FedEx Lawsuit

It seems like the wall around Fedex’s decision to classify its drivers as independent contractors as opposed to employees is falling apart one brick at a time.  Many of the actions being taken against the company are local in nature, but if/when enough of them occur, Fedex will have increasingly difficult choices to make.

The latest “brick” to fall was relayed in a recent story that appeared in the Wilmington Advocate, whereby it’s stated that the NLRB certified a union vote held at two local shops.  However, the article also states that a few more steps need to be completed before the union can start to act on behalf of its new members.

“Because the Teamsters do not have the best interest of our contractors in mind, we will continue to work with our contractors to protect their investments so they can run their businesses without third party interference,” said Maury Lane, a FedEx spokesman, in press reports.

It is likely that FedEx will refuse to sit down with the Teamsters when the first contract negotiations take place. The case would than be sent to court for a rehearing of the case.

The Wilmington victories, the first time drivers elected a union, is likely to open the door for the Teamsters to represent the 15,000 FedEx Home drivers nationwide after nearly two decades of attempting to unionize the company.

“What these drivers showed was with hard work, anything is attainable,” said Local 25 President Sean O’Brien.

Wilmington FedEx drivers would join package delivery drivers at UPS and DHL under the national bargaining umbrella of the 1.4 million members International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Again, this is just another in an increasingly large series of victories for Fedex drivers.  If you have been wronged by this situation, contact the Fedex overtime attorneys at Pulaski & Middleman today to schedule a free initial consultation.