XPO Logistics’ 2018 Sustainability Report addresses labor issues

XPO Logistics, Inc. recently announced the release of its first annual report on sustainability initiatives, which among other things, addresses sensitivity to organized labor issues. 

The 2018 Sustainability Report details the company's initiatives in North America and Europe in key areas, such as safety, engagement, workplace inclusion and environmental protection. XPO intends to use its inaugural report as a baseline for future presentations. 

“In Europe, XPO maintains productive working relationships with its union partners,” states the report. “Approximately 68.3% of our European employees are covered by a collective bargaining or similar agreement.”

Nationally, this rate varies, the report states, primarily due to differences in labor relations practices between countries. In 2018, our European representatives engaged in 378 contract negotiations, resulting in 221 agreements being signed regarding mandatory annual negotiations, profit sharing or pre-electoral agreements. 

“In the US, our employees have largely declined union representation, believing that we can best achieve our shared goals by maintaining our collaborative relationships. In 2018, XPO received five petitions for union representation – two in our supply chain business and three in our less-than-truckload (LTL) business. Regarding the two petitions in supply chain, employees voted to decline union representation at the first location and the petition filed at the second location was withdrawn by the union prior to the scheduled election. Regarding the LTL petitions, the National Labor Relations Board scheduled three elections at the petitioned service centers.”

According to XPO, the union withdrew its petition prior to one of the scheduled elections. One election resulted in employees voting to decline union representation, and the other election resulted in 24 employees voting to join the union.

“We believe that the only enduring way to succeed is by making meaningful contributions to the success of others. I'm pleased that our new Sustainability Report captures the cultural aspects of our commitment to economic and environmental performance,” says Bradley Jacobs, chief executive officer of XPO Logistics. 

In an interview with LM, he added that the company’s  mission is to help customers move goods through the supply chain as efficiently as possible. 

“We aim to do this without adversely impacting the environment. We use technology to provide door-to-door solutions that reduce emissions, save energy and improve fuel efficiency. Customer-centric sustainability drives our business.”