FedEx Class Action News

Class Action Defense Blog has news of the FedEx litigation, FedEx Class Action Defense Cases–In re FedEx Ground: Indiana Federal Court Grants Class Action Treatment In 19 Labor Law Class Action Cases Alleging Misclassification Of Pickup/Delivery Driver:

"Numerous class action lawsuits were filed against FedEx Ground alleging that the company misclassified its pickup and delivery drivers as independent contractors rather than employees; the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the class actions in the Northern District of Indiana, and the plaintiffs in the class action cases characterized as “Wave 1,” “Wave 2” and “Wave 3” moved the district court for class action certification. In re FedEx Ground Package System, Inc., Employment Prac. Litig., ___ F.Supp.2d ___ (N.D. Ind. March 25, 2008) [Slip Opn., at 1]. As the federal court summarized, these class action plaintiffs “assert that although FedEx Ground represents to its drivers that they are only partnering with FedEx Ground and will essentially own their own businesses, all FedEx Ground drivers sign the FedEx Ground Operating Agreement, which actually reserves to FedEx Ground the right to exercise pervasive control over the method, manner, and means of the drivers’ work,” id."

I once had a client working for FedEx. I had an opportunity to read his contract with FedEx. It read more like a franchise agreement - he had no property interest and almost no control over the business. This litigation has the chance for being very interesting.