MEMPHIS, Tenn. —There’s outrage after the announcement that a large Memphis logistics facility is closing. The Teamsters Union says 400 people will be out of a job.
We’ve told you about XPO Logistics’ Verizon facility before, as they were under scrutiny for sexual harassment claims and poor working conditions. Some employees even told us they were forced to work around a woman’s body after she passed out on the job. That woman died.
“I think it’s crap. I think it’s retaliation on the workers that wanted to speak out,” former XPO Logistics employee Tasha Murrell said.
Murrell stopped working at the company’s Verizon facility almost a year ago. She was featured in a New York Times article describing what she called “poor working conditions.”
“I lost my baby in this building. I was one of the workers that was retaliated on. I was one of the workers that was sexually harassed,” she said.
She quit because she was fed up.
“I still have sisters and brothers that’s in this building here. And I know they care about their families, they care about their lives.”
That’s why the announcement of the closure of this facility in a business park off East Shelby Drive is concerning for her. “It really hurts my heart.”
This is a copy of the letter the company sent to their employees notifying them of their plan s to permanently close this location. The Teamsters Union estimates some 400 jobs will be lost.
When we asked XPO Logistics about these concerns, a spokesperson told us, “Our customer has made a business decision and as a result this facility will close in June. Our presence in the Memphis community remains strong, and we have new jobs available for the majority of these employees in our 11 other local facilities. We’re also opening a new facility in Memphis later this year, which will create approximately 80 new jobs.”
Murrell now has a new job as a field organizer for the local Teamsters. Her advice for XPO employees is to, “Stay strong. I mean stand up, fight back. You still have rights. Demand your respect.”
The facility has been open since 2003 under a different owner. XPO Logistics took over in 2014.
As far as claims of retaliation for speaking out against the company, they said, “XPO has a strict no retaliation policy in place. We encourage employees to voice concerns, including anonymously, without any fear of reprisal.”
