Dear Mr. Balado,

When I first starting working at FedEx on November 14th 1995, it was nonstop from the beginning. At that time, I was what they call casual labor but then I was hired as a part time courier and signed a contract to work Monday through Friday. I later transferred from this particular route to another Monday through Friday route and I signed a contract. I was told and shown documentation that I was not required to work over six hours a day (less than 30 hours a week) and they had to give me the option of working additional hours. This was not the case the first 8 years of my employment. I worked steady (over eight hours a day) without the option. I was consistently coming in in the morning only to find posted on the time clock my route change. I have 3 children and I had to constantly make arrangements to get my children off the bus which was at 4:00 pm. I was supposed to work from approximately 8 to 2 but since I was placed on full time routes on a daily basis I was unable to make this commitment. Some days I worked over 12 hours and was asked to put in a break because I was not suppose to go over. There were several incidents when my children ranging from 11 and under had to wait me for me in the basement until I could get home to them. This went on for several years until about 4 or 5 years ago when we acquired a new manager. During the transitional stage I over heard my former manager telling my new manager to be nice to me. He said, “She is one of the best workers and she has been abused.” My manager did not request me to work over except once, but in those years we noticed that he was adding more couriers the other employed couriers started questioning it—since there was a dwindling of freight. Recently, my manager brought me into his office and informed me that I would be working Saturdays from now on and he was giving me thirty days notice to get my life in order. He explained that the he has to protect the full timers some have been there less then five years) and that he would be moving them to a Monday through Friday shift and the normal full-time person would be doing my part-time route on Monday. He told me that they were getting in late on Saturday so he needed the part timers to work Saturday. I said if they are getting over 8 hours on Saturday how do you figure they will get eight on my part time route of 4-6 hours. He stated that if we go over eight on Saturday that doesn’t matter. “Station needs. He insists on removing two men from Saturday that these particular couriers bid on to get into the station and forcing me take Saturday. I was crying in his office when he was forcing me to sign. I was being belittled and threatened that he would put me on a type of probation and I could possibly lose my job altogether or be transferred to another station at least an hour away. None of this makes sense. They opened a Saturday service in our area. They have 3 people who are already on Saturday and they say they need two more people so they are going to void our contract and force us to work this new Tuesday through Saturday. The reason for my work background at FedEx is because I wanted to inform you of my was work history of the full time hours worked at FedEx and never once was I compensated when other drivers were paid cover driver pay. Never once did I request pay and now they have turned on me and canceled my contract because my manager overstaffed and he himself stated to me that he did overstaff. They have not given any other options but to sign a new contract or pretty much quit. If I would have known about the part timers being shifted to Saturday I would have bid on a full time route instead with only a short notice and a demand I am being forced to work Saturdays, They led me to believe that a contract protected me from this sort of situation and then out of nowhere I am forced to sign a new contract. My manager stated to me “You will sign if you want to support your family”. These are not the only belittling things he has done. In the week of July 21-25 I was on vacation and was not present when the other part time couriers were informed that part timers would not be required to work the Mondays. One of the part timers called to inform me of the changes and ask me if I had been notified. I had not been notified and on Monday morning waited by the phone wandering if I should prepare for work. I then called Tony (my manager) about an hour before I was to be at work to find out why he had not called me, not until then did he start updating me of the changes being made. If I would have appeared at the station he would have sent me home. I was irritated by the fact that he did not inform me and wondered what he thought the purpose of my call was since I do not call he unless necessary. I have written several letters to the human resources and have never once gotten a response. The only documentation I received is the contract from the human resources forcing me to work Saturdays.

For years FedEx Express part time employees were told they have the same rights as everyone else in the company until recently. We have now learned that this is a thing of the past. I read the People Manuel that is now obsolete and specifically stated that service (seniority) ruled over anything else. Your time dedicated to the company meant something and you were protected . Not until recently have we discovered that those rules have changed. You are no longer have any significance to the company. This makes me feel as though I have worked hard for nothing. Now the status of your employment is what matters. No longer does my 12 1/2 years play prevalence over any employees with less service time, they now have seniority over me because they are full time.

Can you explain to me if I signed a contract for a specific schedule how FedEx can change it after 11 years?

How can FedEx force me to work over the scheduled hours a day when I am part time and suppose to only work 6 or less.

You said that we are to give ideas to Tony, last time I tried to suggest anything I had to listen to him remind me “He” is the manager, I got the point, but instead of letting it go he kept interrogating me until he had me in tears and not until then did he back off.

FedEx Express has stripped me of all my rights and forced me to choose between family and employment without even considering my feelings. Yet FedEx wants me to have a cheerful attitude. I am required to do my job. No matter what, I will always give a 150% but I refuse to change my feelings that I carry on my shoulder for everyone to see. My manager once said he doesn’t need part time couriers, but there was a time when I was needed and served. Tony was not here to witness it when I did do my time. He wasn't there on those days when I did my own route and assisted on two other routes, or the time Christmas Eve when I took my own personal vehicle because our truck couldn't make it to the top of Blue Mountain on Christmas Eve to delivery a Christmas present and ended getting stuck until 11:00 PM. I could sit here for hours and I'm sure if you ask some of the long term employees at this station they could collaborate even more events. Kudos to FedEx for removing any time with my children and now once again, while I am hanging on by the threads grasping for a moment more with my family FedEx decides to strip me of my right. For this I ask you not to expect me to walk around like the world is full of sunshine because FedEx has poured the heavy rains on me. It's strange but they call me Dynamo and for once in my life at this station I feel like an outcast. Like I have something to be ashamed of, even today the newer couriers were mocking and making fun of the part timers for having to work Saturday, its like I did something wrong and am being punished and I am a outcast to the station. Here I have built a reputation of being a hard worker and trying to set a good work ethic example and now everyone is taunting with comments like " Yea, your hard work really paid off for you", so with this, my attitude about FedEx will never change not until I am given back what is rightfully mine. One of the guys that has been at FedEx for about five years poked fun and said " Your just mad because you didn't get your way". This is the same person that I have heard on several occasions say he is going to milk it for all he can. Never once have I ever had that mentality, but yet these are the people that get this special treatment. I know that this means nothing to you and I just wanted to set the record straight. My manager said to me today that my attitude is not good. Well this is the disgruntle employee who has had their rights stripped. He said my rights weren't stripped. I ask him if he signed a contract to take his position, he stated everyone has to sign a contract, I said exactly but you took mine away from me and forced me to sign a new one. I realize now that the ole mighty dollar is more important then a person who has saved FedEx money by keeping the hours down and going above and beyond on numerous occasions. I have lost respect for the company and I see no way of FedEx regaining my respect back.

You ask me my name on Wednesday and I told you D, but to you I am only 236382 and to FedEx that is who I will always be.

Sincerely,

236382