Originally Posted by
vagabond
Like all business enterprises, FedEx is out to make money for management, board members and shareholders. It's possible someone weighed the whole thing and thought the chances of the drivers getting up in arms about the intentional misclassification was small. If FedEx can push the mighty ALPA around, surely it can grind a few independent contractors to the dirt without much notice from anyone else.
The way things are, there is an IRS ruling for one year and a Massachusetts court ruling. There is no telling when the other rulings might come down the pipeline. Any final penalty will be appealed. Think of all the money it saved over the years off the backs of the drivers. It was worth it at the time and it will spend more money to continue to justify that long ago decision.
If "labor" and "brotherhood" are to mean anything at all, I think ALPA should be supportive of the drivers. But then, I'm only a street lawyer who has spent my entire career defending the underdog and the disenfranchised. What do I know.
Vaga,
Aren't most court rulings of this type harmful to the bottom line of companies in the long run? I guess if you were in charge and saw something like this and knew you were gonna retire in the next XX years.....your bonus or compensation was based on bottom line.....then maybe I can see it. It will be interesting how this plays out..........