Just read an interesting thread started by a UPS guy that, surprise has, to this point, been a rare (possibly unprecedented) positive UPS thread.
Rather than interject into the UPS "love feast" I thought I'd address an interesting observation that we all (FDX and UPS) should consider and guard against as we both work towards our next contracts.
Consider this; less than 6 months ago, no one at Brown was sure when their last furloughs would be back on the line, let alone talk of hiring. Here at FDX in the present; no talk of hiring, no forward movement for the junior and much negative talk about future staffing projections.
Online chitter chatter, compared to a couple of years ago, complete role reversal; positive UPS talk, FDX,... not so much. While the slow pace of our (FDX) contact negotiation is generating a war chant, our brothers at UPS seem caught up in a hiring/expansion cloud of euphoria. It would seem that career progression, or lack there of, may have a more profound affect on how we feel towards getting a contract then how upset we get with the lack of progress at the negotiating table.

It is currently working in our favor that Fedex is not hiring, its creating a dynamic that fuels unity and should help our cause. Keep this in mind in the event management announces we are opening up hiring. Just look at the affect its having down the street.