Driving - Teamsters Local 25

William Gardner (left) and Loay ElDagany (right), both of FedEx Home Delivery, are all smiles after the 24-8 victory.said. “Everything is at the manager’sdiscretion. Favoritism is a big problem.”Curran would like to get a contractthat boosts pay and benefits and givesworkers a strong grievance procedure.“I’ve only had one day off sinceApril of 2005,” said Bill Gardner, aHome Delivery driver since that time.“If I want a week of vacation, I have topay the company $850 totake the week off, but Idon’t get paid anything.”Gardner said theindependent contract statusis bogus. “They totallycontrol every aspect ofthe operation,” he said.The company also arbitrarilychanges routes,which hurts drivers, andworkers cannot sell theirtrucks unless the companyapproves the sale.“In the past, wecouldn’t fight thembecause we were alone,”Gardner said. “Now we’re one asTeamsters. We are strong.”Gardner echoed his coworkers bysaying they want to negotiate betterpay and benefits.“Right now we only earn a fractionof what UPS drivers earn when youtake into account their wages and theirbenefits,” he said.Jerry Wright (left), steward from DHL in South Boston,and Steve South, from UPS Watertown, prepare mailingsto the drivers at FedEx Home Delivery.Gardner said the struggle tobecome Teamsters was tough. Hecredited O’Brien and Steve Sullivan,Local 25’s Director of Organizing andGovernment Affairs, for helping to keepworkers informed every step of the way.Loay ElDagany, a native of Palestine,said he and his fellow Muslims at theFedEx center remained united in theirquest to gain a strongvoice with the Teamsters.“I feel really proud to bea Teamster,” he said. “I feellike I’m human. It doesn’tmatter what color youare, what religion, whatnationality you are. Weall have one voice asTeamsters.”A special thankyou to Steve Southfrom UPS Watertown andJerry Wright from DHLSouth Boston for their hardwork and dedication duringthe FedEx campaign.www.teamsterslocal25.com | WINTER 2007 | The SPOKESMAN | 7