jess

1. The company wishes to delay the negotiation of economic issues until they know the financial impact of the proposed FAA Flight Crew Member Duty and Rest Requirements. Then, and only then, does the company wish to negotiate economic issues with ALPA.

Have you heard the term “Cost Neutral”?

What the company wants to do is transfer the legitimate regulated increased cost of doing business to the backs of the crew force.

Proper action would be for the company to reward the crew force for their dedicated service and significant contribution to the growth and continued success of the company.

These two concepts are diametrically opposed.

2. There are still no quantifiable, economic, empirical triggers either into or out of 4.A.2.b. All the new language does is codify the procedures that the company has already employed.

Once again, the company is transferring the legitimate cost of doing business - and management mistakes - to the backs of the crew force.

Keep in mind, while we were still operating under 4.A.2.b, executive management took huge bonuses in the form of cashing in stock options; our CEO cashed in $16 million.

Let’s eliminate 4.A.2.b altogether and live with Section 23 Furlough and Recall. It is ALPA airline contract standard.

3. We all want ASAP and FOQA. FedEx pilots want it. FedEx Flight Safety wants it. ALPA wants it. The FAA wants it. We are paying very dearly for programs that I think are coming anyway.


4. The company has expended vast amounts of energy and money in its efforts to establish foreign domiciles. I think the FDA LOA is their primary objective for T/A 2011. This T/A gives them their number one objective for a simple cost of living adjustment (COLA) while leaving the company the option of passing along the increased costs of the forthcoming FAA regulations to the crew force.

The company wants you to live and work in their FDAs. They just do not want to compensate you commensurate with other high level corporate employees at FedEx. Nor are they willing to compensate you at the level of other airlines, (e.g. Cathay Pacific). The FDA LOA in T/A 2011 is still woefully inadequate.


5. I encourage all my fellow FedEx crew members to visit the ALPA web site and read the entire FedEx Pilot History. Then, read the T/A and examine its implications for what is not written as well as for what is written. I also ask you to examine this T/A in the broader context, not just from the perspective of: Is a 3% COLA enough?

Examine this T/A from the perspective of: Is management trying to “Cost Neutral” the crew force again? Is management willing to recognize the contributions of the crew force in the growth and continued success of the company? Are they willing to reward the crew force for our contributions and professionalism? Where is that written in this T/A?

Someone mentioned: “Delta plus a nickel.” I was there when our CEO asked us to vote non-union, to just give him a year to get the post-merger international operation up and running, with the promise of “Delta plus a nickel”. We gave him his non-union crew force. That was the beginning of seven years without a pay raise. Could the company not afford to reward the crew force and live up to our CEO promise? During those seven years, the company set a record profit nearly every quarter.

6. From my perspective, we should:

A. Vote NO on T/A 2011.

B. Replace the Negotiating Committee.

They have not done their job. They have left the crew force open to another ‘Cost Neutral” situation, much like 4.A.2.b. left the crew force open to excessive and inequitable sacrifices without any quantifiable, economic, empirical triggers into or out of 4.A.2.b. In the ALPA contract surveys, we asked the negotiating committee to place restrictions on the use of 4.A.2.b. Do you see any changes to 4.A.2.b. in T/A 2011 other than to codify the current company procedures?


C. Restart the process fresh. Negotiate a contract that recognizes and rewards the crew force for their very significant contribution to the success of the company. Do not give up your biggest, best bargaining chip for a simple COLA adjustment. Most of all, do not negotiate for a promise. We have tried that before with disastrous results.

7. My aim of this ramble is twofold; a forum to express my opinion and hopefully to get you thinking in a broader perspective regarding T/A 2011.

“In business as in life - you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” Chester L. Karrass

“Insanity : Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein