According to a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board, drivers for FedEx in Worcester, Massachusetts cannot be classified as independent contractors, instead they are employees. As such, they have the right to vote for union representation in a secret ballot. This is a victory for The Teamsters Union which has been trying to organize FedEx truck drivers.
While the drivers had originally signed agreements with FedEx that they would operate as independent contractors, they are now re-classified as employees because they cannot choose their delivery routes, cannot negotiate compensation, and must abide by company rules and regulations.
FedEx has achieved success because it has operated at an extremely high level of efficiency and offered attractively competitive prices to consumers. One only need look at the inefficiencies of the US Postal service and compare its operation to the streamlined operation of FedEx. If unionization occurs at FedEx, prices will rise along with inefficiencies that are frequently caused by a multiplicity of burdensome workplace rules imposed by a union.
