Teamster President Comments on FedEx Fine for Paid Sick Violation
NEW YORK, NY – Teamsters Joint Council 16 President George Miranda had the following statement in response to a report today in the New York Daily News that FedEx has been fined $33,600 for violating the city’s landmark paid sick days law:
“Today’s news that FedEx violated New York City’s groundbreaking paid sick leave law, and received the largest fine in the law’s short history, is no surprise to the Teamsters. This lawless company has taken every opportunity to boost its profits at the expense of its workers, from misclassifying employees as independent contractors to union busting and skirting unemployment insurance and workers compensation payments.
“New York City’s strong paid sick leave law is one of Mayor de Blasio’s signature achievements. It guarantees that millions of New York workers will never again have to choose between their health and their paycheck. Any who question why this law was needed need look no farther than FedEx and other employers who wouldn’t give their employees sick leave until they were fined and forced to.
“Justice at work does not end with paid sick leave. Teamsters at FedEx’s competitor UPS enjoyed paid sick days long before it was the law of the land, and their protections go far beyond the law. It is time for FedEx to respect its employees’ rights to unionize and be part of the solution to our inequality crisis.”