That left them without a cushion against spiking fuel costs and losses from the Sunday deliveries FedEx marketed to Walmart Inc WMT.N and other retailers that compete with e-commerce leader Amazon.com. Tennessee businessman Spencer Patton has ratcheted up pressure on FedEx to boost compensation for contractors after company actions made it even harder for them to wring out profit in a downshifting, inflationary economy. Memphis-based FedEx has traditionally been anti-union, but if Patton's efforts gain traction, they could squeeze the company's profit and disrupt business ahead of the crucial holiday shipping season.