Viper446

Heath care is industry leading. The Purple Plan is a very good program, the buy up plan is preserved, and the Geo-Plan is improved. Premiums go up to a max of about $250 per family more in 6 years per month, and amount easily absorbed by the pay raises. The fact we even get to keep what we have is winning in this environment.

FDA improvements are appreciated. As a parent with one child in domicile, the education improvement adds $10,000 after taxes directly to my family, or $60,000 after taxes during this contract. The flex or LAX FO may not benefit, but this is a huge win for our family.

My prediction is we are going to do some work outside section 6 and address some rebalance options. What is the leverage? The leverage is if FedEx can reduce their future funding obligations (and we hear its a 3 dollar or 4 dollar payment for 1 dollar of pilot benefit) there may be a chance to improve our DC in exchange for a reduced DB obligation..

This belief is just laughable.

This is a business decision. Each of you may think you are labor, but you are also a business owner—You.INC. Do the math and figure out what you gain in this deal. Write it down, and add it up. Next, subtract what you lost. Then—figure out what you want to get, and what you honestly think you can extract. Ask how long you think it will take. Compare what you think you can extract down the road to what you are offered now, and then make your best decision. In my case, I am mad about some of the givebacks and disappointed at gains that are lower than I wanted. But when I crunch the numbers, and really look closely, I see a fairly good raise, some solid improvements to work rules, and a chance to get back to work at the top of the industry. Based on my past experience, I think delays will gain us much less than some on the boards think we will capture.

Gains, where?

And then this,

So, if once a year, I get bumped from a trip, or pick up an extra trip, or get drafted for a 5 day pairing I can throw that money in my own investment account to offset the loss.

These aren't options for everyone. Really, we are supposed to fund our own retirement? I have cut these comments out of Albies post. So read his whole post if you want the whole context. But is this really the mindset of our pilots? This attitude comes across as I got mine and it works for me.

Rock

It absolutely floors me that in this day and age, after all the failures of company pension plans, this isn't an absolutely obvious answer. If an American with half a brain can't make more than $160,000 a year AND figure out a way to finance his own retirement, there really is no hope for them. And I know a vast majority of FedEx pilots make a whole heck of a lot more than that, because I am in the least paying seat in the company. So yeah....it isn't rocket science. Invest a little of your off time and figure out how manage your own retirement. You will be stunned at what you can accomplish with the salary we make.
And it isn't all about "I got mine." It's about..."I'm not going to leave my future and the future of my family in the hands of any company or government."

VSTOLG4

maybe I'm tired but not sure I got your message clearly.

Viper446

Rock, YGTBSM, Fund our own retirement and you are okay with that? Geez, I get saving but we have a contract that is supposed to have a retirement. We are asking for just a fing cola to the pension. You know what Rock, I am going to change my vote to yes. I want to see guys like you choke on the new work rules. I want to see guys like you retire and walk out the door while you have screwed your buds in the past.

And Rock, we currently fund our own retirement with a 401K. I put the max every year into it. I put close to 30K a year into retirement. You seem to keep missing the point. This TA isn't about money. Its about a fix to make our retirement have the same value now, that it will have in the future. Our retirement should have a simple COLA. Is it that hard to understand? Maybe you are right. We make too much. We shouldn't have what we have fought for or earned.

Rock

I am doing great financially with our current contract. I will be doing even better AND have a better QOL with the new. Is that something I should be ashamed of? Heck no. You BET I'm funding my own retirement. And guess what...I will probably be funding yours as well at some point in our lives because it sounds like you are betting on the come that your pensions will be there until the day you die. I'm not "saving". I'm investing. You should try it.
As far as screwing people in the past is concerned...what are you even talking about?!? I'm a long way from retirement. Closer if this TA passes, but still a long way. Your messiah complex is flat out weird. How you've managed to convince yourself that YOU know what is best for a majority of our crew force is a stunning display of ego. I don't want to hear your answer to this question, but I think I already know...Why would any FedEx pilot want you making longterm financial and lifestyle decisions for them when you don't seem to have figured out how to manage your OWN finances?
I see you added something since I responded...30K isn't enough. Of course, I don't know what your annual salary is, and I don't know what your other assets are...but you need to consider ramping that up a bit. It will be worth it in the long haul.

MaxKts

Question for Rock. Does your wife have a job with benefits and retirement?

busdriver12

You don't have to be tired to be confused.....

It took awhile before I realized that he was a vehement no voter, not a yes voter.

Quotation marks and an opening statement would have made it clearer.

Rock

Yes. Although neither amount to anything even close to what we get, although I'd say she works harder than I do.

busdriver12

It certainly helps your retirement account if your spouse earns as much or more than you do. I highly recommend it.

Rock

You are the smartest person on the planet. Or at least this thread.