Flycast

Ok, let's agree that Hong Kong and Paris ARE expensive and the LOA is woefully inadequate- I'm wondering how voting it down will affect our next contract. We are amendable in just over 3 years now- if we have no LOA, it seems we will need to spend negotiating capital in simply getting back the gains we voted down.

Are we in a stronger position going in to our next contract WITH the LOA?

USMCFDX

Witch MEC member are you?

The same old story? "We need to take this deal so we can get something better in the future."

Well the future is now and this LOA is a turd.

Gains, what gains? We will not have to give up anything for a better deal, as we already offered to sell the farm on the current proposal.

Gunter

Bass ackwards thinking. We will have established a precedent and a weak bargaining position with this giveback LOA.

The biggest thing holding us back from getting a better LOA is the misinformation campaign that it's this one or nothing. The other is ignorance and apathy from the rest who don't care since it doesn't affect them. I believe the first mentality is coming from the crowd making a killing off of Draft and Volunteer right now. The second is the average FedEx pilot going about his/her business in a usually divided labor group.

130JDrvr

Gunter,

How much DFT/VOL is going on now?

Past...

kwri10s

The entire take it now, fix it later thoughts are not valid based upon past history. CRAF LOA!! That was the message from our MEC. Take it now; we'll fix it during the contract. Not changed at all, with the new contract. So past history says, whatever we accept now is what we get.

Flaps50MaxBrake

Gunter,
Respectfully, Good points but whoa man! Even the poll 20% for and mgmnt have a right to post. Who knows who flycast is but Capt. Irizarry, Block 10 Subic, hasn't even given his minority opinion yet. IMHO this is solving all the worlds problems at the bar talk, which I'm up for any time by the way, until we at least read the dissenting voice, the majority opinion again and probably reread the LOA. I'll abmit I'm inclinded to vote No due to the first of your reasons, misinformation, and many others but shouldn't we all at least wait a day or two for the full scoop? Could there be anything the MEC won't or can't tell the rest of us about this LOA? Fedex has always had a plan b and c since the flight adv board, FPA and now Alpa. This is a rumor board and I sure haven't read many from the union house. If I get blasted here so be it.

Gunter

The MD-11 Captains. April and May.

MD11Fr8Dog

Really? With a gazillion guys on reserve and utilization for non first fly guys at about 30-40 CHs?

Gunter

Thanks for the respectful response. I tend to write in short, blunt bullets. I get wrapped up in my own thoughts but do occasionally poke my head out to listen to others.

I already predict we will ratify this LOA. I don't know how folks assume it will get rejected with a resounding NO. History, traditional apathy and fear of foreign pilots dictate otherwise. But I am doing my part to try and educate and sway others to vote NO. I am trying to sell everyone against the LOA, but I am trying to do it in a truthful manner.

The folks who were hired in the past had it tough, but it was a different kind of tough. They had SIBA but (mostly) lived in the states. The foreign or far away work, Subic and ANC, are desired by many a crewmember. ANC is commutable. They had wages less than the other majors but the primary stress was how fast would be the upgrade to FO and then how long until off reserve. Then how long to widebody or NB Captain. In the last few years, newhires had it easy. Quick upgrade to ANY FO position with many getting passover pay. Big bids and lots of hiring (postal contract).

This is not your Daddy's Fedex anymore. It is going back to the way it used to be, with a twist. Not just 80 crewmembers overseas in Subic, but 320 in Hong Kong and Paris. Maybe more in the future. Newhires will now be more behind the eightball due to no improvement in training pay, no hotel and now first into two of the most expensive cities in the world with little COLA, little housing allowance, no school money and an odd transportation penalty to mainland China.

The most junior guys on the property now WILL sit SO reserve for a loooong time or go overseas for years just for the chance to upgrade. Those not so junior WILL do SVT. Being assigned FDA was a small possibility with Subic, but is now a certainty and huge hit. Someone tell me how many have been "involuntarily" sent to Subic. Anyone?

The more I look at the LOA, most of the MEC and the Company want the bottom 4-5% (10% or more when you look at SVT possibilities) a few Captains without kids or single (who can afford a 3 year QOL hit with CA pay) and current poolies to eat a great big shiite sandwich when we ratify this concessionary LOA. The LOA is an embarrassment and sets a precedent that will be hard to recover from, if ever. But it won't affect those 5 years from retirement which means it is noise in the background for some.

This LOA is concessionary only for a select portion of the seniority list. The bottom feeders. So apparently it's just a "peripheral issue". This after scope payment and monthly deductions went into the VEBA account so we could "do the right thing". I even ate "retroactivity" as one man's (DW) opinion of doing the right thing.



Why is it "doing the right thing" only applies to older member issues and not younger member issues?

Gunter

I know an MD-11 Captain and this is what he said. He showed me his schedule too.

Are you MD11 CA? Do I have the months wrong? He does like to brag.

which months did the company ask for vacation buy back?

It's hard to get reserve coverage to do the big trips.