Friday, July 17, 2009

FedEx/UPS Game Goes Pay-to-Play

Well, well.

Perhaps my reliance on Muth was ......ahhhh......misplaced.

Basically, the American Conservative Union, the organization that brings us CPAC each year, appears to have involved itself in a “pay to play” expedition with FedEx and UPS

Not to mention Americans for Tax Reform...

In the linked post (and the integrated link from Muth), the history is inadequately addressed--for good reason. Seems that UPS is the rent-seeker, which would make Muth's analysis....ummmmnnnnhhhh....inoperative.

In 1981, UPS began air services, and in the 1990s it tried, legislatively and judicially, to be put under the RLA. In 1993 UPS said all of its operations, "including ground operations," are properly subject to the RLA "because the ground operations are part of the air service." FedEx supported UPS's efforts, even though the vast majority of UPS parcels never go on an airplane, whereas FedEx's trucking operations exist to feed its air fleet and distribute what it carries.

But UPS' efforts failed--so they turned around and are now trying to bring FedEx under the same governing law (National Labor Relations Act) as UPS is, with the intent of exposing FedEx to Teamsters' organizing efforts.

And David Keene (et al) may well have 30 pieces of silver to show for it.

HT: RedStates

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