av8npnut

Absolutely true! I have been here 14 years and IMO, the work environment has changed, and not for the better. Why is that? It should be better. The company is experiencing record stock prices, record volumes & record profit. I do know that the ACPs who seemed to be pilot advocates are no longer working in management. They've been run off for some reason.

I wonder how many pilots with employee numbers of 400K-600K are satisfied with their career progression? I realize that much of that progression is out of the company's control, but some of it is the direct result of company and ALPA decisions. Understand that I am thankful for this job and the opportunities it has afforded me, especially after the events of 9/11 and its effect on our industry. However, I would be dishonest if I did not say that I am disappointed with this stall tactic and the ridiculous proposals by the company when FedEx is doing so well. All of those records I mentioned above are positive, and you would think that in keeping with the Purple Promise, the company would want to pass some of that profit to us, the line pilots, who contribute so much to make it happen each day. Why they are trying to sell us on an inferior contract in this environment is a mystery to me.

I've heard we have over 800 pilots that could retire whenever they want. That is a lot. However, this large retirement percentage is not unique to us. The retirement numbers are massive at DAL, AAL, & UAL and the environment is much different than it was pre 9/11. All of the majors are hiring and will continue to hire well into the future. If the company takes away retirement and jams PIBS down my throat, I'm not sure I will want to stay.

Somewhere along the line, the Express side has become a little arrogant IMO. The notion that every pilot wishes he/she was working at FedEx is just not true anymore. I think it was true maybe two or three years ago, but not today. The folks that I know who are on the street looking for jobs have contacted me because they need work, but FedEx is not necessarily their number one choice. The company’s contract proposals are a significant reason for their choices. I can't say I blame them.

PurpleTail

+1. I am right there with you and just as frustrated. I can no longer recommend FedEx as a desirable place to work or fly. I have told my friends to look elsewhere. I use to enjoy my job here but management has become so adversarial I can't stand going to work these days. It seems like all they want to do is screw with us. No more going the extra mile or minute or bending over backwards...for what? We bust are arses every stinking night for this company and we can't get rewarded for our efforts while the company makes record profits and the stock is at an all time high?!

Thanks Fedex, much appreciated. Horrible.

TonyC

Thought I'd thumb through the archives and knock the dust off this old thing:




Fri, May 11, 2007

Dear FDX ALPA Member:

In a special MEC meeting conducted via teleconference last week your elected representatives received briefings on the Age 60 issue from Joe Fagone, FDX ALPA Executive Vice President, Scott Stratton, FDX MEC R & I Chairman and a member of the ALPA Blue Ribbon Panel, as well as Frank Voyack of ALPA Government Affairs. Based on the facts surrounding the issue, we believe an increase in the FAA regulated age is inevitable. It is just a question of whether the change will come from Congress or the FAA, and on what timeline.

The most recent poll data, with an error rate of 3%, indicates that an overwhelming majority of FDX ALPA members do not favor a change to age 60, while approximately 52% of pilots ALPA-wide want the age to remain the same. However, 66% of pilots ALPA-wide want our union to influence the change if change is imminent. Herein lies the rub. In order to achieve the most positive outcome for the membership, ALPA must be a player in the process. Currently we are not, due to our institutional opposition to changing the regulated age. In order to engage Congress and the FAA and thus influence implementation issues in our favor, we believe we must change our position as a union. In fact, many previous Congressional supporters of ALPA’s policy have communicated exactly that to our Government Affairs staff…repeatedly.

There are several moving parts in this process. Having Congress legislate change to an FAR would establish an unacceptable precedent. We believe pilots will fare significantly better if we can keep the change within the regulatory framework of the FAA NPRM process. Additionally, there is the issue of retroactivity and seniority rights. ALPA’s long-term success as a union is due in large part to the members’ understanding that pilots can only survive and prosper if we work together. Advocating prospective implementation and thus an abrogation of seniority for those over-age-60 members still employed on our properties sets a dangerous precedent. We know that retroactivity is not a popular position with some and that the FAA Administrator has stated her intent for the new regulation to be prospective, but we also know that protecting seniority is the right thing to do for the right reasons. One of the most important elements of our recent negotiations was our collective commitment that “No one gets a pass, no one gets left behind.” That position was established by the MEC long before negotiations began and it is the philosophy that continues to guide our decision making. It is the same tenet that prevented the Negotiating Committee and MEC from acquiescing to a management-proposed “B-scale” pension for new-hires during our last negotiations, among other things.

MEC Chairman Captain Dave Webb will be attending the Executive Board meeting later this month along with his fellow MEC Chairmen. Your MEC stands united in support of Captain Webb advocating for the NPRM process as the preferred vehicle for any regulatory change and for the protection of our members’ seniority rights. We urge you to do the same.

Fraternally,

Capt. --
MEC Chairman

Capt. --
MEC Vice Chairman

Capt. --
MEC Secretary-Treasurer



LEC 7

Capt.--
Chairman

First Officer --
Vice Chairman

Second Officer --
Secretary-Treasurer


LEC 22

Capt. --
Chairman

Capt. --
Vice Chairman

First Officer --
Secretary-Treasurer


LEC 26

Capt. --
Chairman

First Officer --
Vice Chairman

Capt. --
Secretary-Treasurer


LEC 79

Capt. --
Chairman


LEC 99

Capt. --
Chairman


LEC 100

Capt. --
Chairman







.

skypig

[QUOTE=FoxHunter;1760457]Hmm? How did the original B plan work out for American pilots long term.

Didn't did it? But it's not the same situation as the American guys shafting thier fellow Union brothers...who were already employees. That outcome was inevitable.

I'm talking about post contract signing new hires. Just my opinion about it, but if a person didn't like what fedex was offering retirement wise they wouldn't have to come here. If they do come here, then it's thier fully informed decision.

Not saying I like this option, but Im not going to lose any sleep or want our guys to expend a lot of energy worrying about it. If it appears that fedex is having problems recruiting competent pilots because of no DB pension, they'll ask us to negotiate it back in next time. Lol

Flying Boxes

[QUOTE=skypig;1760587]And when the younger non A fund pilots out number those with A fund??

Let's not have "special" groups within the union! Otherwise the union is no different then management.
V/R

Busboy

Wow. Just wow. Why stop at retirement? Maybe we should look at PBS, a lesser vacation policy and a B payscale just for new hires while we're at it? Good grief!

P.S. American original B-scale in 1983(?) was only for new hires...Not their "fellow union brothers". But, what they must have considered to be their red-haired step children.

StarClipper

[QUOTE=skypig;1760587]Stop being selfish because eventually the minority "new hires" will become the majority and you might not like if they choose to give up some of the benefits you denied them

MaydayMark

[QUOTE=skypig;1760587]
Geez skypig ...

With that logic maybe we should only give wide-body Capt. Pay raises because, after all, everybody will be a wide-body Capt. one day. So ... everybody would benefit?

I GOT MINE ... PULL UP THE LADDER


.

HillandDale

In regards to the contract signed in 2006, does anyone know when we began mediation?

TonyC

NMB mediation began in October, 1994, and continued until October, 1995, when ALPA rejected the NMB's proffer of arbitration. A cooling off-period began on October 26, 1995, and parties were then released to self-help on November 25, 1995. ALPA was replaced by FPA which inherited the "self-help" status. The first CBA for FedEx Express pilots was achieved in 1999.


FedEx petitioned the NMB for mediation October 5, 2005. Prior to mediation, direct negotiations had been conducted for several months with the aid of an "outside facilitator." A Tentative Agreement was announced on August 27, 2006, and ratified on October 17, 2006.


1 year both times. The first resulted in release to self-help, the second resulted in our first negotiated contract.





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