Originally Posted by
golfandfly
You obviously aren't in this business and have the "just happy to be here" mentality. You provide a service to your employer, he pays you. You sign a contract that is supposed to mean something. It's a two sided contract. FDX had no intention of furlough and instead of adhering to the good faith of the contract, decided to find a loop hole to save money. You might be happy with it, but those of us affected probably didn't feel that way. But you'd be happy making pennies on the dollar pleasing your employer..
I'm not certain how you gained that perspective by reading my post. I said nothing of the sort. I understand contracts - I was pre-law (which means I'm too lazy or too dumb to actually go to law school - probably both). I don't claim to speak to what FDX intended or not wrt furlough, but my post was not necessarily specific to FDX. Look at the industry - nobody else pulled off what FDX did when times were tough - they furloughed instead. Apparently, it was in your contract that they could do 4a2b, so they did. I'm sure all the furloughed guys agree with you - better to be collecting unemployment than a reduced guarantee. I didn't say it was good, or I liked it, I was trying to please my employer or even if it was warranted by FDX financials, I said it was better than the alternative.
Originally Posted by
golfandfly
Age 65 is over. It's interesting how you see it as the younger pilots being greedy. Maybe it could be seen as the other way around?
I'm certain it could. Just like the rest of life, it's all about perspective and perception. Perception is reality.
Originally Posted by
golfandfly
In this profession, seniority is vitally important and effects your paycheck and quality of life. I don't like Age 65 and never did. But, it's the law. Those that stay until 65 have every legal right to do so, regardless of their reasons for it. I don't have ill feelings for those that choose to fly until their mandatory retirement age. Hopefully, if I save some money and collect my retirement (which still exists at Fedex), I can afford $900/month. If you can't, you should have hired a financial advisor.
Or perhaps the economy will change radically, or FDX retirement will go away like everyone else's and you won't be able to make it on $900/month and you'll HAVE to fly until you're 65. Hopefully, that won't happen and you can retire when you want to on your terms. I sincerely hope that you are able to.
Originally Posted by
golfandfly
Hopefully, some of us will actually learn from others. Fedex is not exempt from hard times and we may find ourselves in bankruptcy in the next 10-20 years. To not consider that a possibility is foolish, and I believe people should save for their retirement based on this assumption. I've had one pension default, it's quite possible for this one to go the way of the PBGC also.
Sound advice. Nothing is guaranteed. But that is based on the last 10 years of experience - prior to that, the experience said you would be fine living extravagantly and your cushy pension would carry you to your golden years. All of the 'Kit Darby' models said you were going to live high on the hog as long as you wanted. And while that's changed radically in the past decade, it was the status quo for several decades.
Originally Posted by
golfandfly
You are very naive. My guess is that when/if you get hired, your tune will change quickly. You will be less interested in "pleasing" your employer than flying the contract that your airline operates under. Hopefully you will please your employer at a company other than Fedex...
I never said I wanted to please my employer, I said it was my job to make myself valuable to him. There's a huge difference.