dckozak

Sent you a note. Check your email. If you don't get it let me know on this thread

TipTip35

OK stupidpilot got jumped on pretty good there but I have to ask a question along the same lines. Exactly what are the things that are unfair in the current contract. I'm not asking b/c I think you guys are whining or that the contract is fair but more so b/c I hope to work there soon and I'm curious what the problem is. I know several FDX pilots both NH and guys who have been there a while (10-15 yrs) and most say they're pretty happy.

BTW, I'm not one of those guys who "never left the pattern" as was previously mentioned. I welcome a 16 hr day b/c I usually do 20-24, 3am is usually about the time I coast out after air refueling 12 hours into my duty day, and the idea of having a clue when are where i'm flying more than 3 days out is unheard of. Obviously, I'm a military pilot and I'm not trying to make this into a battle of who has the harder job but hopefully that gives me enough credibility to ask the above question. Once again if you guys are getting screwed or not fairly compensated then you should definitely take it to the leadership but for a guy on the outside looking in what is the foul against the company?

dckozak

"Screwed" is a pretty strong word, I doubt you'd find many FDX pilots who think their "screwed". We are negotiating with a very successful company which has fought tooth and nail to not have to deal with its pilots on issues that concern us.
Pay is only one of several issues we wish to improve. We all understand the reality of those in our profession, that said, we shouldn't have to lose ground to inflation, as we have (averaged) over a multi year period when the company is rolling in cash. We have been negotiation over 2 years!! we just want to get our piece of the pie and live long enough to enjoy it. If your flying in the kind of conditions we are you are aware of how (your body) can be abused. Fatigue is a big issue at Fedex as it is in many international freight and pax carriers. Maybe your still pretty young (less than 30?? ) wait till you over 40, still doing the a round the world thing with very long duty days, landing 12 hours out of sync. You will (or do) understand some of our issues.
Good luck and gives us a holler when we pass over the North Atl.

Ranger

The big issues for me are retirement and scheduling with medical protection right up there.

Retirement is critical. Our B Plan in fine. At 6% I always thought that it was sufficient. But with defined benefit programs under an intense assault I'd like to see it beefed up to at least 8%.

And with regard to the A Plan, I'd love to see a 100% cash buyout. Some lower percentage would be better than nothing. But my gut says none of that is going to happen. I don't even think that they'd agree to annuitize some or all of it. They are just fine with us hanging on the word and success of the company. Why are we so concerned about retirement? Well, other than the common sense part of the answer, our beloved management has their own, seperate 'golden parachute' retirement that they are entitled to. And I can assure you that it does not depend on the company's success.

Scheduling is also a biggie. Our schedules are built by computer. The regular lines are reviewed by a scheduling committee that has no teeth. They can declare a pairing as a 'disputed pairing' but almost always someone is still going to fly it. That pairing won't go into a regular line but it will go into open time and be flown by a reserve pilot or one of our resident idiots who thinks he knows more than our union. Since the introduction of the computer program that helps scheduling generate our flying (we call it the sodomizer) the quality of life has taken a severe dump. More hard time, less rest and our bodies are constantly transitting time zones. It plays hell with the circadian cycle.

I wish that I had kept the update that our union sent to us in December. If I remember correctly our beloved management has enjoyed raises that have added up to over 80% in the past few 5 years or so. The regular employees have gotten something like 3%. That doesn't even keep pace with inflation. Our beloved management gets bonuses. Not one regular employee gets a bonus. They took them away 'temporarily' after 9/11. Our beloved management gets stock options. They took away the good deal that we had on stock purchases (not options, purchases) back in the early 90's. They were worried that we were making too much money on them. They get tickets to sporting events that are paid for by the company worth thousands of dollars.

As you can see, I hope, this is an issue of fairness as much as anything else. FedEx is HUGELY profitable. Our beloved management refuses to share any of those profits with the people who bust their collective asses making it happen. I belong to a union. I want that union to negotiate a fair contract on our collective behalf based on the company's profitability.

I love my job. I work for a good company. I do NOT work for nice people. I can hear one of them right now. "Come here, Mom. That's right. Bend over so I can make a few more bucks."

JMT21

I kinda got the impression that you didn't think the union was taking a hard enough stance in negotiations, do you think they are or arn't. When do you go back to negotiations and if they are unsuccessful do you think a strike would be out of the question? Lastly, it's been mentioned that you all have been without a contract for the last 2 years, how can they get away that, and why has it been so long? Is it just that both sides can't come to an agreement?

Good luck on the negotiations, I hope the FedEx will quickly realize the asset the pilots are to the company and give you what you rightfully deserve.

stupidpilot

Gee, I've been flying unscheduled freight for 5 years for peanuts on crappy old dangerous aircraft. Again I say you guys have it so nice but you can't see how good you have it so all you do is whine.

Slice

Yep, he's still stupid...

L'il J.Seinfeld

Why would you do that? I mean I like to eat ice cream, but I would not do it for a living if the pay was peanuts. I work at UPS and love to fly. I do not do it as a hobby and will not continue to do it without a 40% pay raise. Mgt is highly versed in negotiations and pilots will never be overpaid. CPAs, lawyers, and other highly trained and educated professions make what FedEx pilots do. DO you think they are all overpaid? This is America and you get what you negotiate.

RedeyeAV8r

Originally Posted by stupidpilot
Gee, I've been flying unscheduled freight for 5 years for peanuts on crappy old dangerous aircraft. Again I say you guys have it so nice but you can't see how good you have it so all you do is whine.


Go back to your Jr management cubicle

Trash Hauler 1

And when you get to where we are, you will be just as whiny as we are. While you have been acquiring your time flying junk around, some of us have been getting our asses shot at in numerous places around the world, missing anniversaries, b-days etc. None of this is easy. If it was easy, every swinging dick on the planet would be doing it. Whether you come up through the military or through civilian training, by the time they let you fly by yourself or put you in charge of a multiplace aircraft crewed by intelligent, highly trained aviators, you should have that perspective. Quit complaining that other people have it better than you and work towards getting to that level. Get the education, get the ratings, network and maybe in a few years we can all take you to task for whining that your contract sucks. You should be that lucky! Now get out there and move my checks!