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Recent FDX hiring background

Old 01-23-2018, 06:51 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by TonyC View Post
Not so fast.

Remember, the whole point of PBS from The Company's perspective is to increase productivity and thereby reduce manning, i.e. costs.

When manning is decreased because PBS makes us more efficient, there won't be sufficient reserves to cover drops. You'll own the trips you're awarded, no drops, no trades, no changes. PBS has often been compared to our Secondary Line construction. It's actually much worse. With PBS you'll get your trips and you'll like them, period.






.
I do not disagree with this assessment at all.
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Old 01-23-2018, 06:53 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by FDXpilot View Post
I come from a carrier that had PBS, and can’t stress enough how BAD PBS is from pilot stand point. It would be detrimental to our quality of life here at FedEx! It is only a tool for management to increase utilization.

PBS is so wrong in so many ways as you described in your post, plus many other reasons. It’s bad when even the #1 pilot on the seniority list can’t hold their first choice, due to pilots junior to them only being able to hold the trips the #1 pilot wants, because of vacation and training. I know it’s hard to understand, but the computer doesn’t care about your seniority if the trip you want will only fit in a junior pilots schedule. It negates any seniority to fill everyone’s schedule as efficiently as possible.

The PBS system is just a computer algorithm that tries to fill the seats. The system is programmed by the company for the company. No matter any transparency, or control you think you might have, the company pays for and will run the program. Transparency only allows you to see how bad you are getting screwed, and just makes you more frustrated.

There is a huge learning curve on how to use PBS and many months to years of bad bidding going on before you even start to scratch the surface of all the “options” that you can ask for. You can very easily screw yourself.

I was SO happy to come to a carrier that didn’t have PBS.
I implore all FedEx pilots to say NO! to PBS!
And say NO to that proposed VB Plan
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Old 01-23-2018, 09:57 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Adlerdriver View Post
Actually, the best thing the company could do would be to make our secondary bidding system as good and pilot friendly as possible. We're not negotiating and the improvement process is supposed to be happening (well, should have happened quite a while ago). So, the ball's in their court and there's no zero sum involved.

They could make it the most kick-ass PBS anyone has ever seen and hope that people start warming up to it. In the meantime, at least we'll have a better secondary process. Or they could put a little lipstick on the pig we have and pretty much guarantee we'll never see it here.

I came from a regional which was purely Line bidding. And secondary lines was just a person on the other side of the computer monitor reading each pilots’ preferences (supposedly in seniority order) to build the relief lines. Management wanted to implement some software called VTO (I have no idea if it’s the same thing that is used here) and the union stepped in and suggested a specific PBS vendor instead. The PBS software, with not many enhanced PBS-specific work rules, it was eventually implemented for secondary lines and despite the relatively low quality and amount of trips to choose from compared to the trips used to make hard lines, junior Line holding pilots would bid down to use PBS in the secondary bid.

We kept hard lines and made secondary line bidding better for both sides.
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Old 01-23-2018, 11:30 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by UnusualAttitude View Post
One man's thoughts:-UA
Nicely written! I agree

Originally Posted by Rsv4lyfe View Post
I left one of the big 3. I'm 28. I fully intend to retire WITHOUT a pension. That's ok. With the time I have to put in, I think I'd be alright with a 16-20% DC too. And I can control it.

I came here for commuting ease and stability (FDX is a powerhouse of a company.) We'll see.
Planning your finances conservatively certainly is wise; and not building a life that necessitates the pension-- inflation adjusted-- would be great if you can... And your post may have been just that, sharing your personal feelings should the worst happen for whatever reason.

However, I can't help but begin to freak out when your sentiment seems to betray a conflation between your personal needs and frugality, and being 'ok' with a grossly inequitable trade... and for what?

Using the lower limits of one's personal needs as a metric for willingly giving up present benefits is not a trait I want to see in our future crewforce. Not to mention, just how short an additional 8 percent on the B fund would reach, should we lose the A fund (for the majority of us).

I'm in my early thirties and have been here for around 7 years, I may plan for the worst, but it certainly wouldn't be 'ok' with me! The A plan, or something truly equitable, is invaluable (less each passing year), it strongly influenced my decision to work nights, fly haz, work out of the available domiciles etc... Sure, there were many other benefits to Fedex, but the presence of the pension is what led many to arriving at the same career decision, eschewing companies that may have been better for social life and physical health.

The issue for pilots our age is that the pension, if not adjusted for inflation, will basically be a car payment come retirement.
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