FedEx Freight unionized for first time as drivers outside Philadelphia OK representation

Drivers at less-than-truckload carrier FedEx Freight's Croydon, Pa., facility outside Philadelphia have voted to unionize, the company said in a statement late yesterday. The vote marks the first time in FedEx Freight's history that its workers will have union representation.

The drivers at the location will be represented by the Teamsters union. Workers in Croydon, located in Bucks County, Pa., voted for representation by a 26-18 vote, according to a published report. FedEx Freight is a unit of Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx Corp.

The vote to unionize comes less than a week after drivers at the unit's Cinnaminson, N.J., facility voted against union representation. Cinnaminson is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia.

FedEx Freight said in the statement that it is considering various options in response to the Croydon vote, including a possible appeal. FedEx in general has long opposed unions, maintaining that a direct relationship between workers and management eliminates the need for a bargaining unit.