FedEx Ground announced that that a jury In the Superior Court of the State of Washington for King County ruled that the company's single work area contractors operating in the state are independent business owners, not employees.

The class action suit, Anfinson vs. FedEx Ground Package System Inc., involved a class of 320 single work area contractors in Washington State, who sought damages for non-payment of overtime and reimbursement of uniform expenses. The three original named plaintiffs each operated their routes as they chose and sold their route for a profit prior to ending their contractual relationship with the company before December 2006.

"FedEx Ground has consistently worked to protect and preserve the rights of independent contractors to own and operate their own business," said Maury Lane, FedEx Corp. spokesperson. "We're very pleased that the jury in Washington State reaffirmed our position that the entrepreneurial men and women who contract with FedEx Ground are independent business owners who control their own professional success."

Throughout the four-week trial, the jury heard from 24 current and former FedEx Ground independent contractors, as well as FedEx Ground representatives and industry experts. The jury reached its decision after being presented with compelling evidence that the contractors freely chose to enter a contractual relationship with FedEx Ground, owned and operated their own businesses as they chose according to the operating agreement, and achieved financial success based on their own efforts.