Numerous friends furloughed from various airlines are NOT intereseted in going to CDG or HKG. I know that there will be some who are interested but not as many as some people claim. They all have jobs paying not much less waiting for them right here in the good old USA and they dont have to wait for a vacancy in memphis to get back to the U.S.

With all the growth in the INTL arena guys need to be careful going to a FDA. They might not be able to get back.

 

I'm sure this is the assumption Jack refers to when (they) talk about hiring into either of this FDA,s CDG or HKG. For any pilot desiring working for FedEx, it would be hard to turn down the opportunity to get a FedEx number and make FO pay in either base. My guess is pilots will jump at the opportunity, while scheming to return to the USA as soon as a bid will allow. I would bet you both CDG and HKG would fill with FO crash pads with pilots counting the days they could bid out. If FedEx does any significant hiring, there would be a revolving door of FO's and possibly capts bidding out of and not even bothering to take the "enhanced" package, knowing they would have to pay it back.

 

The Good News: They would be at the bottom of OUR list.

This theory also goes against FedEx's hiring policy, they can hire the best, the brightest and the most qualified of pilots. If they have to hire into an FDA the application will have to change;

Are you willing to relocate to a foreign country ? Y/N

If the answer is yes, are you single ? Y/N

If yes, are you financially capable of paying out of pocket for all "extra" costs of living in a foreign country ? Y/N

If the answer is yes, do you have any PIC time ? Y/N

If the answer is Y or N will will be calling you shortly for an interview ! Congratulations on your qualifying for a pilot job. One minor detail, plan on being at that foreign location for at least 5 years, unless you are willing to downbid to a lower paying position in order to get a seat award back in the good old USA.

 

With Delta hiring in good numbers, and SWA still growing (albeit slower), some guys will have some options.

I think FedEx is the premier place to work right now--bar none. UPS is a close second.

However, when faced with working abroad, with limited options to bid stateside, and a pinch in the pocketbook....SOME guys will pass and take other offers. The guys in the pool at FDX and SWA will probably go SWA. Ten years down the road--might not be the best choice, but the next 3-4 years will be spend living in a domicile city with a reasonable Q of life. FWIW...I know 2 guys in our pool that have bailed out and taken other options. One is now at UPS, and the other starts at SWA in 2 months.

Will some guys bite off and accept moving to be part of the team? You bet. I cannot blame them. Some, however, won't. The A-1 top notch guy that we got "automatically" the last 2-4 years might just decide SWA, Delta, or UPS was his top choice now instead.

JMHO....

 

I think it could be very difficult for a new hire FO to "bid back" to Memphis if they take CDG or HKG.

The SO seat in the 727 will be very rapidly filling with age 60 guys as the DC010 excesses and all the "soon to be over 60" guys realize that is the only place they'll be able to park themselves to see how the age 60 rule and retroactivity shakes out.

Given that, and the dwindling # of 727s the 757 FO seat will soon become the place new hires will go initially, meaning even trying to get a 757 FO seat to Memphis in a few years will be difficult.

Of course, there will be many stateside guys looking to upgrade to A300 and MD11 FOs that will all be senior to the HKG new hire FOs, so those slots will also be filled before they come upon to an expat hoping to come home.

Any new hire agreeing to go to HKG or CDG with no LOA at all and at the bottom of the seniority list better think about it many times over.

 

Thing is most of them will not know what they are getting into unless they ask around or have a sponsor that is in the know.

 

FDA for junior guys is the Hotel California..........."You can check in but you can never leave."

 

so after reevaluating my "what next?" question, i have decided to keep my vote NO and i feel the CBA will work fine...the company must want something for coming to the union with the LOA in the first place...i just don't like it..i tried to like it, but i just don't...hey.. how things going in the hub?..it looks hot out there...this 7 weeks off is killing me!!!!!!!!!

 

They came to us with the LOA to begin with AND they changed STD after we complained loud enough. I would very much like to have an LOA but not this one. I hope that if we vote this down that the company will come back with a better offer. It would be in both of our interests. If not, I can live with the current CBA.

I would consider bidding a FDA if the LOA were better.


Mark

 

Glad to hear you have come to your senses. I was getting a little worried about you. Let me know when you go back to work so I can be extra careful not to run over you little twin bus out there.
Now go change a diaper! I have to get out and finish up my 50 hours in FLL with some adult beverages tonight.

Vote NO! 500 pounds what are they thinking that won't even get my beemer over there.