They’ve been agitating for a complete redistribution of wealth and power for more than 100 years. Now, they’re getting pretty darn close to accomplishing it.
Following the AFL-CIO’s August attempt to fire Michael Dell at Dell Computers, the Teamsters have gone gunning for the founder of FedEx, Chairman Fred Smith.
From the Teamsters’ press release:
At FedEx Corporation’s [NYSE: FDX] annual meeting today the Teamsters’ shareholder proposal to appoint an independent board chairman received 35 percent support according to results announced at the meeting. This marks a big leap in investor support for the proposed reform which received 27 percent support in 2009.
Excluding shares held by FedEx founder, Chairman and CEO Fred Smith and his business enterprises, 38 percent of the votes cast were in favor of the Teamsters’ proposal—a significant vote for change on the FedEx Board.
“Shareholders are growing tired of Chairman Smith’s stranglehold on the FedEx board,” said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel. “It’s time for independent board leadership at FedEx.”
This ties into AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka’s statement on Friday that…
we need to fundamentally restructure our economy and re-establish popular control over the private corporations which have distorted our economy and hijacked our government. That’s a long-term job, but one we should start now.
Well, they do seem to be on their way, don’t they?
Hashtag:
#marxmadness
__________________
“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
For news and views on today’s unions, go to LaborUnionReport.com.
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Jeff Emanuel
"Popular control over private corporations..."
swami7774 (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 7:54PM EDT (link)The classic definition of socialism.
But certainly they’re not “socialists”, right?
Today, there is a name for the political doctrine that rejoices in scarcity of everything except government. The name is environmentalism.
Syndicalists, Socialists, what's the difference?
Beaglescout (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 9:03PM EDT (link)Not much between those two words, that’s for sure.
“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”
Syndicatists tend to ignore the government entirely, Socialists tend to try to take it over.
acat (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 11:59PM EDT (link)Hey, you asked.
Mew
——
Caveat Suffragator
FedEx then becomes the Post Office
mdd1956 Tuesday, September 28th at 10:25AM EDT (link)another model of effeciency
Seriously, hold on
Death_of_the_Donkey (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 8:04PM EDT (link)First, it is probably a good thing for investors to have an independent board that oversees the CEO and staff (it would probably have helped reduce some of the crap that has gone on recently in corporate America). Second, isn’t this exactly how public corporations are supposed to work; a shareholder vote?
Are you really that naive?
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 8:29PM EDT (link)A CEO needs to be able to make decisions, not run every thing past some supposed impartial board. While most CEO’s do answer for decisions they make and how they affect the company, it is absurd to think that CEO’s across America are having to get approval for day to day decisions.
And you have two mentalities twisted. CEO’s make decisions and then make a certain amount of reports to the board a year. The board makes recommendations and can with a vote remove the CEO, but they do not manage the CEO. But even if they did, this incident is not the same. It is an open attempt to take over a company and force it to stop doing what has made it so successful, and that is the private owned parts of the business. They have been bitching and moaning about this for a while now, even went as far as trying the get the states DA to stop it calling it illegal in practice.
This is pure and simple thuggery by the union. They want to own all business and own how all are ran. FedEx dared to stand up to them, this is phase 2. But do not fool yourself, this is not standard practice and is not how most businesses are run across this country.
By the way, “all the crap” you referred to is a leftist type claim. Out of all the businesses in this country, from the smallest to the biggest, the portion who broke the law were such a small percentage, it would be called insignificant. In fact the largest fraud was committed by one guy. In almost all the cases, the board you think would sail in and stop all greed and crime, were either complacent or involved. They did not stop it even though they knew about it and in certain cases, helped the whole thing out. If you think crime in business was bad before, just wait till the unions run it all. A year never passes without hearing about one more criminal thing the union is involved in or committed.
Your “good thing for investors” is another good one. It will not help them to have some so called independent board sticking their noses into the day to day activities of the company, it will kill their investments. It goes back to the whole too many chiefs and not enough Indians thing. When too many people are required to make decisions, no decision will be made as you will never get a group of peoples to agree and or to let their own petty egos go long enough to do what is needed. Hence why most companies have one guy at the top who is responsible for making the decisions.
I disagree
Right Reason (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 9:07PM EDT (link)We can’t say that shareholder rights are a good thing unless we don’t like the shareholders who are exercising them. If they are operating within the corporate charter, they have every right to do exactly as they are doing. If the other shareholders don’t like it, they have the right to vote against this measure.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
No, they're not playing by the rules
civil truth (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 9:23PM EDT (link)Almost surely the money buying the shares is coming from union pension funds, which means that the trustees are not exercising their fidiciary responsibility to their folks whose union dues they are using for this purpose.
Not only are they failing to properly fund the pension plans, their efforts to topple the FedEx CEO will decrease the value of their stock holding, which not only will be an excuse for a taxpayer bail out, but also will be an excuse for taxpayer bail out of the pension funds whose assets they have recklessly misspent in pursuit of a political agenda.
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
Again, I disagree
Right Reason (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 11:26PM EDT (link)How is buying Fed Ex stock not exercising their feduciary responsibility? And even if it is, the union membership has the same right to vote out their leadership as the stockholders of Fed Ex do to vote out theirs.
The second part of your argument is all speculation, bordering on fantasy. Even if all of it were to take place, it would not be the fault of Fed Ex nor the union if both bailouts were to occur as you state; it would be the fault of those in Congress who voted for the bailout.
The fact is that the union stockholders are acting according to the corporate bylaws. As such, they have every legal right to do just as they are doing. The other stockholders, should they disagree, have the same rights to oppose the union measures. You cannot deny their rights simply because you disagree with their reasons for exercising them.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
You live in a cave, right?
mbecker908 (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:00AM EDT (link)This is akin to collective bargaining by “public employees”. Except worse.
With respect to “public employees”, just why do you think police/fire fighters can retire at 50ish at pretty much full pay?
What will happen here, in the case of a public company that is controlled by union shareholders especially one that is as labor intensive as FedEx, is that their total labor cost will skyrocket. If the Teamsters are successful with this, buy stock in UPS because The Brown will own the overnight package delivery business in short order and FedEx will be a distant memory.
If anybody ever needed an object lesson that unions are the enemy of free enterprise and should be fought to the death by every company, this is it.
Now I agree, but
Right Reason (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 8:07AM EDT (link)I still maintain that they are playing by the rules. If the other shareholders do not want this, then they need to work against this as hard as the union is working for it.
As for the public employee unions, I agree; it’s much the same situation. While I think public employee unions are a huge part of the problem government currently finds itself in, I do not think they have nearly as much culpability as the politicians who have been giving in to them all of these years. They GAVE the unions all of their current power in a Faustian bargain to hold their own power. Without them, the unions would be powerless. Look at New Jersey; in less than 1 year Christie has done tremendous damage to the power of public employee unions.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
OK, so you don't live in a cave.
mbecker908 (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 9:06AM EDT (link)You’re just not really the brightest bulb in the box.
Of course the unions are culpable. They band together to elect specific pols. And Christie, at best, has just given the PE unions a wake up call.
There are a whole bunch of actions that governors might take, lets see if anybody steps up to the plate. And then, lets see if a R POTUS steps up the next time we get one.
Try reading my post
Right Reason (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 11:57AM EDT (link)I never said the unions weren’t culpable, I said I didn’t think they were AS culpable.
Incidentally, we also “band together to elect specific pols.”
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
Early Retirement
edintexas Tuesday, September 28th at 10:03AM EDT (link)I’d like to answer, in part, your question “…just why do you think police/fire fighters can retire at 50ish at pretty much full pay?”
I am an early retirement Federal law enforcement retiree. I can’t speak to all such retirement systems, but after 34 total years of service I draw nowhere near “full pay”. I did pay a greater percentage of my salary into the retirement system than other Federal employees, as did all law enforcement and firefighters in the old Civil Service Retirement System.
I can give you the primary reason for the eligibility to retire at age 50 (with 20 years minimum service), and mandatory retirement at age 57. It is called physical ability. Not all people decline in physical ability after age 50, but speaking for myself – there wasn’t much chance that (after age 50) I could keep up with a 20 something perpetrator who was running. Firefighters also lose some ability as they age. These professions have physical requirements which age tends to deplete. Not to mention that the possibility exists for law enforcement/firefighters to lose their life on the job. A decrease in physical capability, however slight, increases the chance for that loss of life.
When did the union members decide they wanted to do this?
acat (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:02AM EDT (link)You need to have a look at how CALPERS operates. That’s the model the unions are trying on for size.
Mew
——
Caveat Suffragator
Somehow my reply to you ended up below as a reply to myself
civil truth (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:49AM EDT (link)Repeating my reply here,
Regarding fiduciary responsibility
1) As trustee for retirement assets, you need to diversify your investments and also make appropriate allocations among asset classes.
2) The level of concentration that 30% or so of FedEx stock should not meet that standard I would think. Though the report here doesn’t make clear how many of these shares are union controlled and how much are fellow-travellers.
3) The effort to destroy the business model of FedEx and to thereby sabotage share value violated fiduciary responsibility to maximize investment value.
3a) Especially, as seem logical, the intent is to impair the competitive advantage of non-unionized FedEx – or destroy it altogether – in order to benefit a unionized business rival (UPS).
In brief, this is an effort to used coercively aquired pension assets to fund a political agenda that is adverse to the pensioners’ financial interests and destructive to the business that is the object of this attack.
This is not the American way, but is essentially a form of economic war (terrorism?) against successful private businesses.
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
Sorry for Duplication
edintexas Tuesday, September 28th at 10:05AM EDT (link)Your post on fiduciary responsibility wasn’t “up” when I wrote mine. Didn’t mean to duplicate your response.
3a..
Jason Gillman (Diary) Friday, October 1st at 7:24AM EDT (link)Exactly.
The Teamsters are not at all interested in pursuing a profit in Fedex thereby serving the shareholders (pensioners) at all. It is a pursuit of power to destroy competition.
The Teamsters will destroy a company to make a point. I documented it here:
http://michigantaxes.com/wordpress/2008/08/michigan-teamster-whines-way-into-obama-convention/
Not sure about legality, but certainly immoral.
Fiduciary Responsibility
edintexas Tuesday, September 28th at 9:45AM EDT (link)The union’s retirement management is not violating their fiduciary responsibility by buying FedEx stock. But if the fund managers take any action which might have the effect of reducing the value of that investment, then the managers have violated their fiduciary responsibility.
If the Retirement Fund managers bought the FedEx shares because they were a good investment, there is no fault and no foul. If they bought the FedEx shares for the purpose of altering the corporation’s unionization status, or changing the CEO, without regard to what effect that might have on the stock value, they have violated their fiduciary responsibility. While most fund managers are not sued (by union members – please – and unless the union ticks off the politicians the government isn’t likely to do anything either), they are duty bound to avoid taking any action which has the possibility of reducing the value of the investment. Note that the proper term is “possible”, not “probable”. You may think that the idea that unionizing FedEx will inexorably lead to a reduced value for the company is “fantasy”, but the question is whether it is possible. The answer to that is a definitive yes.
Several aspects, though our investment professionals could explain better
civil truth (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:45AM EDT (link)1) As trustee for retirement assets, you need to diversify your investments and also make appropriate allocations among asset classes.
2) The level of concentration that 30% or so of FedEx stock should not meet that standard I would think. Though the report here doesn’t make clear how many of these shares are union controlled and how much are fellow-travellers.
3) The effort to destroy the business model of FedEx and to thereby sabotage share value violated fiduciary responsibility to maximize investment value.
3a) Especially, as seem logical, the intent is to impair the competitive advantage of non-unionized FedEx – or destroy it altogether – in order to benefit a unionized business rival (UPS).
In brief, this is an effort to used coercively aquired pension assets to fund a political agenda that is adverse to the pensioners’ financial interests and destructive to the business that is the object of this attack.
This is not the American way, but is essentially a form of economic war (terrorism?) against successful private businesses.
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
Wrong location for reply
civil truth (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:50AM EDT (link)Intended as answer to Right Reason above – have copied my response there
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
What does anything you stated
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:12AM EDT (link)have anything to do with what I stated? You mumble on about rights, when I never said they did not have the rights. I have the right to protest your family at their burial with signs that state horrible things about them but that does not mean I should do it.
The discussion was solely about union takeover and the guys above comments that what they are doing would both fix the small amount of criminal action in the corporate world and that having tons of opinions when it comes to business decisions, usually made by a CEO alone, would be a good thing. Not too mention he felt that is how most companies work.
You keep coming back with nonsense about their rights, and no one here cares nor were we talking about their rights. But since you started….
Their are many questionable tactics being used by the union in this process and many examples of strong arming FedEx. If they were to make decisions with the intent of breaking the company to meet their end desires, that would be prosecutable. It is also questionable when you look at the fact that just weeks ago, these same numbnuts were pushing the state DA to file civil complaints against FedEx for their business practices even though they are quite legal, create tons of jobs, and is what allowed FedEx to excel. They did this because of FedEx refusal to buckle to their demands made over many years.
Lets not preach the whole rights thing, as it does not apply to this conversation and much of what they are doing is questionable concerning “rights” to begin with.
Their entire focus is to drive any company who does not buckle to them out of business and that is pure crap and socialism. Nothing in the area of “rights” allows that. And it is people like you who turn the blind eye justifying that behavior with calls of rights that has given them the power they have today. Rights are all fine and dandy until your rights start to affect another and that is what is happening in this case and in the end, either the country will win or the union will win and if the latter comes true, we are screwed. All your rights will not matter then…..
I believe the substance of my post
Right Reason (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 8:26AM EDT (link)was that, if the other shareholders didn’t like what was goin on, they could vote against it.
I do not think I “mumbled” (frankly, I don’t klnow what that would look like in writing – really small fonts?).
As far as running the company into the ground; if that’s their desire, and if they can get a majority of shareholders to go along with them, then fine. The smart ones will sell their FedEx stock. The company will go out of business, and the competitors will step in and take up the slack. It’s called capitalism. It’s what should have happened in GM’s case.
P.S. Try a little more reasoned argument and a little less condescending mockery in your posts and you’ll get a lot farther.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
So you do not like
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:38PM EDT (link)mumble, lets try blather.
Lets first address your glaring misconception of capitalism. You say,
“As far as running the company into the ground; if that’s their desire, and if they can get a majority of shareholders to go along with them, then fine. The smart ones will sell their FedEx stock. The company will go out of business, and the competitors will step in and take up the slack. It’s called capitalism. ”
Capitalism has nothing to do with a company such as the union forcing another company who will not bow to their demands out of business. Capitalism in a simple nutshell is a system that allows anyone with an idea, product, service to sell that product to the consumer for as little or as much as they want. It also allows anyone else who feels they can provide that same idea, product, service at a better quality and or a better price to set up shop and to compete without interference. If company A or company B is unable to keep its consumer base, it goes out of business and usually its leftovers is taken up by someone else. That is capitalism, not what is going on here.
The second glaring issue in your thesis is their “rights” that you keep referring to and the issue you raise that the other stockholders can vote against it. From this it is obvious that you hold little knowledge concerning the whole voting process and the level of power the union holds over it rank and file members.
So my conclusion from your posts is this:
You can choose from one of the following:
A) You do not have much of an understanding about what is going on here and have not yet been able to look into the whole controversy surrounding the FedEx/Union issues going back years.
B)You do not have a full understanding how so many of the strong arm tactics used by the union border on illegal or are over the line, do not understand the legalities concerning an attempted takeover with the full intent of ruining a company due to their stand against the unions demands.
C) You are pro union and they can do no wrong. You actually believe companies can not operate efficiently, treat their employees with fairness, and are utter imbeciles without union interference.
In response to your PS “P.S. Try a little more reasoned argument and a little less condescending mockery in your posts and you’ll get a lot farther.” While I am sure you are an intelligent fellow/gal. it is obvious that you are either confused concerning this matter or playing the devils advocate. Either way, if you want a flowers and sunshine debate, you should at least learn what capitalism is and catch up on the whole union/FedEx issue prior to posting. Learning a little about the voting process would also help a little.
When you don't have a good point to make
Right Reason (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 1:40PM EDT (link)then insult.
Your paragraph on capitalism is, to be charitable, incomplete. If the union buys FedEx stock, the union, in part, IS the company. As such, they are free to do as they wish, as long as they and those who agree with them comprise a majority of shareholders. How can you be so obtuse as to not grasp this basic point on how corporations work?
As far as holding little knowledge of the voting process; I own stock in several companies. I am familiar with the charters of each corporation in which I do own stock. Before buying stock, I research each corporation, which includes reading the comapny charter. I exercise my voting rights for every company in which I directly own stock, So I am VERY familiar with shareholder voting procedures. Also,I am not sure what the hold that unions have over their rank and file has to do with the union stockholders voting their FedEx stock. It’s not as thougheach unions member gets FedEx shares individually.
Now on to your conclusions:
A) I AM aware of what has been going on at FedEx. I have a relative who works there, who, incidentally, left a union job to go there. I hope that FedEx prevails against the attacks from the union. I simply do not think, as you apparently do, that somehow we (the government?) should step in and stop the unions. I think it the proper remedy, is for the remaining shareholders, should they see the need, to step in and put a stop to the union’s activities within the context of the company bylaws. Unless I own FedEx stock – which I do not – aside from my possible interest as a potential customer, it’s none of my business how the company is run, as long as the company is operating within the law.
B)This point is just a bunch of vague nonsense. If you can name the union tactics, in THIS case, that are illegal, I would gladly answer.
C) You are, to put it nicely, jumping to conclusions. I am most certainly NOT pro union. I have managed in both union and non-union shops. I know firsthand the restrictions and inefficiencies that bargaining agreement work rules can create. However, that doesn’t mean that I think unions or those who belong to them, should be stripped of their rights (ooh, there’s that word again!).
D) You left this one out. I, unlike you apparently, am not someone who cannot carry on a reasoned debate without resorting to childish name-calling.
None of your posts do anything to refute anything I have said. “They’re mean, nasty and I hate them” is not an argument.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
Long winded
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 4:40PM EDT (link)and still blind.
Your rhetoric does not fit one thing about this issue. You are speaking like a classroom scholar with no real world knowledge. You may think you have just cleared it all up for us, but you are wrong and now you are boring. I guess your comments, which match nothing that is actually going on and do not come close to the responses in here must trump logic and are right. Enjoy that ignorant bliss, the rest of us will stick with reality and do what we can to keep this kind of socialism from happening at our business or at our job.
But at least you told a good joke, try not to gather your joke material while staring at the mirror next time though. But It was funny so I will post it again just for laughs.
““They’re mean, nasty and I hate them” is not an argument.” Now go finish that homework, the real world will come along for you in time.
PS By the way, I know people like you want everyone to smile and say OK, but your constant whining about name calling is absurd. I am pretty sure, even after reading it all again, no name calling happened in my posts. Now if you would like to learn the difference between name calling and stating the obvious that you are blathering, please let me know and I would be more than happy to provide you with a list of all know words classified as name calling. Either that or grow up and get some thicker skin. If the word mumble and blather cause you such distress, you should really stop posting anything on any site other then a rainbows and kitties site.
No distress here
Right Reason (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 5:08PM EDT (link)just searching for a valid argument somewhere in all of your tremendously incisive wit. Nope, still can’t find it. And thanks for the posting advice. Coming from a 3-week wonder, such as yourself, it’s much appreciated.
“But at least you told a good joke, try not to gather your joke material while staring at the mirror next time though. But It was funny so I will post it again just for laughs. ” Wow! I didn’t know you practiced humor at the ADVANCED 5th grade level!
See ya. I’ve got no more time for pig wrestling.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
Three week wonder
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Friday, October 1st at 12:47AM EDT (link)I love idiots who think that because of some length of membership at an internet site that they somehow are elevated in all things. That mentality is about as stupid as it comes, period. And since you have borrowed that line from others, makes the whole comment pretty pathetic. But after reading your responses, it is not surprising.
And since you cried so much about the words mumble and blather and considered that name calling, I find it amazing the only one here insulting another is you. But unlike you, I am man enough to not care one bit about your words as they have demonstrated you have little capacity for understanding. But by god, you have been on this site for longer than me, must make you right in all things……..
By the way
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 4:46PM EDT (link)your point A): Funny you would say what we all have been saying, yet you seem unable to comprehend.
“it’s none of my business how the company is run, as long as the company is operating within the law.”
FedEx is running their company within the law. But that has not stopped the union from trying everything under the sun to shut them down including pushing the state DA to file a complaint against them. It has also not stopped them from pulling this stunt, which you think is so legal and how it should be done (goes back to the bliss comment) yet it is illegal to manipulate stock with the intent of misleading investors or crashing the company. And this is 100% what the union is doing. But keep thinking it is normal business practices or that somehow the union is allowing a fair forum to vote in. We must all be wrong and you must be the information savior.
Yeah, sure
The_Rebel (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 8:44PM EDT (link)The AFL-CIO boss says “we need to fundamentally restructure our economy and re-establish popular control over the private corporations which have distorted our economy and hijacked our government”. Yet Obama in 2008, when he received the endorsement of the Teamsters, said he wanted to eliminate strict federal oversight of the teamsters, oversight which was designed to root out corruption:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120994756511766395.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_topbox
More independent oversight for corporations, less independent oversight for unions. Sure fits the bill for this administration.
Socialism and Syndicalism together
Beaglescout (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 9:05PM EDT (link)I think they used to call the combination Fascism.
“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”
Thar she blows (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:11AM EDT (link)RS contributing editor and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
There is another piece to this...
LaborUnionReport (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 1:36AM EDT (link)The Teamsters represent UPS, which is under the NLRA, non-union FedEx is under the RLA (which makes it harder to unionize FedEx).
UPS & the Teamsters have wanted to change the rules on FedEx for years in order to unionize it. FedEx has fought against this.
The Teamsters are trying to change the culture of FedEx in order to unionize it.
[Sorry I didn't include this in the post, as I sort of figured most people know about the battle and the bigger picture for the post is the attempted removal of Smith. In hindsight, I probably should have included the UPS component...I'll do a post on that soon.]
“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine December 23, 1776
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Is That A Donkey, Or A Jackass?
uncle_fweddy Tuesday, September 28th at 10:40AM EDT (link)I don’t know…when you talk about government involvement in the business sector, Jackass just seems a more appropriate name.
Sounds like a game plan to me to subvert our economy
civil truth (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 8:27PM EDT (link)1) Use your pension and other captive institutional investments to push out existing officers and install new folks who will follow your directives, you having proven you have the power over their continued employment
2) Unionize the work force.
3) Drive the company into bankruptcy (while raking in the union dues bucks)
4) Get the Federal government to use taxpayer money to bail out/prop up the company in return for your campaign contributions
5) Do this to enough companies and the rest will fall in line, seeing the handwriting on the wall
6) Presto: Crony Capitalism – Corporatism if maintain shell of public corporations; Socialism it outright nationization.
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
I think it is time to Oust the CORRUPT INCOMPETENT UNIONS, they are just like obama. NT
bobojake (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 8:32PM EDT (link)Fed Ex are they serrious?
Xraxnd_Caracarn Monday, September 27th at 9:04PM EDT (link)Fed Ex has always been presented to me as a model of a great corp. I cant count the number of meetings i went to where Fed ex , Nordstroms ect were listed as examples of how to do it right. Particulary in the customer srevice and employee empowerment talks.
The Union Leaders have jumped into the basement of the Out house with obama and leaving the hark workers hanging from a Tree.
bobojake (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 9:20PM EDT (link)A Union Member I would not want to be.
They will be the next one on the short end of the stick.
At that time Unkon Leaders and the obama Adminstration are in big time TROUBLE.
On NOV 2nd obama-lyin-itis and UnionLealers-lyin-itis is going to bite them in the geister and the way down will be a lot faster then their Snake like action they used to rape their membership.
FedEx is non-union. UPS is unionized.
cwilson (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 10:09PM EDT (link)Hence…the urgent need to destroy the AFL-CIO pension fund’s value by using it to buy a controlling share in FedEx. Then, using that control, force FedEx to become unionized — first step, kick out the current anti-union CEO. Then, sit back and watch the company be destroyed by strikes, negotiated perks and bennies, raises without relation to performance, etc — and see the value of all those shares crash.
That last bit isn’t what the insane maniacs in the AFL-CIO think will happen — but that’s because they are too stupid to learn from experience. Although they probably wouldn’t worry too much — Teh Won will probably bail them out. I still remember that the Unions were *proud* to have destroyed Eastern Airlines via strike action — as a warning to all the other airlines.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! –Samuel Adams
As i said Union Leader have dropped in the basement of the Outhouse with obama and Union Members are gettin left holding the bag.NT
bobojake (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 10:16PM EDT (link)cwilson, you hit the nail on the head regarding the IBTs motivation. nt.
LaborUnionReport (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 1:38AM EDT (link)“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine December 23, 1776
In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit.-Ayn Rand
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I worked at FedEx
DerKrieger (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 9:31PM EDT (link)…HQ in Memphis for almost six years and the contempt for unions is palpable. The Teamsters are angry that FedEx isn’t unionized like UPS. FedEx drivers won’t vote for a union because they know for many of them it will cost them their jobs. FedEx pays its drivers generously so that they won’t unionize. Fred isn’t afraid of the unions and almost fired all the pilots many years ago when they threatened to go on strike. He dared them to stating that he would put all the freight on trucks and deliver it without them. The Teamsters would cripple FedEx and UPS is cheering it on.
“In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” – Thomas Jefferson
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” – James Madison
Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience.” — John Locke, 1690
And that's why FedEx is my shipper of choice. nt
mbecker908 (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:01AM EDT (link)Ditto that -nt
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:19AM EDT (link)Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
FedEx also my shipper of choice
uncle_fweddy Tuesday, September 28th at 10:48AM EDT (link)For the above reasons, plus, I prefer my merchandise to be delivered unbroken. If I wanted it broken, I could always ship via UPS. Then, I’d have the added pleasure of dealing with the “farmed out” UPS insurance gestapo. Uh…no thanks.
I work at FedEx now...
Brian Paasch Tuesday, September 28th at 6:19AM EDT (link)…as a lowly package handler.
I like choices. If I want to buck boxes for a union, I’ll work at UPS. If I don’t like unions, I’ll buck boxes for FedEx.
I work for FedEx. I’m a happy camper.
*************
“Be respectful…” Did that. Didn’t work. Now I’m cranky.
http://roughedgesandsharpelbows.blogspot.com/
Piggy Banks and Gigolos
pamela1631 (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 10:30PM EDT (link)Sounds like the AFL-CIO minions are lusting after Fed-Ex’s $$$$$$$ just like a two-bit over-the-hill gigolo lusts after Granny’s bank account. They know how to spend it ALL better, wiser and don’t worry your pretty head, I’ve done this before attitude.
Until it’s all gone as the gigolo is when the bills come due!
Hang in there Fred.
This republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it. ~~Elmer Davis
I am stone forged from the fires of creation into flesh ~~Pamela1631
The greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.~~Maj. L. Caudill, USMC (Ret.)
The more of this sort of thing
Steph C (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 10:53PM EDT (link)I hear, the more I think we need federal legislation that asserts a person’s right to work without having to pay somebody else to secure a job. Isn’t that what unions are at the most basic level? People you pay to get a job?
Health care is a right. Broadband internet is a right. But finding and accepting a job without paying someone else to be allowed to keep it… isn’t?
Instead we get union thugs bullying people into unions, which then proceeds to bankrupt companies, which then have to stiff everybody not in the union, like their office personnel and upper management to try to avoid bankruptcy, and still wind up in same hole and digging deeper.
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
This was Satire, Right?
edintexas Tuesday, September 28th at 1:52PM EDT (link)“Health care is a right. Broadband internet is a right.” At least I hope you were being either satirical, or sarcastic.
I think he meant
Right Reason (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 2:01PM EDT (link)that those things are considered rights by the left and yet the right to work without paying a union for the privilege is not.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
That,too, but it was still with a heavy dose of sarcasm. nt
Steph C (Diary) Friday, October 1st at 6:51AM EDT (link)“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
Yes. nt
Steph C (Diary) Friday, October 1st at 6:51AM EDT (link)“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
How dare he found a great company...
anotherindyfilmguy (Diary) Monday, September 27th at 11:43PM EDT (link)and expect to keep running it when the Unions expect to be handed everything he worked for in O’merica?
Razz Etc!
“Best Poker book written ever!!!” – Author’s unbiased opinion…
Why is this even allowed?
Neil Stevens (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 12:12AM EDT (link)Isn’t it plainly obvious the Teamsters with their UPS ties have a conflict of interest?
RS contributing editor and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
I work for UPS
lepelerin Tuesday, September 28th at 12:51AM EDT (link)as a driver. The teamsters are like a company in themselves. They look out for themselves mainly and also try to make us, who pay their wages, happy. If they can get Fedexers to supplement their income, grow their business, they will. Just view them as another business.
You should think about asserting your rights under Beck.
mbecker908 (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 1:17AM EDT (link)They are required by law – although it will happen very slowly – to provide you a breakdown of how your dues are spent, how much for actual bargaining and how much for political activities. You can then pay only the portion related to bargaining.
You're right
lepelerin Tuesday, September 28th at 7:14AM EDT (link)but on the other hand I don’t need to be a target. The fact I make better wages then my counterparts do means I can give more to conservative causes, which I do. I know many of our drivers who listen to talk radio. Even the package handlers have many car stickers that reveal their “right wing propensities”.
Go Fred! Stay strong!
southernpatriots (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 8:31AM EDT (link)Stay strong and stand tough, Fred! We ship via Fed Ex and Fed Ex Ground almost everything we ship and recommend it to all those shipping to us. UPS is only used to return something defective when the company pays UPS to return it. A few items are shipped USPS but after being in a line at our local and regional post office last week (I was 13th in line with about another 10 after me) and no clerks to serve us at the counter. It was 2 pm. I waited 15 minutes and still no clerk and could not wait longer. All in line before me had been waiting longer than that. Most were quite frustrated. Several men ahead of me began a conversation about lack of service. I joined in the conversation and added, “If we had a private alternative to this monopoly I think we would at least have a choice and most likely have better service!” All in line agreed. Then I added, as I was exiting, no longer having time to wait, “And the government wants control over our health care and health insurance?!”
I wish Fed Ex or similar private business would begin to handle First Class mail. Go Fred!
shrug...?
rsturm Tuesday, September 28th at 8:34AM EDT (link)Hmmmm…. must be getting nigh time to shed these union slugs…. Let’s just hope FedEx, Dell, et. al., can hold up until the next election, or 2012, to revamp this corrupt system.
Restoring corporate America from target-victims of those marxist thug-unions — back to wealth-producers and job-creators (lifetime-extenders, health-improvers, R&D-proponents, liberty-providers…. ‘and Freedom and Justice for all’-guarantors)…. seems like just-cause to end (and a healthy good-riddance to) a 100-year era of (union) mob-rule, ..and proof-positive (quickly -before my dash-key jams) that Democratic Rule will always FAIL to serve a Free Enterprise system!! The favorite example of failure by democratic-rule in a government realm, is a lynch-mob. Just sayin’
Democrats are owned by unions
superamerican (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 11:11AM EDT (link)Without unions there would be no Democratic Party. The citizenry of the United States is beginning to understand, thanks to Fox, News Corp and others. Hopefully it won’t be long that Congress — changed to citizens, not careerists — will change the rules so unions cannot any longer buy elections for Democrats. Then our country will be ready to grow again.
http://www.periodictablet.com
For the Good of the Home Land
megsmom (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 1:15PM EDT (link)Listening to the union it reminds me of movies about SS officers telling the poor people WE MUST DO IT FOR THE HOME LAND.
The problem is the only ones who would benefit from the union take over would be the Upper Echelon of the union. The share holder would lose control and then the union brass would be the only one to benefit. The union member would not benefit that much. They would have to pay dues that would increase constantly and soon the union would demand so high of hourly wage they would put the company out of business.
Perfect example our car companies – except Ford so far.
For the Good of the Home Land
megsmom (Diary) Tuesday, September 28th at 1:15PM EDT (link)Listening to the union it reminds me of movies about SS officers telling the poor people WE MUST DO IT FOR THE HOME LAND.
The problem is the only ones who would benefit from the union take over would be the Upper Echelon of the union. The share holder would lose control and then the union brass would be the only one to benefit. The union member would not benefit that much. They would have to pay dues that would increase constantly and soon the union would demand so high of hourly wage they would put the company out of business.
Perfect example our car companies – except Ford so far.