Albie..

A well thought out and well documented post. I hope you are able to speak with some of the more reasonable LEC Reps, the ones who haven't spent their career here looking for a fight with FedEx, and remind them of some of our past miscalculations in regard to leverage. It's funny that those that think the NC haven't done enough with this last year want to give up a sure 3% that they brought us already. It would make more sense to take the 3%, put more pressure on the NC and company to TA sections instead of just talk about them, and start building the unity we need with more communication and education about why we need improvements. If the company is dragging their feet next year in talks, start a comm campaign that starts to unite us. I don't agree that not being in Sec 6 makes the company not want to take us seriously, it's watching how we rolled over during 4a2b that makes them view us that way. If I was a businessman I would think the same thing about us. Weak and fragmented won't get us anything at the table which is maybe why the NC hasn't been able to TA more. Let's get Family Awareness, Pilot to Pilot and Comm fired up and start talking about some of the more egregious issues to include Accepted fares, 4a2b and the bait and switch A380 for 777 move they made last contract. And tell everyone to put the 3% away in case it is needed in a few years to really send a message. Thanks again for a great post..

I guess my basic belief is that any pseudo-negotiations happening now will do nothing to shorten the eventual Section 6 discussions. I think it'll take about 2 years to conclude because that's how long it'll take to create the leverage needed to make the Company make an offer. We had no leverage in 2006 until suddenly the MEM-11 FOs stopped flying extra - then, poof, we had leverage.

Someone earlier here said he hoped that all this interim discussions would result in enough movement that when we actually entered Section 6 we'd have an immediate contract - I think that's absurd. Cornerstones won't even be discussed.

I do think that the 3% pay raise/extension will pass - just about everyone I've flown with in the last few months is for it. I think that's more short term thinking in lieu of the necessary long term thinking that will bring real changes. I do hope you guys are right - maybe this new method will actually produce a faster contract and maybe the NC will actually bring TA'd sections outside of Section 6. I see no reason to believe this - remember during this time we still have the company arbitrarily changing the form of Reserve days for all domiciles outside of MEM (at a detriment to the crew force), putting absurd ASTBY pairings in the system seemingly just to change the process in their favor among other things. But like I said, I sincerely hope you guys are right - it be nice to actually have a kinder, gentler Negotiator at the Company side of the table and maybe in the immortal words of Rodney King "we can all just get along"

You may be right. Hope you are wrong.

If little is left to work on I don't want to see it take 2 years for us to take negotiations seriously. I think 6 months or less is appropriate.

Go for it fellas...

You guys can do the heavy lifting for us (IPA) this time and then we'll just ask for $1.00 more an hour and spend the saved dues money we would have used in negotiations on a keg party.

My perception of our negotiations is that we're in no particular hurry this time, and like you guys are hoping the economy improves. Perhaps the November elections might be a stimulus...or not. As far as I'm concerned we can talk about hotels, catering and uniforms for at least another year, as we get a 4% bump this month.

Give 'em hell and don't let Fred bluff you this time...please.

4%? Wow, nice. I think we're at equal pay rates for W/B Captain right now and that 4% will put you at the top.

Please note that is while they are in Section 6 negotiations.

Yes exactly. A stipulation put in to encourage the company to negotiate. We don't have that-never did and are not now in Section 6.

We are equal in pay rates only. I believe the boys in brown get more CH's per month than we do...

More then most of us. I'll bet our top guys get more credit hours then their top guys. And no I am not bragging.

Not as regular BLG. I'll still take our contract over theirs. I hope they do well with their contract and hope we do well also.