SUBJECT: Consideration of Recall of FDX Seniority Block Status Representative 2/5/7 Captain RP/Captain RZ/First Officer BW, Council 22 Vice Chairman/Chairman/Secretary Treasurer

SOURCE: Council 22 Member-at-Large TonyC

BACKGROUND:

The Air Line Pilots Association, International, is designed to be a bottom-up organization. It is the pilots who set the direction of the Association. The elected local council representatives serve as designated ALPA representatives of local council member pilots, and represent the interests of their local council members as a part of the MEC.

When local council representatives fail to represent the interests of their local council members, a normal, orderly process is provided by ALPA’s Constitution and By-Laws to recall those representatives. The process itself follows ALPA’s bottom-up philosophy, being based on majority vote of all members in good standing of the local council.

The local council representatives of FDX Local Council 22 have failed and are continuing to fail to represent the interests of the members of their local council with regards to Railway Labor Act Section Six negotiations of an amendment to their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with FedEx Express, particularly with regard to negotiating improvements to our Defined Benefit Retirement benefit.

The local council representatives of FDX Local Council 22 have failed to solicit and receive the opinions and wishes of local council members by approving the use of poll and survey questions which are poisoned with conditions and caveats such as “regardless of the mechanism” that prevent, discourage, and obfuscate the clear and direct communication of precise intentions with regards to improving the FedEx Pilots’ Pension Plan, commonly referred to as the “A” Plan or the “Defined Benefit Plan.”

The local council representatives of FDX Local Council 22 have chosen to supplant the wishes of the local council members who elected them with the opinions of non-elected committee volunteers referred to as subject matter experts (SMEs). While the advice of such subject matter experts should be considered, it should not outweigh the wants and desires of the members who elect the representatives.

The local council representatives of FDX Local Council continue to fail to adequately represent the members who elected them by refusing to explain the meaning of “Defined Benefit” as used in the Contract 2021 Section 6 Opener document and associated written communications. After pushing the Variable Benefit Plan initially and for several years, and after later renaming it the “Pilots Stabilized Pension Plan,” it is unclear whether the term “Defined Benefit” as used in the Openers document and associated written communications is a new name or new way of referring to the variable benefit plan which would replace our “A” Plan, or a commitment to improving the “A” Plan currently provided by our CBA. The two paths are vastly different, and the members of Local Council 22 have a right to know which path the Negotiating Committee has been directed or authorized to pursue. An overwhelming majority of the members of Local Council 22 are opposed to ending the “A” Plan and would be opposed to any efforts by the Negotiating Committee to do so, but the local council representatives stubbornly refuse to inform the members of which path is being pursued.

In order to adequately represent the members of Local Council 22, the local council representatives must be replaced by representatives who will be faithful in soliciting and receiving inputs from the members and acting in harmony with those wants and needs. The first step of this process is recall of local council officers.


PROPOSED RESOLUTION:

WHEREAS The Air Line Pilots Association, International, is designed to be a bottom-up organization, with pilots who set the direction of the Association and elect local council representatives who represent those pilots’ interests as a part of the MEC.

WHEREAS Seniority Block Status Representative 2/5/7 Captain RP/Captain RZ/First Officer BW, Council 22 Vice Chairman/Chairman/Secretary Treasurer, has failed to solicit and receive clear and unfiltered input from local council members by approving the use of poll and survey questions poisoned with conditions and caveats such as “regardless of the mechanism” that prevent, discourage, or obfuscate the clear and direct communication of precise intentions with regards to improving the FedEx Pilots’ Pension Plan, commonly referred to as the “A” Plan or the “Defined Benefit Plan”, and

WHEREAS Captain P/Captain Z/First Officer W has chosen to supplant the wishes of the local council members who elected him with the opinions of non-elected committee volunteers referred to as subject matter experts (SMEs), whose advice should be considered, but should not outweigh the wants and desires of the members who elect the representatives, and

WHEREAS Captain P/Captain Z/First Officer W refuses to explain the meaning of “Defined Benefit” as used in the Contract 2021 Section 6 Opener document and associated written communications so that after having had the FDX MEC and FDX MEC Negotiating Committee for many years now push the Variable Benefit Plan initially, and later rename it the “Pilots Stabilized Pension Plan,” now makes it unclear whether the term “Defined Benefit” as used in the Opener document and associated written communications is a new way of referring to the variable benefit plan which would replace our “A” Plan, or a commitment to improving the “A” Plan currently provided by our CBA, and

WHEREAS as the two paths improving our “A” Plan or replacing our “A” Plan are vastly different and the members of Local Council 22 have a right to know which path the Negotiating Committee has been directed or authorized to pursue, and

WHEAREAS an overwhelming majority of the members of Local Council 22 are opposed to ending the “A” Plan and would be opposed to any efforts by the Negotiating Committee to do so, but the local council representatives stubbornly refuse to inform the members of which path is being pursued.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, In accordance with ALPA’s Constitution and By-Laws Article III, Section 2.F., the FDX Local Council 22 requests the Vice President-Administration/Secretary to initiate and circulate a ballot among the Active members of FDX Local Council 22 for the removal of Seniority Block Status Representative 2/5/7 Captain RP/Captain RZ/First Officer BW, said ballot to be conducted under Association Voting Procedures.