FedEx a mega logistics and delivery company has actively resisted providing benefits to gay families, even in states where gay people can marry. In a letter to a legally married employee in Massachusetts, FedEx actually invokes the Defense of Marriage Act to justify why it won’t provide benefits to its LGBT employees’ families in Massachusetts! FedEx’s tortured legal argument goes something like this:
"We have a federally regulated health insurance plan and since the federal government defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman we are free to ignore your marriage in the provision of employee benefits." (HRC Backstory)
Use their customer service form to issue a complaint.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
FedEx Invokes Defense of Marriage Act to Deny Benefits
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25 comments:
Fed-ex doesn't even have union...
UPS is more gay friendly I think....
Not that they're the best company to
work for but there are gay/lesbian drivers....
TACKLE YOU HUGS!!!!!!!!
Rolling the dice on bigotry and fear rather than light a candle and say "We're all just people".
They would rather hope that enough scared, ignorant, hateful people will back their decision.
There are some well-paid people making decisions like these.
Actually this is kind of good news because Fedex has now opened up a challenge to the Federal DOMA. It proves clearly discriminatory by the U.S. Constitution and so I hope someone picks up the gauntlet and challenges DOMA.
No problem here. It is time for our community to stop using their services. That includes their Kinko copy centers which have run the "little guys" out of the business and now charge outrageous copying prices. Let's add FedEx to our boycott list.
Lodged a complaint at their page with the following:
Federal standards for health insurance are not a sterling example of good corporate citizenship. In fact, they are a MINIMUM guideline for what is acceptable. More than half of the Fortune 500 offer domestic partner benefits to their gay employees, even those who do not live in states that provide for legal recognition of these relationships. As they have all discovered, the federal DOMA does not prohibit a company from offering benefits to same-sex partners of employees. As a married gay consumer, I find your refusal to treat your gay employees relationships obnoxious and I will not be making use of your services or your store locations in future.
boycot!
Whew. If it's any conciliation I have hear FedEx is having problems surviving the economy.
I drive and see there trucks getting older and dirty-er and there drivers are in a huge rush to get the run done.
All signs of poor management. There failing employee benefits? The only word I saw was sexual orientation. Hard for me to cry when Joeso is in the picture.
Laurie - you're right about UPS. They scored 100% on HRC's buyer's guide reference and have strong anti-discrimination policies in place.
I agree with Anonymous and L. Stephen, FedEx should be on our boycott list and I'm going to include this in my blog posting tomorrow.
Thanks QU for the heads-up.
Thank you for the link to the complaint page, I just lodged one. Telling them I will not again use Fedex for my home or work shipping. I prefer UPS anyway.
My co. has been using FedEx for years. No more. I just let them know.
Sometimes boycotts can be fun...
I sent the following to FedEx through the customer service link above:
"I've used FedEx for both business and personal shipments for quite a few years now but because of the arrogance in your flimsy response to complaints about same-sex partner benefits..."we are free to ignore your marriage in the provision of employee benefits..." I have only one thing to say...Bye Bye FedEx!
Oh, BTW, my sister-in-law is CEO of a highly successful support company for the aerospace industry and I feel sure that when she learns of this, she'll do the same. Have a nice day."
I thank all of you for your passion on the subject and your dedication to contacting FedEx to demand an end to this injustice. We will prevail sooner or later, but we will :)
I am so sick and tired of this discrimination towards gays and lesbians. Why do we tolerate such ignorance? Do we really need Fedex????
I don't and I hope that the rest of the beautiful people do not either. #*&^ Fedex!
keep emailing those complaints...
I wrote F**kEx a complaint at their customer complaint thingie. I disliked them before and loathe them now. I will not cry if they do not survive. In my book, UPS ROCKS AND RULES.
Below is the message I sent:
I noted with great dismay and disgust that you used the Defense of Marriage Act to deny LGBT families medical coverage, even in states where same-sex marriage is completely legal. I also noticed the arrogant tone of your dismissal of your employees' request for coverage identical to that of heterosexually-married employees.
For those actions I am informing you that I refuse to use any of your services and will encourage others not to do so as well.
Thank you,
Bp. Ioan Lightoller
These people are arrogant beyond belief.
Ok, let me say one thing. FedEx (Kinko's) Office does and still will continue to offer domestic partnership benefits. I don't think that will ever change.
HRC Backstory link has changed, please update your FedEx story.
http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/01/best-place-to-work-not-if-you-dont-offer-benefits-to-lgbt-partners-even-if-youre-married/
this is the HRC link we have
It's a shame you couldn't post FedEx's actual response. The words above may be in quotation marks, but they are not a direct quote. Many of the people complaining here take issue with the 'arrogance' of the quote, when it doesn't reflect what the letter said, but how a blogger chose to summarize it.
FedEx is a decent company that tries hard. If it occasionally has a policy that needs to be changed is it any different than most large companies?
Joe Ventola
FedEx Ground Contractor
I have not seen any statement from them. I'd be happy to post it, but the conflict is not over until they treat all their employees equally.
I am a proud member of the gay community and am ashamed to say I work for Fedex Express. While I have been treated pretty fairly by my coworkers and have been respected by my direct managers I'm ashamed that Fred and the rest of our higher ups can't see that they are discriminating and that eventually they will have to provide benefits to same sex couples. I also worked for UPS for over 10 yrs and can't say they are any better. Unless they have changed in the past ten yrs(?)
I am sorry to here the gay community is upset with fedex. I do think as far as a shipping company they are the best in terms of service provided....look at my blog http://letstalkbrands.blogspot.com/
I am lesbian and an employee at FedEx Freight. I love my job, love the company, and do hope that one day they will offer domestic partner benefits to employees in ALL states. If not, Best Busy's corporate headquarters and just a few miles away :D
I am proud to say that I am a lesbian and I work for FedEx Express and have been treated as an equal by my managers and fellow employees. Someday i do hope that FedEx will decide to offer same-sex benefits to its employees. In the mean time please keep writing letters and i will do the same.
Fed-EX should provide the all benefits to same sex employees too. Its their right!
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