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FedEx Freight | What is your main reason to vote in a union at FedEx Freight ?

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peddlepusher said:
Thanks for your reply,thats what I say I cleared the first wire one going forward but noticed down the road there were another one that looked low so I backed down the street to avoid it and the one I cleared I clipped backing out... the one I cleared going forward backing up,thought I nowas ok but it must of hit the top were it's higher at the rear of the roof(notched out)Mark Quarter thought the same I thought as I did but it didn't turn out that way I think he didn't want to rule against our safety manager???
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It was a residential area but no signs posting no trucks??aren't all state roads required to have wires 14'
 
peddlepusher said:
Thanks for your reply,thats what I say I cleared the first wire one going forward but noticed down the road there were another one that looked low so I backed down the street to avoid it and the one I cleared I clipped backing out... the one I cleared going forward backing up,thought I was ok but it must of hit the top were it's higher at the rear of the roof(notched out)Mark Quarter thought the same I thought as I did but it didn't turn out that way I think he didn't want to rule against our safety manager???
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The safety manager has little say in the matter, the decision came from HRO.
Again, was the wire at 14 feet?
If not, was the road posted with a NO TRUCK sign?
All overhead wires must be 14 feet high by law...if not, the road must be posted with warning signs. We've had many of drivers take down wires, including myself, and I've not known of any to be charged, they were all below 14 feet.
I hit a cable wire one day pulling out of a customers driveway, cleared it going in but clipped it coming back out. The wire was hung at an angle, 15 foot at the right side of the road going in, under 11 foot coming back out....tore down the wire and ripped the siding right off the side of some old lady's house! Felt bad for her, said she had just had cable installed that morning....the cable company was responsible for repairing the damage because the wire was below 14 feet and there was no warning sign....and I wasn't charged for anything!
 
Redracer3136 said:
The safety manager has little say in the matter, the decision came from HRO.
Again, was the wire at 14 feet?
If not, was the road posted with a NO TRUCK sign?
All overhead wires must be 14 feet high by law...if not, the road must be posted with warning signs. We've had many of drivers take down wires, including myself, and I've not known of any to be charged, they were all below 14 feet.
I hit a cable wire one day pulling out of a customers driveway, cleared it going in but clipped it coming back out. The wire was hung at an angle, 15 foot at the right side of the road going in, under 11 foot coming back out....tore down the wire and ripped the siding right off the side of some old lady's house! Felt bad for her, said she had just had cable installed that morning....the cable company was responsible for repairing the damage because the wire was below 14 feet and there was no warning sign....and I wasn't charged for anything![/QUOTE
Same situation the wire hung at an angle,had to position the trailer to back into another street to turn around..the wire was on an angle going into a big evergreen tree,no warning signs.NO SIGN OF ANYTHING...that old lady had to freak out..like what the hell...apperiate your feed back..
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oh..was told if I was going forward this would not be an issue,but since I was backing up it is a chargeable???didn't understand that one..
 
peddlepusher said:
oh..was told if I was going forward this would not be an issue,but since I was backing up it is a chargeable???didn't understand that one..
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You should've filed an appeal and requested a conference call.

"The only helping hand that you can rely on is the one at the end of your own sleeve"....JC Watts
 
Redracer3136 said:
You should've filed an appeal and requested a conference call.

"The only helping hand that you can rely on is the one at the end of your own sleeve"....JC Watts
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I did,we had a conference call..the safety manager yelled on the phone about us drivers taking down wires,and said he wasn't changing his mind for me to call Mark Quarter the head of safety in Harrison,at first I thought I had my job back,two days or so later he said if I going forward it would of been a non preventable..i must of pissed somebody off..didn't think I ever did tho..???
 
Redracer3136 said:
I'll have to call BS on the overhead wire infraction. Was the wire not at 14' above the road and if not, was the street posted with a NO TRUCKS sign?
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As a side note, "No Trucks" sign does not prohibit going down said street, if required to make a delivery. Federal Interstate Commerce laws trump state/local. Not saying tickets won't be issued, but they can be challenged and beaten.
 
SwampRatt said:
As a side note, "No Trucks" sign does not prohibit going down said street, if required to make a delivery. Federal Interstate Commerce laws trump state/local. Not saying tickets won't be issued, but they can be challenged and beaten.
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SwampRatt said:
As a side note, "No Trucks" sign does not prohibit going down said street, if required to make a delivery. Federal Interstate Commerce laws trump state/local. Not saying tickets won't be issued, but they can be challenged and beaten.
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so does it matter if your going forward or backing up???
 
peddlepusher said:
so does it matter if your going forward or backing up???
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From a legal standpoint, no difference. But FedEx' own rules MAY consider ANY backing incident to be driver fault.

If no longer employed here, I doubt there is much you can do, unless (perhaps) your center recently voted yes. Even then, FedEx would have to be in violation of their own policy, I think...

Wish I could offer a more positive opinion, but I think the above is the truth.
 
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SwampRatt said:
From a legal standpoint, no difference. But FedEx' own rules MAY consider ANY backing incident to be driver fault.

If no longer employed here, I doubt there is much you can do, unless (perhaps) your center recently voted yes. Even then, FedEx would have to be in violation of their own policy, I think...

Wish I could offer a more positive opinion, but I think the above it the truth.
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Thanks..
 
bigtruk_us said:
You would have retained your job.Had you had representation.Of course we don't know if your dispatcher had placed you in a bad driving situation.Believe me.They do know how to set someone up and how to get away with it.
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Are you really that naive or do you just believe everyone else is?

Are you saying that union operations do not have published driving standards that would cause a driver to be disqualified from driving?

Are you saying that veteran drivers should not have the same accountability for their performance as newer drivers?

Are you saying that there is not favoritism in union operations or within the union itself?

Are you saying that the burden of proof is lesser in union operations or that the union holds some magic "get out of jail free" card that would absolve a company from liability for the drivers in its employ?

It all boils down to accountability and liability..........a company is liable and accountable for the drivers operating it's equipment......that fact never changes. What if the next accident is not "minor"? Do you think a company is less liable for allowing the driver to operate its equipment in contradiction to its own policies just because he has several years of service? Pretty sure that the driver's years of service would not be the main issue discussed in the court case resulting from a catastrophic event. If a driver has too many accidents/events, the end result would be the same, union or not. Since you realistically are not familiar with all the details in this case, your statement about job retention is probably pretty irresponsible, but then again you wouldnt necessarily be accountable for a result. The union environment might be good for a little more elaborate dog and pony show (dues got to pay for something) but any company will only open themselves up for so much liability and the result in most cases would be the same.

Your statement expresses the exact issue............no accountability..............the dispatcher? Next would be the manager, then the safety manager, then corporate safety..............ultimately the person could eventually shift the accountability to the union for failing to "save" their job. What would happen then?

I have been here nearly 25 years and expect to be held accountable for my actions/performance, just as I would expect a new hire would. I havent seen any black helicopters chasing me around because I am at the higher pay scale, so I aint buying that either................besides, if I wasnt providing a good return on investment to the company, I would expect to be held accountable.
 
peddlepusher said:
you would??is there anything I can do about now??would apperiate any help
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I doubt there is anything you cans do now, but I have seen union companies target problem employees and get them first chance they get. If anyone thinks union management isn't capable of this your naive.
 
peddlepusher said:
No,they let me go for that..it was on a state road tho...@61 years old it's tough to start over
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Man, a low wire on a state road? That is minor. Perhaps you could ask them to let you stay on working the dock, to maintain insurance... In the past such a thing was possible.

Only other hope would be, did they follow policy exactly? Was there any education after your 2nd offence?

Citydogs advice of making all possible contact is good. Don't give up easily.
Your position is not particularly good, if Mr Couter couldn't help, I'm not sure who could/would. Good luck
 
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SwampRatt said:
Man, a low wire on a state road? That is minor. Perhaps you could ask them to let you stay on working the dock, to maintain insurance... In the past such a thing was possible.

Only other hope would be, did they follow policy exactly? Was there any education after your 2nd offence?

Your position is not particularly good, good luck
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They all were minor but they happened..had to take a test afterwards..my question is if you knock down a wire backing is it a preventable or non-preventable??thanks
 
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