Originally Posted by
BoilerUP
They wouldn't have.
Without Extension 2020, our contract would have become amendable in September 2021 with the contract stipulating negotiations beginning Sept 2020. Thing is, in Sept 2020 we were all neck deep in global pandemic BS and "keeping the global economy moving", so it is probably safe to say negotiations would not have started until mid-2021.
We can look to our Purple brethren's experience: their negotiations began May 2021, mediated negotiations started October 2022, TA reached May 2023 which was rejected by the membership. And critically important to remember - FDX didn't have the NLRB-governed Teamsters negotiations to deal with like we did. Now, had we been in mediated negotiations would the NMB have paused mediated sessions due to Teamsters? There's little sense in speculating, but I personally think the possibility of that would have been pretty high.
Either way, I don't believe we'd have ratified a TA nor do I think we'd have one imminent. We'd still be at $337.65/yr top rate during a period of high inflation, with a MASSIVE hourly rate hole to dig out of like FDX has, with a multi-year negotiations assessment on top of that...to say nothing about lost DC contributions, extending/increasing the Flat Dollar Amount, and making summer vacation percentages effective for seven months vs. five.
All academic FOMO talk at this point really, as both extensions passed with 90%+ and we start negotiations next week.
Your Purble brethren were negotiating during COVID as well. We had a contract that was amendable in November of 2021. We started our negotiations 6 months prior to the amendable date per the terms of our contract. In contrast, you accepted a contract extension 3+ years prior to the teamsters contract, and again 1+ years before the teamsters contract. Both times, it was because UPS wouldn't negotiate until the teamsters had a contract. The rates you agreed to didn't exceed Delta's 2019 rate until Sept 2022. You have rates through Sept 2025. Unfortunately, we have had to fight against those rates and try to get closer to the Delta rates. In 2020, you agreed that Delta pilots deserved a higher rate than you, and Fedex has used that as industry standard. If you are suggesting that the NMB would agree that your contract should have to wait for 3+ years because the company was concerned about the teamsters, well, you better get this done in 12 months before you are in the same boat.