New website w/ FDA LOA info
 

www.fdxloa.com

Put together very quickly, so there are probably some bugs. Not designed by me but I found some good info there. The choice of txt color on some pages is very hard to read. Also, the tab entitled LOA Commented is informative, but confusingly laid out.

I have made some suggestions to the person who designed it, and hope they makes some changes to their site. Still worth checking out and I felt obligated to post the link to his/her board on this site. Anyone who puts any effort in getting some additional LOA info, both Pro and Con, out to the crewforce deserves at least a quick look.

I checked it out. It tries to logically organize key points that will try to give info that will help in making a yes or no vote. I understand that it was a little rushed in its implementation. But, stll a good attempt at disseminating info.

Hope their site is somewhat informative. They said they were changing the layout to make it quicker / more streamlined to read.

The :10 I spent on the site was very informative. Never heard of the problems with loss of license insurance until now. Who designed this? Thanks for doing so, B

Section on Storage could be expanded. I have done some research in that area and posted on this forum. Another crewmember has also done some research in that area. $4000 sounds reasonable when you first read it but after doing some research you will find this to be woefully inadequate. There is no reimbursement for packing, moving or insurance while goods are in storage. Also when you get back you have to move your goods back into a home. The only way $4000 can be made to work is if you pack and move all of your belongings to a mini-warehouse. After 2 years in a mini-warehouse you might as well call the insurance company and declare it a total loss. That is if you have insurance.

Motor and recreational vehicles will have to be sold or put into proper vehicle storage. That is an additional cost and you don't want to go cheap on this either or you will come home to tire rot, mold, leaking dry engine and tranny seals, rusted cylinder walls, etc.

Yes, it should be expanded to include the fact that the storage limit is a concession.

In fact, there ought to be an entire section there devoted to the concessions made in this LOA. I'll see if I can help out a little there.

The LOA says you'll be assigned to an FDA. But, you are permenantly domiciled in MEM. Would that help?

I'm sure that will be in the information packet, we'll be getting last week.

I think I said (may be wrong, it was a busy week away from the office) that I would try to get it out last week. I'm still working on getting it out, I haven't forgotten.

Sleepy,

You know I love you man...so take these points in the spirit of constructive criticism.

--Just compiling a few facts together, someone was able to put together a fairly impressive "anti-LOA" site

--Despite having access to more resources---attorneys, the company reps, and the ALPA staff--the MEC seems unable to send out anything except block rep letters and host a few hub meetings. I know YOU are trying, but apparently you aren't getting the help you need.

--When you have brought in BC to express his views on the negotiations, he has gotten quite animated and aggitated. I told you and TonyC that he was actually your worst enemy in trying to sell this, as he has personalized the critique to the point of losing the ability to listen and take input from the membership he serves. When he calmed down and wrote his note to the force, it was quite condescending and probably swayed more people on the fence to vote "no".

--80% of the input I have heard that even got me to consider the pros of this LOA came from you or Tony. I still respectfully will vote NO, but I appreciate your candor, work, and effort.

Which brings me to my point.

Our MEC simply doesn't have its stuff together in the comm department. EVERY meeting the leadership has confessed "yep...we blew that one" or "yep...could have been communicated better..." I've been saying for some time that a few block reps are out of touch and need to be replaced. Sounds like your own MEC members would be a lot better served with a new comm chairman. We'll see what happens after the company puts out its final "red letter" on Wednesday or so, but if this LOA gets beat down you will have lost to a few loudmouths (said tongue in cheek) on a website and some email campgains and grass roots efforts. It shouldn't have been a fair fight, but you guys are getting clobbered, and your "ace" BC has been one of your biggest liabilities. Even if this passes, you cannot say your team did a good job at all at providing the info required for such an important piece of the contract.

Your comm as SPC chair was always good. You call. You write. You stay engaged.

If you want to be part of the team that sets up for the next big battles--open skies, contracts, etc--you need a better team. I know you had to be embarrassed at the lack of preparation, tact, and information that our team has put out.

Here's my suggestion. First--actively listen more. Gather more input from the force before taking on further negotiations or deals. Truth or not, the perception is the MEC members "decide" what is important, what isnt', then try to sell it to the membership. Representive democracy or not, the fact is the MEC obviously is out of touch with a large portion of its dues paying members. Next---communicate. Hub meetings are good, but webcast, interactive internet programs/meetings, and new technology will all help get the word to more people more effectively. Embrace the new era, realize info now moves at light speed, and quit walking on eggshells at all times about legal fallout. In the concern to say the "right" thing after its been sterilized, analyzed, and measured...you have lost your voice and a lot of credibility.

Again I'll say it. I want a strong company--that makes money. I want a strong, effective union--that protects our interests while allowing the company (within reason) to do what they do best. Right now what I see is a group of out of touch union leaders that can't keep a straight story and are getting outflanked by real time communications. We need to fix this before the next big issue. I'm riding this ALPA horse all the way--but I'm willing to bet right now that if we weren't an agency shop we'd have less than the 97% membership we had last year. Let's turn this ship around.

Love the website. Thanks very much for the hard work. Still a NO vote for me.