Flying Boxes

Jetjok,
I understand what your saying, but don't put words in our mouths. Comments were made about the draw of pilots to FedEx, not just mil pilots. My comments are because I am military, so that is who I come in contact with. Did not, & will not bad mouth civilian trained pilots. (Many are also mil pilots! ) There are no current RJ pilots in my unit, over the last 13 years the LTs preferred non flying jobs for obvious reasons.

The theme of the thread was that FedEx has been a very highly desired employer for the last decade +, doesn't mean it will always be that way.
Fedex is still a top airline to work for, but is not desired as THE AIRLINE it was in recent years. I wouldn't be surprised if RJ pilots, as a group, have similar opinions.

Mgt & ALPA should not make decisions based on how desirable Pan Am, Eastern, or TWA is. Competition for the best pilots will be fierce and culture and compensation are part of that equation. Having applicants and the best applicants are not the same. Keeping pilots after spending large stacks of cash on training is also important.

Thank you for your service to the country and company!

Flying Boxes

Jetjok

Flying Boxes,

First of all, you're welcome. It was my pleasure and an obligation which I took very seriously for the 34 years that I served, and my 22 years at FedEx.

Then there's that issue of competition for the best pilots, which in my mind is sort of meaningless, only because regardless of who is hired, they will be put through the schoolhouse and come out the other end, either a qualified flight crewmember, or not. Granted it would be desirable to get the best of the best, but failing that, I trust the system enough to produce a crew force capable of doing the job they were hired to do. Again, my one and only point is/was that I believe there won't be a shortage of qualified candidates for the foreseeable future.

Gunter

During section 6 negotiations its obvious that management does not care if we are even in the top 10.

I would argue that they hold it against us when we are viewed as a top choice. Then they believe we're paid too much or aren't killing ourselves enough when at work.

Is that smart? I don't care. We aren't going to change their minds about it.

TheBaron

I keep hearing from a few how "thin" we are. If that were true, we wouldn't see buy ups in 13 of the 18 bid pack positions. We would see trips in open time, other than DP's. When all the bid packs are back above min. BLG and we have trips in open time, then you may have an argument.

TheBaron

Really?? Where are you getting your numbers? We are nowhere near the hiring boom that was occurring up through the early summer of 2001. The "pilot shortage" has been in the forecast since the early ninety's (was supposed to be a major crisis by 1997.) I'll believe it when I see it.

purpledog

The freight still gets moved even if we hire someone who has us last on their wish list. I can guarantee most on the seniority list prior to 9-11 didn't have FDX as a first choice. It was my last choice prior to 9-11 and then FDX was the only place hiring afterwards. It became my #1 by default. Kind of like our "industry leading" contract. Is safety compromised by hiring guys who can't get hired by any other major? That is the million dollar question that management will have to answer.

Flying Boxes

I agree, but also with the Mgt pushing pilots for sick use, it is hipocritcal of them not seek out the BEST "employee".

CloudSailor

IMO when the hiring window opens up there will not be a shortage of qualified applicants at FDX, regardless of current cultural climate, for a long, long time (if ever). What we will see more of, is attrition from junior guys on property now, and from new hires in the future, bailing out for the legacies. There is a training cost to that attrition, but, since training doesn't cost a dime at FDX, no worries.

bozobigtop

Management doesn't care and are well aware of this website!

Gunter

I know you're not saying we are so short that big hiring is coming.

For that we would need all widebody bid pack averages about 3 or 5 hrs above the min, not just on secondaries in a couple of seats.

I think it goes without saying that buyups would have to stop. Not just "minimal"

As for an excess or not. I believe a proposed excess has to be of a certain size for it to pay off. I believe we will have too many MD11 and Airbus crew members when the fleet reductions actually occur. But the excess it would generate would be so small for the reductions this year that excessing people to the 757 is foolish. You'd see them upgrade again in 12-18 months. Not enough return to justify 2-3 months out of revenue flying.

So I think we will have some hiring. CGN and MEM. But it will be the same trickle hiring we've been seeing lately. We will still have an overage in the widebody seats within a year.