FedEx Freight drivers in Pennsylvania de-certify Teamsters as bargaining agent

Drivers at FedEx Freight's facility in Croydon, Pa., east of Philadelphia, voted yesterday to de-certify the Teamsters union as their bargaining representative, the second time in less than two weeks that unionized workers at a location of FedEx Corp.'s less-than-truckload (LTL) unit have voted out the Teamsters.

The vote by approximately 45 FedEx Freight city and over-the-road drivers came about two and a half years after workers voted to be represented by Teamsters Local 107, the first group of FedEx Freight workers to do so. A FedEx spokeswoman declined to disclose the voting margin.

On July 7, about 200 unionized FedEx Freight drivers in Charlotte voted to decertify the Teamsters union as their bargaining unit.

"Our drivers recognize that we are a stronger, more cohesive company without a union," said Michael Gee, service center manager in Croydon, in a statement. http://about.van.fedex.com/newsroom/global-english/fedex-freight-drivers-reject-teamsters-pennsylvania/

Of FedEx's three business units, only pilots at its FedEx Express air and international unit are unionized. FedEx's ground delivery unit is non-union, and its drivers are independent contractors. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to organize at FedEx Freight. Memphis-based FedEx has long opposed the presence of third-party bargaining units, saying its business model renders them irrelevant.

Of the 16 petitions that were filed to represent workers at FedEx Freight, the Teamsters either lost or withdrew 12 of them. Besides Croydon and Charlotte, workers in South Brunswick, N.J., and Stockton, Calif., have voted for union representation.

The company and the union have been engaged for nearly a year in negotiating a collective-bargaining agreement.