Originally Posted by JohnnyViper

Call me naive or ignorant or whatever you choose, but it blows my mind when some of you guys shout "READ IT!!!" and almost use that phrase as an insult. I read the last one, I read the one before that, I've read the LOAs that come our way, but I'm no dorky lawyer and I don't know what a lot of that stuff means. I especially can't find the hidden loopholes (I can't find the hidden money, either) and I can't find the little nuggets that the management guys hid in there for themselves. That's why, at least in my opinion, we are paying the union guys.

I will read this TA, but I'm not going to see the things that will hang us. If any of you had been told what the company was going to do with 4A2b, would you have voted for the last one with that gem in there? I specifically remember the last one and emailing my rep and asking for "some plain language bullets" put out by the union and they didn't want to do that. "Just read it". It really POs me to think of those guys last time strutting around saying "Read it! Read it!" while the company lawyers were trying to hold there laughter in.

So for you guys that are barking "Read it!", just remember that people are reading it, but that doesn't mean that we understand all the ramifications and details. Saying that repeatedly may stifle some discussion. And before I get both barrels in the face, allow me to repeat, I do read the everything the union sends us. I even try not to use it to wipe the drool off my face.

Originally Posted by Skimmology

So can we ask the P2P reps and they can tell us?

Originally Posted by TheBaron

I hope they considered putting something in the contract that at least guarantees a COLA raise while we negotiate the next contract (1 or 2 years down the road.)

Originally Posted by Sniper

I proposed something like that to NC folk and was told 'anything that guarantees something after the end of the contract is essentially an extension of the contract'.

Here's hoping my source was wrong. Getting COLA while negotiating for the typical years it takes to get a new CBA would be great for not only the FedEx pilots, but for all pilot groups who lose out to the CPI every time their contract becomes amendable.

Maybe an LOA or something? There's got to be a way to get this done. I hope FedEx ALPA can provide leadership on this issue.

Originally Posted by Tractor Bob

Once we give them the FDA and UL flying, the company will have no reason to bargain with us for anything. They are still laughing that our last contract didn't keep up with inflation. This TA should reflect the monetary value of what we are giving the company. I am looking forward to reading it. If the raisess are 3% as rumored, it is inadequate and unacceptable. The MEC shouldn't even send it to the membership.

Promises to come back and negotiate later remind me of treaties made with the Indians. I believe they were promised everything west of the Mississippi river.

Originally Posted by Busboy

Trust me, there's not any lack of RLA understanding on Nakazawa's part. But, there does seem to be a major lack of clarity on the NC's part concerning this TA and the 12/24 month options.

I guess we'll just have to wait and find out exactly what they're talking about.

Originally Posted by FXDX

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Busboy on this, and that never happens! Nakazawa is a tremendous advocate for our crew force and I strongly supported his run for a spot on our MEC. He knows of what he speaks, and pimping him on the semantics of the amendable nature of the contract is completely missing the point.