Here it is with my response to him. If it doesn't all fit, I'll post in pieces.

Ladies and Gentlemen of Block 11,



In a few days you will be receiving a ballot to vote on the Foreign Duty Assignment (FDA) Letter of Agreement (LOA). I believe you should vote in favor of this LOA. In addition, based on the e-mails I have received, Block 11 seems to be waking up to the importance of paying attention to union and company issues. That is good. So, I’ll make the following points for your consideration.



Under our current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) the Company can open both Hong Kong and Charles de Gaulle as Foreign Duty Assignments.

Yes, you're correct. However, if they do it under our current CBA, they're going to have a HELL of a time filling it. If not, those who bid it are doing so with open eyes and deserve what they get.

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There could be more money in the LOA, but there is not, given that we don’t have a lot of leverage in this situation.

We don't have leverage? If we vote this LOA down, the company has three options:

(1) Man these FDAs using SIBA. This is a great deal for the crewforce and a huge expense for the company. But, hey, guess what, we currently fly Europe and South America this way and we make just a little, teensy profit. Right?
(2) Man these FDAs with new hires. Go ahead. They will all become ALPA members thanks to our new CBA, we make more money as a Union in dues and we have more people below us on the seniority roster... If you think the company will truly do this, you're not being honest with yourself or with me.
(3) Sub the work out. Not likely. Doing so in CDG will expose them to French labor courts as RyanAir recently found out. China is recruiting CRJ captains to fly domestically in an attempt to manage their explosive growth. Both their package and Cathay's package are WAY better than this LOA. Good luck to the company recruiting in that environment with a weak hand.

Option (1) is most likely for the short term it this is voted down. After paying SIBA for a while, they will have a vested interest in making a package attractive to us.
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A Foreign Duty Assignment does not and cannot work for every pilot at FedEx. There are plenty of pilots who would not live in Subic Bay because of schooling, health care, climate, crime, distance, etc. But the base is manned, and was established with a less comprehensive benefit package than is before you now.

Less comprehensive package? Are you serious? Expat tax exclusion is yours to keep, cheap housing, strong dollar and weak local economy made moving there financially advantageous for our crewmembers.

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If the pilots bid these bases without the LOA (and I believe they will as shown by past history), what amount of negotiating capital do you believe we will need to expend during the next round of negotiations to secure enhancements to an FDA that is already filled using provisions of our present CBA?

None. If they do as you say, it's as I said above. They went in eyes open, against the consensus of their fellow Union members, and deserve NOTHING in the way of negotiating capital. If you think we need to sacrifice any of our lives (or capital) to save someone intent on suicide, you need to get a new job. I don't need my Union wasting my money helping out those who helped themselves when we told them not to!

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The contention that the FDAs will go junior. As I recall, SFS was manned by some pretty junior folks. If junior pilots can hold Captain positions in HKG then good for them. I thought that was why we had such high requirements for pilot employment. It is up to the Company to decide how much they are willing to pay to achieve a desired level of seniority.

Riiiiiigggghhhhttttt.... Maybe that's why the same money saving company is crapping their pants and paying WB passover pay to every single 757 LCA/SCA/PCA.... Remember those little things we've been having called 'accidents'? Think this company's insurers are going to allow them to junior man these aircraft with OUR record? Please... They want and need experience. We just need to make them pay for what they want and need.