Bottom line is this a loss for the pilot group. Since we at FedEx have no such thing as a 75 hour guarantee like most airlines you are really out the pay if training drops you below the BLG and the open time has nothing that will fit into your schedule like in my case (you are forced to pick up time for the same pay). It's to bad that do to the company's training requirements (not my choice) I can't make BLG without staying in base additional days beyond my original trip length just to make the same money. Plus unless you are very senior you can not guarantee the training dates that you will get.

USNFDX: Overall bad deal for the pilots; good deal for the company. I understand that the contract is give and take so I'm OK with it, but don't try and sell it as a good deal for us because it isn't. Sure the hours go into your make up bank, but now you're working 3 out of the 4 weeks in the month.

Now can anyone tell me why the contract still has provisions for substitution in the case of recurrent training? When is it applicable? Do we have a case for still having it the old way if we want according to section 4.I.4 and 25?

Thanks for the posts all!