Originally Posted by
FastBurner
In your words, "all that matters is the now," and I agree. Many of the 35% of us that were hired post 2015 are willing to go the distance (self help) to improve the A plan. The history of previous negotiations do not matter, this one does. We already know they want us to fly for free and have no retirement benefit. The 60 Billion in revenue and $2.60 in dividends (from $0.20 in 1999) show that the company is doing well with Express providing 50% of the revenues. Online shopping will continue, package delivery will grow, and asking for a bit more in retirement using our current CBA language for flying during WOCL is not asking for much.
You make a good argument as to why not to look at the PSPP - I disagree with it but it's a good argument nevertheless.
I hope the 35% that were hired in the last 5 years are willing to go the distance. I keep hearing how so many regional commuter guys want the fight but I also note that the junior guys appear to be, by far, the guys picking up every single trip possible over the last year - that worries me that people are getting used to living well beyond their means and will have a lot tougher time pulling back to BLG.
Self-help? When was the last time a major was released by the NMB? How much of the economy does Fedex impact today and what's the purpose of the RLA? It's to keep the freight moving. I find it very, very unlikely that we will be released...ever..even with a 2-1 NMB in our favor politically and a union friendly president. You need to go into this with eyes wide open. Doesn't mean you can't still negotiate with a lot of strength - I just wouldn't hold your breath for self-help. Take a look at the RLA history on this. And there are other things of concern. Who can forget the court ordering spirit pilots back to work when they refused extra flights while in status quo. I may be getting this one mixed up with Delta but the airline's argument was that status quo means what pilots had traditionally done - so if you always taxied with no delays, then that's status quo. If you always flew BLG + 20% or recently maybe BLG + 40% - that's status quo and the judge ordered pilots to actually pick up extra trips. So it's going to be an uphill battle either way. We should be going into this eyes wide open - not with a defeatist attitude at all but eyes wide open. Else we'll end up like APA in the wilderness for something like 5 years and 200 grievances and no contract.