The issue of the A-380 pay scale being kept for the B-777 is an interesting one, and raises valid questions about this LOA. For example:

- WHY would management do that? Certainly not to play nice. There had to be an underlying economic benefit to the company; on that much, we can agree.

- When replacing their MD-11s, other airlines have replaced them with the 777. Thus, here at FDX, it would be expected that the MD pay scale would apply to the 777, yet it didn't. Why not?

- Little to no due diligence was performed by our Neg. Cmte. before sitting down with the Company to work out the terms of this LOA. A cursory 2-3 day trip to look around HKG/CAN. No conversations with the "first bidders" at SFS to see what mistakes were made in opening THAT F.D.A., so those mistakes wouldn't be repeated in HKG/CDG. Not one conversation with one particular SFS Captain who has lived in HKG for 6 years. Then, what was handed to us to vote on is a P.O.S. that is so hugely concessionary, they should have been embarrassed to sign their names to it.

- Was that it? Was it already a done deal with the 777 pay scale? Was that the reason the Company kept the A-380 pay scale ... they kept that pay scale for the 777 in exchange for a big sales pitch by our Union Neg. Cmte. for a concessionary LOA? A little mutual back-scratching would certainly explain a lot that otherwise makes no sense at all.

If this LOA passes (hex, hex, bad joo-joo, BAAAD JOO-JOO ...), it will be most enlightening, I think, to see which LEC voters and members of the Neg. Cmte. bid for an FDA, and which do not ... and how many of them bid the 777. Most interesting, indeed ...