workers in Northborough, Massachusetts, who
were seeking to join Teamsters Local 170. Region 1 Director
Rosemary Pye's consolidated complaint documents a systematic
campaign by the company and its managers to threaten, intimidate,
punish and economically injure drivers in late 2005 and early 2006
who were trying to form a union. The company is charged with
retaliating against drivers for testifying before the NLRB and
engaging in other protected union activities. The complaint charges
that the company fabricated evidence of wrongdoing and terminated
four drivers for their protected free speech and union support.
"The workers in Northborough faced a series of threats and
accusations because they wanted to improve their working lives by
joining the Teamsters," said Michael Hogan, Secretary-Treasurer of
Local 170 in Worcester, Massachusetts. "The NLRB complaint exposes
the depths FedEx will go to try and keep these drivers down and
without a voice to stand up for their rights." The NLRB previously
charged FedEx Home Delivery for illegal labor practices at its
Barrington, New Jersey, and West Deptford, New Jersey, terminals in
2006; the company settled those charges with that group of drivers
for an undisclosed sum. "FedEx is using every dirty trick in the
book to deny workers their right to vote to join the Teamsters
union," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "In FedEx's
quarterly earnings announcement last week, CEO Fred Smith bragged
about his company. This week, the company's real face of threats,
forgeries, intimidation and firings has been exposed." In a
separate hearing on January 23, 2007, concerning the union election
by Home Delivery drivers in Wilmington, Massachusetts, to join
Teamsters Local 25, FedEx manager Donald Clark attacked and
insulted a number of FedEx's immigrant drivers. This manager
singled out each immigrant driver by name and claimed that they
lacked comprehension of the English language and could not have
knowingly voted for the union on an English-only ballot. FedEx
continues to show its contempt for its workers in these disgraceful
anti-immigrant accusations. An administrative law judge
subsequently dismissed the FedEx objections to the Wilmington
elections. FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery drivers nationwide
are challenging the business practices at FedEx. The Region 1
complaint and its charges are only the latest evidence of FedEx's
anti-worker tactics. A hearing before an administrative law judge
is scheduled for June 18 to examine these allegations. DATASOURCE:
Teamsters Local 170 CONTACT: Mike Hogan of Teamsters Local 170,
+1-508-799-0551 Web site: http://www.teamster.org/
Copyright