Could we lose things that we have today when we get to the bargaining table?

Only if we vote to give things back to FedEx, but there is no reason for us to give anything back. We don’t trade away work for gains.

FedEx mechanics have been without representation ever since the company was founded 50 years ago. Over the past few years, the company has forced us to give up wage increases, improvements to our benefits, and in some cases even our jobs because we don’t have a union contract and there’s nothing we can do about it. With a Teamster contract, the company won’t be able to force us to give up anything without bargaining first.

How much are Teamster dues?

Typically, monthly dues are two-and-a-half hours of base pay monthly. So, if you make $15 an hour, your monthly dues are $37.50. There will be no initiation fees as we are a new Teamster bargaining unit. We won’t pay dues until we vote to approve our first contract and it is in effect.

Dues provide the resources to stand up for good jobs and benefits, decent working conditions and a better future for our families. Most of your dues stay with your local union in order to fund activities that give workers more power at the bargaining table.

Why are automotive and facilities mechanics included in the same category as AMTs?

FedEx Express is legally considered a cargo airline, and because of that, all of its workers are covered under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which sets forth the rules of aviation labor law. The National Mediation Board decides who is included in the mechanics and related group (“bargaining unit”). They typically include all work groups who support Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) in their daily work like GSE, MCC, MUEs, tool room attendants, etc. Because the entire company is under the RLA, facility mechanics, truck mechanics, and other maintenace staff are also included in the bargaining unit. Under the RLA, in order for a group of workers to win a union election, a majority of the bargaining unit at the entire company must vote in favor of union representation – not just a single location. The greater our power in numbers, the greater our chances of success.

If we join the Teamsters, will we go on strike?

Probably not. Strikes in at cargo airlines are extremely rare because of the RLA. Under the RLA, if an employer and its worker cannot come to an agreement, both parties participate in a process overseen by the National Mediation Board expressly designed to craft a resolution before a strike occurs. Furthermore, Under the Teamsters’ constitution, a two-thirds majority yes vote of the bargaining unit is required for any Teamster union to strike an employer.

Will mechanics be seated at the bargaining table?

Yes. Rank-and-file members will be at the bargaining table with the same negotiators and economists who have gotten the mechanics at UPS and UAL the best contracts in the business.

Do the Teamsters support outsourcing work to get gains in a contract?

No. Outsourcing work is a non-starter. Getting gains for a portion of the workforce at the expense of others’ jobs in the workforce is the opposite of a union. As a matter of fact, the mechanics at United Airlines just got back five heavy check lines in their most recent contract extension.

Isn’t the Teamsters Union a truckers’ union?

The Teamsters Union represents workers from aircraft mechanics to zookeepers. Our Teamster Aviation Mechanics Coalition is made up of thousands of AMTs and related workers that we represent. In addition to AMTs, the Teamsters also represent thousands of facility and auto mechanics at companies like UPS, T-Force, ABF, and many others. We have the best contracts in the business and have been representing workers from all walks of life since 1903.  We are very good at what we do.

I’m getting ready to retire very soon, how could this campaign help me?

With everything that FedEx has stripped away from AMTs over the years, it makes sense to stick around and negotiate some benefits back for those who have had so much taken away from them. Bridge insurance and a Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) are just two examples of things that we have bargained for the AMTs at United Airlines to be able to retire with dignity after their years of service and before Medicare age, if they choose to.