DATE TITLE
May 30 FedEx Ground CEO Sullivan to Retire in Jan 2007Interesting announcement from FedEx that the CEO of FedEx Ground Dan Sullivan will retire in January 2007.  Sullivan was also founder and CEO of RPS until FedEx bought RPS in 1998.  FedEx issued a press release at 3:30 on a Friday - only two hours the same day after the company announced the Watkins Motor Lines acquisition.
-- Pittsburgh Business Times
May 30 New York Times Covers FedEx Ground/Home OrganizingThe New York Times labor beat reporter Steven Greenhouse spent a good bit of time writing a story on the FedEx Ground/Home Delivery organizing efforts.  The piece looked at the Northboro, MA organizing drive and the company’s retaliation against the drivers.  The piece only hints at the long standing practice at FedEx of ‘firing first, pay later’ where workers who want to organize are immediately targeted, often fired, and must pursue settlements later for back pay.
-- New York Times
May 25 Market Rumors on FedEx Freight - Watkins MarriageA number of financial analysts have covered the reported potential acquisition of Watkins Motor Lines by FedEx Corporation.  The Watkins business would be folded into the FedEx Freight division.  Neither company commented on the news reports.
-- Reuters
May 22 FedEx to Purchase Watkins Motor LinesThe FedEx hometown paper is citing “sources” that FedEx will purchase privately-held Watkins Motor Lines “as early as June 1.” Lakeland, FL based Watkins is among the 10 largest less than truckload (LTL) carriers in the country with more than $1 billion in revenues in 2005.  As the article notes, “And just as attractive to FedEx is the fact that Watkins is a non-union carrier.”
-- Memphis Commercial Appeal
May 17 FedEx CEO Fred Smith Identifies Threats to Small BizFedEx CEO Fred Smith pointed to burdensome regulations, outdated labor laws and trade barriers as “growing threats” to small American businesses.  Smith made these remarks in a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last week in Washington.
-- Fleet Owner
May 12 Dallas School District Pulls Kinko's Contract for Cost OverrunsDallas school administrators are ending an outsourcing project with FedEx/Kinko’s that was supposed to save taxpayers millions of dollars but instead doubled school spending on printing and copying.  Expanding the deal to include all schools could have cost taxpayers nearly $100 million over three years.
-- Dallas Morning News
May 02 FedEx Ground Continues Battle to Keep Contractor ModelAs the legal challenges to the FedEx Ground “independent contractor” model continues, the company claims it will defend its practices “vigorously.” Attorneys for the drivers suing the company say the level of control over the drivers is the legal standard.
-- Pittsburgh Business Times