Alexander (R-Tn): I Will Use ‘Every Right And Privilege I Have As A Senator’

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/03/10/alexander-fedex/

Earlier this week, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) announced that he had placed a hold on a pending bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), because the House-passed version of the legislation changes an inequity in labor law that makes it more difficult for truck drivers at FedEx to unionize than drivers at other shipping companies. Currently, Memphis-based FedEx is governed by the Railway Labor Act (RLA), under which the barriers to organizing are higher, while the proposed change would pull FedEx under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).


Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN)


Corker said that he supports the FAA reauthorization, but that he won’t lift his hold until he is assured that the House language (which is not included in the Senate bill) won’t be added in conference committee. His Tennessean counterpart, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), has also voiced his support for the hold, and today said that he will use “every right and privilege I have as a senator” to prevent FedEx drivers from organizing:

“I hope to help them pass it, but I’m going to use every right or privilege I have as a senator to make sure that in the end of the process, the legislation does not include the unfair provisions singling out FedEx that’s in the House bill,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said. “I’m going to work my way through this.”

FULL story at link.

not this bill...assholes!

Fed-Ex employees have been clamoring for a while to get these restrictions lifted so that they can organize. I know a driver in my area that is pissed-off mad about these two holding it up. He's told me some stuff that would make most people hesitant to deal with Fed Ex again just because of the way they treat their people - like they are disposable gloves, to use his term.

until it allowed labor unions.

I think it speaks volumes that the senators will write off the wishes of many votes (workers) for the few votes (and money) of a corporation.

selecting the method of shipping and the shipping company. We should not only select UPS or the USPS, we should TELL the merchant WHY we are not using FedEx.

It can't hurt.