Jaxman187

Is it a possibility that having agency shop may be a negative going forward? Were we again outmaneuvered by the company negotiators on another aspect of our new contract? The number of junior non-members has been negligible. The senior non-members are on their way out. Now, Fedex pilots will no longer make an active decision about membership. There will be no emotional "buy-in" to the ideals of unionism or the spirit of participation.

I recognize it is a matter of perception but I have not seen the collective moral of our crew force this low since the parking deal in 98'. DP's are being flown wholesale and no one seems to care about anything. People don't seem to be talking on the crew bus anymore.

BC claimed that Agency Shop was a little extra that he got thrown in at the end of negtioations. Perhaps it was not so free.

Union leadership now takes us for granted and the level of apathy in the crew force has grown exponentially. Where did all the Alpa lanyards go?

Cargo Pirate

I don't believe union shop is the cause of the current apathy. Before the Age 60/LOA debacle I believe we suffered from apathy as well(disinterested instead of unhappy). We have never really enjoyed an engaged union membership here at FedEx. I am hoping with the current LEC elections we can go forward as a collective group and earn what is due this very profitable crewforce. The MEC is not the union, we are the union.

USMCFDX

Mine went in the trash.

fdxmd11fo

Mine is in the trash also, and my tie tac is upside down

TheBaron

Let me guess. Now you wear a USMC lanyard. As if we couldn't tell you were a Marine by the spandex you wear at the gym. Or maybe you wear the skimpy dolphin shorts with your shirt tucked in. Very easy to spot a former Marine zero.

Busboy

Wear did you learn to spell?

Whose the zero now, Barren?

2Planker

You are correct - the membership is the union, or at least, SHOULD be. However, our current MEC seems to have convieniently forgotten that they are supposed to represent the will of the membership. In case any of the current "elected" are reading this, this means that you are supposed to determine what the will or opinion of the majority of the crewforce is on an issue BEFORE you decide what the MEC stand will be. 11 out of 12 of the current stable of MEC officers seem to think that they have the right to decide what is best for the other 4800 pilots in a vacuum, without any membership input, and then try to threaten, coerce, and sell their decision, deriding and ridiculing any dissention.

I, for one, hope that the next round of elections finds new and responsible representation in the officers. It is also my hope that the apathetic percentage of our crewforce that refuses to read tentative CBA's or LOA's will wise up and realize that an uninformed decision hurts all of us.

Bohica

Actually, its Agency Shop, and yes I agree 100% that the MEC and NC screwed up by pushing for it. BC said it was free, I didn't believe it then and I don't now.

Which is more indicative of a unified workforce: 97% who voluntarily join the union and pay dues or 100% (minus the grandfathered who will eventually retire at age 65, oops another thread) who are forced into paying dues whether the union represents their interests or not?

I submit that we made a much more powerful statement to the company when we had 97% membership VOLUNTARILY.

Agency shop did nothing for unity, did nothing for our negotiating stance, but did insure a steady stream of funding for the union for the future.

Yeah, you could argue that that is a good thing, but I think we would have had a better, more responsive MEC and a more engaged workforce without forcing the issue of Agency Shop.

I definitely think the company took us to the woodshed on this and unfortunately other areas of our "ironclad" agreement.

Cessna180DVR

You've got to be kidding me, you threw it away? I've been making a killing selling them on ebay. $10 for the lanyard and $15 for shipping (of course, shipping is only about half that). These things are going like hotcakes. Everyone wants one and I can't keep em in stock fast enough. I've had to resort to taking them off of sleeping captains. Those old guys don't wake up for nothing! They're the next pet rock or beanie baby craze and you're just throwing them away?






Disclaimer for those that don't know humor: None of the above is true, it is purely for entertainment purposes only. But if you want one, for $20 bucks, I'll stick mine in your locker!!!!!

iarapilot

I dont think agency shop is the problem. At the other airlines, it isnt....I think! Just IMO only, I think a big problem is that a lot of our pilots had a previous life in a position with managment mentality....read, white collar. When they get here, recommended by their buds from the same background, that may not help. They didnt enter this profession with a worker/blue collar mentality, or get sh!t on by airline managment types while they worked their way up the "ladder" to get here . In addition, the retirement they might be receiving from that previous life may cloud their judgement on some of the long term decisions we, as a pilot/worker force, need to make for the long term health of our profession. Of course, I am not saying that this is true of all that might fall into this catagory, but enough, I think, to make a negative impact for all of us.

In the big scheme of things, we are all worker bees/pukes, and managments number one job is profit, $, and MBO's.

Waiting for the incoming!