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Oneida Nation puts pressure on FedEx in campaign over mascot

Friday, June 20, 2014

A view of FedEx Field in Maryland. Photo from Bernard Gagnon on Wikipedia

The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin is leading an effort to put pressure on FedEx over the shipping giant's connections to the Washington NFL team.

FedEx holds naming rights on the stadium in Maryland where the team plays. And its president, Fred Smith, is a member of the team’s ownership group.

The company, however, isn't taking a stand on the team's racist mascot. “It’s not our place to have a position on the name,” an executive told the Associated Press.

The Oneida Nation, which owns stock in FedEx, is hoping to change that. The tribe and some of its shareholder allies are seeking to have the issue discussed at the firm's annual meeting.

“It creates a real reputational risk for FedEx,” said Jonas Kron, the senior vice president and director of shareholder advocacy at Trillium Asset Management, which helps manage the tribe’s assets, told the AP.

“We saw what happened with the L.A. Clippers and different brands disassociating themselves from the team," Kron added, referring to the controversy over racist remarks made by an NBA team owner. "This is really a moment where FedEx needs to ask itself if this is a name they want to be associated with.”

Kron said FedEx opposes the tribe's efforts.

Get the Story:
FedEx stays neutral in debate over Redskins name (AP 6/19)
Ruling adds momentum for Redskins name change (AP 6/19)
Shareholders concerned about FedEx link to Redskins (USA Today 6/19)
Tribe funding Redskins name protests wants FedEx to end sponsorship (The Richmond Times-Dispatch 6/20)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe on Washington Redskins trademark ruling: 'A small, but measurable step' (MLive 6/20)