The Teamsters Union chalked up its second win at FedEx Freight when a group of 113 drivers at the company’s South Brunswick, N.J., terminal voted Friday to join Teamsters Local 701 in a 66-to-42 decision.

This victory follows the union's first win at the company, when drivers at the FedEx Freight terminal in Croydon, Pa., voted Oct. 14 to join Local 107 in Philadelphia by a vote of 26-18.

However, the union lost a vote in October at the company’s Cinnaminson, New Jersey, facility and canceled a vote set for last Friday at the FedEx Freight Middletown, Pa., terminal. FedEx claimed the union cancelled the vote because it knew drivers would vote against union representation.

Other Teamsters organization campaigns are under way at FedEx Freight and at rival Con-way Freight, where the union has won two out of the past four organizing elections. According to the Wall Street Journal, at least another five votes are scheduled at FedEx Freight facilities in the coming weeks, including at terminals in Indianapolis and Nashville.

"This victory is for all of us," said Mike Thiemer, a driver for FedEx Freight in a release from the union. "We are tired of the unfair and inconsistent work rules and policies handed down by management. It comes down to wanting to be treated with respect and dignity."

FedEx Freight released a statement acknowledging the vote results Friday and said it is “considering its options, including an appeal.”

"The workers came to us looking for fairness after years of being mistreated and disrespected," said Ernie Soehl, president of Teamsters Local 701 in North Brunswick, N.J., and the Teamsters eastern region freight coordinator. "The company continued to disrespect the workers with its vicious lies during the anti-union campaign it waged, but the workers saw through this. In fact, we invited the terminal manager to debate the issues, but of course he didn't show up."

The Teamsters claim its campaign to get drivers join the union has already paid off. “At FedEx Freight, the company announced an 80-cents-per-hour raise a few days after Local 107 filed for an election, and the company got rid of its overly punitive driver scorecard, which gives drivers infraction points for errors,” the union said in a statement. “Also, after organizing got under way at Con-way, the company announced it would increase truck driver pay by $60 million in 2015, and other improvements.”

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Evan Lockridge

Evan Lockridge

Former Business Contributing Editor

Trucking journalist since 1990, in the news business since early ‘80s.

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