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FDX ALPA Chairman's letter

Old 01-18-2007, 08:05 PM
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From D.W.'s letter:

"...We expect and have tasked our SIG/PSIT to accommodate reasonable requests in the scheduling process and to acknowledge legitimate business concerns while safeguarding our members from the debilitating effects of fatigue..."

And, from the attached Chimenti/Maliniak letter:

"...While the existence and maintenance of pairing and flight line construction with features of city purity and deadhead commonality continues to be a desirable solution for some domestic pairings, the parties recognize that in the changing business environment, city purity and deadhead commonality should not be used to stop change or frustrate building lines within acceptable financial and operational parameters..."

Does anyone else out there have a problem with this? Who decides what defines "acceptable financial and operational parameters"? How much money does this company need to make, anyway?

We just gave away something that's very important to a lot of our crewmembers. Can you say, "West coast DBL deadheads"? Good luck ever trying to get this back. What did we get for it?

I know, I know. The company could have done this long ago. But, they didn't. Why? I believe, it is because it would have pessed a lot of people off. Just like the 1st wave of the optimizer.

But, now it's OK. Because we agreed to it, in writing. I believe that letter will trump "past practice" in any legal hearing.

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Old 01-19-2007, 08:38 AM
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If we said we'd work for a thirty bucks an hour, and the company decided to gut DDHs for savings, we cannot do a darn thing. Our SIG builds lines with the pairings the company creates.

If management said "do this and we'll keep your lines sweet...(wink wink)..." then I think we should have said "sure--just write that down." That didn't happen.

Getting "optimized" is something that they could/will do whenever they want. We didnt' "give away" anything--they will do what they want anyway. Do you think if we'd have negotiated 10, 20, or 30 % less for our improvements the company might have "played nice" and not modified the pairings? I am a bit skeptical that would have happened.

Now...a little FedEx blasphamy. I don't live in a FedEx city. Being about 35% on the 727 FO seat, I am unable to crack the top 25% because of the seat campers ahead who've been there for years (perfectly acceptable) so they can hold favorite city pairs, etc. However, the SCP has expressed frustration that some senior folks won't upgrade. The bottom feeders on all the seats are frustrated at lack of upward mobility. There might be some people who'd LIKE to see the rice bowl broken and things shaken up. As a commuter--if I get a DH anywhere I don't really care where it goes. I know the guys who live in/near the city pair are getting a bad deal here, however, and I expect our SIG and union will do their best to keep the status quo. However--if they don't--it WASN'T them that made the change.

I don't think we have DDHs because the company loves us. We have them because its cheaper to fly us home in some cases than pay us to sit over a weekend. In some cases, weekend layovers are cheaper--so we have them too. I expect we'll see some changes--but unless we decide to fly all the planes back to MEM every Friday and Saturday we'll continue to see either more weekend layovers or a continuation of deadheads. If the Monday and Fri/Sat DH remain the same is what remains to be seen.

Last edited by Albief15; 01-19-2007 at 08:45 AM.
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Old 01-19-2007, 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Albief15 View Post
However, the SCP has expressed frustration that some senior folks won't upgrade.
Good explanation, but I hope they have factored the law of unintended consequences. To me, optimized schedules make senority more important so I will be less likely to upgrade. The fewer good choices I have; the more senior I need to be.

Last edited by FDXLAG; 01-19-2007 at 09:20 AM.
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Old 01-19-2007, 09:21 AM
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Living in Memphis sure is sweet dude!!!
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Old 01-19-2007, 09:56 AM
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If they optimize DHs...city pairs could change. However--to make every flight start/end in MEM means a LOT more mx, rampers, and ramp space needed. There are a lot more costs to parking planes in MEM over the weekends than just the fuel and the pilot labor. How much of our mx is done in the field over the weekends? How many 1/4 empty planes flying to MEM on the weekends will it take to offset the DH costs? I don't think we'll see a huge revolution in the pairings.

Then again...I are a simple fighter pilot, and I are sometimes wrong....
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Old 01-19-2007, 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Albief15 View Post
.

Now...a little FedEx blasphamy. I don't live in a FedEx city. Being about 35% on the 727 FO seat, I am unable to crack the top 25% because of the seat campers ahead who've been there for years (perfectly acceptable) so they can hold favorite city pairs, etc. However, the SCP has expressed frustration that some senior folks won't upgrade. The bottom feeders on all the seats are frustrated at lack of upward mobility. There might be some people who'd LIKE to see the rice bowl broken and things shaken up. As a commuter--if I get a DH anywhere I don't really care where it goes. I know the guys who live in/near the city pair are getting a bad deal here, however, and I expect our SIG and union will do their best to keep the status quo. However--if they don't--it WASN'T them that made the change.

.
Albie,

On the flip side of the "seat campers" coin.... Although you may not be moving up the Rt Seat FO list due to the campers, there are alot of guys junior to you that are in the left and right seats of widebodies and the left seat of the 727 because of those "seat campers".


Kinda all comes out in the wash doesn't it?

Past.....
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Old 01-19-2007, 01:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Albief15 View Post

...Getting "optimized" is something that they could/will do whenever they want. We didnt' "give away" anything--they will do what they want anyway.
That's exactly my point. They have always had the ability to optimize everything about our schedules. But, they haven't. Well, they tried it once. Were you here? So, why would they need a letter from us, to do it now? And, why would we do it?

Originally Posted by Albief15 View Post
...Do you think if we'd have negotiated 10, 20, or 30 % less for our improvements the company might have "played nice" and not modified the pairings? ...
No! Actually, I don't recall our company ever "playing nice" in negotiations. And, that was certainly not what I was trying to express.

Originally Posted by Albief15 View Post
...I know the guys who live in/near the city pair are getting a bad deal here, however, and I expect our SIG and union will do their best to keep the status quo. However--if they don't--it WASN'T them that made the change...
Yes, it was them that made the change. Chementi signed the letter. We have now endorsed changing(giving up) what the company has historically used for pairing construction.

I'm happy for you, that maybe this will move some of those senior people out of your way. Good for you.

I love FedEx pilots.
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Old 01-19-2007, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Albief15 View Post
...the SCP has expressed frustration that some senior folks won't upgrade.

The bottom feeders on all the seats are frustrated at lack of upward mobility.

If the bottom feeders want to upgrade it is very GOOD that senior dudes hang out in the 727 FO seat. That is what is granting all the new guys positions on the MD 11 and short 727 CA upgrades

As far as the SCP being irritated...what's new? He also has to have that attitude in order to please the higher ups.
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Old 01-19-2007, 02:03 PM
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Another good question is what will this mean for the 757 and 727 Bid going forward?

This next bid is going to be a wild one with many unknowns. Where is the 757 going to go? How soon is the 727 fleet giving away desirable city pairings to either the 757 or Airbus? What is going to happen to DDH's vs. weekend layovers?

Any chance the answer to these Questions will come before the bid?

If not, why not?

Alot of those seat squaters are going to wait out the bid to see what happens. I'm sure the SCP will be very happy about that.

But what should they do in the absence of the information required to make a good decision? The SCP can get as mad as he wants, but he will cause his own frustration if he (the company) chooses not to provide the necessary info.
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Old 01-19-2007, 03:57 PM
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Originally Posted by 130JDrvr View Post
Albie,

On the flip side of the "seat campers" coin.... Although you may not be moving up the Rt Seat FO list due to the campers, there are alot of guys junior to you that are in the left and right seats of widebodies and the left seat of the 727 because of those "seat campers".
Kinda all comes out in the wash doesn't it?

Past.....
This is one of the great things about FedEx! Fast upgrade times if you want!
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