FedEx CEO Fred Smith’s arrogant campaign of threats and intimidation
continued this week when his top spokesman threatened to take down
members of Congress who oppose FedEx’s position on a key piece of
legislation.
When asked about FedEx’s multi-million dollar ad campaign against
the legislation that is reported to launch on Tuesday, June 9, top
FedEx flack Maury Lane told U.S. News and World Report in a story
posted in The White House Bulletin, “I’m going to try to destroy them.”
This follows Smith’s repeated threats to cancel a $10 billion
contract to purchase Boeing 777 planes if FedEx Express workers were
moved under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
FedEx clearly threatened in a March 24, 2009 SEC filing, and Smith
reiterated in testimony before Congress in May, that its contract to
purchase additional aircraft from Boeing is contingent upon its labor
relations for all of its employees being governed by the Railway Labor
Act (RLA). Under this provision, if Congress dares to grant even a
portion of its workers the rights enjoyed by most American private
sector employees under the NRLA, FedEx has the right to cancel those
purchase orders.
“Fred Smith and FedEx breed a culture of arrogance,” said Teamsters
General President Jim Hoffa. “First, they cut wages, increase medical
insurance premiums and eliminate pension benefits for its employees.
Then they try to blackmail Congress with threats to pull the Boeing
contract. Now they threaten to destroy the political careers of those
who oppose them.”
Currently, all workers at FedEx Express are covered by the RLA
regardless of whether they have any direct relationship with the
operation or maintenance of the air fleet. This includes package
delivery drivers, workers at sorting facilities and truck mechanics.
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation on
May 21 that is a part of the Federal Aviation Administration
reauthorization and would place those workers under the NLRA, the
statute that protects virtually all other private sector workers. Under
the NLRA, workers may organize by individual terminals while the RLA
requires a more difficult path to unionization that requires a national
vote by every worker at FedEx Express. The reauthorization bill is
currently awaiting action in the Senate.
“It’s astonishing that Fred Smith and his flacks will go to any
length to boost FedEx’s profits at the expense of American workers and
the economy,” said Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Package
Division. “By threatening to destroy members of Congress, FedEx’s
efforts to manipulate the American system of government have crossed
the line.”