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Two That Didn't Get Away!

As for the courier from CGX, I received word of his reinstatement from a courier at GYY who had initially told me about Claude Knox’s termination. He had asked me, on Claude’s behalf, to talk with Claude and from a conference call we three had, I was able to determine that Claude had a good chance at winning his GFT. I prepared a GFT letter for Claude after receiving copies of the letters used in his termination. My coworker informed me this past Monday morning that after using his own letter and losing the first step of his GFT, Claude used the letter I prepared for the second GFT step where his termination was overturned. I’ve heard that most GFTs are overturned at the second or third step levels of the process so my letter may not have been key to Claude’s reinstatement but I’d like to think that it helped. Either way, I’m just thankful that another coworker didn’t wind up losing an investment of over a decade of his life in FedEx!

While some might say that these two happy endings are proof that the GFT system works, I think it proves otherwise. For one thing, if FedEx was a unionized company, at least in Claude’s case, a saavy union steward would have never stood still for his termination in the first place! You see, Claude was terminated for supposedly failing to observe the call in policy properly in connection with his being absent for a prolonged period of time. Claude injured himself on the job on December 23, 1996. Our occupational injury agency’s doctor diagnosed his injury and placed him on light duty. The following morning, Claude woke up in no condition to work as his neck and shoulder had stiffened up during the night. Having lost faith in the diagnosis of the doctor that treated him the day before, Claude called in and informed his manager of his condition and of his intent to seek treatment from his own physician. After being examined by his physician and told to stay at home and return for treatment after the Christmas holiday, Claude attempted to call his manager and give him an update on his medical condition and his doctor’s assessment. Unfortunately, this was Christmas Eve day, so the managers were all out on the road themselves or were unavailable when Claude called in. Then Claude made a horrible mistake! He assumed intelligence and reasoning skills on the part of management! He figured that since his manager knew he had been injured on the job and knew that Claude was seeking treatment from his own physician because his condition had worsened, that his manager would have some clue as to why he didn’t show up for work on subsequent days.... Silly Claude! As he was to soon find out, his manager opted to either display genuine ignorance or at least feign it!

As we've unfortunately all become accustomed to, this story has an even more outrageous facet to it! You see, Claude had gone in to his station to get his check during his period of absence and management didn't utter one word at that opportunity to even give Claude a clue that he had done something wrong! Instead, they waited until he was released by his physician to return to work before summarily terminating him!

Understand that I have no quarrel with the importance of keeping one’s manager informed of one’s situation where absence from work is concerned. The call-in procedure we are all familiar with is designed to allow managers to make timely allowances for unplanned absences. We have to call in an hour before our scheduled start time because that at least gives our manager an hour to arrange for coverage of our routes. Claude had complied with that requirement on the 24th. Furthermore, by informing his manager that his condition had worsened beyond the scope of the occupational injury agency physician’s diagnosis, he was also alerting his manager to the probability that his injury would result in further absence on his part. Therefore, any subsequent absences should not only have been expected by his manager, but also clearly understood! Instead, Claude’s manager pretended that she had no clue as to whether Claude would be, or why Claude was absent the days following his calling her on the 24th! She did so despite the fact that FedEx’s own designated health care provider had treated Claude and placed him on light duty. She therefore knew that even if Claude had been in any shape to come to work, she would have to cover his route anyway and give him belt scanning or clerical duties under the Temporary Return To Work policy! In spite of all this, management still decided that Claude had left them shrouded in mystery as to the nature of his absences and elected to terminate him as if he was a no-call/no-show violator. The moral of the story? Never assume intelligence, reason, and most of all, empathy from management! Some of us are fortunate to find those characteristics in the managers we work for, but these are not universal gifts bestowed upon all managers as Claude found out... the hard way! So while this story has a happy ending, had Claude had an effective advocate in his corner from the beginning, this termination would have never happened!

If my letter did, in fact, play a role in Claude’s reinstatement, it is yet another example of how desperately many of our coworkers need someone in their corner when they find themselves at odds with management. If people didn’t require the services of others who have skills in effective advocacy, we wouldn’t need lawyers when we find ourselves entangled in legal disputes! FedEx seems to think that giving an employee a copy of the policy used to fire them is sufficient information to provide that worker with in order for them to formulate an effective response if one is possible. Unfortunately, while we are all equal under God’s eyes, and are supposedly equal under the law, we all know that there are others who have skills they’ve developed to a higher degree than those we might have. That’s why we hire skilled carpenters, doctors, plumbers, lawyers or other professionals to fix problems for us. By the same token, we probably all know people who, while not having any formal education in a particular area, display talents and even downright genius in some particular facet of life. For example, I know a FedEx manager who can draw absolutely hilarious caricatures which literally had me laughing so hard on a couple of occasions that I had tears in my eyes! Another friend of mine has yet to be stumped by any computer-related question I’ve tossed his way.

The point I’m trying to make here is that FedEx policy and procedure is just about as nebulous and difficult to understand as our legal system! When you find yourself at odds with it, it’s critical that you not only are able to read the policy, but that you understand it. If you are unable to cooly analyze the whys and wherefores of these policies, you will be woefully ill-equipped to detect the ambiguities FedEx policy is riddled with and will likely miss crucial opportunities to mount a defense on your own behalf. And that’s just half the battle! Even if you fully understand the policy used to terminate you and are able to divine good arguments on your own behalf, if you don’t possess the skills to effectively communicate your arguments either verbally or in writing, you won't be successful in making those who review your GFT understand your defense. A radio ad for a popular mail-order program designed to enhance communication skills drives home the program’s slogan “People judge you by the words you use!” Those wishing to mount a GFT effort with any hope for success should heed that slogan well.

In the Liberty District, Al Ferrier has become known as the “GFT man” by his FedEx peers because of his willingness to lend his experience and expertise to his coworkers who have run afoul of FedEx’s Draconian policies. In California, Mike Torres has performed in a similar manner on behalf of his coworkers. Unfortunately, both men (Al because of ongoing medical problems and Mike because he quit) are no longer employed by FedEx, yet they still graciously continue to help FedEx workers from all over the country! (Speaking of Mike Torres, I’ll be doing an article about him soon for publication here!)

What this all boils down to is that unless and until FedEx employees are given access to skilled advocates who can help them fight unjust terminations, we all need to work together to help one another! Even if you aren’t on the union bandwagon, if you have developed skills in analytical thinking, logic, writing or public speaking, share that talent willingly and eagerly with your coworkers! When you hear about a termination, ask around to see if you can get the terminated worker’s phone number and call him or her up to offer your assistance. You’d be surprised how glad someone in such dire circumstances will be just to have a sympathetic ear turned their way! Even if you don’t personally like the individual in trouble, put aside those feelings at least long enough to attempt to see if indeed the termination was justified or not. If it seems unjust in any way, then help! Even if you have to hold your nose as you do so, help!! An unjust termination deserves a good fight regardless of your personal feelings. An injustice is an injustice!

Hoof Arted????

While I’ve tried to be civil on this web page, and will continue to make efforts toward observing decorum here, this is one case where I not only accuse the manager who issued this letter of being a blithering idiot, but I also accuse him of a total lack of class as well as an obvious lack of any sort of grip on reality! Regardless of how prim and proper you are, you’ve likely emitted some amount of methane in public during your lifetime. While we all try to be discreet about where we do so, sometimes nature overrides our best intentions with its urgency. I’ve done the terrible deed inadvertently while straining to pick up a heavy package on more than one occasion. At other times, even the simple act of coughing will suffice to unleash an accidental blast of gas. At such times, one can only hope the accident will not be of the overly noxious variety that such foods as garlic, onions chili or sauerkraut are notorious for producing. Yet, even if the act were quite deliberate, is it in any way fathomable that anyone in their right mind would even consider taking disciplinary measures against the perp?

I cannot help but wonder if the idiot manager in question is one of those left wing tree-hugging militant vegetarian whackos Rush Limbaugh gleefully rakes over the coals? You know,... those nuts who scream that us beef-eating carnivores are ruining the ozone layer because we require all those herds of cattle to feed us. Cows, you see, are notorious for the copious amounts of methane-rich flatulence they emit and that methane is supposedly killing the ozone layer. Whatever his problem (and I assure you, they are many), that manager needs to be terminated with extreme prejudice! The idea that such a clown is out there in the ranks of FedEx management wielding the power to terminate anyone’s employment is far more horrifying than the alleged deterioration of the ozone layer!

Okay ladies, I know this is a subject you probably find extremely distasteful, but for the *real* men out there, this is absolutely hilarious stuff! Tim Allen (from ABC’s sitcom “Home Improvement”) pointed out in one of his stand-up comedy spots that every regular guy who ever lived, has at one time or another, either had a blue flame coming out of his backside or has cheered another guy who had one coming out of his! Furthermore, the experience of having a father, grandfather or uncle ask you to “pull my finger” is practically universal. Even Bill Cosby mentioned this common experience on one of his comedy albums back in the ‘60s. It’s a “guy thing” ladies! Don’t try to understand it.

All kidding aside though, the aforementioned letter is a clear indication of management run amok at FedEx! Think about it? If this fellow was to get two other disciplinary letters in his file during the 18 month span that letter covers, he could very well wind up losing his job over doing something every mammal on earth has to do once in a while! And while you might be saying to yourself that such a letter would be extremely easy to GFT, the tragic truth to this matter is that the employee who received this letter was so completely humiliated and embarrassed by it that he didn’t even attempt to fight it!!!! That’s also why I cannot use his name here. In fact, his name was blackened out on the original letter I saw because while he was willing to let the UAW use his experience as an example of the frivolous implementation of disciplinary actions against employees at FedEx, he was unwilling to let his name be made public. In other words, the idiot manager got away with this lunacy and probably believes in his heart that he was entirely justified in the measures he took! Be afraid! Be very afraid!

Cartoon Objection.

Informed sources tell me that management finds the cartoon of the fellow with his head buried in his backside on my home page objectionable and/or offensive. To such managers I would say, "If the shoe fits......" On the other hand, anyone who has read this site thoroughly knows that I have actually sung the praises of some managers in some articles so I obviously don't think all managers have their heads up their rectums. However, in view of the previous article, it is apparent that some managers indeed have their heads in the wrong place! Be that as it may, I would hope that any manager taking the time to read this site would realize that I am not a hateful individual, nor am I prone to painting everyone with a broad brush. In fact, I genuinely feel sorry for most front-line managers. Don't forget, I've been there and done that! I know what it's like to have to deal with troublesome employees on one hand and bear incredible pressures from above on the other. I know what it's like to have to enforce policies and mete out punishments one feels in one's heart are unjustified or overkill. I could have easily walked into a management slot at FedEx years ago but I have no desire to repeat the same mistake I made at UPS many years ago. I'd bet that there are a whole lot of FedEx managers who would gladly step back down into courier slots if they could financially afford to do so and could also avoid losing face with their families and friends. This is probably especially true of younger and more idealistic managers who joined management filled with delusions that they could "make a difference." One of the first things I learned when I became a supervisor was that my role was strictly limited to being the instrument through which policy was deployed and not an influence on said policy! In short, any manager who expects to enjoy any longevity on the job must learn not to "rock the boat." I've had enough confidential conversations with FedEx managers to know that things are no different here than they were for me at UPS. A front line manager in the corporate world is the civilian equivalent of a second lieutenant in the Armed Forces. Ask any veteran what was the lowest form of life in the military and he'll tell you it wasn't the enlisted men, it was the second louies! They were held in contempt by anyone with three or more stripes on their sleeves as well as every officer above them in rank. So understand that most of you have my sympathy. The cartoon on the home page is primarily aimed at the forgers of policy, not the people who must obediently implement them. So lighten up!

Money To Burn!

Employees at GYY were greeted this past Friday morning with yet another toy of technology Fred decided he couldn't live without. This gadget is called the "Alpha 320C" and looks like one of those electronic scrolling marquees some fast food joints and small retailers use to advertise special sales. What this latest penis extension of "Big Brother" is supposed to do is to give management an at-a-glance readout of package flow on the unload belt. Boy! What an invaluable and utterly necessary tool! After all, asking a manager to take a minute out of his or her horrendously frantic morning regimen to calculate the flow using a primitive watch is obviously out of the question! That would severely cut into the unload manager's time allocated for such important activities as picking his underwear out of the crack of his behind, exchanging jokes with the other managers, exchanging clever quips via e-mail and standing forlornly at the overhead doors waiting for late CTVs to appear on the horizon.....

The thing I find really puzzling about this new toy is that as SIPS are performed on the packages on the unload belt, a running total of the scans is already clearly displayed on the monitor on the unload platform. Admittedly, FedEx's software leaves a whole lot to be desired insofar as its flexibility goes, but something tells me that it would be a simple task to have the software also display the flow rate at any given moment. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this capability is already built into the system. In any case, buying a separate display gadget to perform a task that requires nothing more than an $8.00 Radio Shack stopwatch and a 3rd grade level of math expertise is about as wasteful as it gets! Of course, it's not surprising that a slick salesman could talk Fred into such a folly. After all, someone was able to sell him on the idea that we needed new uniform shirts and then convinced him to buy a design that some have described as looking like the tailor ran out of fabric and had to finish the shirt with another color he had handy and others have described as fast food chain uniforms.....

You know, I may have been all wrong as to why Fred announced our April raise 5 months in advance. Perhaps it wasn't a union-busting tactic after all. Maybe it was just that he had already ordered these new toys and has to pay for them before he can toss a few coins our way.....?

Winning Through Intimidation!

I don't know what it's like out in your neck of the woods, but here at GYY, every time an employee turns around, he or she is being asked to sign some form stating that they've been properly informed as to some new policy or procedure. Our files have to look like phone books with all those signed forms stuffed into them! Management would have you believe that you are being asked to sign these memos so that you can't later claim you were never informed of a the new policy or procedure outlined in the memos should you violate same. Since FedEx has nothing to prove to anyone because its employees are at-will non-union workers, this explanation is utter nonsense! A notation in a notebook or employee's PITT form is more than adequate record keeping for FedEx's purposes.

The dark truth is that our signatures are gathered because the psychological impact attached to putting one's signature to a document is well understood by corporate entities which have consciously chosen to employ Machiavellian strategies to intimidate their workers. Think about the implications of attaching one's signature to a piece of paper as we are taught them from our earliest years of life in this society. When we were children, the only thing that could get us off the hook for missing school was a signed note from our parents. We had to get our report cards signed by a parent as well. My earliest experience with the serious nature of attaching my signature to a document resulted in my literally becoming the property of the United States Army for three years of my life (6 years if you count the inactive reserve commitment)! Later, I learned that my signature could bind me to car sales contracts and apartment leases. Paper that I attached my signature to suddenly became worth thousands of dollars in merchandise or years of contractual obligation. When we make the biggest purchases of our lives, namely our homes, we sign countless numbers of forms crammed with fine print and legalese. And even if the Pope himself joins us in holy wedlock, it doesn't mean a thing under law until we sign the marriage license!

Ever watch one of those war movies where a captured soldier is cajoled, threatened and even tortured into signing a confession of some sort? While the popular conception is that the enemy wanted those signed confessions for propaganda use, anyone who has read anything about psychological warfare will be quick to add that such signed confessions were also sought because they had the bonus effect of making prisoners of war more docile and malleable to the will of their captors. Once a confession bore a soldier's signature, the soldier's self-esteem was shattered and a feeling of worthlessness seeped into his psyche. The enemy had forced him to put his signature to something that was unreasonable or untrue. Being cowed into putting one's signature on a document diminishes the value we place on ourselves because that signature represents the very essence of our character. It is our written bond of the faith we place in ourselves. When it is trivialized or otherwise cheapened, we feel violated and diminished in spirit.

The psychological impact of signing something is obvious. Each time we affix our signatures to something, we obligate ourselves in some way. Each obligation makes us feel a little less independent, a little less free. At FedEx, each time we sign something, we get the uneasy feeling that we are slowly painting ourselves into a corner from which there is no easy escape. Management knows this. It's a subtle form of mind control used all too often by corporate America to crush our free will in tiny increments and make us more pliable to management pressure.

Last year, management in our area began requiring us to send in our late counts via the DADS terminals as soon as we finished our P-1 cycles. Then they added the requirement that we also include an explanation for any lates along with the counts. Last week, we were all forced to sign memos which informed us that we now have to submit a written report with explanations if we have lates, even in cases where we leave the station late due to late freight! This is just another step in the ever-increasing number of ways in which management continues to program our minds through intimidation as though we were robots rather than flesh and blood human beings. Again, I'd ask you to come up with any reasonable explanation as to why we should have to submit written reports when our managers could simply note our verbal explanations on a record he or she should be required to keep? I'll tell you now that no matter how long you wrack your brain on that question, you won't come up with a rational explanation. That's because such written explanations, like those times as school children when we were forced by teachers to write 100 times "I will not chew gum in class," are simply designed to humiliate us, treat us as errant children and further chip away at our dignity as adults.

Think about that the next time your manager tells you to sign on the dotted line....