Union-Busting FedEx CEO On McCain’s VP Short List

July 30, 2008 by
Filed under: fedex, politics, Union 

Potential McCain VP Pick Fred Smith: Bad For America, Bad For Workers

WASHINGTON, DC July 30, 2008 – The following is a statement from Change to Win Chair Anna Burger regarding recent speculation that union-busting FedEx CEO Fred Smith is on presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s short list for vice-presidential picks:

“Recent reports that FedEx CEO Fred Smith is being considered by John McCain as a potential vice-presidential pick are beyond disturbing. As a well-known lifelong union buster, Smith has a disgraceful record of stripping workers of their most basic rights to organize and fight for a living wage. It is disheartening, although not surprising, that John McCain would consider picking such a notorious enemy of hard working men and women to be his running mate.
 
“In the 35 years that Fred Smith has been the CEO of FedEx, he has repeatedly fought against workers joining together to have a voice on the job, openly stating that he ‘doesn’t intend to recognize any unions at Federal Express.’ Less than 2% of the 200,000 American workers at FedEx are in a union. In contrast, UPS unionized workers make nearly 30 percent more than they non-union counterparts at FedEx. Despite organizing efforts, FedEx has filed appeal after appeal to deny their workers the right to bargain collectively, and has sought national legislation to thwart union organizing.
 
“Americans have already suffered through seven years of a White House that places corporate interests before the interests of America’s working families and we’ve seen the results – millions of homeowners facing foreclosure, gas prices at record levels, and skyrocketing health care costs. Workers cannot afford another lobbyist-dominated administration. A vice-president Fred Smith would be bad for America, and bad for workers. Working families need leadership in the White House that will help them reclaim the American Dream, not a third Bush term.”

About Change to Win
Seven unions and six million workers united in Change to Win to build a new movement of working people equipped to meet the challenges of the global economy and restore the American Dream in the 21st century: a paycheck that can support a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement and dignity on the job. The seven partner unions are: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Laborers’ International Union of North America, Service Employees International Union, UNITE HERE, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, United Farm Workers of America, and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

SOURCE Change to Win

 

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No Comments on Union-Busting FedEx CEO On McCain’s VP Short List

  1. Mike on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 9:11 pm

    2. Obviously you have to pull down your pants when you talk out of your gluteus maximus!
    I have worked at both companies UPS and FedEx for 10 and 22 years respectively.
    There is absolutely no comparison to the way employees are treated. FedEx wins hands down. That is the reason that they are always at the top of the most admired companies to work for. The only reason I can think of for you to speak so poorly of one of the greatest business men in the world is either you are one of the top union morons that is worried about his Pension Plan or you are bitter because you got turned down when you applied for a job at FedEx. Why would I want a union to speak for me and take my hard earned money when we have so many great policies to ensure fair treatment at FedEx.
    Good luck when you retire!
    I know I am going to be just fine when I retire from FedEx.
    Have a great day.
    Mike

  2. hello on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 9:12 pm

    3. He won’t pick him unless he wants to lose. No one knows who he is outside of FEDEX and big business. That would definitely cause him to lose the election irregardless of how he views unions.

  3. Rob on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 4:37 am

    4. Anna, are you out of your mind? Let’s count how many companies have gone out of business because of union wages, wait I forgot my calculator. I worked for a union and lost my whole pension after 20 years. But wait, the union can get you more money. Yes this is true but only to put the owner out of business because the wages kill him. Let’s see the Mafia is a business and is illegal, who started unions?? Hoffa….oh yeah I would want him to manage my money. Notttt

  4. MIchael on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 11:49 am

    5. Sounds like you’ve sold your souls over for corporate greed.

  5. nc mail handler on Sat, 2nd Aug 2008 5:04 pm

    6. so what, Hillary Clinton was on the Board of Directors alot of years for the biggest anti union company in the USA, Wal-Mart, you know the some company that has been sued for more money by employees than any other company in the USA…..

  6. paolenz on Thu, 7th Aug 2008 8:06 pm

    7. Unions are the worst form of business socialism. They rant, rave and hurl accusations against anyone who derails the importance of having a union. Look at the post office, limited light duty people are getting paid to do nothing! THey merely sit all day, read papers, do some minor work when managers or supervisors asks them to, but most of them only care about getting their 8 hours and their vacation leave as well as sick leave.

  7. Christopher on Wed, 22nd Oct 2008 6:07 am

    8. I work for Fedex and I would like to be given the chance to vote but things are supposed to be too awesome here for us to want too. Thats a joke. Our health insurance just got really bad and costly for 2009. Oh thats right we as FedEx workers dont have a voice that matters to complain. We are all to happy here to need a voice where more worried that our board of jerks and Great CEO make big bonus checks at the cost of our familys health care.

  8. Karen on Tue, 28th Apr 2009 3:48 pm

    9. I am doing a research paper on FedEx and the corporate ethics. My team has searched for days to find dirt on FedEx. This is the only site that has had less than good things to say about FedEx. Although this is the first unofficial site I have searched in. I will mention the findings found here in my paper. Interesting how unions can bend ones thoughts in different directions. I worked for a union company for 15 years & yes the health care was very good, the working conditions were not. I hated it so much I went back to school to get away from local 10. I never looked back. Unions once were for the welfare of the people. Unfortunately the big shots running the union befits more than the employee. This student concludes Fred Smith and FedEx has a 26 page ethics document I found to be incredible. With documentation to follow 35 years of hard work. Research further concludes the only corruption found was an occasional employee who broke the law and corrupted themselves. Respectfully K