Honestly, the FedEx management team's message is pretty unifying. 1) I think it is good that ALPA's pay proposal held fast ($1 below) after they insulted us with the paltry 40%-below-industry proposal. 2) And yes...certain sections that were "complete" from TA 1 were re-opened...guess what?--TA1 failed overwhelmingly and that's why. Get over the divorce. Things change and priorities and resolve change when you've dragged your feet for four years. You've unilaterally manipulated the SAM to cut pay by 16% through BLG reduction (despite us already being at the bottom of the pay scale) . We are receiving perdiem rates from a 2015 contract that did not anticipate the inflation that has occurred. Just two for starters. 3) And yes you need to add billions. How much have you already saved by not negotiating in good faith? Good faith? Really?

If it were me? Ask to be released for being at an impasse. Today. Start circulating to customers that FedEx pilots are asking to be released. Here's where the SPSC must pursue a PR strategy to put pressure on the company. Otherwise, all this delay is just bonus for the company. Not sure how the NMB process works, but if the flowchart (link below) here is correct, we have a few avenues to that outcome. We're certainly not getting any help from the normal process which is a piggy bank for the company. As much as they feign frustration, they are certainly receiving bonuses for the 6-month icing.

https://nmb.gov/NMB_Application/wp-c...-flowchart.pdf

 

It seems we’re at the point in the flow chart where the NMB determines that further mediation will not help the parties reach an agreement, and a proffer of arbitration should occur. It hasn’t occurred and will likely not occur.

It seems the process is corrupted; the NMB creates an unofficial step in the flow chart where they simply halt negotiations indefinitely.

 

Was I the only one who did the math on the company?

“In Section 3, ALPA reduced its pay rate demand by 0.3%, or $1.00 per credit hour…”

1/.003=333.333, that’s less than our current rate.

That is misleading at best. Although I suspect it’s just on par with the rest of the misinformation in that pathetic missive.

 

I’m also having trouble with the math the company put out yesterday critical of the NC bringing their hourly rate ask down only $1. The 23 TA1 proposed that 12 year WB Capt rate in Feb 25 would be $409.76 and would increase to $422.05 in Feb 26. If we assume that we’d had a TA after this week from the company’s most recent pay proposal and signed a few months later, say August, right in the middle of the TA1 Feb increases, then the math from TA1 would suggest that an August ‘25 DOS would have 12 year WB Capt pay rates at $415.90. The company proposed a top rate at DOS of $416.09 in the last session, so they only came up 19¢ from TA1. And in order to do that they wanted to relinquish Block over 8/10. So they came up 19¢ and are reasonable but ALPA came down by $1 and is therefore unreasonable. Sounds reasonable.

 

I hear UPS is going for 200K in their flat dollar pension.

If, as JG says, we have a flat dollar plan designed to force the middle to migrate out of the A plan, and it is allegedly fixed forever, then why are the bottom and new hires not also included in the plan?

UPS is all on the same plan, and they are hiring, and have good scope too... I get that he is self interested in his A plan bump. Would he accept a one time payout akin to the average duration of the A plan after retirement? This is not an option in the survey I gather?

 

$200k pension would still be less than 50% of the earnings of a top of scale widebody captain in retirement, but it would be a sufficient safety net when coupled with other investments, such as a 401k plan with cash over cap.

A pension buyout would be good if it makes everyone whole, and whole at a higher dollar value than the 1998 $130k pension. Those
close to retirement deserve an improved retirement plan and what difference does it make what form it’s in, as long as it’s better. We shouldn’t give up the pension for nothing in return. FUPM!

As upsetting as it is to be “iced”, or rather simply have negotiations canceled because of a biased and corrupt NMB, now is not the time for widespread union leadership changes. I am mad as h3ll at the lack of progress, as is the NMB, but I don’t see how asking for similar pay rates and work rules as our peers at United, Delta, American, and even Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit is asking too much. I am happy with the path we’ve chosen, but I am unhappy with how bumpy the path has gotten. I know the destination at the end of the path is the right destination and don’t want to turn around and start over on a new path with a new destination. Stay the course! Hold the line!

 

Because none of those other airlines negotiated a large pension increase on top of their pay and work rule gains.

The NMB has repeatedly warned us that we’re asking for too much. Now here we are on an indefinite delay.

 

Cue the call for waiving a white flag...Perhaps FedEx pilots should be "reasonable" and accept 40% less pay than other airlines because we had the audacity to ask for improvements to retirement that had been largely unaltered since 1998. "It's our own fault we're being exploited by the company." This is Stockholm syndrome pure and simple. Snap out of it.

 

We’re already taking a 40% relative pay cut by delaying a raise to chase a pension increase few fully understand the cost of and no other legacy airline has or improved. The NMB controls the process and has told us we’re asking for too much. We will have to prioritize what's most important. But we're not getting it all.

 

Yeah let’s accept a substandard contract that lags every airline in the country, for a minimal pension increase that doesn’t even restore its value as it was in 1999.