Ask a kid. I had my 10 year old show me ... no kidding

 

As Albie said, this is now the time to shut up and color. I will do that.

But I will observe and decide later whether or not we screwed up.

If a bunch of folks bid the FDA's, that is a good start. But I will still wait until they are there for a time to get their take on FDA life. If they can live with it, I can live with it and will support the LOA in full. I didn't think a YES vote was best, but if the majority speaks and likes the outcome, at least we played democracy and can call it a success.

But if the FDA's get a bunch of newhires I will view the YES vote as a failure of the pilot group to "Do the right thing". I don't know who said 2nd year FO at $140/hr will be o.k. in HKG paying $4200 for rent ($1500 out of pocket) but that info is useless to me. 2nd year FO's have to bid the FDA. That means they like the FDA terms and are making a choice.

Newhires will be at $54hr and, if they go overseas, it will probably be because they had a tough choice. Go to a FDA or miss out on the job. They won't be able to give the $1500/month out of pocket without it being VERY painful. Moving costs are going to eat them alive. These are the folks most likely to have children that need schooling. We turned our backs on them. I won't be too happy about that if we see them in HKG or CDG.

 

This is where we part company.....you're legitimizing the criticism of the no voters by not losing gracefully......

JetJoc14.....I certainly appreciate the effort. She'll do quite nicely, especially in a "pinch".....but I got a thing for Jethro's chick.

 

We all lost. See ya.

 

I'm with The Rat.

We ALL lost big on this one. It's going to be very grim for anyone who bids the FDA's under this LOA.

There were teething problems with SFS when it first opened up, and that was in a country that is:

• Quite cheap to live in
• Housing is plentiful
• You live 15 minutes from the hub
• You have your own car and it's very easy to get around
• 90% of the red tape with the locals can be solved by paying someone else 10 bucks to do it for you
• No immigration issue coming or going to work

Imagine now HKG for the guys sent there in Round One:

• Extremely expensive housing
• Housing in short supply
• You can't pay a local 10 bucks to "get it done" for you.
• Immigration issues TWICE on each trip. One leaving the airport, and yet another entering HKG while driving home in the van.
• No car
• You live 5 hours away from the hub
• And the company DOESN'T want commuters! How many times a month are you prepared to sit in that van for 10 HOURS round trip?

 

We ALL lost big on this one. It's going to be very grim for anyone who bids the FDA's under this LOA.

OK..can we agree that this is just your opinion? Somehow I see some young FedEx pilot living on the left bank, doing the horizontal bop with some Ille St. Louis Prada super model, chuckling about how bad he has it. Grim? Maybe not.

 

Skypine,

I happen to believe we made the wrong choice, but I am willing to see how it turns out.

I guarantee you we did not "all lose out" on this one. The senior Wide CAs did not (They will not go) The guys who will be able to make CA early due to increased hiring did not (They may go but will have the bucks to make it worthwhile).

The guys I think are at risk and who I care about are the FO's and SO's. Those on the property not near CA upgrade and those not yet here. As I said before, they may or may not have gotten the shaft. But they will be the ones to watch and learn from. If all the overseas FO slots come from the 2200 folks who voted "Yes", we really don't have much to complain about. I will admit the union did their job and people voted appropriately. If few of those 2200 go overseas amid complaints it isn't a good enough deal and force newhires to a domicile without enough cash to live we know the 2200 just rolled over and screwed the rest of us. STV is a giant step backwards. I still can't believe we gave away SIBA like that.

The SFS folks did get the shaft. Not happy about that. Maybe that's how FedEx pilots have always voted. If it is really that bad in HKG, newhires will fill the overseas ranks. I already predict newhires in CDG.

If the overseas domiciles take off that block of voting will finally have a voice and it will result in change.

Until then majority rules.

 

Yeah, I think we lost for sure. It's the system we have though and I will live with it. I think the company wins in a large way.

I truly think the FO seats will go unbid and it will end up being new hires. I hope I am wrong because it will be very tough on them financially, especially with a family. I also don't think it will be just a 3 year gig either.

The voter turnout is a positive but I feel we sent the company a very clear message that we can be low balled. Just tell us that is all there is-- take it or leave it.

This has now become 2 domiciles I can never consider bidding. I don't think we will ever fix it in future negotiations as there will be more pressing needs for the group as a whole. It won't be a priority unless the domiciles get really big.

Sad thing is that the yes voters I met admitted to not reading the LOA themselves. I will now put this behind me and move on. Majority has spoken.......

Conner out

 

We will REALLY see how bad we lost out when it comes to Contract 2010. We've REALLY reached a "new level of negotiation with the company...."

 

(double post)