FedEx Home Delivery drivers
at two locations in Wilmington, Massachusetts, voted 24-8 to overwhelmingly
choose Teamsters Local 25 in Boston as their bargaining representative, as
ballots they cast a month ago were counted today by the National Labor
Relations Board.
The workers are the first units in the FedEx Home Delivery system, a
subsidiary of FedEx Ground, to win Teamster representation. Since 1988, the
NLRB has ruled seven times that FedEx Ground and Home Delivery drivers are
not independent contractors as the company alleges, giving them the right
as employees to form a union.
"This is a great day for these workers," said Sean O'Brien, President
of Teamsters Local 25. "Their voice was finally heard despite every effort
by FedEx to silence them. I look forward to securing a first contract for
these drivers that will ensure they are treated like the employees both we
and the company know they are."
FedEx Ground employed stall tactics during the past month in an attempt
to deny the drivers their federally protected right to join a union. Its
final attempt was quashed when the NLRB refused to reconsider its ruling
that ordered the October 20 representation election, paving the way for
today's vote count.
"This vote sends one clear and simple message to FedEx -- the free ride
is over," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "These workers and
this union will not stand idly by while FedEx rakes in profits and avoids
its responsibilities to the workers and their communities by exploiting
this phony independent contractor model."
The Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men
and women, including workers at UPS, UPS Freight and DHL.
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