Purpledog,

I hear that most of the legacy carriers are again hiring. Perhaps you could get on with one of them. If I were you I'd try now so as not to waste too much of your valuable career at such a dead end place as FedEx. After all, imagine what your friends are saying about you at this very moment. Something like this: "Hey guys, wonder how old PD is doing at that night-flying, trash-hauling, freight company? Bet he just hates it. Wonder why he settled for such a lowly position?"

Seriously, we could list the pros and cons of passenger carriers and freight carriers, and it would still only tell part of the story. I believe most guys like working here and although some would leave if given the chance, most would not. And by the way, we've had "quality people" before 9/11 and for the most part, continue to enjoy that attribute. What will be interesting is where the quality people will go, now that the price of oil is on an upward slide, because the "airlines" can't seem to get their collective acts together and up prices (across the board) to absorb the additional costs of doing business.

Which comes first the hiring or the assignment?
 

Assuming the Q&A is correct and the FDA's won't be filled by STV, but by new hires, then does the job or the assignment come first? According to our contract:

"No pilot may be assigned involuntarily to fill an FDA vacancy. If no pilot on the Master Seniority List expresses a preference by standing bid for an FDA vacancy, the Company may hire a pilot to fill that vacancy."

That begs the question can you get an assignment before you are hired? We welcome you to FedEx if you agree to take this HKG assignment. Then the new hire shows up for indoctrination and doesn't volunteer for an FDA assignment. Potentially you could end up with a lot of new hires to fill those FDAs. Again this is all stuff that should have been clearly spelled out in the contract or LOA but that is water under the bridge.

Yes. In summer of 2006 the hiring staff called "nuggets" out of the pool (not necessarily in interview order) and offered them ANC MD11/FO slots...OR...the option to stay in the pool (in interview order) for a MEM 727 slot at a later date (FO or SO not specified during the phone call).

The question remains, if the FDA's are not filled, and the company goes with "new hires" will they make the same offer to the current poolies?

Unfortunately, the 727 is fat in both FOs and SOs, so there really isn't an immediate alternative option they can extend.

If there are poolies out there that are willing to volunteer for a CDG 757/FO or a HKG Bus/FO position, I'd recommend you inform your sponsor who could give the hiring team a "head's up" --- I think you'd find your phone ringing sooner rather than later.

It's not working at FEDEX that will turn them away ---- it's working in an FDA for an "indefinite" period of time with a sub-standard LOA compensation package.

A lot of mil retired guys would love to fly for their second career, but many of them also have some very good non-flying options.

I think the folks jumping at a chance to work for FEDEX overseas under this LOA will be younger, civilian guys, who can and are willing to live with less --- and are looking to move on from the commuters.

I talked to A.M. recently and was told that poolies would not be forced to take an FDA, but that they could wait for a domestic position to come available and stay in the pool (although that would probably be awhile). I have 3 friends in the pool and not one is going to take the FDA if offered.

(note to mgmt if viewing: new hires going to FDAs need to start at second year pay. How do you expect anyone to live on $56 an hour in two of the most expensive cites in the world?)

Absolutely no changes to the LOA permitted.:p It would send the wrong message to the crew force.

Go --- No-Go!
 

Agree

(..and the withered $2K a month in training pay should be inflation adjusted from the last time it was raised on our next contract --- sorry, I digress)

Back on topic.

However, allowing the company to change the pay rates for new hires in FDAs would essentially be allowing them to negogiate with pilots directly.

We were told no changes to the LOA --- no negogiation ---- we really don't have leverage -- vote for it.

What we've seen are at least 2 changes (maybe 3) --- STV (once...maybe twice) and the new $10K housing deposit (...which is something the union asked for during negogiations but was denied).

How many "deal sweetners" should we (or the MEC) allow the company to put out there before we demand they reopen negogiations?

The "sweetners" would be nice for those choosing to bid an FDA, but would severly undermine our long term collective bargaining processes.

just like children are a personal choice. and another favoite from JL, the euro may go up and it may go down.

The power of positive thinking (or negative) is very real. If you think you don't have negotiating power and keeping saying you don't have negotiating power....well....

You end up without any negotiating power.

If we go back into negotiations I hope we don't give up anything else due to the recession and the $100/barrel evil menace. Never mind those rich pax carriers like Emirates and Cathay and their "Crazy" expat packages.


BTW, JL droppings are interesting. Not always fair and balanced, or even entirely factual, but at least entertaining....Children are optional. So is our bid to an FDA. So are poolies' acceptance of job offers.

No question about it. We will see a change in the type of person hired into FDAs. This change has been orchestrated by our decisionmakers and should not be a surprise