Union ends regional FedEx vote

Teamsters pull unionization petition one day before scheduled vote.    Teamsters trying to unionize FedEx employees in Middletown, Pa., withdrew their petition Thursday before Friday’s scheduled vote, according to FedEx.
   The company said the National Labor Relations Board told it that the vote had been cancelled.
   “The union would only take this action if it recognized that it would not win the election,” according to a company statement.
   The Facebook group Bring the Teamsters to Fed Ex Freight sees it differently, though, writing in a post that “alleged unfair and illegal labor practices that were initiated by FedEx management” forced the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to pull the vote.
   “The decision was then made by the IBT to pull the petition for an election,” according to the group. “This, by all means, is not over.”
   The group predicted that a new election petition will be filed in six months.
   “We will regroup, refocus and enter the fight again,” it said. “FedEx did not chase the union out. The anti-union employees did not chase the union out. We chose this path to make sure we come back harder and stronger. It is better to withdraw and live to fight another day than to continue handicapped and die.”
   More than 45 people have liked the post, but some commenters expressed skepticism about the group’s summary of the events.
   After the petition was withdrawn, FedEx management thanked employees at North Harrisburg for supporting the company.
   “We continue to believe that the attempted Teamster interference in our working relationship is unnecessary and unwelcome,” said William J. Logue, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Freight.  “We look forward to building on our direct relationships and further enhancing our employee and customer experiences.”